By Brad Ziegler
Whether you are celebrating your first Valentine’s Day with someone special or are enjoying a much longer relationship with your significant other, selecting the right gift or way to celebrate can be daunting. Perhaps the most stressful decision is how to celebrate the holiday when you don’t currently have someone to celebrate with!
The good news is that there are lots of traditional and non-traditional gifts and experiences to choose from.
Traditional gifts of chocolate and flowers are still in vogue, with plenty of ways to personalize your gift. Sweets from The Sweet Granada at Red Bridge Shopping Center include truffles, fudge, gelato, macarons and nut clusters. Their chocolate case features more than 200 assorted desserts including their best-seller, Pop-Choc, a delicious combination of Kansas City-based Velvet Creme popcorn and Sweet Granada’s specialty chocolate.
Owner Kim Redeker says that “Truffles are popular year-round, but especially on Valentine’s Day. They are decadent and really send the message that ‘you’re special.’ And our gourmet chocolate-dipped strawberries have been a bestseller for twenty years.”
If your chocolate lover also fancies coffee, check out Encore Coffee and Chocolate in Grandview, boasting roast-to-order coffee beans and bean-to-bar chocolate in rich, distinctive flavors. Weekly, bi-weekly and monthly subscription plans can be arranged.
Chocolate and wine lovers might prefer a red wine chocolate from Cocoavino that can be heated and poured over fruit or ice cream, used as a dip for marshmallows or spread onto pastries and baked goods. Find this locally made product at Made in KC stores or online.
Gifts, plants and floral arrangements from Sidelines Custom Floral in Martin City have been Valentine’s Day favorites for more than 40 years. Owner Karyn Brooke says that “Our biggest seller will always be our Quick Pick Me Ups and our custom cash and carry bouquets, but our Old Fashioned Gift Box is our way of acknowledging not only the men in our lives, but everyone who loves a good old-fashioned and needs all the fixings (except the whiskey)! It has a choice of bitters, Woodford reserve cherries, Woodford reserve old fashioned syrup and delish artisan bourbon balls.”
She also recommends their Love Bomb Box, their XOXO Candle, and their Love Letter chocolate box, which is designed like a letter with six pieces of chocolate inside.
Fiddly Fig also has a wide variety of plant, floral and gift options for pickup or delivery at their location at 9716 Holmes Road, including holiday themed candles, chocolates, stuffed gifts, and floral arrangements in a wide range of prices.
Get hands on and learn to make a floral arrangement for yourself at an upcoming floral arranging workshop at Bramble and Stem at 410 E Gregory.
Jewelry is often a popular Valentine’s gift, and Stacey Stauch, the owner at Crews Jewelry in Grandview, suggests lab grown diamonds: “You get a nice big look for the money! The lab grown diamonds have grown in popularity especially in engagement rings and stud earrings.”
If you are looking for an apparel gift but are concerned about choosing the wrong size, consider locally themed hats, gloves or socks from local favorites KC Sock Co or Charlie Hustle, available online and at area Made in KC stores. Kansas City Current, Chiefs, Royals or Sporting KC scarves could also be a hit. Find a large selection of each at any of the sixteen area locations of Rally House.
Valentine Experiences
Gifts of experiences continue to be growing in popularity, whether they be individual to be enjoyed by the recipient, or couples experiences designed to be shared.
Active couples might enjoy events such as the Sweetheart Run 5K/10K, on February 15 in Overland Park, where couples can compete individually or as a male, female or coed two person team, or the Cupid Shuffle Pickleball Tournament on February 15 at the SW19 indoor pickleball facility at 2008 West 103rd Terrace.
Couples can take a fitness class together at City Gym, 7416 Wornall Road in Waldo (single and seven day passes are available online and single day passes also available through Class Pass) or test their rock climbing skills at Rendezvous Climbing Gym at 13124 State Line Road (single day passes are available online).
Many couples, whether they are active or not, would enjoy a couples massage from Massage Heights, which has several locations in the Kansas City area, including the Ward Parkway Shopping Center and in Leawood
With Valentine’s Day being on a Friday this year, it may already be tough to get a dinner reservation at that special place that you have been wanting to try. Consider making reservations for Saturday instead or celebrating at home with a heart-shaped pizza from Minsky’s and a bottle of wine from Rosehill Winery in Martin City or Marco Polo Selections in Waldo.
Ideas for Singles
If you are not part of a couple this year, there are plenty of Galentine’s or Malentine’s activities for groups of women or men to enjoy! Compassion Fix Coaching and Counseling is offering a Valentine’s Cookie Class on February 11 and a Kind Hearts and Kitchen Creations class on February 17 at their location at 12122 State Line Road. Broken Hatchet Brewing in Belton is hosting a “Paint Your Pal” studio on February 13, inspired by the viral social media challenge.
The Comedy Club of Kansas City is featuring World Series of Comedy Champion Ryan Goodcase, who is performing two shows on February 14 and 15. There will also be plenty of laughs at the new Fowling Warehouse as you try to master this new sport that combines bowling and football!
With so many options, it may be tough to decide the best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but don’t let indecision keep you from picking one or more options to make it memorable!