Are you like me and waited until the last minute to pick up something for Valentine's Day? Well - you're in luck! Here are some of the top gift choices and most are pretty easy to grab if you're out and about tomorrow and have been procrastinating like me!
Last year Patrick had a whole deal planned... a big surprise. "Get dressed up, be ready at 8, I'm not telling you where we're going".
He had flowers delivered, we went out to dinner and to a show, then checked into a fancy hotel overlooking The Shard here in London. It was AMAZING and really set the bar high for this year's Valentine's Day!
Then over the weekend I decided we needed to have a discussion about our budget - or lack of one. I am a big saver and he's more of a spender.... not much makes me happier than eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup and watching that bank balance grow. Nothing makes him much happier than a fancy dinner and an expensive bottle of wine to go with it... So on Sunday we had a very civil conversation about finances and taxes and budgets and all that boring grown-up stuff.
BIG MISTAKE!!
Do not have a talk with your husband about saving money three days before Valentine's. I have already been informed that there will be no repeat of last year's extravagance, because y'know.... we need to save money and all.... Boo!!! I didn't really mean it! Is it too late to take it all back??
Anyway - bad move on my part, but Amazon did deliver a couple of packages today, so all might not be lost! We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see!
If you are still are on the lookout for something last minute to pick up on your way home from work, here are the top 5 most popular gifts for Valentine's Day:
February 14th is the 4th most popular day to 'pop the question'. I don't think I would want to get engaged on Valentine's Day, but apparently a lot of men think it's a good idea. But a pink heart shaped engagement ring? Nope, never a good idea.
Any guesses what the other three most popular engagement days are?
#4 Flowers
If you hate having to pay inflated prices for Valentine's flowers, you can thank Charles II who introduced the tradition back in the 18th century.
According to Teleflora, roses are at the top of the list with 51% opting for red roses but in the last couple of years tulips have been coming on strong. What can I say - my husband's a real trend setter!
#3 Going out to a Show or Restaurant
Last year my husband took me to see "Wicked" at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London. A very good choice since he knows it's my all-time favorite. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not much of a foodie, so I'll skip the fancy dinner, but a show? Absolutely! Tickets can be expensive though, so be on the look out for Groupons or visit the TKTS booth if you happen to be visiting New York or London. Most shows also offer cancellation tickets and a daily lottery too. I'll be writing a blog post about ways to get discount show tickets soon!
#2 Greeting Cards
The number two most popular gift for Valentine's Day is a card? Surely this is only #2 because most people buy a card and a gift to go along with it - right?
If all you're gonna get me is a greeting card, at least make it funny so I can laugh through my tears for being with someone so lame they only got me a greeting card for Valentine's Day.
AND the #1 most popular gift for Valentines's Day? Candy!
What is it they say? "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker". A lot of men apparently didn't get the message because over 40 million heart shaped boxes of chocolates were sold last year and alcohol didn't even make the list! How about wine and chocolates - now that sounds like a winning combination to me!
Sure, boxes of chocolates are the quintessential gift to give your loved one, but what I found surprising is that the New England Confectionery Company (or Necco) sells over 8 BILLION candy conversation hearts every year! Do people really like them that much? I do love candy, but these would be pretty far down on my list.
I guess you can buy X-rated ones from Amazon, which might be kinda fun and spice things up! Looks like they're only $2.60 (right in line with our new budget!) and Amazon Prime can get them here by tomorrow afternoon! SOLD!
A grilled cheese sandwich, some naughty Neccos, and my new half priced nightie from Victoria's Secret (read all about my new p.j. resolution in my last blog post!) and it sounds like a frugal Valentine's night that dreams are made of!
(Speaking of nighties - are you as shocked as I am that lingerie didn't make this list? Wow! Very surprising!)
Well - it's on my list, so I'm off to shave these prickly legs!!
What are your plans for the big celebration of love? Let me know! I only have 366 days to plan for next year!
XX OO
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