Buying presents can be hard. Buying presents for your boyfriend can be even harder. Men can be incredibly tricky to shop for, especially for Valentine’s Day. Luckily, we are here to help. Whether you work with a classic gift such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, or choose something a little more personal, it’s important that whatever gift you choose is truly sentimental and conveys your appreciation for your man. So here is list of some classic gifts you can gift him:
1. Cook For Him: Take advantage of that old saying: “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Whether it’s a simple dessert or a full-fledged meal, presenting your boyfriend with food is a tangible demonstration that you care. Here are some timeless options:
- Make him cookies: Don’t know his favorite kind of cookie? Now’s the time to find out! Or, if you want it to be a surprise, go with classic crowd-pleasers like chocolate chip or sugar cookies.
- Whip up a decadent chocolate dessert: Try brownies, chocolate-covered strawberries, or an ambitious chocolate souffle.
- Set up a romantic meal: If you want to go all-out on food, make your guy a beautiful Valentine’s Day dinner. If he is chicken lover focus on pleasing items like Butter Chicken or Chicken Lollipop and If he is Vegetarian tease his taste buds with some spicy food to spice up your evening.
2. Make a mix-tape (or playlist): Putting together a mix-tape of songs that are significant to your relationship can be a really meaningful, personalized present, and you don’t have to spend a ton of money to do it. Burn your creation onto a CD for a tangible gift, or send him a digital playlist if you both subscribe to online music services.
Be sure to include “your” song, if you have one. If you don’t, throw a handful of potential candidates into the mix.
- Pay attention to subtext: You might really like the sound of a brooding break-up song, but putting it on your playlist might send your boyfriend the wrong message.
- Keep it limited: Stick to around 10 songs, give or take a few. That way he can listen to the whole list in one sitting, and remember that they’re meaningful later.
- Write him a poem: If you enjoy writing and reading poetry, put your talents to use on an individualized poem.
- Or, write out your feelings in pros:. If meter and rhyme aren’t your forte, that’s all right a prose letter can be just as meaningful !
- Borrow someone else’s words: If you’re struggling to write how you feel, rely on the experts for help. Find a famous piece of poetry, and copy it out in your own handwriting, or print it out and frame it in a pretty way. Some classics to get you started:
“somewhere i have never traveled,” e.e. cummings
“Pablo Neruda” by Sonnet XVII,
“How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways,” Elizabeth Barret Browning
“18th Sonnet” by Shakespeare
“To a Stranger,” Walt Whitman
“Love’s Philosophy,” Percy Bysshe Shelley
“To Earthward,” Robert Frost
- Keep in mind that scents don’t wear the same on everyone. Everyone’s body chemistry is slightly different, so a cologne that smells amazing on one guy might not work for another.
- Pay attention to what he already likes. Odds are, your boyfriend wears something that he thinks works for him, so try to stay close to that. If he tends to wear woody, musky colognes, that’s probably a good choice for a gift. On the other hand, if he seems to prefer light, citrusy, clean scents, try to find a gift that’s in the same category.
- His favorite treat, whether it’s candy, cookies, or a particular store-bought food.
- A pretty beverage. If you’re old enough to drink, consider buying his favorite beer or a nice bottle of wine.
- Stocking stuffer items: Rely on little items you might use for Christmas stocking stuffers, such as new headphones, new supplies for whatever sport he plays (like golf balls or tennis balls), or a few items he can use for his hobbies (like grilling tools or colored pencils).
- Buy him a new game: See if there are any upcoming releases he’s had his eye on, or ask his buddies what he’s been dying to play.
- Or, just buy him credits: You can buy the gaming equivalent of a gift card depending on what platform he uses:
- Update his controller: Whether he uses a console controller or a mouse, buying him a new piece of hardware could be a great Valentine’s gift.