This year I’m not keeping my Valentine’s gifts a secret from my husband. That’s because I really wanted to share them with you in my ‘his & hers’ guide. There’s something for him and for you in this collection of products so you can ensure that you’ll get something for Valentine’s day that you really want – after all, you chose it for yourself!
EXPERIENCES
One of my favourite gifts to give and receive is an experience. Either a day out, a planned meal, an activity or a trip away. Thankfully, there’s a gift voucher out there that covers all of these options (and more). I picked up the Especially For Him Gift Box from Red Letter Days, but it’s not just for him.
Sure, he could choose any of the adventure days out for himself – such as bungee jumping, a driving experience, or indoor skydiving – OR he could pick one of the couples’ experiences available with this voucher. That way you both get to enjoy the afternoon tea, the view from The Shard or win tasting evening together. And you get to enjoy the gift you’ve given him! By the way, there’s also an Especially For Her Gift Box too, so he could always buy the an experience voucher for you too.
HIS & HERS STYLE
When I go shopping for myself, it’s inevitable that I’ll find something for my husband too. Likewise, he’s really good at picking out clothing for me – most of my favourite items in my wardrobe are things that he’s chosen for me but that I hadn’t even considered buying for myself. So sometimes it’s a good idea to let your instinct take over and treat your other half to something YOU think they’ll like, rather than something they’ve asked for. It’s likely that they’ll love it twice as much as if they’d bought it themselves, as you’ve gone to the trouble of choosing it for them.
This was certainly the case when I stopped by the Scaramanga website to buy something special for my husband’s Valentine’s Gift. He’s an artist and I knew that he would love to have a leather and canvas workshop apron, even though he’s never mentioned the idea to me before. When he unwrapped this gift for Valentine’s Day, he looked completely shocked and asked me if I’d overheard him talking to a creative friend about wanting a studio apron. I hadn’t – I just knew it was right for him when I saw it, and my instinct took over. The ‘Artisans Leather and Canvas Apron’ was in the accessories sale and has all the pockets and pouches he’ll need while working in his studio.
Similarly, when I mentioned the website to my husband, he checked out the range of leather satchels and bags to find the perfect gift for me. I was so pleased when I unwrapped a mini boho backpack in vintage leather. Having been on the search for the perfect backpack for a good few years I was surprised that he’d managed to find one that was just the right compact size, had an outer and inner pocket and adjustable straps. It was precisely what I’d been searching for without knowing it! I doubt I’ll ever need another bag ever again now that I’ve received this gift, and I’ll always remember that it was for Valentine’s Day 2019.
ARTWORK
Art is a shared loved of ours and we enjoy picking out special pieces for our home. It’s especially important that an artwork has meaning for us. Combine this with our other shared passion – music – and you can probably see why I’ve had my eye on a personalised soundwave print for a while. I didn’t even have to think twice about what song I wanted to choose for the soundwave: it’s When I’m Sixty-Four by The Beatles – our first dance at our wedding.
You can add personalised text, names or dates to the print, which would be a great way to commemorate an anniversary or big birthday, but I wanted to stick with the song title and artist. This gift is a combined his & hers present in one, as we’ll both get to enjoy looking at it and it means something to both of us. It’ll probably be hung beside our vintage record player where we spend our evenings listening to albums.
PRACTICAL GIFTS
Hubby and I aren’t the most romantic couple but we DO know what each other likes and needs. Which is why a practical present is always gratefully received. The thing is that we don’t really ‘treat’ ourselves to anything in-between ‘gifting occasions’ (birthdays, valentines, anniversary, christmas etc), we prefer to wait for the things we want or need. That’s why these ION8 vacuum flask bottles are just the thing for a his ‘n’ hers Valentine’s gift.
We’re cutting down on our plastic use this year so we both need a water bottle and these ‘one twist’ bottles are insulated so they not only keep water cold for 24 hours, they also keep tea hot for 12 hours. Hot tea is essential if I’m leaving the house for any length of time and I’m saving money by taking it with me rather than buying a cuppa from the coffee shop. That’s a great practical gift in my eyes!
Don’t forget to set the mood for Valentine’s Day with some LED candles. I wrote about these safe wax candles in my ‘how to turn your bathroom into a home spa’ blog post and have been using them all the time to create a cosy mood. Get this – they’re remote control! I actually need more of these now, as I want to have some in my living room as well as the bathroom. And I LOVE having them flickering away in the bedroom as a nightlight and then clicking them off with the remote just before going to sleep. So peaceful and relaxing… and very romantic for Valentine’s Day!
What do you think of my ‘his & hers’ gift ideas for myself and my husband this year? Do you have any suggestions for Valentine’s Day gifts that suit couples rather than individuals? Let me know in the comments below!
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
