This Valentine's Day, give your better half the gift of not being a cliche!

Stuffed toys? A big no! Flowers? They will perish in no time. A dinner date? It's not unique. If you are planning gifts for your better half for Valentine's Day, stay away from the cliches. They will definitely fail to impress your partner and will only make you look brain dead
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and so is the anxiety of what to get your significant others.But perhaps this year, you might want to do your relationships and yourself a favour by actually putting some thought into the gifts for your Valentines. Instead of gifting the same ghisa pita combo of flowers, teddy bears and chocolates to your girlfriend or boyfriend, maybe 2020 is the year you step away from the whole 'it's the thought that counts' concept. And no, a jar full of personalised messages detailing how much your BF/GF means to you isn't the solution either (even Beyonce said 'crazy in love' and not lazy in love). Love is love and of course, materialistic and expensive gifts aren't always the alternative, but surely some cliches can be discarded. FOREVER! So, to help you stay clear from the cliche trap this Valentine's Day, here’s a few tried, tested and now trashed gift ideas you'd want to stay away from this year and those to come.
Steer away from the dinner-long drive combo while you still can
Just getting a table at one of those'always busy, hours of waiting' restaurants cannot be considered as a feat. What could possibly be so special about dinner on Valentine's Day? A celebrity guest at the table? Unlikely. It's just like any other dinner date, with perhaps a higher bill and a more romantic ambience. Maybe even some nice cutlery. But that's about it. And where exactly are you going to go on a long drive in this city where even flyovers are choked with traffic? You are just going to add to the air pollution. Might as well gift each other the commitment to be more eco-friendly, at least it will present a challenge beyond the Delhi roads. Plus, you'd be doing something for the greater good, so you have that to boast about.

Thinking of proposing on Valentine's? Even Cupid would frown upon this
Clever or a sure shot way to convey to your significant other that you just can't get a Valentine's gift right? Everyone deserves a decent, if not a grand proposal. But by killing one bird with two stones, you are not only taking away Valentine's Day from them forever but also making sure that every year, they have one less day to celebrate. Unless your pandit ji has told you that it's this day or never, try to make Valentine's Day about celebrating your relationship.
Flowers: you are not only destroying nature but your relationship, too
The coming years are all about going eco-friendly, so flowers shouldn't even be on your list. They will add to the waste and no matter how beautiful the bouquet, a rose can only do so much in its short lifespan. Whether you swap the roses with the fanciest orchids or the prettiest tulips and lilies, this gift will always have an expiration date.
Mushy cards – if this is your V-Day plan, you should probably seek help!
Okay, yes, everyone loves to hear how much they are adored, respected and appreciated, but why should they just get to hear this on Valentine's Day? Do you not feel the same during the rest of the year? This might work on your first Valentine's as a couple, but there's only so much love you can express as time passes. Reserving Valentine's Day to let your significant other know how much they mean to you doesn't just reek of laziness, it's also very basic. And if you were planning on plagiarising or typing these instead of hand-writing them, abort mission now.
Stuffed toys don't even work for kids anymore
This is a big no. First of all, even kids have moved beyond soft toys. Second, when was the last time you looked at a stuffed toy and thought 'wow, that's something I need to get for myself'? Exactly. Don't do to others, what you wouldn't do to yourself. Stuffed toys, no matter which species, eventually just become dust collectors, hidden away at some corner of the room. Is that really the symbol of your love?
Making a slideshow of your pictures is #cringe
If you simply want to remind your BF/GF about all the fun and romantic moments you have had together, you can definitely do this on any other day. While this one needs more time and patience, the only hard work and thought that goes into this is going through your archives. And while this may be a cute throwback idea (for some), not just your significant other, even your social media followers deserve a better post for Valentine's Day. Even though a video or a customised cup with your pictures on it might seem like a unique/cute idea, this year, let it stay unique in theory and not in reality.