To make somebody you love feel special does not mean you have to spend a lot of money. These are some ideas to make a gift special:

Pack it nicely

It does not mean that you have to pay the expensive wrapping at the department stores. That packaging maybe nice, but it is not special. Buy some nice wrapping paper or at least tissue paper and use a store bag, but add ribbons. This is only if you cannot pack it better. You can also ask a friend for help.

Add rose petals to the gift box or put them in an envelope with a hand written note.

If you are romantic, write a poem in the card.

Add a customized CD with your favorite songs to the gift.

Personalize it. Add something small to the gift that you know your lady likes. It can be a cartoon character, her favorite scent, use her favorite color in the wrapping, etc.

Do not overspend. You do not need to get in debt to make her feel special. Buy in discount stores such as TJ Maxx or in an outlet mall. They have perfumes at great prices. Plan your budget ahead of time and then try to stick to it.

Do not forget video games, iTunes gift cards etc. -- they make great gifts. Avoid gift certificates to stores or spas; they are not personal. Use them only if you absolutely do not have time or desire to be more creative.

Ask discreet questions to find out what she wants, such as what are your top ten items in your shopping list right now? OK, it does not sound discreet, but it depends on the context of the conversation. Her close friends may also be a good source for ideas.

Give personal gifts. If you are buying a gift for your wife do not buy something for the house or for both of you (such as vacations or going to a restaurant).

Avoid the last minute rush. You will end up spending too much money and buying something that she may not like. I worked in the mall for a short time when I was a student and on Christmas eve I was told “Today we will get a lot of men buying gifts.”

Flowers are always great, but complement them with something else even if it is little.

My husband has given me diamonds, pearls, and other expensive gifts, but my favorite was one he gave me when we were dating while I was a student and he was in his first job after his masters: a set of earrings in a heart shape, a
necklace in crystals and a small pink heart, a box of chocolates in a white heart shape with pink polka dots, a small cute teddy bear with a small pink heart everything beautifully wrapped in pink and white and pink flowers. I do not think he spend more than $50 on the whole thing. Money was not abundant those days, but I still talk about that gift because it showed he though about it.

While the value of love cannot be measured in money, but expensive gifts definitely help. Sometimes only a nice greeting card does the trick or a smile or a kiss but we all welcome expensive gifts. In case you are dating or are in a relationship with someone who has it all, she or he may not have this diamond-encrusted, platinum tequila bottle. The price? A mere one and a half million bucks. I am sure the result will be remarkable.

We started off by talking about how to get ready for celebrating Valentine's Day. We came up with the idea that rather than doing the same old things you might actually want to do something different, well, how about a fondue party for two? So the questions started to pour in about gifts for Valentine's Day that were different. Not just the ones that we recommended in our gift ideas for spouses, but something even more different. So here at LuvCube, we put our heads together and here is what we came up with.

Music

But, of course, not any music. Buy your own blank CD, then buy songs online from a website like iTunes or Yahoo Music or Rhapsody, put your own compilation of favorite songs, and finally make a very special CD cover with pictures of both of you. To make the cover, you can use a photo editing software that typically should be already installed on most new computers, is also a part of digital camera software, or you can simply download it online for a very small charge.

Make your own gift basket

It is funny to see how men shop for Valentine’s Day. They just buy something that looks pretty. If it is a toiletries basket, they do not even smell it. Do not do this, ever. You can do better: Buy a gift certificate to a spa and add some special items such as body lotion, natural soaps, bath salts, or massage oil.

Romantic massage

Make your own gift certificate. Since you will do the massage, get a card or a piece of attractive paper, and write it as it is from a spa, (you can even come up with a unique name for your spa) and put the name of the massage therapist as your name. Get some edible massage oil, such as Jessica Simpson’s Dessert, and give both (oil and gift card) of them along with chocolates and champagne. If you want to splurge, you may add some jewelry.

Flower power

There is nothing more romantic than flowers as far as women are concerned, but when you buy them on Valentine’s Day, their prices are prohibitive. So give flowers ahead of time with a card inviting for dinner. On Valentine’s Day itself, just bring chocolates or high-quality cookies or a small, but special, gift.

Candy flowers and chocolate

Instead of the traditional flower arrangement, you can a get a candy bouquet arrangement, that you can order online. You can also print your favorite photo on chocolate and give that as a gift.

A word of advice: Plan ahead. Avoid the mall on Valentine’s Day. Not only it is a hassle to shop in the mall; you don’t always get the best selection and prices. Dozens of excellent online gift stores now have many choices for gifts and they can mail the gift directly to you or the recipient.

The best gifts are not the most expensive but the ones that show that you thought about it and put time into it.

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Get ready for Valentine's Day

We suggest that whether you are single or attached, you need to plan at least 4-6 weeks ahead to have a memorable Valentine's Day. Why? It is the only day in the year when you can openly say how you feel about a person without feeling any guilt at all. So take the liberty and enjoy yourself.

How to get ready for Valentine's Day if you are single?

1. Use whatever means at your disposal to get a date for Valentine's Day. Use Lingerie, candles, bedroom decoration, etc.
2. After the date, do not forget to send a thank-you note/gift. Who knows it might be the start of another beautiful relationship.

How to prepare for Valentine's Day if you are in a committed relationship?

1. Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to reinforce your bond by telling the other person how much you care. So a little care in planning the day is helpful.
2. Since it is not going to be a "date" in the conventional sense for you, why not be a bit creative. It is wrong to think that the only way to celebrate Valentine's Day is to dress up, eat out, and then make love. You don't even have to go for a weekend anywhere, though there is nothing wrong with any of this. However, what about a day of spa treatments, spoiling your partner for one day, or grant a long-hidden wish of your partner (which if you do not already know, you might either ask your partner or a close friend).
3. Once you know what you are going to do, then prepare well. List everything that needs to be done and go about doing it little by little. Particularly, when you are going to shop online for some gifts - they can take a few days to arrive.
4. If your partner asks what the plans for the Valentine's Day are, then just tell him/her that it is a surprise and you are taking care of it.

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