Beyond a Box of Chocolates -- Alternative Valentine's Day Gifts -- Terra Wellington's Balanced Living

Unique gifts that reduce stress, build relationships, and offer romance.
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Originally Published February 7, 2005 -- Your Wellness Guide

Beyond a Box of Chocolates -- Alternative Valentine's Day Gifts

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For additional love and relationship ideas:
Don't Leave Loveland To Chance
Evaluating Friendships For Emotional Health
Children Need Your Help To Succeed Today
Communicate Successfully With Your Children

Beyond a box of chocolates and more than just a dozen roses, how can you show your loved one that you care this Valentine’s Day? (February 14) Here’s a jumpstart on alternative Valentine’s gifts --

Stress Reduction for Your Valentine
Did you know that 30 percent of Americans don’t even take their vacation days? This can contribute to stress and lower productivity. Make a homemade coupon booklet with five weekend getaways. They don’t have to be expensive or time intensive -- a hike at a nearby state park, a trip to the mountains for a day, a weekend at a local resort hotel, or a weekend downtown.

Here’s a novel stress-reduction idea, give your loved one the gift of a “Nap-of-the-Month Club”. Each month, up to 12 months, your Valentine will receive a delivery of essential napping tools, like relaxing music, hot chocolate, a lavender pillow, or sleep mask.

With spas generating almost as much revenue as box office receipts ($7.5 billion), there’s a world of stress-reduction right around the corner in most communities at your local day spa. Give the gift of a spa treatment to anyone worldwide by going to www.spafinder.com and clicking on “Gift Certificates” for several options. Relaxing treatments include body or scalp massage, hydrotherapy (water treatments), and mineral pools.

And, if your Valentine is looking to reduce stress at work, give the gift of a subscription to Worthwhile Magazine, a new publication that focuses on how to bring back the heart and soul of work in a healthy way.

For a truly alternative stress-reduction gift, check out a new computer game called The Journey to Wild Divine. The fantasy-based game uses a sleek biofeedback device to teach you how to relax through controlled breathing and meditation skills, such as building stairways with your breath or juggling balls with your laughter.

Relationship Builder
Gary Chapman, in his book The Five Languages of Love (Men’s Edition), says “The object of love is not getting something you want but doing something for the well-being of the one you love.” Here are some relationship-building gifts.

Photos Courtesy: Isabella Books and Gifts

Give the gift of a nap to your loved one
this Valentine’s Day by subscribing to the
Nap-of-the-Month Club. A relaxing CD and a sleeping mask are just two of the many
home-delivered monthly napping tools.

Giving of your time is often the best gift of all. Taking your Valentine out to dinner and making it a night for the two of you or for the whole family shows that you care about and listen to those you love. For the children, you might look for dinner spots that include games or activities so that you can also have physical interaction, such as a place like Makutu’s Island, a family fun center in Phoenix, Arizona that has indoor super slides and mazes for adults and children alike.

For many, relationships are also about working on being more genuine or getting to know each other better. All Things Equal, a creative game company, has come out with a new board game called Loaded Questions that test how well you know your fellow players. It promotes fun discussion, is an icebreaker, and offers laughs.

Romantic At Heart
The Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says that “poor communication is often the catalyst for all other marital problems.” While everyday communication improvements are a long-term fix, for Valentine’s Day you can thoughtfully think of the positives about your loved one and send heart-felt messages that express your devotion and use kind words.

A company called Speaking Roses will print your love note right on the rose. The roses can be fresh, preserved, or silk.

Or, send a recorded video mail message through your high-speed Internet service to anyone. For example, Comcast is a broadband provider that offers free video mail to subscribers who also have a webcam. You record the message, and then it is opened by anyone with access to e-mail and Windows Media Player. Time Warner, another broadband provider, is also now offering video mail. In your message, you might read an original poem dedicated to your Valentine, or you might tell your top 10 reasons why you love him or her.

Additionally, researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have found that even tender touches (such as touch therapy and gentle massage) have a lasting, positive emotional impact. Of course nothing can replace a good, old-fashioned hug and kiss.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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