The 14th February is nearly upon us, the most romantic day of the year or a marketing strategy to double the price of roses, increase the cost of dining out and another reason to buy a card? We can only imagine that there are a number of men out there scratching their heads and frantically planning an over the top way to impress a loved one.

Here at Out The Office it has been a big talking point of what to do, what to get and how much to spend. With it being on a Saturday it makes it a little easier but may mean spoiling them all day. If you still haven’t got those lovely gifts yet don’t worry there is still time and just remember that the best presents are sweet, simple and come from the heart where you really do show your true feelings for the one you love.

Some may say Valentines Day is packed with pressure, it can bring out the best and worst in your relationship. So pay attention to what your partner likes, don’t go for any cliché tat and don’t get the worst gift they have ever seen as that could definitely ruin your relationship. So in the office we have gone through some ideas of what we think are good, bad and what we have received in the past, which was supposed to impress us.
Below is a list of what we think you shouldn’t get those special loved ones;

• Love Tokens – I am still shocked anybody gives these out but they are still out there – lets hope these are only used as a joke
• Recycled Card – A girl in our office once got a card with another girls name crossed out and hers written underneath – romantic
• Tandem Glove/ Joint Onesie – If you have seen these then you know they are ridiculous, they may bring you closer but very impractical.
• Name Tattoo – Putting somebody’s name on your body is a big call, there has to be a lot of trust there to get this done.
• Fake Flowers/ Petrol Station Flowers – There is nothing worse or more of a waste of money than wilting flowers or even fake flowers, opt for
something that will make them smile (yes we do know it’s the thought that counts… It’s not all about overpriced roses you know!)
• Sugar free sweets or chocolates – Most have a sweet tooth but when it’s the sugar free option it’s an insult – nothing says “I’d love you more if you weighed less” like an artificially sweetened treat.
• Gym Membership – If you got this as a present most people would appreciate it but then again is there a hidden message, does he/she think I’m lazy?
• Joke Book – Receiving this can be an insult if you think you are funny already – time for new gags?
• The boot – You may not be happy in your relationship but giving someone the boot on Valentines is not the one and there should be deadline for before and after.
• Finally getting a loved one nothing on Valentines is not going to go down well at all so be prepared and get something meaningful. Gifts don’t have to be pricey or even cost anything at all.

All we suggest is something simple and sweet, cook a meal or take your loved one out and you can’t beat a lovely bunch of flowers (fresh).

Hope some of this may help and all we want is to see those smiles back on people’s faces because they have been spoiled by a love one.