A Valentine’s Day Guide 2018

Google any Valentine’s guide and you are probably faced by a barrage of information of what gifts to buy, often the article that you are reading might be sponsored by a big-name retailer like Macy’s or Wall Mart etc. or a big-name consumer brand trying for that extra push before a big sales day. This is one of the independent guides out there, not bribed off and giving you the most accurate outlook for that romantic occasion.

Hand Made Makes the Day 

As a grumpy (getting old) man, your dear author would like to emphasize the often known but ignored horrors of the fact that most stores make Valentine’s, and nearly every other festive occasion a massive cash cow. Why do you think Jack Ma set up Single’s Day on Alibaba?

Rant aside, the way that you can get around this and actually buy things that are handmade. It will have more of a resonance for your other half, as it will show that you went that extra step and made something unique and specifically catered to them. One of the best ways to hit a 10/10 in this category is to make your own handmade card. It’s unique and thoughtful, but doesn’t go overboard and is your safest bet of not making a mess out of it. You can even go so far as to think deeper into how your other half may receive it, even involving your children or pet. We’re here to provide you with the best unique ideas out there for this special occasion that go above and beyond the call of passion.

Make and present that card in a handmade, special way.

A Digital Picture Frame Goes All the Way

Digital picture frames might seem like an everyday gift and for many dear readers, one that they have given at one point or another. But before discarding this idea into the bin, I have a solution, for even the skeptics to explore. And before you think this is a cheap marketing ploy, hear me out. Buy a digital picture frame from the likes of Nixplay, but with a difference. Do not just give your lover a brand-new frame wrapped in a box uninstalled. You should take it out, do the initial installation, get yourself an account and put up 5 to 10 photos that he or she would care about. Once this is done, turn it off, pack it into the box, wrap it and give it to them. This way they will have a nice romantic surprise and know that you went above and beyond in thinking about them.

We recommend the Nixplay Iris or the NIX LUX digital picture frames, trumping the day, any day. Click here to check out the romantic selection that you can order in the US.

A perfect way to record your love on a Nixplay digital photo frame.

Be a Traditionalist

Whilst the subtitle to this may sound like a political categorization heard by the current live soap drama that is Capitol Hill, it actually means ‘why shake it up?’ Sometimes it’s the most traditional gifts that can make the day. There’s nothing more so than a chocolate and teddy bear. However, if you have enough time, do a customization, make the chocolates as something relatable to your other half. There are some things that make the difference between a meaningful gift and a last-minute rush to cobble something together. Click here for ideas and details on how to order from the US.

Go beyond the call of duty, get your loved ones customized chocolates.

Customized Scent or a Tea Blend

Whilst we could talk about taking a look at what Chanel and Jo Malone have to offer, we’re not. Scents are important, and I’m not talking about just the ladies. Instead of buying the boring pre-fabricated, known perfume, why not make your own. If the world of perfumery isn’t your thing, you can also play around with scents for things such as customized tea.

Stop being boring; get your love a customized scent or bring them to make one themselves.

Be the Next Shakespeare in Love

If creative writing is your thing, brilliant. If it isn’t, even better. What is there not to love about a profound love poem or scrapbook to really exude the romance of the day. Blurb.com is a cool site to do that. You don’t even need to be a good writer, it’s easy to use and should give you some ideas that make the blood boil. If you’d prefer another outlet for that passion, why not sing your own love song?

Be creative on this special day.

Send Out an Unusual Bouquet

We all know that half the world is probably going to show up with roses of some sort. Red and pink, often generic and commercial. To be ahead of the love trend, send out something extraordinary in place of the usual. You could send out other types of flowers, a bouquet of candy, or even a natural tree like a bonsai. Make sure it’s sweet and tactile, this does not give you a pass to dig up the first tree you see. Why not some origami instead?

Roses are so everyday, why not chose a different flower or even candy.

Explore and Get Away

Rather than the same old, same old, which usually consists of a fancy restaurant and a movie, consider more of an adventure. Go enjoy the outdoors, the US has plenty of National Parks with a variety or climates for you to consider, or go to a State that you’ve not visited in the past. Heck, this grumpy old man even suggests you go full throttle, buy the first cheap ticket you find for a long weekend internationally and explore uninhibited with your other half.

Think outside the box, and perhaps, outside the US.

Invest in the Longer Term

Valentine’s is also a great day to invest in the longer term, whether you’re asking someone on a date or requesting a hand in marriage to planning that romantic summer getaway. Both girls and guys love it when their other half is invested in the relationship, thinking longer term and being proactive with it. Believe me, it’ll serve you with an extremely happy and blessed future.

Proposing to your other half is a huge decision to make, why not on the holiday of love?

Movie & Dinner: More Traditionalism?

Look folks, I only had one category for the traditional tips. Yes, this is always an option and you could find millions of dinging and movie guides out there. However, even that can have a more unique and take. You become the producer and make your own movie. Whether you want to do things throughout the day, record them, and then play them back at the end for you to crack a laugh, tear or corny smile or just pre-record things before the day, and edit it into a DVD or digital movie clip online, it is bound to be unique and get you extra kisses.

Dinner? I would recommend that you cook, but without a single Michelin star and a few dry steaks to my name, I’m pretty sure that I’m not the most qualified. However, there are those that are from the likes of Stephanie Audet to Rick Mace; there’ll be sure to get your motivated with some top ideas that even Cupid couldn’t think of.

A funkier and healthier approach to Valentine’s dinner.

Make it into a Story

Remember, in our increasingly hectic lives, it’s important to take a step back and remember what matters most. Take in and even record the day and those special moments. Make sure it’s not done because you think it should be or anything else of the likes, when it comes to the heart, it shows and makes a difference. Crucially, make sure that if you do, to save those moments. With Comscore finding that the average adult in the US spends at least 2 hours 51 minutes on their phone every day, people take photos, save them on some forgotten folder that eventually becomes deleted or buried with the other selfies and random bits that may have been taken around that period.

Save and record those moments. For those taking photos on their phones, make sure you save these photos on a cloud or somewhere safe that won’t be accidentally swiped or deleted at some-point in the future. You’d be surprised by the amounts of times that people wave their arms in anger, annoyance and/or panic because they’ve lost the photo or accidentally pressed the delete/ bin button.

Unique and personalized makes a lot of difference, bringing star-crossed lovers together.

The best way to swerve around this, is again a Nixplay digital frame. If you buy one of the latest models, they’ve got a WiFi cloud capability, where you save your photos into an album to allow for safe keeping. This can also be a neat tool to do a bit of a summary when it comes to your day. That film and movie idea can be made even easier if you would like to just do a snapshot of the day with still photographs, together with video clips of no longer than 15 seconds, particularly for NIX LUX users.  Other ways also include making sure all the photos on your phone is saved with the Google Cloud (which is usually the case for Android users with a synced Google account) or the aptly named iCloud for iOS users. Some people assume that this is the automatic go-to action of their phones, but then realize that it may not be the case with large frowns on their faces. The added dramatization was inserted so that you actually do check!

If you try at least one or a combination of the above, you can become the hero of the day and superman in the eyes of your girl or guy. Remember, despite a dread that many face, claiming that Valentine’s Day is a hazard to the bank account, is a bad mentality to look at it. You can send presents and spend time with each-other without blowing half your year’s savings. It’ll be a happier and more meaningful time if it’s done by your own craftsmanship.

Now time for my own corny wrap-up: “roses are red, violets are blue, come one, come all and buy a frame or two.”

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.