12 local gifts your Valentine will be head over heels for

In normal times it can be hard to know what to get your special someone on Valentine’s Day, so we understand how you might be feeling this year with fewer options for a special celebration. But we’re here to offer some advice to help make your Feb. 14 date night fun and thoughtful. This list might look a little different than our lists from 2018 and 2019, but there’s still plenty of cute local gifts and experiences to consider for your sweetie.

For the fun lovers:
Love is in the air, and now — no matter how far you might be from your loved ones this year — you can spread the love (in a safe way, of course). Sugar Snap is selling a Valentine’s Day Activity Box complete with a DIY banner kit, Krispies chocolate dip kit, a snake bite snap bracelet, a ring pop, a DIY frame kit, a tic-tac-toe game and a hand sanitizer packet. The box can be shipped anywhere in the country or picked up in Madison at Marla Bergh’s photography studio on East Washington Avenue. Valentine’s Day Activity Box, $32, sugarsnapmail.com. 

For the couple that loves to cook:
Spend Valentine’s Day with a group of family or friends while still enjoying some one-on-one time with your sweetheart by setting up a private virtual cooking class hosted by DelecTable. Go step-by-step to create a three-course dinner with a virtual party of six, 12 or 25-plus people. The experience includes a kit of specially prepared ingredients and presentations to walk you through preparation and wine pairings. DelecTable virtual private events, prices start at $50/person, delectablemadison.com/virtual-private-events/

For the foodies:
Say “I love you” with a jelly and jam box from Chef K. Clark’s Pickles & Preserves. The Sweethearts Box has a few classic favorites with a small twist and includes strawberry lavender jelly, blueberry balsamic jam and wild berry jelly. The Beer Lovers Box has American pale ale beer jelly, bourbon barrel ale beer jelly and a coffee stout beer jelly. Orders can be placed for pickup or delivery from Christine’s Kitchens. Valentine’s Day Boxes, varying prices, christines-kitchens.com/product/chef-k-clark-pickles-and-preserves

For the staycationers:
At the Edgewater, you can celebrate Valentine’s Day any day of the month. Book a relaxing weekend for two any time in February and enjoy a room, a bottle of bubbly and chocolates, or make the weekend even more special and ask about adding a dinner or spa day to the overnight package. Reservations can be made online or by calling Edgewater at 608-535-8200. Romance and Relaxation package, varying prices, theedgewater.com/packages/romance-relaxation

For the flower lovers:
Once you’ve got the chocolates, you might want to seal the deal with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Blooms by Brandi has tons of flowers for you to choose from — including some special Valentine’s Day combinations for your sweetheart. For a classic gift, the “Perfect Twelve” assortment consists of 12 roses arranged in a glass vase, while the “Bowl of Beauty” arrangement is a little more colorful and includes roses, daisies and carnations. Blooms by Brandi, varying prices, bloomsbybrandi.com

Photo courtesy of Blooms by Brandi

Half-dozen roses

For the chocoholics:
Sea salt caramel and dark chocolate are two great ways to show your affection if you ask us. (And you’ll probably be offered some of the sweets to share, just saying.) Try the “Everything Sweet Pack” Madison Chocolate Co. and savor the berry bark, a 16-piece mixed truffle and caramels heart box and raspberry sours. For a more classic Valentine’s Day gesture, the $38 velvet heart box comes chock-full of mixed truffles and caramels enough to get any chocolate lover’s mouth watering. Madison Chocolate Co. chocolates, varying prices, madisonchocolatecompany.com/

For the wine lovers:
Table Wine is a good spot to stop ahead of Valentine’s Day for a bottle of table wine to go with dinner or a dessert wine afterward. Try a pinot noir, merlot or cabernet ranging from $15 to $20 a bottle. Wrap it up in cute red paper, slap a heart on the packaging, bring it to dinner for your special someone and you’ve got a Valentine’s gift that will make the meal even more memorable. Table Wine wines, varying prices, my-site-107792-108427.square.site 

For the music lovers:
Before large music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music were available, some couples would give each other mixed tapes to show their loved one just how they felt. Get a little nostalgic this year by gifting a cassette from the Madison-based TapeStore on Etsy. Whether you and your other half enjoy rocking out to AC/DC or relaxing to Bob Marley, this $6 to $10 gift is a thoughtful (and budget-friendly) option. TapeStore mixed tapes, varying prices, etsy.com/shop/TapeStore

For the custom-loving cuties:
OK, we couldn’t help it — we had to put this one on the list even though your order might not arrive by Feb. 14. But we came across a Madison-based Etsy seller, EnvisionPositive, that customizes a wooden “cassette tape” that works kind of like a captcha code — point your phone camera at the cassette (which can include a personalized message and comes in three colors) and the Spotify app will launch a playlist created by you. How adorable is that? The Etsy seller says delivery isn’t guaranteed for Valentine’s Day, so you’ll have to be OK with a late gift exchange. (We think it’s totally worth the wait.) Spotify cassette tape, etsy.com/listing/

For the crafty couple:
Get crafty this Valentine’s Day with the Monroe Street Arts Center’s Valentine’s Art Box complete with three projects that are versatile enough for date night or family night at home. Have fun making mixed media geometric hearts or painting matte-board frames or print cards and envelopes. The kit can be ordered online through the Monroe Street Arts Center and picked up anytime after Feb. 1 from 1 to 6 p.m. Valentine’s Day Art Box, $20, monroestreetarts.org/artkits 

Photo courtesy of the Monroe Street Art Center

Art box

For the jewelry lovers:
Show your love with a little something she can keep and wear for a long time. Earrings from Little Luxuries come in all sorts of shapes, but if you’re hoping for something that will remind her of Valentine’s Day, go for the 24k gold plated brass XO studs or Sterling Silver heart studs. Pair one of these adorable earring sets with a Three Wishes necklace, which has three rings of silver, gold and rose gold. Little Luxuries Jewelry, varying prices, littleluxuriesmadison.com. 

For the fitness junkies:
If you and your special someone enjoy going for a run together or hitting the gym on date night, we’d bet you might be in the mood for a little Valentine’s Day competition. Register for the 12 Roses of Valentine’s Run Challenge online, pick a location for your race, strap on your race bibs and get going. All finishers get 12 rose pins for each mile, a finishing medal and a T-shirt. Registration for the race is priced between $50-70 and can be done online through Eventbrite. 12 Roses of Valentine’s Run Challenge, varying prices, eventbrite.com/e/2021-cupids-12-roses-of-valentines-day-run

Still can’t find that perfect display of affection? Check out a full listing of every small business in the area on the Main Street Wisconsin database to spark some ideas.