Its almost Valentines Day and you have no idea how to show your love for your special girl. Dont worry: here are several ideas you can use now, and be a hero.

1. Roses! I know what you are thinking: boring, thoughtless, not good enough, etc. Well, here is a way to make giving roses very special: buy her a dozen roses and place a pearl inside each rose bud. As the rose buds open, the pearls will be revealed as an extra surprise. Once she finds all your pearls, take them to the jewelry store and have them strung into a necklace - something your true love will be able to hold onto once the roses are gone.

2. Say "I love you" for 12 entire months with a coupon book filled with favors that she can redeem throughout the year. Choose a different favor for each month of the year that she can redeem on any day of the month. Here are some suggestions: a foot massage, a back rub, cleaning up after dinner, a night out alone, etc.

3. Hershey's Kisses automatically say, "I Love You. Try a new twist to this traditional gift by carefully unwrapping each kiss, taking out the paper tag, and replacing the tag with your own handmade messages that start off by saying, "I love you because". Think of as many different reasons as you can come up with. Then carefully wrap the kisses back in foil with their new tags clearly displayed through the top of each kiss.

4. A romantic night at home - Purchase the dozen roses you are accustomed to buying as Valentine's Day Gifts, but do not give them to her on the stems. Instead, create a romantic atmosphere by running her a hot bubble bath complete with candlelight, soft love songs, and fragrant bath oil. While she is enjoying her relaxing bath, gently pull the rose petals off of the stems and sprinkle them from the bathroom door to the bedroom, creating a path for her to follow. Sprinkle several petals on the bed and one long stem rose on her pillow. Enhance the magical night by purchasing some exotic massage oil and treating her to a massage she will never forget!

5. If funds are sparse, instead of a traditional expensive dinner in a restaurant, take her somewhere she will never suspect. Pack a picnic basket filled with her favorite treats, a bottle of wine, and candles. Take along a couple of blankets, a battery-operated CD player, and several romantic CDs. Drive to the park or somewhere with a secluded atmosphere and treat her to a picnic for two. Before the night is over, surprise her with a small token of your love - something you have made for her on your own (a special Valentines Day card, a bookmark, a coupon book, etc).

Now pick an idea and run with it! Have a fabulous Valentines Day!

Adriana Copaceanu

Originally from Romania, I now live in Virginia with my husband Florin, who is a successful real estate agent, and my 2 children Val and Ana. Back home, in Romania, I was a pharmacy technician, but here in the States I worked as a Quality Assurance Manage, and later on as the General Manager of a small company in San Jose.

After about 10 years, I realized I was giving my work more time/energy than I was giving my children, so I decided to stay home with them. The problem was I couldn?t just sit home and wait for them to come home from school. So, I started my quest for a business I could operate from home, while being a good mom to my kids, and eventually decided to design gift baskets.

And, in the process of growing my gift basket business, I learned a lot about the web: how to search for things, how to design a website, how to optimize it for the search engines, and more.

I love to read and learn, and share waht I know with others like you.