Valentine’s Gift Basket

Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year set aside to officially express our love. Men seem to enjoy the opportunity to be his woman’s knight in shining armor and women love being treated to this gallant and romantic demonstration of love.

It’s the day Cupid comes, with his quiver of arrows, to set your beloved’s heart afire. The traditional gifts are, of course, chocolate and roses. While these are always welcome gifts, oozing romance, don’t you sometimes want to give your love a more personalized Valentine’s gift? Here are a few ideas for a small Valentine’s gift basket that packs a punch, emptying Cupid’s quiver in a hurry. Nice things do come in small packages.

A love poem is perhaps the scariest Valentine’s gift to some men. You may be afraid that putting your true thoughts to paper may prove to be too revealing. Don’t hesitate to let your true love know just how you feel! You may be surprised to find that what you supposed to be an awkward expression of your love, melts the heart of your beloved. If you just can’t bring yourself to write a love sonnet, go ahead and borrow! Shakespeare and Yeats have probably written a perfect love poem to give. For this Valentine’s Day gift, all you need is a tiny, lidded Valentine’s gift basket within which to insert a folded paper which contains your poem. Try calligraphy. This adds romance in a big way.

On a more practical note, you can use the same small, lidded Valentine’s gift basket to present a gift certificate to your woman’s favorite store ” Victoria’s Secret? You’ll be as delighted as she is with her purchase!

Jewelry is another traditional Valentine’s gift, so don’t overlook this possibility if you can afford it. This one makes women swoon big time. A necklace, pendant, earrings, watch or bracelet is a memorable Valentine’s day gift for any woman. This gift comes across best in semi-precious or precious stones, but it needn’t be so expensive ” there’s just something about jewels and sparkle. Know that she’ll remember this forever.

Another terrific Valentine’s gift basket might contain tickets for two to the ballet, symphony, opera or a concert that you know your true love will enjoy. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy such events yourself, this gift will endear you to your woman, because she’ll know you’re doing it to please her!

When we speak of this Valentine’s gift basket, you don’t necessarily need to use a wicker basket as your container. You might use a small pewter or silver box, such as a jewelry box. You could also make your basket of a fancy, Valentine themed coffee mug. This ‘thinking outside the basket’ can greatly enhance the duration of your romantic sentiments. She’ll see the jewelry box every day and relive the romance each time she uses her mug.

How to find your dream date

Do you fantasize about meeting the girl of your dreams on Valentine’s Day? Are you frustrated because you don’t have the nerve or the courage to approach women? Do you grope in the dark or fumble whenever you try to break the ice and have a conversation with a lady you meet? Don’t you wish you could be like James Bond and be appealing to any woman anytime?

If you answered “yes” to the above questions, you’re not alone. A lot of men are looking for their dream dates in time for the day of hearts. But many are lost and don’t know what to do. To help you in your quest for your ideal soul mate, here are some things to consider:

Look in the right places. Bars, fancy restaurants and hotels are traditional places to find your woman. But don’t limit yourself to these places. Learn to explore. Be like Magellan and sail off to other spots like malls, bookshops and theaters. Don’t go too far though. That dream date you’re looking for may be your next door neighbor!

Don’t date. That’s right! You read it right. Instead of showing her around town, getting drunk and doing something stupid, why not invite her out for coffee for a change? That way, you’ll be more relaxed and at home with each other.

Be yourself. Don’t talk to impress or brag about your talents or riches. You may hook her for the wrong reasons. Don’t speak like a geek either. Your date might not be interested in the lecture you recently gave at the Smithsonian Institute!

And don’t think you can get her with your canned pick up lines. She’s heard it all before and that won’t make you stand out among the other guys she’s dated. Let her do the talking instead and be a good listener.

Pay attention to what she’s saying (even if it doesn’t make sense sometimes!) Remember that less is more. The less you talk about yourself, the more mysterious you become and chances are the more attractive you’ll be to her.

Be naughty. No, I don’t mean putting your fingers or hands where they don’t belong! Say something witty or mischievous. Better yet, say something sexy and funny at the same time. Your date will be puzzled at your remarks at first but will like it in the end. But don’t overdo it or you might get slapped!

Prepare for her tests. If you tease her, there’s a big chance your date will also tease you. Some women do this by asking you to buy something for them. It’s a test designed to see how well she can manipulate you. Don’t fall for this one! Instead of falling for her charms and doing what she says, get back at her with a witty remark like, “Do I look like the bank?” Be funny and firm at the same time. It’ll drive your woman wild!

Read. This is important. If you can’t carry a conversation with her or at least add to what she’s saying, she’ll lose interest in you. Read all sorts of materials – books, newspapers, or anything under the sun. That way, you won’t look like an ignoramus.

Hot topics that could turn off your date

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. Nowhere is this saying truer than in dating. If you’ve found a new love interest that you plan to take out on Valentine’s Day, you naturally want to say something memorable to impress her.

Oftentimes, however, men forget themselves and boldly speak their minds in complete disregard of the feelings of others. This can get you in hot water later, especially if your date doesn’t share your beliefs and has a different opinion about the subject matter.

Since your main objective is to win her over, don’t force your opinions and beliefs on her. You won’t get her that way. Remember that most women are highly emotional about certain topics so it makes no sense in changing your date’s mind about things overnight. Neither will it help your cause if you appear like an insensitive bigot or a one-sided fool.

When talking to her, choose your subjects wisely. Make her laugh and comfortable in your presence. Avoid controversial topics or those that produce negative emotions like guilt, anger, jealousy, fear, tension or depression. Learn to say what she likes to hear and you’ll be surprised how far you’ll go.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, steer clear of these hot topics. They won’t get you anywhere and you’ll only end up alienating your date:

Evolution vs. creation. Which came first – the chicken or the egg? No one knows for sure so don’t ruin the perfect date by talking about something that can’t be answered. You’ll end up arguing instead of making love.

Religion. This is another highly debatable subject that you can both discuss for hours and agree on nothing. Many wars have been fought because of religion and even members of the same church are sometimes split when it comes to interpreting it. Don’t put this in your list of topics.

Her boyfriend. Let her talk about her boyfriend if she wants to but don’t make any bad remarks about him. Just listen to her and smile. Often she’s just testing you to see how you’ll react. Think about it: if she’s not interested in you, why would she go out with you in the first place?

To get back at her, you can try reverse psychology by saying, “I’m glad you and your boyfriend are getting along pretty well and I’m happy for both of you. It’s hard finding the perfect guy nowadays.” That will make you the perfect gentleman and will give her something to think about.

Your frustration with women. This isn’t the time to talk about your boring love life or your misfortunes with other members of the opposite sex. She’ll think you’re a loser and will have second thoughts about dating you again.

Don’t be bitter about your past or dwell on your bad relationships. Keep the conversation pleasant and make it appear you love everything about women – the way they dress, their charms, their passion and femininity. Your date will love you for that!

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