Valentines Day Gifts

Happy New Year, everyone!  Sorry it’s been awhile……. 

I know Clueless Guy and I have mentioned going out to dinner on maybe more than one occasion but it’s one of my favs and can also be romantic.  One of my favorite places to go is Red Lobster.  I can never get enough seafood and the Lobster is the best place that’s not so expensive to dine at.

While you’re there, don’t forget to try their famous Lobsterita and the strawberry passion colada.  I know it’s one of Clueless Guy’s personal favs.

And, if you’re not sure if Valentine’s Day is the right day to go out, Red Lobster also has gift cards.                   

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve and is ready to have an incredible 2008!

One of my buddies last night had a Nintendo Wii party at his house to ring in the new year.  I didn’t go to it (lured by another party which had a pool table and hot tub), but I’m very jealous that he has the Wii.  Those sports games seem so cool.  And I know it’s not the most romantic gift in the world, but it might be something fun you can do together as a couple - and what could be a better Valentines Day Gift than just spending time together?  (Was that a little too mushy?)

Ah, yes, the carousel.  Clueless Guy, I’d have to agree.   It was a cool gift!  My best gift was actually mentioned in an earlier post.  I was lucky enough to get a new tempur-pedic bed with a new headboard and all.  It is so comfortable and has gotten very nice reviews.  The salesman that sold us the bed said that if you need to call customer service for whatever reason, there is only 1 of a total of 2 people on staff.  In other words,  they rarely ever get phone calls.

I’ve had the bed for about a week now and it’s been broken into quite nicely.  I have to say that if your bed is “killing” you at night, invest in a tempur-pedic and I think you’ll be very happy!

With Christmas now in the rear view mirror, it’s time to look forward to Valentines Day, only seven weeks away.  Are you ready?  Well, probably not, so we aim to give you some more ideas.

My favorite gift that I got for Christmas this year was something called a liquor carousel.  Basically it’s an easy way to pour up to six bottles with perfect 1.5 oz pours.  I’m not sure where it came from, possibly Sam’s Club.

Obviously this gift would be a perfect Valentines Day gift for anyone who enjoys a drink every now and then, and any other time between now and then.

What was your favorite gift?

With the holiday season upon us, I felt it necessary to re-mention a Spa Day for the women in your lives.  If you’re like me, than the holidays bring a lot of tension into the family and relationship.  The malls are insane with people, the lines are horribly long, the traffic…. let’s not even go there. 

Sending Mom, Grandma, girlfriend or wife to the spa to show them how much they are appreciated is the perfect idea.  We women will come home afterwards feeling so relaxed.  It’s only a couple of hours and if you are feeling extra giving, try cleaning up the house or cooking a great dinner for her to come home to.

Happy Holidays! 

I had a chance to join a wine of the month club recently, and I couldn’t be happier with it.  Usually I buy 2 or 3 bottles of wine each month anyway, but I have really no idea what I’m buying, other than it’s red.  I’ll go to Harris Teeter and pick out whatever red wine bottles are marked down the most.  Yup, definitely a connoisseur.  So having experts pick out wine for me is perfect, and I might even develop a taste for certain Merlots or Cabernets (”Cabs” for us experts).

The company I signed up with is GoldMedalWine.com, and they have three different levels of clubs based on your taste and your budget.  If your a big baller and you get bored if brushing your teeth with Dom, you may want to join the Diamond Club, which ranges in price from $150-$180 per month (although they limit that club to 500 entrants).  But if you’re like me and don’t have the discerning palate just yet and/or don’t have the budget, you’ll want to go with the $30/mo Gold Club.  But who knows, maybe I’ll be movin’ on up one of these days.

And for Valentines Day or Christmas, they have gift cards available.  This would be perfect to get that special woman who likes a variety of wine.  Or perhaps you know she likes wine, but you just haven’t been paying attention and don’t really know what kind.

Anyway, very happy so far - can’t wait to get more next month!

So, we’ve talked bout wine and beer of the month clubs, but what about all those coffee drinkers?  Like myself, if you enjoy a nice cup of coffee each morning than a different brand and taste might be a nice wake-up enjoyment.  You can choose from 3,6,9 or 12 month club memberships and choose from many different flavors. 

And, if you really don’t like coffee but you are instead a  cappuccino, lover, hey….. that’s okay too.

It’s actually pretty inexpensive and a nice idea for anyone in your family who are coffee addicts.

You know when you were little, you made sand castles on the beach or wrote little messages?  Well, how about writing a romantic sand message to the one you love and framing it as to look at it all the time? 

This is a perfect, and very inexpensive gift if you live in a warm place near a beach, but most of the US is covered in snow around this time of year.  If this is you, then there are sites that can help you with this idea.  They will take the picture and you pay of it.  It’s still a great gift that your special someone will cherish forever.

Nice list Hot Chick! I only threw up in my mouth when I thought about watching a few of those. Oh, just kidding. Well, only half-kidding anyway. I’ve never seen Love and Basketball, but I’ll have to at some point. And I need to make a Chick-Flicks that Guys Don’t Mind Watching list.

With no transition, I wanted to mention Canvas on Demand again. I talked about this a long time ago, but these canvases are just incredible. My boss recently got one for his father-in-law’s funeral. Every single one I’ve seen so far has nearly brought someone to tears. Basically what they do is take a photo and enlarge it to a mixture of a painting and photo and imprint it on a canvas. You’ll really have to see it to appreciate it, but they make perfect Valentines Day gifts.

Awww, Clueless Guy, that’s a cute gift idea.  I wish I would’ve thought of that one. 

Another unique idea for the woman, or mom in your life is giving the gift of makeup.  Many women out there, including me at times, don’t know the best makeup and well, don’t exactly have the best budget either.  With this one on one session with celebrity makeup artist Emily Connors,  your special someone can learn about all the different cosmetics available and learn what the best brands for them are. 

You can learn what works, learn what doesn’t and learn what to change.  It’s a great way to create a new look and be ready for all your future nights on the town.  These sessions are currently held in only a few locations such as Atlanta, Washington DC, and New York but I’m sure you can rearch and find a local makeup makeover session near you.  Or….. you can always send her on a little trip.  I’m sure either way, she’ll love the gift!