Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Your Stillwater Valentines Day Gift Guide!

It's easy to get wrapped up in the marketing hullabaloo of Valentine's season. We get advertisements every which way telling us to drop thousands of dollars on things our partners don't really want. 

The truth is, you have to do some digging for the right Valentine's Day gift. You can't just run out to the store, spend a thousand dollars and expect to end up with a meaningful gift. It's important that you really think through your gift, make it personal, and take some time to craft it in a way that makes it even more special. 

Let's explore some ideas on how to go about the gift-giving process on Valentine's Day. We won't look at particular gifts so much as how you can approach giving a great present. We'll give you some gift ideas along the way, too. 

Start Thinking As Early As You Can

Your first mistake is  doing last-minute shopping. 

When you scramble for a gift on February 13th, you sell yourself short. Your odds of finding something truly meaningful are slim-to-none. That's when you end up with a box of chocolates, a Hallmark card, and a little stuffed animal from Walgreens.

*Don't get us wrong, there's nothing wrong with those gifts.

There's nothing wrong about showing up at someone's house with the picturesque trio of Valentine's day items described above. There are about ten million other options to explore, though. Plus, if you've followed that gifting pattern every year for the last ten years, odds are that the person you're with doesn't want another box of chocolates. 

They're thinking about Valentine's Day, too. Whether they know it or not, they're probably giving you some small clues as to what they want or need this year. That's why it's so good to start thinking early. Make notes of things related to wants or needs that your partner tells you about. They might comment on a billboard every time you drive by or make repeat comments about something they saw online that they think is neat. 

Repeat comments are always something to make a note of when it comes to gift-giving. 
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Take a Few Trips Around Town

We're not all great detectives when it comes to reading our partners'  wants or needs. Sometimes, you just have to fly by the seat of your pants and follow your gut with your gifts. The tricky thing is, we always do that last-minute and end up falling short of a great gift. 

So, if you're someone that needs to go out and shop in-store to find the right things, make sure you head out a couple of times. *Trove is a great place to make multiple trips because we restock every week!

(Sorry about the shameless plug)

Try some of the following things and see if they help with your gift selections:

• Spend one hour a day for three days shopping before you buy anything 
• Take a short drive to shops in neighboring downs
• Hit all of the local thrift stores 
• Browse online to get in-store ideas
• Bring one of your partner's friends along for inspiration and moral support

There are plenty of ways to free yourself up and explore all of your options before you make a purchase. You don't even have to spend that much money. What matters most is that you buy something that shows how much you love and understand the person you're with. 

If Your Out of Valentines Day Ideas, Plan an Activity

If buying little knick knacks and chocolates isn't your thing, there's always the option of planning an activity. We're chock-full of fun activities in Minnesota, even if  it does happen to be 40-below. 

1. Make a dinner reservation. Click this link to look at a few of the best date restaurants in Minnesota.
2. Go Ice Skating  
3. Turn Your Apartment/House into a five-star restaurant (instructions here)
4. Book an AirBnb somewhere nice. It's always exciting to go somewhere rural enough to be secluded yet close enough that you don't have to spend the whole day driving. Fisher Cat Creek in Osseo is a great option for couples who are looking to have a secluded, off-grid weekend away from civilization. You can find more information and make reservations here. 

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When You're in a Pinch, We Have You Covered!

Hard as we may try, there will always be a time that we run out of time and need to scramble for a gift. When that happens to you, and it will, try to avoid rushing to Walgreens or Walmart for something simple and mass-produced. 

Swing by trove.Marketplace and see if we can help you find something that your partner will really love. We've got everything under the sun for every type of person. So, no matter who your partner is or what they like, there will be something in our shop that they would find meaningful. Our staff is always eager to help true love flourish any way we can. 

Explore our site for more information on trove.Marketplace, who we are, and what we do.