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SALT LAKE CITY — Even though your sweetheart means something special to you, planning ahead may not be your specialty.
If Valentine’s Day snuck up on you this year (it’s on Friday) or last-minute is your standard procedure, there is still time for thoughtful and personal gifts to make your valentine feel special.
The key to any meaningful gift is to put aside gift panic and take a beat to think about what truly makes your partner happy every day. It may take you down a road of grand gestures or a path of small delights.
Whether you’re giving to a him or a her, there’s something on this list will help you woo your Valentine, even if it is last-minute wooing.
For the foodie
Let’s be honest, you don’t really want to go out to eat on Valentine’s Day anyway. It’s crowded and restaurants often have limited menus to manage those crowds. (Not to mention last-minute reservations may be slim pickings.) Instead, make reservations at for a big night out on a later date and present the reservations in a card on Valentine’s Day.
If it would mean more to your Valentine to have that fancy meal cooked by your own hands, sign up for a cooking class and learn to make that meal together. There are several places that offer classes: Look up “Utah cooking classes” on the Internet to get an idea of what’s out there or try Tony Caputo’s, Sur la Table or Harmons Cooking School. Again, simply present the class schedule to your partner on Valentine’s Day.
For the traditionalist
Don’t discount the seemingly clichéd chocolates and flowers, rather take a twist on tradition.
Once you see the chocolate display at Tony Caputo’s (314 West 300 South, Salt Lake City), you’ll know what I mean. They carry mass amounts of high-end chocolates that are as delicious to the eye as they are to the mouth. It also carry bars from favorite local chocolatiers like Amano and Solstice.
But if high-end chocolate isn’t your Valentine’s thing, give a favorite dessert like a box of donuts from their favorite joint or a dozen of your darling’s favorite cookies, homemade or otherwise.
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As far as flowers go, why not get something that will last? Visit a local nursery for a flowering plant that your sweetheart can keep indoors until it can be planted it in the yard in spring. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
For the adventurer
Adventure is out there, but maybe not precisely on Valentine’s Day. Again, the idea is to purchase the adventure for a later date and print out the confirmed reservation as your Valentine’s gift.
If you’ve got Olympics on your mind, the Olympic Oval in Kearns has classes on curling and skating, and the Olympic Park in Park City offers bobsled and skeleton runs.
For other activities more suited to your sweetheart, search Amazon Local or KSL Deals for adventures from flight lessons to ski passes to paint-balling and more.
For the art lover
Utah is home to several universities with theater programs, local theaters, museums, arenas and other venues. There is a wide selection of shows and events to choose from that appeal to several tastes.
You may be surprised about what’s available like Timpanogos Orchestra’s “Star Wars and the Planets” or the Utah Modern Museum of Art’s off-beat exhibit of local filmmaker Trent Harris’ art.
For the Person Who Wants Nothing
Some valentines truly want nothing from their true love — well, at least nothing material. But not many people would turn their nose up at a personalized note or poem. Even if you have to borrow words from others, make sure that it speaks to your relationship somewhere on the scale of laughter to happy tears.
