Romantic Gifts

Not the romantic type? All that mushy stuff just not your style? Relax. Woo your sweetheart with your own inimitable style—the style that bedazzled him or her in the first place.

Research shows that both men and women think that time spent together is the most romantic gift they can give.

Escape to a bed-and-breakfast or quaint country inn.
Arrange with friends for use of their mountain cabin, lakeside condo, or beachfront bungalow. Or exchange residences for the weekend—your city townhouse for their country farmhouse.
Go to dinner and the theater out of town. Some airlines offer "fun fare" packages with discounts on hotel accommodations, theater tickets, or other entertainment. Check with your travel agent.
For a quick getaway close to home, check into a nearby hotel or resort. Many offer romantic weekend packages—some include breakfast in bed or dinner for two.
Surprise him with a return trip to the place where you met, or fell in love, or honeymooned.
Spend the night or weekend at home—just the two of you. Arrange for the children to be cared for by friends or relatives and take the phone off the hook. Enjoy a quiet dinner, share a warm bath, give each other a massage, and relax in front of a cozy fire.
Stay in the guest room. Make the bed with your company-best linens and blankets and put out your most luxurious bath towels and accessories. Fill the room with flowers and candlelight. (See 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and From You Flowers!)

Be yourself. Be creative. Be irresistible. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Be attentive: Give her something you know she wants, but might never buy for herself—something she considers too extravagant, expensive, or excessive.
Be mysterious: Use a series of clues to lead him to a private rendezvous.
Be witty: Send him a bottle of steak sauce with a note that says, "Let's sizzle." Plan a scintillating steak dinner for two.
Be sincere: Simply tell her how much you love her. It's a gift she'll never get tired of receiving.
Be unabashed: Scrawl a glaring declaration of your love across a billboard she passes regularly.
Be spontaneous: Whisk him away to a private romantic retreat.
Be nostalgic: Give her a tape recording of the songs you fell in love to. Dance the night away.
Be clever: Insert your own impassioned predictions and affirmations in fortune cookies.
Be gentle: Tuck a tender note in a drawer, briefcase, or pocket.
Be outrageous: Give skydiving lessons for two with a note inviting him to fall in love again.

Want to spend more time with your sweetheart? Give a gift you'll enjoy together:

A tandem bicycle
Two place settings of china, crystal, and silver to be reserved for use on special occasions
Enrollment in a dance class
A picnic basket equipped for two—include a book of romantic poetry, a pair of candle holders for picnics under the stars, or rowboat rental certificates
Registration for two in a class relating to the recipient's interest

If it's true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, a romantic repast might be just the perfect present. Setting the proper mood and keeping the menu simple are keys to seductive dining.

Create an exquisite setting. Whether you prefer chic or whimsical, elegant or understated, carry it out with style. Fresh flowers, crisp linen napkins, sparkling crystal, and silver add a special touch to an intimate breakfast in bed or candlelight dinner.
Keep the food simple to enable both of you to enjoy the occasion. Consider catered and carryout options as well as foods that can be prepared in advance. Or make the preparation part of the romance.

Fill an iron-handled copper pot with hand-split cedar and a box of long matches with which to build a romantic fire.

Give a personalized romance novel. Each page of the adventure romance you select features specific information about the couple: names, hometowns, favorite colognes, hair and eye color, best friends' names, pet names for each other, and more. Personalized romance novels are available in "wild" or "mild" versions at www.yournovel.com.

Give a framed dinner menu, theater stagebill, movie poster, admission ticket stub, or another memento from your first date.

An original poem makes a wonderfully romantic present. But if writing poetry is not your forté, take some cues from the masters. Delve into Tennyson, Browning, or Shakespeare and you too could soon be thinking in rhyming couplets. With heart in hand, composing an original verse might be as simple as writing new words to fit the meter and rhyme scheme of a poem you like. You might be no match for Tennyson, but a little awkwardness might add warmth and charm to your prose.

Emulating the poetic style of another can be an easy way to spark your own creativity. But if you just can't get your rhyme in time, the following thought might be helpful. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "Next to being a great poet, is the power of understanding one." Find a poet whose style and words best express what's in your heart and share that poet's poetry with your sweetheart. Thousands of love poems have been written, and one that strikes your lyrical fancy is likely among them.

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