Valentine’s Day is here! Do you already have a Valentine’s Day gift or gifts planned? To avoid bad gifts, I have compiled a small list of the worst and have some ideas for on the best Valentine’s Day gifts. You still have time to change it...

“You shouldn’t have. You REALLY shouldn’t have.”Not exactly what you want to hear when he opens your Valentine’s Day gift. And yes, it is possible to give such a bad gift that giving nothing would be an improvement. For my research into this delicate subject, I consulted…what else? The internet!What I found both surprised and disturbed me. Read on!

Worst Valentine’s Day gifts

And the nominees are…

• A half-eaten bag of red and pink M&Ms (He got hungry on the way home.)

• A toaster. (The good news: the boyfriend is gone, but the toaster still works fine.)

• A used hat. (Three days later the entire family had head lice.)

• A talking picture of him, so she could listen to his voice whenever she missed him.

• A pair of his underwear…Yep, to remember him by when she missed him.

• A razor that pulls hair out by the roots.

• A book called “Love Isn’t Easy.”

• An elliptical machine.

• A vacuum cleaner.

• Jumper cables.

• A nightshirt that said, “I only sleep with the best.”

• Some Kraft cheese.

• Money.

• “I love you from top to bottom” toilet paper.

• A cactus.

• A water filter.

AND... I saved the best for last: A “rose loan.” Her boyfriend gave her roses but then took them back because he was going to his Mom’s and needed to give them to her.THUD! (I didn’t make any of these up, by the way.)I suspect (and hope) that horrendous gifts are the exceptions. What I think most of us are guilty of is the predictable gift. Red roses and baby’s breath or a tie are okay... but they’re a bit perfunctory. They seem to say, “There, I’ve done my Valentine's duty for the year.” And If you just grab something from the center aisle at Walmart, your partner will know just how much thought you put into the gift.

Best Valentine’s Day Gifts

The best gifts are tailored to the person you are giving them to. Make it obvious that you thought about that person when shopping. Does she have a favorite flower or a favorite color? Has he mentioned wanting a special dinner? What color are her eyes? What music does he like? It doesn’t need to take a lot of extra time or even a lot of money.  Just some real thought! Have fun with it. Romance is anything but boring. It’s exciting, fun, playful, and sexy. Your gift should be, too! Feel free to comment and share.