Choosing the right gift for your wife can be a challenge if you’re not looking in the right place. But this doesn’t mean you settle down for anything. Valentine’s Day is special and your gift should be special. Here are a few gifts that you should avoid giving to your wife…

1. Stale Candy: Yes, candy is a big part of Valentine’s Day and it’s a common gift. However, if you’re going to give it, do it properly. It’s a bad idea to give a box with missing pieces, and a few other cracked open. You should always, always ensure that the candy you’re giving is new, fresh and tasty. Also, don’t forget to add flowers with the candy. You’ll find a good selection of flowers online to choose from.

2. Cheap Dinner: Valentine’s Day is when your woman expects you to treat her extra special. She wants you to take out in the best possible way, which is why dinner on cheap is a bad idea to start with. You can definitely put that change you found under the sofa to a better use. But for dinner, make sure you treat her royally.

3. A Virtual Gift: Yes virtual gifts are all rage and happening. People give them to each other all the time. But a virtual gift for Valentine’s Day? It’s a strict no-no! Whether you buy a picture of a lava lamp, or a graphical heart – the point is that virtual gifts don’t work for Valentine’s Day. Period.

4. A Stuffed Animal: Women expect you to buy them gifts that are especially bought for them. So when it comes to expressing your love to your woman, keep away from stuffed animals. Your wife is an adult and she has no use of a stuffed animal. The solution is to avoid giving any stuffed animals and instead focus on donating to a local charity as it makes for a thoughtful gift.

5. Racy Sleepwear: When you buy lingerie for your wife, you know it yourself that it’s a gift that’s more for you than her. It’s just another excuse to gift your woman some racy sleepwear. Valentine’s Day is is an occasion couples feel happy and want to remain together. It’s not a day to ask your partner to put on some lingerie so that she feels sexy.

6. A Local Gym Membership: Do not make the mistake of using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to suggest your Valentine that she can lose a few pounds. That’s right – women are highly self-conscious about their weight and you gifting a gym membership will only make it worse.

There you go! Six gifts that you should stay away from on Valentine’s Day if you want to make the most out of it.

Valentine’s Day means different things to different people. However, one thing is certain: it doesn’t matter how stupid, irrelevant, commercialized and unimportant Valentine’s Day is, it’s not going anywhere. So, men, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to make the woman in your life happy during this holiday. Many men choose to simply buy her something expensive. However, sometimes showing your love through acts of service can be just as important. So, this year you can save some money and spend some time actually doing things to make her happy.

Clean the Entire Home

Chances are, she spends a lot of her time cleaning up after you and the kids. Do you know why she takes care of things like this? Because nothing feels better than a nice, clean home. This year, show her how much you care by cleaning the entire home for her. Remember, this is Valentine’s Day. That means you need to do more than simply vacuum and do the dishes. Think of big ways you can help. Clean the carpets, baseboards and dust everything. It will be a huge help, and she’s sure to notice it. Use succulents as an accent once the house is clean to tie everything together.

Paint the Walls

Perhaps your house is already clean. If so, there are other ways that you can do things around the house. If she’s been talking about putting a fresh coat of paint in one of the rooms, paint it for her while she’s out one day. This will take a bit of planning. Find out what color she wants to paint the walls. Bring it up in conversation, or take a more direct approach by bringing her to the home improvement store in town.

Finish the To-Do List

If your house is clean and walls are painted, then there’s certainly a list of things that she’s been wanting you to do for several months now. Dig out that list and get to work. Don’t stop until you’ve marked everything off of it. She’ll love the fact that you finished everything she has asked you to do. Understand, though, that once you finish it there will certainly still be more that she’ll want you to do. A real man’s work is never done.
Acts of service are a great way to show your love on a deeper level. Be sure to still get her chocolates and flowers, of course. But you can save that diamond necklace for your anniversary. This year, show her how much you love her through acts of service.

If you’re in a relationship, you’re probably aware that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Regardless of your feelings about this holiday, you can’t ignore it.

We updated our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide last week, and now we’re reminding all the procrastinators out there who always wait till the last minute. Fortunately, you can still benefit from Shelly’s advice in the guide.

Whatever you do, it is going to send a signal. You may not know that you are sending it but your gift will be scrutinized like the post mortem victim of a violent crime; not only by your girl but, believe me, by every one of her friends and co-workers, family and potentially, that ex who may be waiting for a second chance!

And the media/marketing machine doesn’t help, either. It seems as though every year; this pseudo-holiday gets bigger and the expectations are raised to insurmountable heights. Whatever it is that you give her will set the tone for your relationship for the rest of the year. This gift you will give to your little Sherlock Holmes offers the clues she needs to define your feelings for her; whether or not you are serious; see her as wife material; think she is fat; aren’t that into her, and on and on in ways which you could never imagine.

Check it out and you’ll get some good ideas. This isn’t rocket science – you just need to put a little thought into it, and we’re here to help.

Now, for those of you who aren’t in a relationship, you don’t have to worry about all this stuff, but this is also an ideal time to get out there and connect with a woman who’s available. Naturally, most women hate being alone on Valentine’s Day, so you’ll find that many of them will be more open to a guy’s advances during this time of year. So, it’s time to brush up on your game and get out there! Check out our dating tips page for great advice from David DeAngelo, and check out the sites listed on our online dating page for websites you can start using. Happy hunting!