Find the Perfect Gift for Your Valentine

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. If you still haven’t found the perfect gift—well—you’re not alone.

The good news is it’s not too late. Patch talked with Hillary Feder, owner and president of , about how to choose a meaningful gift for someone you love. Gift giving doesn’t have to be an expensive or anguish-filled process. It just requires a little bit of knowledge about the recipient in order to get beyond the traditional candy, flowers and jewelry.

“There’s a heightened pressure to do something, but your something doesn’t necessarily have to be the traditional something,” Feder said. “If you’re going to make the investment, make it meaningful.”

Here are Feder’s tips to zero in on the perfect gift.

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Don’t jump straight to the obvious

What if your wife is not a girly-girl? What if your man is on a diet? Jewelry and candy might not be the best gifts for them, then. The same message holds true for whatever “unique” gift is supposed to be big this season. Finding a meaningful gift means thinking specifically about the recipient, Feder said.

“It’s not necessarily what’s out there in the marketplace that everyone says is meaningful,” she said.

Ask the right questions

Now that you’re no longer attached to the typical Valentine’s Day gifts, it’s time to start thinking about what makes the recipient unique. Feder recommends asking these four questions:

• How do I know this person?
• What does he or she like to do?
• What do you like to do together?
• What makes him or her feel special?

“Unless you can answer those questions, you’re going to end up with candy or flowers or jewelry,” Feder said.

The answers can lead to very different gifts. For one person, a quiet evening at home may be the perfect way to say, “I love you.” For another, a night on the town may be the way to go.

Listen for the response

As the owner of a gift store, Feder loves hearing how recipients react to the gifts chosen in her establishment. She knows the gift giver made the right choice when she hears phrases such as, “It took my breath away,” “It gave me goosebumps,” or “It made my heart stop.”