Valentine’s day is slowly drawing near, a time where we tell the people we love just how much they mean to us (As if, somehow, you’re not supposed to do that all year round). Every couple wants the special day to be perfect; chocolates and a fancy meal are usually a safe bet. But why not mix things up a little bit this year. Here are a few of my picks that are sure to make your valentine’s day something to be remembered:
Gifts: Subscription Boxes
When it comes to a cute valentine’s day gift, subscription boxes really are the gift that keeps giving (If you get what I’m saying 🙂 ). As such I’ve done some trawling through the internet and found some really interesting subscription boxes that’ll deliver something special to your door every month.
http://vinylmeplease.com/ – For the retro lover in your life, Vinyl Me Please is one of the most interesting subscription boxes I’ve come across. Each month they personally pick out and send you a limited edition record – which is pretty awesome! Normally I’m quite picky with my music and wouldn’t really trust someone who I didn’t know picking music for me. However, if you look at the vinyl’s that have previously been on offer it’s safe to say the people have great taste. You can either sign up for a regular delivery or arrange a gift subscription which enables the person to have a few random Vinyls, as well as select a Vinyl from their pretty expansive collection. If you love music, then you should totally look into this!
https://www.trytheworld.com/ – This subscription box is a real must have for foodies of all shapes and sizes and offers you and your loved one a chance to explore the various foods and cultures from around the world. Every 2 months they send you a box containing various ingredients and goodies from a particular country for you to try in the comfort of your own home. This is great, as they are often foods that very rare or obscure and quite hard to find on their own. It also comes with a fun little booklet telling you more about each country and the culture, with facts, information about popular songs and films to check out.
https://thecravory.com/ – For the people who have more of a sweet tooth, The Cravory is well worth looking into. Every month, depending on which subscription you pick, they send you a variety of delicious cookies to your door for you and your partner to chow down on. These would be absolutely perfect for when you both just want to chill together and can’t be bothered to cook anything. They’ve got a really cool selection of flavours so I’m sure there’s something for everyone.
One of the staples of valentine’s day is the inevitable romantic movie night. So I figured I’d throw in a few more unconventional suggestions that should (hopefully) be a nice change to your standard Rom Com with the huge celebrity cast for you lot to watch.
Her
Simply summing up what makes Spike Jones’ “Her” so utterly incredible is rather difficult, it has great cinematography, the script is genius, and the performances are fantastic. But, that isn’t why I love it, it just makes me feel so emotionally attached. Joaquin Phoenix plays a shy, reserved man who falls in love with his Siri-like operating system (played by Scarlet Johansson) and through their love begins to come out his shell. Now, a man falling in love with his phone may sound a bit weird, however it really works! Their relationship just seems so genuine and authentic as if we are watching a long distance relationship from one perspective.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Not only is this film probably in my top 15 favourite films ever made, it’s also a perfect date night film if you and your significant other are slightly nerdy or pop-culture obsessed. Based on the awesome books by Brian O’Malley, Michael Cera (who’s just so loveable) plays Scott Pilgrim a bassist in a band who falls in love with a girl called Ramona flowers. However, all is not as it seems and Scott has to fight his way through Ramona’s “7 evil exes” in order to win her affection. Packed full of hilarious gags and obscure references; if you haven’t seen this film yet you totally should!
Juno
Juno is one of those incredibly rare feel good films that never gets old and pretty much invented the Indie-comedy genre. Ellen Page plays Juno, a smart and sarcastic teenager, who all of a sudden finds herself pregnant. Following the reveal, she faces a lot of trials and tribulations as she decides whether to put the baby up for adoption, or look after it with the father (Michael Cera – who just seems to have a knack at these types of comedies). The film is absolutely heart-warming, witty and just generally hilarious.
The Lobster
The Lobster was one of my favourite Indie films of last year and is absolutely perfect for the kind of person who’s a bit cynical of the whole dating thing. This is the first English Language film by Yorgos Lanthimos and is a wonderfully unique dark comedy. In a strange alternate future, Colin Farrell plays a man who has recently become single and is forced to go to a hotel where if you don’t fall in love in 45 days you get turned into an animal and released into the wilderness. This film offers an incredibly unusual take on the dating world and is probably the strangest film on the list but is well worth a watch if you’re into artier comedies or independent films.
So, there we have it! Those are my tips for switching up your valentine’s day. I’ve also attached a playlist full of interesting songs exploring the theme of love in some way or another (I hope you enjoy them!!). Thank you so much for reading, whatever you do this weekend I hope you have an absolutely incredible time. If you have anything you want me to look at or post about in the future let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do!
Much Love xx
Sam 🙂
Freckhled 