Non-Cheesy Valentine's Gifts
What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift? Quality time. Don’t roll your eyes; it’s true! Time is priceless, and one of the rarest and most personal gifts you can give.True quality time is focused and free of distractions, which usually means getting out of the house and leaving your phones and other devices behind. To get screen-free time together, look for gifts that invite an experience.
We’re too old for homemade coupon books, so here are some romantic ways to give the gift of time:
Take a Class:
Classes are a fun way to spend one-on-one time together and try something new, and they’re easy opportunities to practice leaving phones and other devices behind for an evening. Cooking, painting, woodworking, dancing, you name it!
Activity-Based Gifts:
For something that fits in a box and looks good wrapped in a bow, look for activity-based items that open up the options for spending quality time together. Depending on what you’re into, some good options are camping gear, a pair of kites, a home brew kit or games – anything from board games to darts to a croquet set. If you’ll enjoy using it together, it’s a good gift.
Work toward a Goal Together:
Having a common goal is a relationship-fortifier and ensures your quality time doesn’t taper off after the first couple “dates.” Put your dog through agility training so he can compete in a show; take weekend sailing lessons and work toward a certification; train for a 10k together; start a fun home project, like building your own treehouse (no children required); learn a language together and go see foreign films as you learn.
Everyone Loves a Trip:
Whether it’s a night in the next town or a week on an island, schedule a relaxing trip away from everyday life. The catch of course is to leave your phones at home! If you must have a phone, take only one between the two of you and agree to leave it turned off in the hotel safe until it’s needed.
Acts of Service:
Truly an amazing gift for any adult! Surprise your partner by taking over their chores for a week: dishes, meal prep, yardwork, laundry, house cleaning or any combination thereof. (It’s not cheating to hire someone.) This is a great gift in itself, but the cherry on top is to use the time they would have spent doing chores and spend it together instead. Take a walk, play a game, watch the sun set, climb a tree or go out for a drink.
Live Entertainment:
If sharing your favorite TV shows is one of your preferred activities, live entertainment lets you stay in your comfort zone while still giving up the screens for each other. Local theater, dance theater, rock concerts, jazz concerts, cultural festivals, comedy shows and improv sketches are some options.
Now go ahead, surprise your loved one with an awesome gift!
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