I love Valentine's Day because to me, it's a bright spot in the middle of winter--a touch of warmth, if you will.

And intentionally focusing on love and friendship is always in season.

Plus, there's chocolate.

One year I told my parents I didn't want chocolate for Valentine’s Day because I was trying to stop eating it. And they believed me! So they gave me a big heart tin full of cashews instead. Just between us, I was a little disappointed, but since I love cashews, too, it worked out just fine.

I also think Valentine's Day is fun. When I was little, I remember coming home with a scrunched paper bag full of tiny cards and candy from friends and classmates. When my daughter was little, she did the same. She would either make her own or decorate valentines she picked out at the store. For special friends, we would attach a treat: a piece of candy, a colorful pencil, a sticker, or something similar. I enjoyed her Valentine’s Day as much as she did.

Pink-tipped roses at a sidewalk flower market, near my now grown-up daughter’s apartment in Brooklyn

Not everyone gives gifts at Valentine's, but in our family, we view it as an opportunity to intentionally spread a little love to each other. Through the years, we've created gifts based on the ideas below. If you’re looking to do a little something different this year, maybe this list will get you started.

A letter of love or appreciation. As I’ve written before, these days, receiving a real letter makes any day a special occasion and Valentine’s Day even more so. Your letter to your loved one or friend doesn’t have to be romantic—just a note in your own words that details what you like about that person, what you appreciate about who they are or what they do, any special memories you have of them, etc.

My husband, Mart, wrote me a letter like this for our anniversary one year, and it is precious to me. He used Jody Noland’s Leave Nothing Unsaid workbook to help him get started.

A special experience. One year, Mart gave me a gift card to the gift shop at our city’s art museum. When I opened it, I was surprised and a little confused until he explained: he wanted to take me to lunch at the new museum restaurant, then to the current art exhibition (paintings from the Louvre), and finally to the gift shop to spend the gift card. I loved his creativity and forethought, and we had so much fun the day we went.

What sort of experience would your family member or friend love? You could write a note explaining what the experience will be or just say that it’s a surprise and then put your note in a gift bag or box so they’ll have something to unwrap.

A piece of art. Are you gifted in the arts? Maybe you could create a small sketch or watercolor, a poem or story, or a special photograph in a frame or a book of photos.

Mosaic by folk artist Howard Finster at Paradise Garden, Summerville, GA

A handmade card. My sister and my niece make cards to give for birthdays and Christmas. They put a lot of time and care into choosing just the right color palette, papers, stamps, and additional elements before adding their message inside.

One year, a friend from church gave me a set of blank handmade cards, including a few she’d painted. So far I haven’t given many of those away—I just can’t seem to part with them.

Coupons and coupon books. People often give these to their sweethearts, and children make them for their parents, but what about creating them for a friend or a child (or grandchild)?

Hand-write the coupons or print them on fun paper, and bind them with a binder clip, paper clip, or even staples. If you prefer, put them in a fancy or decorated envelope.

To make a coupon book for a friend, you could include coupons for one free cup of coffee, one pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to share, one movie of his/her choice, one hour of organizing help, etc.

A kid’s book could have coupons for one free ice cream, one family movie of his/her choice, one family dinner of his/her choice, one new book, one batch of cookies made together, one trip to the park, one play date with a friend.

Any of these heart-felt, thoughtful gifts would likely be treasured by the person receiving it, and the ideas work well for birthdays, Easter baskets, and Mother’s and Father’s Day, too. Hopefully they’ve helped you think of creative ways to show your love to the special people in your life this Valentine's Day.

Have you ever given handmade gifts? What did you give? I'm always looking for more ideas so let me know in the comments below or on Facebook. Thanks!

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Flower petal heart by Riss Design courtesy of Unsplash

Fountain pen and paper photo by Aaron Burden courtesy of Unsplash

Chocolate photo by Hakuna Matata courtesy of Unsplash

Pinky-swear photo by Walter Randlehoff on Unsplash