[Editorial: Last time around, a certain grumpy nerd (ahem) gave his thoughts on Valentine’s Day with a Last Minute Gift Guide. This time around, we decided to ask someone of the fairer sex for her perspective. – Darren]
I’m not Martha Stewart – not by a longshot. However, I do juggle my time between being a corporate worker, full-time military wife (of a very lucky man), long-distance daughter and teacher. Any of that describe you? Maybe you’re even a mom on top of that! You might not have the time, but you still want to give a nice, personal gift to make holidays special- even good ‘ole mooshy Valentine’s Day. Lucky for you, I’ve found some EASY and sentimental gifts and projects to make this Valentine’s Day great.
For My Husband
This one is tricky for me, because our wedding anniversary happens to fall around Valentine’s Day. What can I possibly do to make both days special, you ask?
Epic Gift #1: I plan to make an ultra-sappy Snapfish photo book using the theme, “10 Things I Love about You.” It’s cute, it’s simple, and it’s sentimental. I just insert my favorite pictures of hubby and me, or if I really don’t have time, I select my favorite pictures and let Snapfish auto insert for me. Then I add some verbiage and voila! That book will look like I spent HOURS slaving on the computer instead of the minutes I actually spent.
For My Friends
I enjoy sharing some love with my friends, and I also love to throw little get togethers- any excuse to eat chocolate and drink wine with some chatter, right? I found these adorable printable party packs on Snapfish. I’m talking cupcake wrappers, pinwheels, a “Be Mine” banner, bottle labels, favor bags…you name it. And I can print them all at home. Plus I can order matching invites to make the party official! Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.
I have a lot of coworkers, so getting physical Valentine’s Day cards for everyone is just not possible. And leaving someone out is also not an option. So this year, I decided to use a fun, creative app that allows me to create custom cards with all the fixings- glitter, stamps, text, stickers and photos. And I can share the virtual cards via Facebook or email! The app is the Martha Stewart CraftStudio iPad app, and there are two Valentine-specific bundles: Love Letters and Sweet Stuff. I can even create a heart-shaped card! And for my best friend at work, I’m actually going to print the below card I created from my iPad via AirPrint to hand deliver. What do you think?
For The Kids (I don’t have any, but this one’s for all the moms out there)
No matter how old I get, I still love to reminisce about those good ‘ole classroom Valentine exchanging days. For those of you who need 30+ cards for your child’s classroom but don’t have the time to get to the store- check out these adorable printable cards from Snapfish. There are three different themes to choose from. And instead of those boring brown bags- print out a crocodile card box for your child’s desk. He or she will have the most popular desk in the classroom!
And there you have it- Valentine’s Day gifts and unique décor will take very little time and NO trip to the store. And if you have kids, many of these projects will be fun to do together! To check out more jaw-dropping Valentine’s Day printables, head to our Holiday Printables board in our Pinterest account, HP Create!
Actually, I also have a couple other tips coming from a bunch of different parts of the HP gift-giving brain trust. Here are a couple of my faves that you can do while you're together or apart:
Tip #1 – Turn on your web cam!
Most laptops come with built-in web cams, so why not use it? Connect through Skype or a Google+ Hangout and sing a lovely song to your special Valentine. If you don’t want to be stuck indoors, grab your tablet or HP ENVY x2 to continue the conversation outside if you’re not near your loved ones.
Tip #2 – Order-in
No need to fuss over where to eat. Schedule a dinner date and arrange for his or her favorite food to be delivered during your web chat. Grubhub allows you to order from hundreds of restaurants in major cities all over the United States. Just make sure to send dessert since it is Valentine’s Day after all!
Tip #3 – Enjoy a Flick
Who says you need to be in the same room to watch the same movie? Cuddle up with some popcorn, pizza or some not-so-healthy treats and watch a romantic comedy from your laptop while you’re on the phone together. Just make sure it’s a movie you both want to see.
Tip #4 – Compete for his or her love
Are you and your loved one the gaming sort? Head over to OMGPOP, a site full of multiplayer games such as Pool or Putt My Penguin. What better way to spend Valentine’s than with a little friendly competition to spice things up. If you are a Windows user, HP’s WildTangent website is filled to the brim with games you can enjoy with your significant other.
Tip #5- Make a Digital Timeline
Remind your loved one of where it all started and how your relationship has grown over time. Upload a series of your favorite pictures together onto a Digital Picture Frame and send it to them. If you’re running short on time, use your ENVY 23 TouchSmart AiO to create a slideshow complete with music and photos.
I hope this has inspired you to create and gift this Valentine’s Day, even if you only have an hour. Just do me one favor:
Don’t show this story to my husband before February 14th. Thanks!
