Valentine’s Day is known as a time to show the people in your life just how much you love and care about them. Traditionally, this love is shown through extravagant and meaningful gifts. However, with all the pressure this holiday creates it’s not uncommon to have no idea what to get your significant other. But this is the time to get creative and unique.

First of all, there are the basics. Flowers and candy are always a good option for last minute gifts. A quick trip to the supermarket or drugstore and you can have a great gift. It may not be possible to get exactly what you want, but chances are you will be able to get a decent bouquet of flowers and a box of truffles.

Cards are also a good option. A homemade card may be the best way to go. It’ll give you the opportunity to specifically express how you feel about that special someone. Whether it’s bought or homemade a heartfelt, meaningful card will complement anything else you choose to include.

Another inexpensive gift idea is to make dinner. Between drinks, entrees, and desserts going out to dinner can be expensive. Going to the supermarket and buying ingredients to make dinner, is much more affordable. Not only is it a cheap idea, but it can also be extremely romantic. Also, depending on where you sit in a restaurant it’s possible to have very little privacy. Making a meal at home guarantees privacy and intimacy.

You also don’t have to make the meal gourmet and extravagant. Put an interesting twist on dinner by making sandwiches and salads and making it a picnic. If the weather is warm enough, go to a park but there is also nothing wrong with having a picnic in your common room.

The best gifts are always the ones that are personal and creative.

“Last year, my girlfriend made me a poster with pictures from each year we were together,” said Dan Pressl, a sophomore finance major. “It was cool because she had obviously put a lot of effort into it.”

In addition to a poster, a scrapbook or a shadow box can be equally as personal.

If you have been in your relationship for a while, then you probably have mementos from things you’ve done together. Maybe you have the ticket stub from your first date or a picture from a trip you’ve taken. These are great things to include and show how much your relationship means to you.

Another great thing you can do for your partner is to create a scavenger hunt. A good way to start is to figure out what you want the scavenger hunt to lead to. It could be a special gift, a dinner, or simply you?

Then decide how broad you want the hunt to be. Do you want it to just be in your significant other’s dorm room or through out the whole campus? Once you’ve decided where you want your hunt to take place you can get started on the clues.

If you’re really running out of time or simply can’t come up with anything, Chartwells has a great service you can take advantage of. Through the Chartwells Web site you can order Valentine’s Day themed cookie or brownie baskets to be sent to your boyfriend or girlfriend. For about $20 you can send a little something to show them that you’re thinking of them.

Regardless of the gift you decide on, it’s important to remember that this holiday is all about showing those you love how much they mean to you. It’s also important to remember not to simply wait until Valentine’s Day to show people that you care about them.

“I’m not really a big Valentine’s Day kind of guy,” said Jamie Palatini, a sophomore broadcast journalism major. “I think that you should make a girl feel special everyday and not just on Valentine’s Day. It kind of loses its meaning if you just do something nice that one day.”