Valentines Day What And How

In doing this post I wanted to give a range of gift ideas that would be appropriate for all kinds of relationships, because I believe Valentines day, is a day to share love not just among romantic lovers but to everyone around and to ourselves.  The bible says "Love your neighbour as you love yourself" - interpreted it means your need to have a certain amount of self love in other to be able to project that love onto someone else. In other words, if you don't love yourself first,  you cannot truly love anyone. In  loving ourselves we glorify God, empower ourselves and enjoy inner peace and acceptance that help us to continue to spread love to others. I also believe you do not need to break the bank to make the day special, little thoughtful acts of love is all you need. Here are a few  ideas I came up with on how to spend the day and what to give.

WHAT TO DO? 

Go for a valentines day musical concert, for those in Nigeria there are a couple of shows lined up for the weekend. Some of these events come with dinner and drinks, which is a great way to keep your budget in check. This is a great option if you are a music lover and/or spending the day with family and friends.

You can choose to go out for dinner at a nice restaurant in town, but I reckon most places would be packed full, the way around this, especially if you are looking for a quieter option for the evening is to consider ordering in some food from your favourite restaurant. You can make this even more special by adding a few romantic touches to your home.

If the game plan is to order in and share with family or friends, then you can go get a nice movie, some games and just have a fun night filled with laughter.

Another option is for either one or all party involved to do the cooking at home. You can get great recipes of restaurant quality meals off the internet and make a two, three or even four course meals for that special someone. Do not worry about how it would turn out, your partner would appreciate the lengths you went to show your gratitude for the relationship.

Alternativly, you can get the services of a professional chef to come into your home and basically do the cooking and wait on you restaurant style :).

A great way to spend the day is to have a spa day out with your spouse, family or friends, In these day where we are constantly stressed out, this a gift that is truly thoughtful. I got a spa day out from my friend for my last birthday and I truly enjoyed it and would enjoy giving this experience to someone else, highly recommended. There is a myriad of options for this kind of activities, just do your research and think of the kind of pampering the person would love. This option is a great way to bond, de-stress, detox and connect with whoever you are sharing the experience with.

Now, if your pepper is really sleeping, (Nigerian slang for being rich), then you can fly your spouse or family and friends to some exotic destination for a fab weekend.

Gift Ideas For Him

In terms of gifts, I would like to believe most people love thoughtful gifts. Given, for the most part, people would give the obligatory box of chocolates, cakes etc but I personally feel its always nicer to give what the other person would truly value and appreciate. That's not to say you have to break the bank, just think of what would really come in useful and what the person would love, i.e if your friend/ spouse love to read then get them a nice book. If they love sports then get them something sporty. If music is their thing then get them something that would help them enjoy their music even better....get the drift? 

Gift Ideas For Her

Now for her, girls generally love jewelry, no? please don't have a heart attack yet, something nice, thoughtful and more importantly within budget will be great. You don't want to give a gift and later regret that you spent so much, there is no joy in that kind of giving if you ask me. If she is a fashionista or just loves to stay on trend then think dainty simple jewelry, they are 'in' right now, look out for simple, understated and elegant pieces. Valentine is a very romantic time to pop the question, no pressure here, but if you've been nursing the idea and you are absolutely certain its what you want to do, then by all means go for it! trust me she would love that :).

Sporting gears are also very nice gifts, if your friend or partner is sporty or trying to keep fit/lose some weight anything to help them through the journey would be nice. Think... work out dvds, cool work out clothes, I know a hot pink running shoes will motivate me to hit the trails. A great musical gift is to get an Ipod, inscribe a personal message on it and then download all her/his favourite songs on it, any music loving person would truly love this.

Other options are handwritten notes of love or poems, Gadgets, ties or cuff links for guys and for women  beauty products, perfumes, lingerie, flowers and of course chocolates!

Now go out there and put a smile on someone's face!