How to Pick Out a Valentine’s Day Gift

Special days abound in a couple’s relationship. There are birthdays, anniversaries, official and unofficial holidays all offering the perfect excuse to spoil the one you love, even if just a little. But Valentine’s Day holds special significance for many. As the (arguably) most romantic holiday of the year, it’s the time many of us are most challenged to come up with the perfect present.

This year, following a jam-packed birthday and Christmas surprise-gift season, I suggested a pick-your-own-present holiday. Or at least, a pick-your-own “insert generic item name here” strategy. That way, each of us gets to nominate the basic type of gift we’ll be receiving, but we’re leaving it up to the other to determine the exact details. I’ll let you know how it goes if anything memorably unfortunate happens, but I’m pretty confident my significant other and I will be enjoying the results.

If you don’t have a clue what your mate is pining after, there are a few strategies that remain open for you. For starters — and especially if you’ve been labeled the less-than-attentive-listener in the relationship — just make an effort to pay attention when the two of you are out shopping or looking around online. Chances are excellent your S.O. has been dropping some not-so-subtle hints. Perhaps along the lines of: “Wow, I really want an X!” or “That would be so awesome to have a Y!” If said item is something like a vacuum cleaner or a weed whacker, then you may want to hold off, unless you hear it mentioned enthusiastically about a dozen or so times. Gifts typically included in the  ”romantic” category are often considered impractical, and sometimes a guy or girl just wants a gizmo or appliance that would make life a little easier. Under the right circumstances, there’s nothing wrong with showing your feelings by getting your loved one a nifty food processor (ahem!) or a new set of tools.

If no overt hints are forthcoming, then just mull over what might make a good gift. A big aspect of this choice hinges on how long the two of you have been dating and how serious the relationship is. That can help you gauge where a gift should fall on the playful-to-thoughtful-to-passionate scale. For example, is your relationship at a less serious level so you can still go generic in the form of a teddy bear and a box of chocolates from the grocery store? Or do you need to give a gift that shows you put a real effort into singling out the perfect present? And lastly, you should also consider a gift that you know you S.O. would never splurge on, but that he or she would love to have.

Do you have any success stories when it comes to finding the perfect present? If so, let us know while we still have a chance to get on board with your gift-giving triumph! And don’t forget to follow How-to Stuff on Facebook and Twitter. You can also head over to iTunes and download our new HowStuffWorks iPhone app!