For years, the biggest decision I faced on Valentine’s Day was deciding which boxes of Disney princess valentines I would buy to give to my classmates. Choosing between the pack with the stickers and the pack with the temporary tattoos was a struggle, but it was nothing compared to the trials that I now face on the 14 of February.
While many find it literally impossible to purchase the perfect gift for their significant other, I have plenty ideas as to what I would love to receive. Here are a few:

A gift from the heart: While conversation hearts and giant teddy bears have become the holiday’s norm, a homemade gift is more original, and shows that you care enough to spend time on the task of making your soulmate happy.

Instead of wasting three hours putting together your perfect Soundcloud playlist, create a mixtape or playlist of songs that showcase how you truly feel for her. It’s often hard to express deep feelings in person, so let the lyrics of Ed Sheeran or Alex Turner convey them for you, (“Stuck on a Puzzle” by Turner is an excellent track to begin with.)

A night out: Your valentine may eat their box of chocolates in 30 minutes, or eventually lose that necklace you bought them on Etsy, but they will never forget the perfect date you planned. While a classic dinner and a movie date will always work, take your sweetheart on an unexpected trip to the Pantages Theater in Hollywood instead. A night consisting of a live show and dinner will surely impress. The theater is currently showing the stage version of “Dirty Dancing” until Feb. 21, with tickets available at hollywoodpantages.com.
For those who want a more unconventional date, try an outing to your local Color Me Mine, where you and your loved one can paint matching mugs or piggy banks. The Downtown Brea location is very nice, and is surrounded by cute restaurants where you can end your perfect night.

Something special: Many people may think that Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to show off how much they are willing to spend, but it’s the gifts that are thoughtful that truly make the most impact. Prove to your “woman crush Wednesday” how much you actually listen to her with a gift that connects to one of her obsessions. Buy her a giant poster of her favorite movie off of Amazon, a T-shirt with a reference to her fandom, or that season of her beloved show that isn’t available on Netflix. Something that is unique to her tastes is worth more than something sparkly, because it shows that you care enough to listen every time she nerds-out over her favorite things.

If you find yourself without a designated person to be your valentine, any special woman in your life (such as your mother) would love some recognition.