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Great Valentine's Day Gifts That Don't Cost The Earth

girl reading valentines day cardValentine's day is here and you've barely recovered from the expense of Christmas. Don't worry we've got some great ideas for gifts for your loved one that won't break the bank.

Give your partner a foot massage.
You will need are two or three big towels and some form of lubricant. Rich cream works better for a foot's tough calluses and hardened skin than hand lotion or oil, but any will work. You may wish to use one scented with eucalyptus or mint (marvellous for refreshing tired, stale feet) or tea tree oil, which is a natural disinfectant. You can make your own by mixing a couple drops of essential oil into an unscented cream.

You can find lotions, creams or oils designed for massage at a health food store or massage supply house. If hand lotion or baby oil is what you have on hand, feel free to use it, but remember that it will need to be applied more often than the products designed especially for massage.

Make Them A Love Album
One of the best ways to show you care at a minimal cost is to build a love album. This can be as simple as a photo album or it can be something you pour hours of cutting and pasting scraps into from your times with your partner. You can use ticket stubs from events you've gone to together, a matchbook from your favourite restaurant, that picture the waiter took of the both of you smiling on your last holiday.

Don't forget to add captions to describe what the things are and their significance. There's no end to the amount of things you can add and one things for sure it'll be a great keepsake that you'll both enjoy looking back on in the years to come.

Plant A Tree
Yes you can plant a tree in a forest somewhere you'll probably never visit but why not plant a tree in your own back garden. It doesn't have to be huge but imagine the joy it will give you watching it grow just like your relationship. Don't worry if you don't have a garden there are many plants and small trees that can live indoors and they don't have to be huge. Bonsai trees can be grown from seeds that cost only a few pounds.

Arrange A Picnic
February isn't the warmest month of the year but a picnic in the park can still be romantic. If there are no nice parks near you then look for a nice beauty spot that your partner will appreciate. Spend some time putting together what you would like to include, a nice cloth to lay the food out on, pretty napkins and wine glasses which will make even fruit juice look that little bit special. Pack up some of their favourite foods, a nice soup can be kept warm in a flask. Cold chicken and a pasta salad make great picnic foods. Take a nice bottle of wine or some chilled juice and dessert. The great thing about February is that you won't have to worry about bees and wasps.

Make A Donation In Their Name
Make a small donation in your partner's name. There are many donations that can be made at very low costs, and the person will like the idea that you thought of them as someone who would prefer to do something good for other people rather than getting something for his or herself. Even if the person would prefer a more material kind of gift, they will never admit it.
Intermix Award Winner Ledama Olekina is still looking for donations for his Maasai School in Kenya. Donations can be sent to Maasai Education Discovery-Kenya P.O. Box 788 Narok, Kenya. Click here to visit the website:

Cook Their Favourite Meal
Even if it's fish and chips cook them exactly what they like to eat. If it happens to be their mother's chicken soup then improvise and get their mother to help you. They will feel honoured that you have gone to so much trouble on their behalf and their mother will feel proud that you value her way of doing things. If you absolutely can't cook then why not arrange for someone else to cook the meal but make sure you do your part by preparing the table, adding candles and of course the charming conversation. Make sure the conversation is about them and not what a hard day you've had putting the meal together.

Clean Their Car
A car is one of those treasured possessions that just like your partner could do with a little bit of tlc every now and then and if its your partners car what better way to show them how much you value them than by cleaning something they value.

Using warm soapy water start by washing the roof first and include the windows, front and rear glass, then do the boot and sides, working from top to bottom.

Next you should do the interior glass, restore the lustre of the dash with a reputable cleaner and use a lint free cloth to clean the instrument panel (but don't use any chemicals). Vents and other tight areas can be cleaned with a brush or swab to remove caked on dust or stubborn stains. Remove stains and marks from plastic panels using a mild detergent. Well-used ashtrays should be soaked in a soapy solution for a short time to remove that tarry build-up.

Lastly, you need to give that carpet a good going over. Whatever you do don't throw anything away. Put anything you think is rubbish in a bag and your partner can go through it later just in case you throw out their lucky crisp wrapper or the ring pull from their first can of beer.

Finally
If you want to give them a bumper valentine's day, why not give them three of four of the above.

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