Call me a sap, but I love Valentine’s Day, not just because of my sweetheart but because of other loved ones and friends.
When I was growing up, my dad made Valentine’s a big day for my mom, my sister and me, so I enjoy carrying on the tradition. I give my mom a few special things and send cards to my sister and friends. My husband, daughter, and I exchange small gifts and have a special dinner (although now that she’s in college, she is doubtless having fun with her friends instead of us).
If you like to give gifts for Valentine’s Day, here are a few of my favorite things to give you some ideas. These gifts also work well for birthdays and anniversaries, or any occasion, really.
If you see something you like, just click the link and check it out.
(Note that some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you buy anything, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s an easy, painless way for you to support this blog so I can keep sharing glimpses of the beauty around us each week. Thank you!)
Cards
These Valentine cards are perfect for loved ones and friends.
These Glimsen cards work well for any occasion, and the Spring ones will soon be in season. Check them out here in the Shop.
Gifts for Anyone
I am a pen nerd and Staedtler are my current favorites. They are smooth, fine, and colorful.
My daughter, on the other hand, loves Mujis. They are popular with the younger crowd.
In November, the remnants of a hurricane took down so many trees in our area that we were without power for days. This book light allowed Mart to read—and stay sane—in the darkness after the sun went down.
Last year, he ordered the laptop sleeve to protect his computer and really likes it. It comes in several colors.
Gifts for Women
My friend Sydney is a born encourager, and the mission of her company, Doing Good Co, is simply to encourage others. Her Valentine’s Gift Box comes packed with goodies, such as a zippered pouch, candle, key chain, bracelet, and more, all with a message of love for your loved ones and friends. The shop also includes other themed gift boxes, small signs, sugar scrubs, and more. Right now, Sydney is offering a 10% discount to Glimsen readers. Just enter this code at checkout: glimsen10.
These fuzzy socks are soft, cozy, warm, and non-skid. Great for cold toes from winter temps.
I have several pashminas in my closet. They are soft and warm without being heavy, and they add a level of elegance to an outfit. I’ve worn mine to formal dressy events as well as to the theater and to church. They’re available in many colors, although I am partial to this red.
Gifts for the Palate
I know, who needs another mug? But these are such fun!
The red one is by Rae Dunn. My friend and I love her large letter designs, so we tend to gift them to each other. I have a couple of mugs, a pencil cup, a pillow, and three ornaments. Check out Rae Dunn’s other fun mug designs.
The Shakespeare mug makes a quirky gift for any language or literary lover in your life.
Tea
Harney and Sons English Breakfast is by far my favorite brand and flavor of hot tea. A pot of this made me give up my life-long devotion to iced tea, and now it wakes me up every morning.
Loose tea carries more flavor than tea bags or sachets, which means this Chocolate Mint will be rich and fragrant, perfect for Valentine’s and many days after.
Coffee
I can’t talk about coffee without mentioning Bellwood Coffee, co-founded by my nephew-in-law. Not only do they have a great mail order business and coffee club (subscription), but for you local folks, they have a large outdoor space that is second to none. Their comfy indoor space will be open when indoor dining restrictions ease up. We are proud of Bellwood and the folks who started it and are happy to support them.
At home, when Mart’s not drinking Bellwood, his everyday K Cup coffees are Dunkin Donuts or Caribou. I love to buy him flavors that sound good to me even though I don’t like coffee (gasp!), so I will often get him peppermint, cinnamon, or chocolate raspberry. In fact, I have a flavored bag waiting for him for Valentine’s but in case he reads this, I don’t want to spill the beans.
Chocolate
Confession: If you know me, you know I love chocolate. It is my weakness, especially milk chocolate.
That being said, I have two favorite brands: Hershey’s and Lindt/Lindor.
This bag of Nuggets has something for everyone and is big enough to share.
The Lindt bag with its red packaging is devoted only to milk chocolate, but they have several flavors, including Mart’s favorite, dark chocolate, in blue packaging. I love Lindt Truffles so much that I filled a punch bowl with them at our wedding reception. They were a huge hit, but I wasn’t sad to find a few leftovers.
And Finally…
Artist Claude Monet said, “I must have flowers, always, and always.” Not everyone feels the same, but a gift of flowers always lifts my spirits, no matter what day it is.
I hope this list has been helpful to you. If so, let me know in the comments. And if you have anything you think I should add to a future gift guide, email me at glimsenblog dot com.
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