The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

Bookends

Most people just use books themselves as bookends, but if want to kick the “fanciness level” of your book collection up a notch, some cool looking bookends will surely do the trick. A word of warning – you should probably make sure that whoever you’re buying this for actually has space on their bookshelf for bookends! And well, if they don’t, maybe you could buy them a new bookshelf along with their bookends so they can finally have more space to buy even more books.

Our recommendation: Fasmov Stainless Steel Man Bookends

E-Reader

Even the most old fashioned bookworm has to admit that having an e-reader is pretty dang handy. You can carry literally thousands of books in a single tiny device, and if you somehow manage to run out of reading material, you can just download even more books from outer space. That’s definitely something one of those old fashioned paper books can’t do! Jokes aside, even if you do enjoy reading paper books most of the time like a lot of bookworms do, having an e-reader can still be great for things like long car trips or vacations.

Our recommendation: Kindle Paperwhite

Reading Lamp

No reading nook is completely without an adjustable reading lamp! Getting the lighting just right is crucial to having an enjoyable reading experience, especially if you’re one of those diehard bookworms that enjoys reading for hours at a time. Plus who knows, having an adjustable lamp might come in handy for other things too. You could put a desk nearby and use it as a drawing lamp or something, I dunno.

Our recommendation: Brightech Litespan Adjustable Reading Lamp

Your Favorite Book

Yes you read that right – not their favorite book, YOUR favorite book. Assuming your taste doesn’t suck, your significant other will love to receive your favorite book from you, and hopefully love reading it as well. We share things like food and music that we love with people we care about, so why not books too? Be sure to write some sort of note on the inside cover or something too for a nice romantic touch.

Our recommendation: Dune by Frank Herbert

Fancy Bookmarks

Now let’s be real, no one really “needs” fancy bookmarks, because you can use literally anything flat as a bookmark. Or – if you’re related to Satan – you can just dogear the pages to mark your place in a book. But I think deep down we would all love to have fancy bookmarks with nifty designs and tassels just because they’re neat, but we don’t really want to go out and spend our money on them – which makes them the perfect gift! However I’d have to recommend that you get something else alongside the bookmarks, or they’ll probably be a bit disappointed. “You got me… a bookmark?”

Our recommendation: Shoot for the Moon Beaded Bookmark

Cutting Machine

Typically only the most hardcore crafters have a cutting machine, because they’re so expensive for one thing, but also because you usually only use them for pretty “hardcore” crafting projects. So if your boyfriend or girlfriend is really into crafts and doesn’t already have one of these, they’ll absolutely love this. They’re probably already dreaming of owning one, but haven’t already bought one because they’re pretty expensive like I mentioned before, and spending a lot of money on a hobby can be hard to justify for some people.

Our recommendation: Brother ScanNCut 2 Home & Hobby Cutting Machine

Encyclopedia of Crafts

Although there’s a nearly infinite supply of craft ideas of all kinds readily available on the internet nowadays, sometimes it’s nice to just get away from the computer for a while and tuck yourself away into your little “crafting corner” with an old fashioned book full of craft ideas. And when it comes to craft books, there’s certainly a wide array to choose from, but the Encyclopedia of Crafts is one of the few that many would consider a “must have”! Some might even say it’s extra cool because it’s written by one of the few famous homemakers who’s also a felon!

Get it on Amazon: Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts

Craft Storage

Anyone who’s serious about arts and crafts is always in need of more storage for all of their various craft supplies – whether it’s because they’re out of space already, or simply because they want to buy more but wouldn’t have anywhere to put the new stuff. Now although this is almost certainly a great gift idea for your special crafty person, I’d suggest also getting them some new craft supplies to go with their new storage space. Additional storage is great but it’s not very much fun to “play” with.

Our recommendation: ArtBin Super Satchel

Cutting Mat

One of these self-healing cutting mats is pretty much a must-have for anyone who does a lot of cutting (with x-acto knives, etc). Well, if they don’t want to cut their desk or table to bits, that is. If your crafter doesn’t already have one of these, they definitely need one! But as with the craft storage you should probably get them something to use with it, like this X-Acto Knife Set perhaps? They might already have an X-Acto knife, but having an entire set with all its different sizes and shapes of blades would open up all sorts of possibilities for their crafty adventures.

Our recommendation: Professional Self Healing Cutting Mat

Sewing Machine

This is pretty self-explanatory, but if your crafty person doesn’t already have a sewing machine they probably want one. A sewing machine opens up tons of possibilities when it comes to fabric crafts, because without one, the crafts that require a sewing machine are impossible. It’s always a bummer to see some nifty craft idea on Pinterest only to discover you need a sewing machine to make it! And no, you can’t just sew it by hand! I mean, unless you’re some kind of master seamstress or something, maybe.

Our recommendation: Brother Feature-Rich Sewing Machine

Gaming Chair

They say that if you play video games while sitting in a gaming chair, your performance increases by 20%! Well, that’s not true at all, but what is true is that gaming chairs are pretty comfy to sit in when you’re playing games, so there’s that. And if you happen to stream yourself playing games like a lot of people nowadays, you’ll be hip and cool like everyone else that has one of these fancy gaming chairs.

Our recommendation: BestOffice High-back Racing Chair

Gamer Cash

Gift cards are usually a pretty lame gift, but for a gamer, money that they can use on the Playstation Store/Xbox Live/Nintendo eShop is pure gold! It lets them buy not only any games they have their eye on, but all sorts of other things like system themes, DLC for their favorite games, character skins and all sorts of other cool stuff.

Get Xbox Live Store cash on Amazon.com

Get PlayStation Store cash on Amazon.com

Get Nintendo eShop cash on Amazon.com

A New System

This one is pretty much a no-brainer, especially if your significant other is still stuck playing a system from the last generation. Just be sure to get them the system that comes after the one they already have, but that’s probably obvious – and if they have multiple systems, I guess the only restriction is to get them one they don’t already have!

Get an Xbox One on Amazon.com

Get a Playstation 4 on Amazon.com

Get a Nintendo Switch on Amazon.com

Gaming Headset

Having a proper gaming headset is great for multiple reasons. They’re much more comfortable than the headset included with the system, the audio quality is better, and you get your game audio through your headset instead of through the television which can give you various advantages in certain games, such as being able to hear enemy footsteps, etc. And if you’re a PC gamer and don’t have a headset, you’re stuck communicating with your keyboard which is obviously a huge disadvantage! But as you can probably tell, a gaming headset is probably best suited for a more hardcore gamer, so you won’t really want to get one for your girlfriend who only plays Mario and Farmville.

Our recommendation: HyperX Cloud Stinger Gaming Headset

A New TV Or Monitor

Getting a new TV or monitor for a gamer might not be the most thoughtful gift in the world, but you can rest assured that they would definitely appreciate it! Well, assuming that you get them one that’s an upgrade from the one they already have… if you get them a smaller TV or monitor might just have to return it. Although at least in the case of the monitor they could just use it as a second monitor, but it’s still nice to get them one that’s better than the one they already have (or at least the same so they can have matching dual monitors). And as an added bonus, if you do get them a new TV, you can also use it for those “Netflix & chill” sessions.

Our TV recommendation: Samsung UN50J5000 50-Inch 1080p LED TV on Amazon.com

Our monitor recommendation: Acer 23.8-Inch Widescreen Monitor on Amazon.com

Gardening Gloves

Most gardeners are going to have a pair of these already (unless they prefer getting down and dirty with their bare hands) but gardening gloves always tend to wear out pretty quickly, so having a backup pair is certainly a good thing! However even to the most fanatic gardener, getting gardening gloves as a gift is probably pretty close to getting socks as a gift, so if you do decide to get them gardening gloves you might want to look for something else to get them along with them.

Our recommendation: Pine Tree Tools Bamboo Working Gloves

Garden Hose

Alright, most gardeners probably already have one of these as well, but just like the gloves they can tend to wear out quickly when you use them a lot. They also might not have one of these fancy “no kink” hoses, which are unquestionably great to have – just ask anyone who’s tried to use a regular garden hose around the yard for pretty much anything. If you get them one of these garden hose reels to go with it, their garden hose problems will disappear completely and they’ll probably love you forever!

Our recommendation: NeverKink Extra Heavy Duty Garden Hose

Garden Statue

When you have a big garden, you can never really have too many garden statues. Okay, you probably CAN have too many garden statues, but more than likely your beloved gardener has at least one spot where they could put another one. There are all kinds of different garden statues you can buy, from pretty, artsy ones to less serious, humorous ones, and everything in between. Just be sure to get them one that will go with whatever theme they have going on in their garden already – if their garden is full of beautiful birds and angels, and you get them the statue we’re suggesting, they might not be too happy!

Our recommendation: The Great Garden Gnome Massacre

Flower Pots

Gardeners always love to have an excuse to buy more flowers, and when you give a gardener flower pots as a gift, you aren’t just giving them the flower pots – you’re giving them that excuse! When you think about it that way, something that seems like a rather boring gift turns into a rather clever gift. Just be sure to get them some nice, pretty flower pots and not some boring plastic ones or something, because that’d still be a pretty lousy gift. And just like with the garden statue, try to get them flower pots that will go along with the ones that they already have. Having decor that clashes is always such a pain!

Our recommendation: Jewel Tone Flower Pot Trio

Gardening Kneepad

This is one of those things that, for most people, probably falls under the category of “that’d be nice to have, but I don’t really need it”. Being down on your knees in the dirty doesn’t seem so bad – and well, it’s really not – until you’ve seen how nice it is to have one of these squishy knee pads. Once you try it you’ll never go back!

Our recommendation: InSassy Garden Kneeler Wave Pad

Headphones

High quality headphones are an absolute must for someone who really loves music, but sadly most people are stuck using cheap-o headphones from Walmart, or the earphones that came with their iPhone, and probably just assume that that’s pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to headphones anyway. But boy are they wrong! Once they try a pair of actual high quality headphones (of the over ear variety, specifically) they won’t believe what they’ve been missing all these years.

Our recommendation: Sennheiser HD 598 Over-Ear Headphones

Headphone Amplifier

This is sort of a side note to the gift idea of headphones above – because good headphones really should have a headphone amplifier with them if you really want to see what they can do – but a headphone amp would obviously also make a good gift for someone who already has headphones but just doesn’t have an amp to go with them. They might not even realize that headphone amplifiers exist, and once you give it to them and they try it out they’ll be amazed!

Our recommendation: Behringer Microamp Ha400 Ultra-Compact 4-Channel Stereo Headphone Amplifier

Record Player

Whether they already have a vinyl collection or not, any music lover would love to get a record player. Watch out, though – vinyl is addicting, and if you give them an excuse to start collecting records, they might not be able to stop themselves!

Our recommendation: Victrola 6-In-1 Turntable

Their Favorite Album on Vinyl

This idea might not work so well if the person you’re shopping for already has a vinyl collection, since their favorite album probably would’ve been one of the very first records they would have gotten themselves, but if they don’t then this is great even if they don’t have a record player to actually listen to the record. Bonus points if you can get them a rare/limited edition version, or even better, a signed copy.

Our recommendation: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

Bluetooth Speaker

A bluetooth speaker is so dang handy for the person who likes to listen to music everywhere they go. In the shower, working in the garage, doing yard work, the list of places you can put a bluetooth speaker to good use goes on and on. The best part is that since it’s wireless, you can stick your smartphone (or whatever you’re streaming from) somewhere safe and then take the speaker around with you wherever you need it to go.

Our recommendation: Omaker Portable Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker

Pajamas

Anyone who watches a lot of Netflix already knows that you need a good pair of pajamas if you want to do it comfortably. We’ve all heard the horror story about the guy who tried to binge watch Breaking Bad while wearing blue jeans and a polo (it didn’t end well). Even if they already have pajamas, another pair of pajamas never hurt anybody, esepcially if you get them some fancy silk ones or something.

Our recommendation (men’s): Noble Mount Men’s Sleepwear Set
Our recommendation (women’s): Cozy Fleece Pajama Set

Slipper Socks

They’re not slippers. They’re not socks. They’re slipper socks! Slippers are a cool idea in theory, but end up being pretty clunky in practice – they fall off, they’re big and don’t do the “under covers” thing very well – so that’s why slipper socks are great. All of the upsides of slippers with none of the downsides!

Our recommendation (men’s): Vihir Knitted Non-Skid Slipper Socks
Our recommendation (women’s): Snoozies Women’s Animal Socks

Oversized Wine Glass/Beer Mug

The whole “Netflix and wine” meme is an old one, but it wouldn’t be a meme if it wasn’t true! Netflix and wine (or beer… or any alcohol, really) just go together so well, so why not help them enjoy their alcohol by getting them a giant glass to drink it from? Assuming they haven’t decided to just skip the middleman completely and drink straight from the bottle, that is.

Our recommendation (wine glass): Oversized Wine Glass – 33.5 oz
Our recommendation (beer mug): Oktoberfest 44 oz Beer Mug

Lap Tray

Okay, let’s be honest – if you’re so addicted to Netflix that you no longer eat your meals at the kitchen table and instead now sit on the couch with a lap tray to eat them… you might have a problem. However this super handy lap tray can also be used for other things, like putting your laptop on it (for Netflix, or whatever), or for writing or drawing on the couch, or a wide array of other things that require you to have some sort of hard surface.

Our recommendation: BirdRock Bamboo Lap Desk

Streaming Media Player

If they’ve already got some way of streaming Netflix on their TV then they probably won’t need one of these (although they can do much more than just stream Netflix), but if they’ve been stucking having to watch Netflix on a computer, on a tablet, or dare I say it – on their SMARTPHONE, then they could definitely use a streaming media player so they can finally bring their favorite shows to their big screen. As mentioned before it’ll also let them stream other stuff like Twitch.tv streams, YouTube videos and more.

Our recommendation: Fire TV Stick

Running GPS Watch

A GPS watch might seem like something only the most serious runners would need, but even a casual runner can benefit from having one. It’s always fun to track your mile times whether you’re a casual runner or a marathon runner, and it’s pretty tough to do that without some sort of GPS tracking device unless you’re running on a marked track. They can also do other things like monitor your heartrate, and the fancy ones (like this Garmin one) can even link up with your phone and show you your missed calls, texts, and way more – a lot more than I would ever think you would need on a watch you use for running!

Our recommendation: Garmin Vívoactive Black

Running Socks

Everyone already knows that if you’re going to run a lot, you should get some nice running shoes, but no one really gives any thought to the socks they wear. And for most people, it’s probably not really a big deal. But if you’re running tens of miles every week, the kind of socks you run in can make a huge difference. That’s where running socks come in, which are made to be extra comfortable and durable for runners so their feet can stay nice and healthy and all that good stuff. Socks are usually a pretty bad gift, but I think you might be able to make an exception in this case!

Our recommendation: Balega Hidden Comfort Athletic Running Socks

Running Shoes

Now here’s the classic gift for a runner – running shoes. Shoes are definitely the one thing any runner can never have too many of, because they wear their running shoes out so quickly. Plus there’s just something about a brand new pair of running shoes that makes you feel like you can run faster than usual, kind of like putting flames on the side of a car. Just be sure you get them a nice looking shoe that suits their style and matches their running outfits!

Our recommendation: ASICS Men’s GEL Venture 5 Running Shoe

Foam Roller

Even people who don’t run know that if you do run, you need to stretch a lot so you stay loose and don’t end up wound up in a big knot of tight muscles. But in recent years it’s becoming more and more popular to not only stretch, but to also do what’s known as “myofascial release” using a foam roller, which is basically where you roll the foam roller over your muscles over and over and it loosens them up. It’s sort of like when you beat up a piece of chicken with a meat tenderizer, but like… a lot more gentle. Anyways, like stretching, it’s really good for your body and helps you feel good and stay loose.

Our recommendation: Athren Foam Roller

Running Waist Pack

If you’ve ever gone for a run with anything remotely heavy in your pockets (like keys or a phone) you became aware pretty quickly that you had a problem. Not only does the stuff in your pockets swing around making you look silly and feel uncomfortable, but there’s also the chance that it might fall out and cause you an entirely new set of problems. But now, thanks to the invention of the running waist pack, you can save your loved one’s sanity! They just tie this thing around their waist and put all the stuff they need to take with them on a run in it. No more swinging and no more stuff falling out of their pockets!

Our recommendation: FlipBelt Zipper

Portable USB Charger

When your SO is a student on the go at college all day, they’re bound to need to charge one of their many electronic devices that they carry at some point. Problem is, well, colleges don’t typically offer charging stations like airports do, so finding somewhere to charge their stuff might be a tall order. And sometimes even finding an open outlet might even be an impossibility. But if they have one of these portable USB power banks, none of that will be an issue, and best of all they won’t have to stay tethered to a wall while they wait for their phone/iPad/whatever to charge.

Our recommendation: EC Technology 22400mAh Power Bank

Tablet

A tablet is pretty much a must-have for a student, not because it can play all kinds of awesome games and apps and stuff like that, but because it lets them carry and use the electronic versions of their textbooks with ease. Sure, they could carry around a laptop and use that, or they could read an extremely tiny version of the book on their phone, but by far the best device for this particular task is a tablet. Your SO will love you not just because you got them a nifty new gadget, but also because they won’t have to drag their huge, heavy textbooks to school anymore!

Our recommendation: Kindle Fire

Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Trying to study in a common area at a college can be a nightmare without some way to block out all the sound. They could just use earplugs, but that’s no fun – noise cancelling earbuds will do the job but they’ll also be able to listen to music, podcasts, white noise or whatever they’re into. Being able to study more effectively will lead to better grades, so if you got them these then, in a way, you’d be giving them the gift of better grades!

Our recommendation: Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones

Programmable Coffee Maker

“The best part of waking up… is Folger’s… ready and waiting in your coffee maker!” Is that how it goes? I don’t think so. Anyway, most people love to start the day with a cup of coffee, but making it yourself every morning can be a pain. I suppose you could wake up early every morning and make it for them, but… well, why do that if you can have a machine do it for you instead? Work smarter, not harder! And in a small way it will be you making it for them every morning since you’re the one that got them the coffee maker as a gift, so maybe they’ll still think of you each time they have their morning joe.

Our recommendation: Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Laptop

A laptop may not technically be a must-have for a student, since colleges typically have computer labs that are free to use, but any student would agree that they make their life so much easier. Being able to use a computer whenever you need to, wherever you need to, having your own hard drive and not having to deal with a USB drive all the time, there are just so many benefits to having your own computer if you don’t already have one, and nowadays a basic one that can do word processing/etc. isn’t very expensive at all. But hey, if you feel like really splurging on them, you could go all out and get them a fancy gaming one while you’re at it – any student who also happens to be a gamer would love that!

Our recommendation (budget): ASUS High Performance 14″ Laptop
Our recommendation (gaming): ASUS 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop

Adjustable Dumbbells

The dream for any weight lifter is to have their own home gym, but most of us don’t have the space or the money for that. The next best thing would be to just have a nice set of dumbbells, but even that can be really expensive and would still take up a fair bit of space. So, the next best thing is a pair of these adjustable dumbbells – they take up the space of one pair of dumbbells, but you can set them different weights so it’s like you have an entire set. Obviously you can’t do a full proper workout with just a set of dumbbells, but they’re great to have for those days when you can’t make it to the gym for some reason or just aren’t feeling like a full workout and would rather just do a quick basic workout at home instead. And they’ll make a nice addition to your home gym when you finally have one!

Our recommendation: Yes4All Adjustable Dumbbells

Personal Blender

Weight lifting isn’t just about lifting weights – it’s about MAKIN’ GAINS. And the biggest part of makin’ gains is getting proper nutrition, which for weight lifters often involves making lots and lots of protein shakes. They could just use a regular blender, but a personal blender is way more handy and cuts down on the time it takes to make those shakes, and when you’re making as many shakes as a weight lifter makes (hey that rhymed), that ends up being a lot of time saved!

Our recommendation: Nutri Ninja Pro

Food Scale

Another part of ensuring you get proper nutrition you need as a weight lifter is controlling your portion sizes, and the best way to do that by far is with a food scale. Measuring things out with cups and spoons is pretty inaccurate a lot of the time, and you have to wash the cups and spoons all the time and it’s just a huge pain in the butt. With a food scale you just put out your container, weigh out your food, and go. Considering how often weight lifters usually eat, the amount of time and energy they’ll save by having a food scale is huge.

Our recommendation: Etekcity Digital Food Scale

Bluetooth Headphones

If your weight lifting SO is still going to the gym with the oudated relic known as “corded headphones”, show them the freedom that is bluetooth headphones by getting them some for Valentine’s Day. That cord might not be a problem when you’re running, but it gets in the way ALL THE TIME when you lift weights. It gets caught on a barbell and yanked out of your ears, throwing you out of “the zone”. It’s just plain annoying. And as an added bonus of not having that annoying cord, you can put your phone (or MP3 player if you’re still one of the 12 people who still uses one of those) anywhere you want instead of being forced to have it in your pocket. No more worries about crushing it with a dumbbell or something!

Our recommendation: Cowin Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Over-ear Headphones

Foam Roller

Just like for a runner, stretching and mobility exercises are important for a weight lifter, and stretching alone isn’t all there is when it comes to staying mobile. In fact, a foam roller might be even more important for a weight lifter since they’re putting more load on their muscles than a runner does and probably using more of the muscles overall. Warning: foam rolling your quadriceps after leg day has been known to cause people to leave their body in an attempt to escape the agonizing pain. Proceed at your own risk!

Our recommendation: Athren Foam Roller

Yoga Mat

It’s pretty tough to do yoga without a yoga mat! Your yogi likely already has one, but it’s always good to have a backup just in case. And as with many of these other gift ideas, you can always get them a fancier version of the one they already have, since they might just have a basic version that merely “gets the job done”. The small luxuries in life, like say a soft, lush, skidless yoga mat, are the best luxuries!

Our recommendation: Yogitoes Skidless Mat Size Towel

Yoga Mat Bag

I suppose this might just be a gift you would get along with a yoga mat, but if they already have a yoga mat and no yoga mat bag, they’d surely appreciate having a bag to put theirs in! It keeps their mat nice and safe from the elements, and makes them easier to transport to and from their yoga classes.

Our recommendation: BalanceFrom Yoga Mat Bag

Leggings

Clearly this gift idea is just for the ladies, but if your lady loves yoga, she probably loves leggings too. Yoga and leggings go together like peanut butter and jelly… they’re just the perfect pants to wear when you wanna do yoga. With all the different patterns and designs they have to offer, you’re bound to find at least a few pairs of them that she doesn’t already have.

Our recommendation: Printed Brushed Leggings

Yoga Headband

If you have short hair, you probably don’t really need a headband when you do yoga, but if you have luscious locks you’re probably already well aware that your hair is constantly getting in the way of your more “creative” yoga positions. If your boyfriend or girlfriend is one of those people blessed with a head of long, beautiful hair, and they don’t already have a headband for yoga, it would make a great gift for them. They probably don’t even realize they could do something about their hair getting in their way, and once you get them one they’ll wish they had gotten one a lot sooner!

Our recommendation: Oureamod Wide Headbands

Incense Burner

This isn’t really directly related to yoga, but a lot of people who practice yoga also enjoy burning incense while they do it to further promote a sense of inner calm. And if they don’t enjoy doing this already, they just might start to after you get them this incense burner as a gift! Heck, they might even like to burn incense when they’re not doing yoga. Incense is awesome!

Our recommendation: Medoosky Ceramic Incense Burner