Earlier this week I found myself on medical leave in the middle of a snow storm in the middle of a pandemic, and feeling a threefold-level of boredom.
To quell the ennui, I decided to share a few cool Valentine gift ideas local to where I live on my Insta-stories, and the result is a great mix of products at various price points:
They had me at blush cheese… but this shippable gift box also includes products from other local companies. I particularly love the names this company comes up with for their candles.Awesome hand-made soaps, lip balms, and bath products suggested by a follower. Vintage cuteness paired with the necessary caffeine at Dottie’s. Shirts, hoodies, masks and more from 413shirts.com!v1 vodka will also give you countless cocktail recipes for indoor-date-night One of many young new companies in the Berkshires putting out cool local art and commerce! Freebie bonus! Download these puntastic Valentines from Berkshire Museum for printing or digital sharing! I collected ’em all.
I look forward to compiling the Weird Valentines Day gift list each year — for the benefit of no one in particular.
It’s just fun for me to hunt for the strange and unusual and share it here, and there’s something to be said for consistency; this is year seven!
There’s no real theme to the weirdness this year; just some of the more interesting entrees into the Valentine Gift gamut. One might say the list has a pandemic-tinged flavor to it, featuring introspective literature, handmade crafts, nostalgia, and comfort food.
A Bound Collection of Pages
If you’ve ever muttered Cripes, you’re so damn literal to your loved one, look no further for an appropriate gift than Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet.This cartoon compilation depicts all sorts of conversations, but written in formal-speak: reflective of the weirdness of human behavior.
Made by ArchMiniatures, these mini-pears can be singles (You’re pearfection!) or doubles (We’re the perfect pear!). They’re, cute, irreverent, and (according to ArchMiniatures) suitable for some car dashboards, which is definitely a trend I want to see.
Heart-shaped steaks aren’t a new thing necessarily, but they seem to be experiencing a resurgence; perhaps because not many of us will be going out for a V-Day dinner, but still want to indulge. It’s potentially a great way to support local farms and butchers; also known as sweetheart steaks, they’re usually one cut of boneless strip or rib steak, expertly butterflied into a heart shape.
Lobel’s of New York offers the gold standard of cardiac cuts (sorry), but several grocery chains and mail-order services are also offering similar, more modestly priced versions.
Amazon boxes have nifty AR pumpkin activities on them this month, as part of their #morethanabox campaign.
This offered hours of fun for all ages, not to mention some levity that didn’t require a lot of movement for a mom in a cast. Check out some of our virtual tomfoolery below; ignore messy room in background. We did this instead of cleaning it.
Huzzah and Hello, weirdos! Today marks the fifth annual Weird Valentine Gift post here at WriterJax, and this year is a good one. It’s almost as though society in general has, somehow, become more accepting of the fringe.
I kid. Still, as we head toward VD 2020, I give you five contenders for holiday gift-giving. Go forth and browse to your heart’s content!
Don’t Torture Yourself, Gomez.
Send your favorite horror-file, or least-favorite-person in general, a bouquet of Dirty Rotten Flowers this year, like The Morticia arrangement below. Bonus: the testimonial page on this website is gold, Jerry. Gold.
A post shared by Roman Sacke (@roman_sacke_floral_design_) on
You Had Me at Au Gratin
For the pun-tacular person in your life who’s all ears, I give you the Potato Parcel. This item was actually featured on Shark Tank and has been sending spuds around the world ever since, including those adorned with photos of the recipient.