LAST MINUTE VALENTINES

Source: How About Orange

So Valentine's Day is approaching. You know you shouldn't care because it's a holiday invented by corporations, but just in case you do and you need some last minute gift ideas for your significant other, I have some I am willing to share. I am feeling benevolent.

♥ Books: I think books are one of the most romantic gifts ever. If you know your Valentine well enough, you should be able to get them a book they will really really enjoy. One year Rob and I got each other books for Valentine's Day. Some people didn't get it, but I thought it was the best Valentine's gift ever (he bought me Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Son of a Witch).

♥ A mixtape: Cliche, I know. All music is digital these days, I know. But there is still something a little bit awesome about a homemade mixtape. Music seems so much more precious and significant when it comes in a physical form like a CD. It doesn't have to be full of romance songs or anything, fill it with Notorious BIG, if that's what you're in to (hint: everyone loves them some Biggie Smalls). Also, you HAVE to make an awesome CD cover a la Michael Cera in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.

♥ Personalised cocktail: I will let you in on a secret - red/pink beverages are the best. Also, alcoholic beverages are the best. Put them together, and you have an awesome explosion. Concoct your own deadly drink and name it after your beau, then make up a giant batch for Val Day, settle down in front of the sunset/fireplace/television, enjoy. Some ideas for cocktails - watermelon puree, lemonade, Bacardi, Malibu; pink grapefruit juice, strawberries, vodka, peach schnapps; Campari, OJ, soda; scotch, lemonade, grenadine; or something from here.

♥ Hot chocolate kit for two: Purchase two cute mugs and place in them two sachets of chocolate powder/hot choc mix; two sets of mini marshmallows; two Cadbury Flake sticks; wrap it all in cellophane or place in a basket. It's a date and gift in one. Particularly awesome if you are living somewhere that has snow right now.

♥ A freaking adorable date: Everyone loves animals, so find your nearest zoo or aquarium or wildlife sanctuary and purchase two tickets. Then make or buy a card with your SO's favourite animal pictured on it and place the two tickets inside. If you can't pre-purchase the tickets, or if you buy them online or something, print out or make two Admit One tickets and put those inside instead. I hope my boyfriend is reading this, because THIS IS WHAT I WANT.

♥ Something for your nerdy Valentine: Buy a Rubik's Cube and write something on the white blocks, like I LUV YOU, YOU AND ME, I♥U 4 EVA, etc. Then scramble the cube, wrap it up and give it to your loved one to solve. Give them some ultimatum as well, like "if you can't solve it then you must not really love me" to really motivate them into spending all their waking hours working on that frustrating little cube. Bragging rights: I can solve them, bitches.

Of course, you could always go the well-trodden route and give your Valentine some overpriced roses, chocolates or a sickly sweet card with a cheesy poem inside, but those things are really bloody boring. I mean, a dozen roses delivered on Val Day costs the same as a Taronga Zoo annual membership and I think we all know which is more awesome.