Great Valentine's Day Gift Ideas
Feb. 11, 2006 — -- Men, are you sick of shopping for Valentine's Day gifts? Ladies, are you tired of receiving lame presents every time Feb. 14 rolls around?
Matt Bean of Men's Health magazine has some terrific ideas that you still can pull off before the big day.
Membership to Bag, Borrow, or Steal
Every woman loves bags, but it is so hard to pick the right one. So why not let your lady decide for herself? Bag, Borrow, or Steal is basically the Netflix of handbags. First your lady picks her purse, then it is mailed to her. When she is sick of it she mails it back and picks out a new one!
There are three levels of membership -- $19.95, $49.95 or $99.95 a month. Depending on how much you pay, you will have access to bags from different designers. There is no time limit on borrowing. As long as your account is in good standing, the frequency of your bag rotation is completely up to your lady.
Tiffany's Jewelry
What woman doesn't swoon when she sees the little blue box? Here is some great news for procrastinators: Order by 2 p.m. the day before Valentine's Day and your gift will be there on Valentine's Day itself. You don't have to drop a grand to get her something nice. There are some lovely pieces of jewelry for $100.
Spa Finder Gift Certificate
Let's face it: Most men don't know much about spas. That's what makes this spa gift certificate so great. Spa Finder gift certificates arrive in an elegant envelope, accompanied by a directory of participating spas listing where certificates can be redeemed. This way, she can do the research and choose the spa she wants to go to.
An Exciting Experience
Some people are turned off by the sappy side of Valentine's Day. A company called Xperience Days lets you give the gift of doing something really cool. The cheapest Xperience day costs $40 -- it's a wine tasting in Philadelphia. The most expensive costs $110,000 -- a private zero-gravity flight for you and up to 26 of your friends. The average Xperience day costs $200 to $300.
Victoria's SecretIf you can't decide what to give, go for the classic choice of lingerie. A teddy is much better than a teddy bear. Victoria's Secret is your best bet because it has a wide range of styles and prices.
Refurbish Something Meaningful of Hers
Is there an item belonging to your sweetheart that needs mending or repairing? Almost everyone has something that should get fixed but doesn't for the longest time because they're too busy. But you can take the trouble to get it done, showing both that you noticed the need and cared enough to use your own valuable time to arrange or do the repair. You could fix a tattered watch band or refurbish an old picture.
To refurbish an old photo, wewent to Duggal Lab, 29 West 23rd Street, www.Duggal.com, a legendary Manhattan lab, but you could use a local shop just as well. Duggal features a state-of-the-art retouching department, with multiple cross-platform workstations and sophisticated proofing devices.
To refurbish an old watch/watch band we went to Central Watch Band Stand, Ltd., in Grand Central Station, www.Central Watch.com, but you could use a local jewler or watch repair shop as well. This third-generation watch repair shop stands specializes in the service of antique wrist and pocket watches, and also carries a huge selection of watchstraps, from calfskin to crocodile, metal bands, new and antique, as well as new and vintage watches. Prices range from as low as $15 for basic leather to as high as $80 for more exotic crocodile or alligator.
A Romantic Getaway
Expedia.com has picked 10 of the most romantic destinations and created special travel packages that include airfare, one to five nights of hotel accommodations, plus a little something extra -- free couples' massages, welcome baskets with champagne and fruit, spa treatment discounts, etc.