There are usually three types of people when it comes to Valentine's Day. Those who don't celebrate it for many reasons, those who celebrate it by buying typical commercial gifts and those who relish the idea of finding great ways to express their love on Valentine's day with personal, meaningful and great memorable ways.
If you are looking for Valentine's ideas that go beyond, roses, chocolates and stuffed bears, the following testimonies from those who actually did it may give you fresh innovative ideas. Here they are:
CARVED CANDLESOne valentine’s day, I made up my mind and decided to ask her to be my Valentine. So, I went looking for a gift. After about an hour or two could have been three, it seemed to like a very long time. I found this candle that was shaped like a heart and really big. I took it home set it on the table and set down to write a poem to put with it. Half way through the poem, I thought the candle was missing something.
I stopped writing and stared at the candle for about ten minutes. I got up went to the garage and got my rotary tool. I hooked everything up and then went to work. A few hours later I stood back and was amazed at what I have done. I carved roses, stems and the leaves into the sides of the candle. On top I carved, “Lisa you are the most angelic woman I have ever met or seen! I would cherish the moment for all eternity if, you would grace me with your presences and be mine for Valentine’s! Respectfully Yours, Michael”
Valentine’s morning it snowed, I went to her house and knocked on the door. I asked if, she would take a short walk with me down to the park for a moment. There was a spot where Mother Nature created a work of art with the snow covered tress and rocks at a small park down from her house. It was like; it was made just for this reason.
I dusted off one of the large rocks and she sat down, looking up at me smiling. Without saying anything, I reached into the bag and pulled the candle out. Her eyes got big and a quit, “oh my” came from her mouth. She looked at the sides and then the top. She then looked at me and got up and kissed me ever so gently on the lips, and then she whispered in my ear, “Yes”
CHAINSAW ROMANCEHe made me a heart-shaped box out of cedar wood with a matching fitting lid. (Apparently shaping wood is really hard to do, and he did it with a chainsaw.) On the top of the box it has a heart carved into it with the words Mitch loves Calli. It was so romantic!
Now I keep little treasures from him and from things we do together in the box. I have it on my dresser to remind me every day how much he loves me.
DOG-FIGHTINGMy husband has always wanted to be a fighter pilot since he was just a little boy, but decided against it because he did not want to travel as much as was required. In making the decision to be a family man, he gave up some of the excitement and adrenalin he had hoped for in a career. For Valentines Day in 2001, I flew my husband to Las Vegas (where he had never been!), and we spent four days there exploring the city. He tried Krispy Kreme for the first time, and we purchased all the items needed for an at home massage.
On the second day there, I took him to Air Combat USA, which is a company that allows civilians to be pilots in a fighter plane for a day. He spent the day there, taking lessons and learning basic skills for flying the plane. In the morning, he had a brief flight that allowed him to get the feel of the aircraft. In the afternoon, he was taken up and allowed not only to fly the plane, but "dogfight" with another pilot, complete with smoke and flashing lights. They videotaped the whole thing, and he was very proud of himself for not throwing up! When he landed that evening, we went out for a romantic dinner where I presented him with a flight suit commemorating his time as a pilot. We then went back to our hotel, where I used the massage items to rub the soreness of being at 4G's out of his shoulders and back.
He was very surprised, and was able to fulfill a dream that Valentines Day! Ever since then, our Valentines Days have been less about chocolates and roses and more about helping our partner find creative ways to reach their goals.
SAY IT IN A SONGThe most wonderful Valentine's Day present I ever received from my fiancé, was not a card, flowers, or chocolate. It was a CD. Now I know these days personal CD's are becoming a normal way to show someone you care, but this was just the perfect way for him to show me that he really loved me.
This CD contained love songs and, in the pamphlet, he wrote about a page per song telling me what each song meant to him and how much he loved me.
Every year he gives me another Valentine's CD with different love songs and his special personal messages. The best Valentine's Day present I ever received was last year, Chris gave me the CD and when I opened it there was an extra note on the back of the CD that explained how much he loved me and asked me to marry him. Then he kneeled down and handed me a ring and asked me again.
Its coming up on a year and we are still together and happy. I can't wait to get my valentine's Day CD this year, though nothing will ever beat last years present.
FISHING FOR FLOWERSFor valentine's day I got a bouquet of roses for my wife. I chopped off the buds and made "flowers" using cheap lures and hooked it on the stem. She loved it! And I filled up the bathtub with warm water and placed the cut off roses on top. "That was our most romantic valentine and I will never forget that," she said very affectionately.
ADORABLE DOZENour waitress came over with a dozen roses and set them on our table and told me it was from a secret admirer. I was extremely embarrassed but also thought it was unbelievably romantic. He told me to look closely at the roses. Each flower had an envelope attached to it. Each envelope was as follows:
1. The first day I met you I could tell by you're eyes I would fall in love with you
2. Every tear you cry rips out a piece of my heart
3. Whenever we kiss I can't seem to concentrate for at least 10 minutes afterward
4. Your smile is amazing, It lights up the world
5. When I touch any part of your body I am filled with more passion than I could ever imagine
6. Only you can cheer me up on a bad day
7. You are so beautiful, I feel on top of the world whenever people see us together
8. You are so considerate and selfless. It is unbelievable to see how big of a heart you have
9. If I were lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with you, I wouldn't need anything else
10. I can't believe someone like you actually wants to be with me
11. I can't keep my mind off of you for a second
12. I love you, and I always will... You are my reason to wake up in the morning
Two years and a marriage later, I can't believe I ever was unsure of his love for me.
SANDWICH AND ROSESThe most memorable Valentine gift I ever received was a sandwich.
I usually brought the same sandwich to work every day (when I didn't get fast food) - ham and cheese on white bread.
My beloved had to work the night shift on Valentines' Day, so since we couldn't be together, he left a note for me in the fridge with a red rose. There were also a couple of bread types, some different deli meats and cheeses. The note said that he wanted me to have something different for lunch the next day, and to pick one of the breads and toast it, and select whatever combination I wanted of the deli meats and cheeses. It was just so thoughtful!
I didn't realize how much of a rut I had gotten into with the sameness of a lunch, and he wanted to show me that I could have some variety that would taste good, too. It touched me because it was so thoughtful and original, and it didn't cost an arm and a leg!
THE ULTIMATE GIFT - PRAYERI thought of writing a special prayer to read to him on Valentine's Day as one of my "gifts" to him. But as I thought about it, I've decided to carry it one step further. Yes, I still plan to share a special prayer with him, but I don't want to stop there.
The traditional gift for the first year anniversary is "paper" -- a few days ago I purchased a journal with lined pages and I plan to continue to note my prayers in the journal and then present him with it on our first anniversary. I often tell him that I pray for him a lot, and I do -- but wouldn't it be a blessing to actually see/hear the prayers coming from your partner's heart and soul asking for your own safety, health, endurance and strength?
