Oops, It’s Valentine’s Day — Last-Minute Gift Ideas

Valentine’s Day, that one day in the year that is dedicated exclusively to love and romance. A day to show your partner how much you care — how much you love them. A day that usually sets the tone for a night to remember. At least, that is the way that it is supposed to be. However, what happens if life gets in the way and you forget. No, not “forget,” let’s just say that time got the best of you and you failed to get your significant other a suitable present in time for Valentine’s Day. Yeah, that sounds better, you won’t sound like too much of a heel that way.

What can you do? What should you do? More importantly, what will your significant other do to you?

Fortunately, even if you realize your romantic faux pas the morning of the 14th of February, you still have hope. Thanks to the internet and modern electronic commerce, what would have doomed your parents’ or grandparents’ generation does not have to doom you. Here are some handy last minute Valentine’s Day gifts that will save you from a certain demise.

— BirchBox —

If you are unfamiliar with Birchbox, it is a monthly subscription service that sends a box of selected goodies to its subscribers every month. These consist of beauty related products, makeup, perfume and other cosmetic essentials for both men and women.

Normally, the recipient would fill out a profile that describes the items that they prefer. This way, Birchbox is able to send out a box of goodies that will be well received. Obviously, if you are giving a Birchbox subscription as a present you want it to be a surprise. Therefore, you are not going to be asking the recipient in advance for what they would like to receive in their Birchbox.

Herein lies your salvation. Birchbox allows you to purchase gift subscriptions. If you go on their website you will be able to purchase a gift subscription for the man or woman in your life. Upon purchase, it allows you to print out an elegant little gift certificate announcing the gift subscription. This you can wrap in a box or a fanciful envelope and give to your significant other on Valentine’s Day. They will never know whether you purchased the subscription weeks in advance or five minutes before showing up.

— Amazon Prime —

Depending on where you live, Amazon Prime can come to the rescue with super fast delivery. In a few metropolitan areas, you may be able to get delivery on the 14th itself. Otherwise, as long as you realize your oversight by the 13th, you may be able to squeak by.

When you search for items for your Valentine on Amazon Prime just make certain that the anticipated delivery date will fulfill your needs. Trust us, it will do you no good if you receive it on the 15th. Under those circumstances, be prepared to pay for expedited delivery above the normal free delivery offered by Amazon Prime.

The advantage here is that the range of gift selections on Amazon are as close to limitless as you are going to find.

— Jewelry —

What can we say, if you snooze you lose and your partner wins. If you try to find a presentable floral arrangement or an edible box of chocolates the morning of the 14th you will more than likely be disappointed. The selection will be minimal or nil. For that reason, jewelry is a better option for that last minute gift. Jewelry stores and the jewelry counters in department stores are aware of this. in other words, don’t walk in expecting to find a bargain. Look at it this way, the costlier the oversight the less likely you will be to repeat the mistake next year.

— A Trip —

Yes, much like jewelry, this option falls on the pricey side. However, if you want to avoid facing the repercussions of admitting that you forgot Valentine’s Day, then giving the love of your life a dream vacation (or at least a nice weekend trip) should give you the cover that you need.

We would never advise you to be entirely sneaky, but you will have to be a little creative to pull this one off. A good way to go about it is to find something that is readily available on Valentine’s Day that would represent the “theme” of the trip. For example, if it’s going to be a weekend in wine country, a modest bottle of wine would work. If it’s going to be a weekend at the beach, a little jar full of sand or a little trinket with a maritime motif would do. These are items that you should be able to find even at a convenient store.

The main thing is to have something to physically present to your partner. When they open it, in that split second when they start to show disappointment or annoyance, point out to them that it is only meant to be a representation of your real gift. At that moment, you announce the trip.

Mind you, you don’t have to book the trip on the 14th, you could do that a bit more calmly the following day. You can even do it with your partner present under the guise that you wanted their input in terms of hotel selection, departure dates, etc.

Done properly, you will come out as a caring and giving partner instead of a loathsome and forgetful stooge. (Just kidding, you’re probably not loathsome, you’re just a forgetful stooge.)

— Just Don’t Show Up Emptyhanded —

The bottom line here is NOT to show up emptyhanded on Valentine’s Day. Even if your partner is the understanding type, trust us, they will never forget. You will be reminded of your forgetfulness time and time again.

Besides, it is also hurtful. The majority of people place a lot of sentimental value on Valentine’s Day. Not fulfilling their expectations would be akin to not giving a child presents on Christmas morning.