Buying for Valentine's Day - it's a tricky one.
Some couples will happily spend a fortune lavishing gifts on one another, others will ignore it all together and refuse to be drawn into the commercialism of the day.
I think I'm somewhere in-between. A small gift and a home-cooked meal - maybe an episode of Black Mirror thrown in - that's probably my perfect Feb 14th.
If you're stuck for ideas I've put together a few suggestions for this Valentine's.
From £5 to £100+, there's ideas whatever your budget:
1. Sheepskin slippers by The Small Home - £38
You'll feel like you're stepping on clouds wearing these little beauties. They are handmade using techniques passed down through generations of a Polish Family. There are men's, women's and children's styles and sizes available. If you are a half size when it comes to shoes I would size down as they do give a little as you wear them (I am a 3.5 and the size 3 is a perfect fit for me).
2. Nuclear Launch Codes notebook - £5 - ZeebenDry on Etsy
Making notebooks that little bit more unique and interesting is the shop ZeebenDry on Etsy. I had a good laugh scrolling through the different titles on offer which include My List of Bodies Buried in the Woods, List of Purloined Super Powers, The Art of Cultivating a Beguiling Resting Bitch Face and Ex-Lovers In My Freezer. I bought the notebook (above) for my husband for Christmas - it now sits on his desk at work and has become a bit of a talking point!
3. Quarterly Indoor plant subscription £35 - Bloombox Club
I put my hands up; I'm a sucker for a subscription box. After visiting our nearest (very underwhelming) homeware and plant shop (a big store with lots of withering and dessicated plants), I decided to try Bloombox Club. I'd seen lots of lovely Instagram pictures of exotic looking greenery and was keen to give it a whirl. A £10 off Facebook code made it even more appealing. Within a week of placing my order a courier was delivering a large box with this beautiful Aechmea Tayoensis plant (which comes all the way from Ecuador) in a gorgeous, rustic pot.
4. Nokia Activity & Sleep Watch - £119.99 - John Lewis
This just looks like a regular watch when you first glance at it. But if you take a closer you'll notice the small circle is actually monitoring your steps and activity - 100% equals 10,000 steps. If you then head to the app on your phone, you can see more detailed data for your daily activity and sleep. You can even put your finger up against the camera and it measures your heart rate. All very clever.
5. Large Felt Letter Board - £50 by gingersnap *
Letter Boards are perfect for brightening up your home and adding your own special message or to-do list. These from gingersnap come in a range of colours - my favourite is this burnt orange colour (above), there's also mint green, midnight blue, sunshine yellow and hot pink. There's also a smaller size available for £30. www.getgingersnap.com
6. Photostrips - £12.99 for 10 - Inkifi
My new favourite photo printing company is Inkifi. Based in Manchester, the company produces these fun, retro Photostrips and plenty of other products from posters to photo books, square prints to calendars. I always think photo prints make the best gifts and these will not disappoint. If you're looking for photo frames, Oliver Bonas have a beautiful range right now.
7. Personalised Gift Wrap - £7.95 from Pretty Gifted *
Film quotes, song lyrics, pet names - this Cheshire based brand have got it covered with their personalised giftwrap. You get to choose from a range of colours, the foil, the font and even an icon. Delivery is within 3 working days and the giftwrap is fully recyclable which is great news (did you know that most types of wrapping paper cannot be recycled?). I've been lucky to try this great product and if you fancy giving it a whirl, I have an exclusive 10% off voucher code. Just use the code katie18val here when ordering (valid until midday on Friday 9th Feb).
Items marked with a * are gifted items or collaborations with brands. All views are my own.