The Sweetest Time of the Year

(Besides the Sweetest Day in Midwest)

Rounding the cor­ner from New Year’s Resolutions, either bask­ing in the glory of suc­cess or won­der­ing what dif­fer­ence does it make any­way, the time has come for another round of sweet treats. 

Many alter­na­tives exist when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts, so by all means, don’t think that choco­late is the only way to go, unless of course, you know where to find some of that awe­some choco­late fla­vored lotions.

Here are a few ideas if you are strug­gling to find the right gift for the right per­son.  And, always keep in mind, the choice is usu­ally made depend­ing on the rela­tion­ship sta­tus.  Did you just meet some­one?  Have you been together 3 months or 3 years?  The idea of exchanged gifts on Valentine’s changes dras­ti­cally depend­ing on the couple.

Here’s a top five gifts for you guys to give your sweet­heart lady friends.

1.    Eau de Toilette

Eau de Toilette is a mix­ture of fra­grant essen­tial oils and aroma com­pounds, fix­a­tives and solvents.  From Claire’s, Pac Sun to Sephora, Nordstrom, there is bound to be a scent that pleases you and your partner. What sets Eau de Toilette apart from oth­ers is the lower use of fra­grant oils. 

2.  Hand Cream/ Hand lotion



Hand lotion is another item that is often over­saw when think­ing of gifts. Perhaps it is every­where. (My dentist’s office has one gor­geous one in the bath­room; per­haps only to make me feel bet­ter about the visit). It maybe plain old Vaseline, or Bath & Body Works or even Juicy Couture, but no women will say no to a good hand lotion, and bonus point, it is some­thing guys can eas­ily test too. Not sure what scent to have for her? If you know her favorite fra­grance, you prob­a­bly can get a match­ing lotio. If not, get a set of trial size hand lotions in a vari­ety of scents, think coconut, brown sugar, pina colda, rose­mary, and then she can grab one, toss one in her bag and be ready to go.  Add the ben­e­fits of soft silky hands that just might be used for a mas­sage and you have a win­ner gift.

3. Inexpensive/Fashion Jewelery

Gifts for those in long-term rela­tion­ships offer dif­fer greatly from those who new to one another.  If you feel com­fort­able with dia­monds or other jew­elry then by all means, doll your lady up in some­thing nice.  However, if you aren’t sure that you are ready to make the big leap over to dia­monds but you still would like to get her some­thing a but more per­sonal, take notice of her ear­rings, the bracelets that she wears when you are out.  Then, even com­pli­ment her and see if she is will­ing to tell you where she found them.  With that, you are all set to find her a per­sonal gift, that’s inex­pen­sive and doesn’t put either of you in an awk­ward situation. 

4. Scarf/Gloves

If your friend lives in a cold cli­mate and wears scarves and gloves often, you can prob­a­bly guar­an­tee that she is always think­ing about the next new scarf to match and out­fit or a new set of gloves unlike the ones she has in color or tex­ture.  If you find a store with a good saleslady, you can usu­ally trust the advice she gives you when try­ing to decide which is the right choice for your gift.

5.  Dining out

And, finally, there is always candy.  But, why not sub­sti­tute that box of candy (unless you have a lady friend who is con­stantly ask­ing for more choco­late) for a spe­cial date.  Make reser­va­tions at a restau­rant you’ve either never been to or don’t fre­quent often.  This is great for new cou­ples just meet­ing and learn­ing about one another and if you are with a long-term mate, she is bound to be more than please that you chose her favorite restau­rant.  Chances are the good restau­rants will be crowded and reser­va­tions needed but you can make a good impres­sion by plan­ning ahead so well.