Valentine’s Day is on the way! How will you be celebrating this year? We’re sharing our Valentine’s Day gift ideas with personal, creative alternatives to the common dinner reservation and box of chocolates.

If you find yourself fighting the couples’ crowd each year on Valentine’s Day, consider staying home for dinner and a movie. If you’ll be at home with the kiddos this year, invite them, too! All it takes is a few minutes on your computer, a printer and voila! You’ve got yourself an official Valentine’s Day Movie Night. Click the pick below to choose your favorite free movie ticket templates:

Did I say dinner and a movie? I meant dinner during a movie. Lay a picnic blanket down and eat in the living room. Break the rules-it’s a Holiday! Make your Valentine comfortable with some personalized throw pillows. Whether you choose each others names, important dates or the punchline to an inside joke, each pillow is like a tangible, huggable love note.

Get extra cozy during your Netflix marathon and snuggle up with a super soft faux fur throw. It seems that faux fur blankets are popping up everywhere lately and I cannot resist walking by a display without touching at least one. With that said, the Sweet Dreams Faux Fur Coverlet by Horchow is thee softest! I love that this style is available in sizes up to a King; it seems that average sized throw blankets aren’t big enough to share.

Keep it classy and snack from an acacia wood entertaining tray set.

Or, keep it casual and accommodate a “popcorn for everyone” atmosphere with a personalized bamboo popcorn bowl.

If you’d prefer a “get your own bowl” atmosphere, the kids will love their very own made-just-for-me treat bowls.

While I don’t have any spill-proof ideas when it comes to dining al living room-o, I do have some sweet ideas for personalized glassware. What a cute way to share your morning cup of coffee! See our favorite selections here.

You can’t have a movie night without your favorite candies, can you? Instead of a mass produced box of chocolates, fill a personalized cookie jar with your Valentine’s favorite confections. This airtight ceramic jar by PersonalCreations.com allows you to see exactly how your gift will look before you order. Ed and I just celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary and I still get surprised with butterflies when I see our names together like this:

While staying in for a movie night full of your favorite snacks and personalized gifts sounds amazing, it still feels like something is missing. For many of us, it’s just not Valentine’s Day without giving or receiving flowers. When it’s the middle of February and I have fresh flowers in my home, it feels like winter isn’t winning. The warmed, stale air that has been circulating from room to room since November now carries with it an aroma of the spring to come. The view from the window may show leafless trees and snow covered grass, but my tabletops are abloom! I do not advise foregoing the Valentine’s bouquet. Even the simplest arrangement can make this Valentine’s Day memorable with a beautiful vase. The Waterford Love & Romance Vase from Horchow will be perfect not just for your Valentine bouquet but for all those flowers given with love in the future.

However you do decide to spend this holiday, be it watching a movie or perusing our Pinterest Page, we wish you a day full of love and affection. From all of us at Design Connection, Inc., Happy Valentine’s Day!