Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Lets talk about love. Yes it’s that time of year where things get a little cliché and quite frankly you either love it or you hate it. I’m personally not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, but I do see its merits. I figure, unless you’re in the first eighteen months of a relationship when you’re all starry eyed, sometimes you need a little nudge to dedicate a time to say, you’re kind of cool and I appreciate you. My parents gave me that idea. Years ago when we spoke about how they go away for a couple of days each year to celebrate their wedding anniversary, I kind of snuffed that idea. Why don’t they just do that kind of thing throughout the year spontaneously? They pulled me up on it. My step mother told me that if you don’t dedicate a day to celebrate your coming together as a couple, then every day is just going to merge into another, especially as the years go on and you’re not so “starry eyed”.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be full of red roses that will never open, nor bad chocolates (although good ones are always appreciated). You could have a moment together that doesn’t cost a cent. It might be a picnic, a bike ride to the beach or an overnight trek up a mountain. There are also some lovely gift ideas out there that have a bit of an edge and will be put to good use. Here are my picks:

A concrete vase is masculine enough for him (who said you can’t give a guy flowers?) and cool enough for her. What I love about  The Willmann Vase by Menu, along with the gorgeous design, is that it is described as mixing the fragile and the strong. A nice metaphor for relationships.

I’m always one for lazy Sunday mornings in bed, reading, drinking tea and munching on a croissant beside my man while the kids run a muck in the lounge room. So this Willow Wood Bed Tray is kind of perfect for more moments of that!

Okay so this last one is a little feminine, so perhaps not a gift for your man, but if you’re looking for a female gift, this XO poster by Garance Dore is gorgeous. I’d fancy this one for my workspace.

I’ve kept my most favourite and very personal gift idea this month for my column in the NZ House & Garden magazine, so if you’re on this side of the world, make sure you grab a copy, or you can always get a digital copy via Zinio.

Oh and if you still feel like a Valentine’s Day rebel,  choose the next day.

Mel xx

P.S. Thank you to all who signed up for my newsletter. I’m very excited to get the first one out very soon and share with you a few sneak peeks of the new look blog. Don’t forget you can still subscribe here. Congratulations to Shannon Baker on winning the $US100 credit to spend in my Greatly store – I’ll be in touch!

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