Valentine Gift ideas

Greetings:

Love is in the air, and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Although the young teenager I encountered in the Hallmark Store believes that Valentine's Day is just another holiday made up by the card store company to get people to send cards, that actually isn't true. Some historians speculate that Valentine's Day originated from St. Valentine, a Roman Priest, who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted by the Romans to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter who had become his friend and signed it "From Your Valentine."In the 1800's, commercial valentines were introduced. So although Hallmark does takes full advantage of the situation, they didn't make the holiday up.

So what to do on Valentine's Day? There are many ways to celebrate, here are just a few of my favorites.

Wearing red is a must on Valentine's Day, even just a little. And what about distributing those cute little kid Valentine's out to your co-workers along with a chocolate kiss. Pack the kids lunches with a special note and treat, and maybe even hide a few treats around the house as special little surprises. Just doing fun little thoughtful things can make the day a special one.

Hey don't forget your furry friends, they like treats too. Chocolate isn't good for dogs, but you can pick something up at the Three Dog Bakery http://http://www.threedog.com/dogalog/index.shtml or at your local pet store that will by yummy and fun.

Flowers are a nice touch. One of my favorite places to order from is Flowerbud.com http://www.flowerbud.com/. They provide beautiful flowers fresh from the grower. The presentation is wonderful well.

If you want to give a small gift to a friend, co-worker or someone that has helped you out, a Starbucks coffee card is the way to go. Everyone can use one even if they don't drink coffee, they can have another type of drink such as tea or even buy a sweet. It is an easy and thoughtful gift.

Nothing says "I Love You" like Godiva chocolate http://www.godiva.com/. Yummy good. You can buy a box with just two pieces in it or something more elaborate. Whatever you buy, trust me you can't go wrong with Godiva. And hey while you are at it, buy yourself a few pieces as well.

Two of my favorite foods on the Planet are chocolate and strawberries. No one does this combo like Shari's Berries http://www.berries.com/. You might still have time to order if you hurry. My local Whole Foods has strawberries dipped in chocolate, or you could do your own. A very yummy treat and somewhat good for you.

Gifts are nice, but don't forget to tell the people in your life that you love them and appreciate them. More than anything else, that will have the most meaning to the people you care about.

Happy Valentine's Day

Rachelle