My mother once told me how my grandfather walked my grandmother home after a date. She thought he was being romantic. In reality, he didn’t have a car. When it comes to gift giving, you don’t have to spend your savings to prove you care about someone. This Valentine’s Day, forget the jewelry and lavish gifts. Forget the chocolate. Forget the fancy restaurants. It’s time to shake up the annual day of love.

Remember the time?

It’s time to stalk your partner. Go on their social media and screenshot every photo you can find. (Hopefully you’re in some of them.) Print the photos, grab a photo album or frame and there you have it. Remember that trip to the beach you guys took? Dedicate a whole page in the album to it. Remember their last birthday celebration? Remember all the photos of naptime you guys took? You can always get friends and family in on the surprise to get some gems they didn’t know you knew about. Earn brownie points and spice up your pages by adding stickers and other scrapbook embellishments.

Sweet sounds

Give the gift of sound. Make a playlist of songs that describe your relationship. They can be your favorite songs, songs that have lyrics that speak to you or songs that surround a particular memory you share. If you want to get creative, find a way to tell a story through the songs. If you want to get “retro”, burn it onto a CD and sharpie a little message on the front of it.

IOU tickets

You’ll need some paper (colorful paper if your want to get fancy), a pen and a mason jar. Write down little favors you’re willing to do. This can range from a back massage, a head rub, a bouquet of flowers, telling a story at bedtime or washing the dishes. You know your partner better than anyone else, so here is your chance to give them something they’ve always wanted.

Hit the right notes

You’ll again need the same materials from above. This time, you can write down encouraging notes, including, “Good morning,” “Have a great day,” “You look great today,” favorite memories you share, reasons why you love them, silly jokes, song lyrics or movie quotes. Anything you think will make their day is perfect for this gift. This is perfect for long distance relationships, but works for any couple. When they’re really missing you, they can open up one of these notes, and hold it near and dear all day.

Until next time…

– Jae Marie