It’s Valentine’s Day, and you need to purchase a gift that doesn’t say, "I forgot to get you a gift so I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and bought whatever hadn’t already been picked through!" This year, put some thought into Valentine’s Day with these original gift ideas.

Experience the holiday.

The whole point of Valentine’s Day is to strengthen one’s ties with one’s sweetheart. The best way to strengthen relationships is to spend quality time together. Try an experiential gift--a hot air balloon ride, a limo ride, bungee jumping, pretty much anything that’s a little crazy, different, fun, or new.

Personalize the gift.

Any man or woman can walk into a retail outlet on Valentine’s Day and purchase gifts for several individuals at the same time without putting much thought into any of them. But when you buy something that’s personalized to the one you love, it shows that you’ve thought about them and their likes and dislikes. Ideas include a photo cube with pictures already included (of you and your special someone) or a photo album with pictures of your wedding or other special occasion. If you don’t mind cheesy--it’s Valentine’s Day, after all--put a picture of you and your Valentine on a shirt, coffee mug, or a pillow case.

Make something.

When you make something, it says "I care enough about you to take time out of my busy schedule to think about you for a prolonged period of time. Let’s kiss!" It doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be a traditional Valentine’s Day gift such as a card or some cookies or a heart shaped pizza. It could be something normally not associated with the holiday, just something you’re good at, like stone-cutting or furniture making, or those pieces of rice with someone’s name engraved on it.

Join a club.

If you’re looking for a better gift than a glass of wine at the overpriced restaurant uptown, you should seek out a gift that allows you to spend quality time with your Valentine once the holiday has passed. A membership to a club does just that. Although the membership should be geared toward your lover, it should hold your interest as well. Ideas include book clubs, fitness clubs, or country clubs.

So as your neighbors stuff themselves with chocolate and other candies manufactured especially for Valentine’s Day, you and your special someone can share a special day together this Valentine’s Day with these original gift ideas.