February is fast approaching, which also means that Valentine’s Day, for better or for worse, will soon be at our snowy doorsteps.
Before St. Valentine even existed, the Romans celebrated a mid-february fertility festival that involved the sacrifice of a goat to encourage successful marriages and agriculture. Luckily, it’s 2020, and these days, cards, flowers, and chocolates are totally acceptable substitutes for animal sacrifice. But don’t rely solely on the standard Valentines go-tos; these are okay as supplementary gifts (and certainly encouraged), but thoughtful, meaningful presents shared on this day always take the cake over impersonal, last-minute items grabbed in the check-out aisle when you suddenly remember what day it is.
The key to selecting the best present isn’t just about looking up unique ideas on Pinterest and picking out anything that strikes your fancy. You should expect to do at least a tiny bit of legwork in order to personalize your gift. I recommend asking yourself the following key questions:
Experiences — not items — are what people remember. How can your gift contribute to a meaningful experience for your partner? Is it something they can use? Does it inspire potential? This could mean many different things. For example, you might purchase a nice journal for a partner who loves to travel, and encourage them to write about their journeys. Alternately, you might buy tickets for a weekend away to a destination that they’ve always wanted to go. The journal evokes promise of the adventures you’ll on together, and the weekend away whets the travel appetite! Both lend to meaningful experiences, either directly (doing the thing) or indirectly (encouraging the thing.)
What are your partner’s current hobbies? What are some things they’ve expressed interest in but haven’t actually gotten around to doing yet? If your girlfriend has mentioned on several occasions how fun it would be to learn how to paint, you might consider purchasing a small paint set or maybe go to an art lesson together. This might not seem all that romantic on the surface — but the very fact that you heard them, and remembered, is romantic in and of itself!
Have an outdoorsy partner who loves adventure? Nothing wrong with buying outdoor garb you’d think they’d like and look good in, or other items that evoke feelings of adventure. Cute hiking socks, mountain bike gloves, hand warmers, stylish buffs, pocket knives, snowshoes or thermoses are all totally valid ideas in this scenario! Hobby-related gifts demonstrate thoughtful attentiveness to your partner’s passions, and can have the dual-purpose of being practical and stylish at the same time.
Symbolism is perhaps one of the most powerful factors to take into consideration — so it’s no wonder that heart-shaped chocolates and red roses are so popular this time of year. But your present doesn’t have to be directly connoted with romance to evoke feelings of intimacy. It could boil down to gifting a favorite book that has great personal meaning to you; or it could be something to inspire nostalgia (either shared or individual to your partner.) Do they miss childhood vacations at the old family cabin up north? How about a pine-scented candle to bring back fond memories? Or maybe one day they were reminiscing about penny candy and bottled coke. The romance here comes in the consideration, rather than the item itself.
If your boo has strong principles, it shows great compassion to pick out a gift that aligns with them. That might mean going out of your way to find organic, sustainable flowers (instead of imported roses from South America). It might also mean prioritizing eco-friendly clothing lines who pride themselves in sustainable practices, fair trade chocolate, or supporting your community by purchasing unique artisan jewelry made by local artists.
Hopefully some of these ideas sparked your imagination! Remember, it doesn’t have to be shiny and expensive to be meaningful.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Quinn
You know what they say: “clothes maketh the (wo)man.”
Women already face plenty of barriers in male-dominated work environments; we don’t need ill-fitting clothing to endanger us in the process!
As women, our clothing should empower us, not hinder us......
