
Happy LOVE MONTH all you love bugs. February is a very special month, because not only is Valentine’s Day coming up, but Danny and I’s anniversary is also in February. A WHOLE MONTH of lovin’. I love it.
Another special event that also happened to occur in February was the beginning of this blog you see before you! That’s right, back in 2018 I launched my blog with a whole week’s worth of Valentine’s Day-themed blog posts. So it’s even more special that I’m revisiting that with this post.
I just love love. I also love the spirit of gift giving. These types of posts come naturally to me because I’m always spinning on about how I can craft the best gifts for people. It’s my giving love language, how I show I love someone.
Below you will find some of my favorite selections for the lover in your life (or even your Galentine) — I have included some local finds, some Amazon (hello Prime) and some you need to order ASAP. So no matter when this reaches you, you can still find the special something for that special someone.
There are also some selections in here that are gender-neutral, so if you’re looking for him or for her, I’ve got you covered, babe.
And if you’re my boyfriend reading this, I’ll take one of each please 🙂
Candles
You can never go wrong with a candle as a gift. I have even turned Danny on to the joys of having candles burning in the house. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Limoncello from Bath and Body Works – my favorite all-seasons candle, it’s such a versatile and relaxing scent. I have several in the candle closet and I’ll always pick some up when they have a candle sale.
I also love the White Barn design of these candles AND you can save the holder, freeze it and use the leftover wax in your candle warmer and reuse the container for decor. I saw that on Tik Tok. It just keeps giving! - Boy Smells – Notes of oak moss, fig, plum, vanilla, and yuzu. This one is a perfect gift for both of you. I love a good musky, man scent.
- Heretic Dirty Vanilla – I found this candle brand during the holiday season — when they had a Dirty Gingerbread scent that came with a gingerbread cookie wearing a sexy outfit — and I just love the message and the brand. All of the scents are ‘dirty’ and create a “sensual energy that promotes sensual balance and stimulates passion. Notes of vanilla with amber musk. Again, I’m not really a floral/fruity scent type of girl, I LOVE the musk. I’ll be honest, I haven’t tried this one yet, but I have heard good things.
- 4-wick Threshold Candle – My friend Rudi got me this one for Christmas and it’s nearly gone already. We LOVE it. The aesthetic alone is just beautiful. I wanted to put it on our table as a centerpiece, but sadly our table isn’t ready yet, so I’ll just have to get another when it is ready! I have the scent Cashmere Vanilla, but it’s no longer on the site, There’s Silver Pine, Sea Glass and Citrus Peony, this range just has all the good scents, all of these sound good to my nose.
- Voluspa Baltic Amber – Okay just one more and then I’m done, but I had to talk about this candle because it’s another one of my favorites. When it burned out, we even kept it on our stove warmer forever just to use it all up. It’s GOOD, and such a pretty etched glass container. Forest scents of sandalwood and cedar; spicy (oooo).
Accessories & Jewelry
This one I could maybe go on about forever, but I’ll limit it to some tried and true favorites and things you just can’t go wrong with:
Shoes
No one wants to buy shoes for themselves, especially the guy in your life. Here are a few good picks:
- Nike Air Force 1 for Her & Nike Air Force 1 for Him – almost everyone has these already but I just love them in this black leather or the pink suede, and the men’s AF1 so you can twin with your guy, couple goals for real.
- Vince Camuto Cage Heels – These ones are on their way to me!
For Her
- Dior Saddle Bag Dupe – I got an Instagram ad for these the other day and I think they are just darling. The perfect Dior dupe for under $75! This Bulgari-style one is very cute, too.
- A few of my favorite jewelry shops:
- The Clear Cut ($$$$) – I just love the Olivia Ring, I send it to Danny all the time (wink, wink).
- Lola James Jewelry ($$ – $$$) – they’re having a Valentine’s Day sale right now! They also have personalized jewelry (this takes about 6 weeks, so maybe not for Valentine’s Day)
- Get her name,
- Get both of your names, your anniversary date or your last name if you’re married on a necklace
- Get your nickname for her on a bracelet (or this bracelet), adorable. They have so many different custom options. These ideas can all be interchanged for your anniversary, so keep them in mind for a later date if you don’t have time to order this now!
- Luv Aj ($ – $$) – This shop has really good trendy earrings and necklaces, all for a good price!
- Frankly My Dear ($) – This shop makes the cutest monogrammed padlock earrings and necklaces, they are so dainty I love. AND the site says it will ship within 3 business days.
- Amazon Initial Necklaces – Okay last one because I have these and they are super cute. Get two necklaces, one with your initial and one with hers. She can wear just one — or both at varying lengths — at any time. I have a J and a D. They have versions of these at a lot of boutiques and Nordstrom, but these are a very affordable and quick option.
The New Wave
I absolutely love this vintage boutique located in Little Bohemia, Omaha. Every time I stop in I spend way too much money, but I’m so happy to do it. The owner, Allison, is so intentional with every display and item she puts into the space, and you can tell she puts her whole heart and creative mind into it.
Right now for Valentine’s Day she has her collection room decorated love-themed with a wall for you to add love notes to. It’s just so pure. Her intention is that one of the rooms can be used to slow down and enjoy a cup of coffee, right in her space. So this gift idea could double as a cute little date! The Little Bohemia area also has an abundance of local shops and restaurants that are all great.
All of the accessories she sells online would make a great gift, but the best products come from her boutique, things you won’t find anywhere else. And if you don’t know what to do, she will even hand-select a gift box for you. This is not just for women, the vintage items in The New Wave can be purchased for either one of you. The selection of vintage t-shirts is next level.
If you order online, I also saw that she is packaging up the sunglasses in a super cute box with tissue paper.. So all the work is done for you! These ones would be a cute Valentine’s-themed option, I love them.
For Him
- Movado Watch – I got this for Danny last year on our 10 year anniversary and had it engraved locally on the clasp with our saying “Forever & Ever”. It’s a very chic watch and he loves looking down and seeing that reminder whenever he wears it.
- Away Backpack – Everyone needs a good backpack, whether it’s for school, travel or work. I’ve had my eye on this one seemingly for forever. It’s just such a good backpack for storing and organizing everything you need on the go.
- Yeti Hopper – Danny uses this as his lunchbox and absolutely loves it. Not only is it great for everyday lunch use, but it makes a great cooler, too. For the gift, stuff it with your lover’s favorite treats.
For the Home
If you live together, odds are one of you is the chef of the house. I won’t say if these items would be for him or her, but whoever whips up the love in the kitchen, these items are for that partner. I have also included some items for throughout the home.
- Heart-Shaped Waffle Iron – The gift is the waffle iron, but go one step further and make her/him heart-shaped waffles for breakfast on Valentine’s Day!?! Ok cute, they will swoon.
- Pink Glass Vases – step up your rose game with these cute pieces, add some grass plumes and you’ve won Valentine’s Day my friend. Now your arrangement will last after the flowers have died and remind her just how much you love her year-round.
- Gourmet Texas Pasta – The people close to me know that the way to my heart is through food, but mainly pasta. I am very vocal about my pasta beliefs and a lot of people probably know this about me. I also don’t think I’m alone here.
So when I sent this pasta to my best friend Rudi, what did she do? That’s right, she got it for me for Christmas — a Tomato Basil and Garlic Linguine, a Roasted Garlic and Jalapeño Fusilli, a Spinach Basil and Garlic Fusilli and a Garlic and Black Pepper Fettuccine. This is the second item from Rudi’s gift I’m putting on here because it was just so good and so thoughtful.
And after testing it I can confirm it is amazing. Many flavored pastas are not rich in flavor, Gourmet Texas Pasta packs in that heat and zest. You don’t even need sauce, I just put butter and parm on it and it’s so delightful. So if your loved one is a foodie or a pasta-ie like me, put this one on your gift list.
Make a Valentine’s-themed charcuterie board (or gift basket)
Here’s what you do:
- Get a new board — preferably heart-shaped (if you’re in a bind any board will do) — & some cute knives. (This is the gift part, but wait there’s more…)
- Go to Trader Joe’s and get heart-shaped macaroons, XO gummies, strawberries, blackberries, 2-3 cheeses (brie, cheddar, gouda) and 2 meats of different varieties.
- Assemble and enjoy!
Coffee
Danny’s love language is basically coffee. Making him coffee, getting coffee, drinking coffee, coffee. If your special someone is the same, you can give them the ultimate coffee gift basket.
- “Luxury Coffee” – usually Danny sticks to buying Dunkin’ K-Cups, but sometimes he will splurge and get Death Wish or Black Rifle Coffee Company. Just up their coffee game with something a little more elevated than the usual.
- Death Wish K-Cups
- Death Wish Coffee Beans
- Black Rifle Coffee Company K Cups
- Black Rifle Coffee Company Coffee Beans
- and if you’re a Nespresso enthusiast like myself…Nespresso Chiaro Pods *my favorite
- Mugs – You can find cute mugs pretty much anywhere, but these ones and these ones from Magnolia Hearth & Hand are super cute for V-day.
- Creamer/Milk – I personally love The Oatmeal Cookie One oat milk creamer. Try it and thank me later. (shoutout to Kelsey for turning me on to an absolute gem of a creamer) It even froths up so nicely if you’re into that.
- Chocolates
- Put it in a cute basket from Target with a fluffy blanket! Boom.
More Gifts
- Instax SQ1 Square Film Camera
- Adventure Challenge Book
- Artifact Uprising Everyday Photo Book & Keepsake Box
Just For Him
A lot of the items I’ve mentioned above were geared towards the woman in your life. This section is strictly for him. These are some gifts that I’ve gotten for Dan that are just staple items every guy should have.
- Cuts T-Shirts – I’ve seen these everywhere and I finally pulled the trigger on some for Danny’s birthday. He loves them. The quality of these shirts is unmatched as far as a basic cotton T-Shirt goes.
They come out with new colors for the season ALL the time, so you can literally just keep buying and buying. You should never run out of gift ideas with this one in your back pocket. They also have nice hoodies and sweatshirts. For this season, I love the seasonal Blush color shirt, perfect V-day gift! - Ben Shot Glassware – For the gun-enthusiast in your life, I think these whiskey/short glasses and these pint glasses embedded with real bullets are super cool. They also have a coffee mug (which you could pair with your coffee gift set from above).
- A Luxury Shave Kit – Something that Danny really loves is having really nice shave gear, but he will never go out and buy it for himself. In the past I’ve gotten him the Sandlewood Set from The Art of Shaving, which is very nice.
I also found a local company to Omaha — Gentleman’s Nod — that has some nice shaving products as well if you’d prefer a local option, or if you need a last minute gift for your man. They have a Shaving Soap Flight and Pre-Shave Primer that would make a great gift.
Another thing I know Danny needs is a shower caddy to hold his razor and toothbrush, along with a shower mirror. These are also great to pair with a shave kit. - Your Face on Boxers – my sister got these boxers for her boyfriend and I think they are hilarious!
That is going to do it for this Valentine’s Gift Guide! Hopefully this helped you think of something to get your special Valentine. When you’re picking out the perfect Valentine’s gift for someone, the whole idea is love, sentiment and being thoughtful. That’s what makes it a ‘Valentine’s gift’ and not just a gift.
Below is a chart with every gift from above sorted into categories of tardiness to help you out. Whether it’s premeditated and carefully planned or the day of, they won’t know the difference if the gift is thoughtful.
Have a happy love month and make sure to shower your babe with lots of love, this month and every month!
Let me know what you’re getting for your sweet bottom in the comments below! And if you can name that movie you get bonus points.