My husband (boyfriend at the time) gave me a small sundial pendant on our first Valentine's Day. He wanted me to be able to mark the time we'd been together and would be together. It's a gorgeous piece with a little rotating dial to mark time accurately no matter the time of year. I still treasure it 13 years later.

We laugh about it today, though, because we live in the Pacific Northwest, where the sun doesn't shine brightly very often.

Perhaps, this was an unconscious expression of the notion that love isn't constant, that even your love for a soul mate waxes and wanes. When it's shining brightly, give thanks and celebrate. When it's cloudy, just keep going and look forward to the next sunny day which will surely come soon.

Enough with the mush...I would love to be able to present my husband with this bracelet for Valentine's Day. It would be a wonderful way to reinforce our commitment for the next 13 years!

There's something uniquely sad about the fact that I never get Valentine's Day gifts, maybe. I have a wonderful husband who never, ever buys me anything because, he claims, he doesn't know what to get me. Sigh. And I like presents so much...

Well, so far I've always been single on V-Day, so I've never gotten any really spectacular presents, but my parents sent me some plants one year which I thought was neat. I love the idea of getting flowers, but think they're kind of wasteful. With the plants, I got all the excitement of a delivery from the florist, and some nice decorations that will last a long time. =)

I have to say the most unique gift was finding the truth in a relationship. I was dating a guy who gave me a huge bouquet of flowers..turns out later those flowers were given to him by another girl he was seeing. Though perhaps not the BEST way to find out your man is cheating, I was sure glad to find out at all!

I've never received anything great myself, but I actually
made my wife a full blown - multi-course dinner.
I hardly ever cook, but was able to throw together Beef Wellington with asparagus, a nice bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries. Of course two dozen roses too and nice candlelight.

She still talks about that day and I still cringe at having to make beef wellington and cut out heart-shaped pastries to top the pastry -wrapped steaks. Just kidding, she loved it and it made it all worthwhile.

Before my husband and I were married we lived an hour apart from each other. Even though we both had to work the next day, we managed to get together and have a steak and watched a rockumentary. It seems like another date we could have had any other time, but just the fact that he went to the effort to have me over, cook me supper, and schedule in movie/cuddle time was more than enough for me. I'm looking forward to this year.

When our first Valentine's day rolled around, I got my boyfriend tickets to a concert he wanted to see.

He got me something even better, and more exciting...a certificate for a Hot Air Balloon Ride, for two!

I was so excited. I had never done that before, and this topped all the Valentine's day gifts I'd ever gotten.

It turned out, though, that he hadn't actually PAID for the balloon ride! He just got me the certificate, SAYING he would, when we decided to take the ride!!!

It was expensive, and after we were married, and poor and just starting out, we had STILL not taken the balloon ride.
After another Valentine's Day came and went, with the usual chocolates, flowers, etc...I started bugging him about how he still owed me that balloon ride he promised.

Well, we've been married now, for 13 years.
I've STILL never been up in a hot air balloon.

If we went now, we'd have to stop feeding the kids for a week or two....

That's a unique gift, don'tcha think?

Hmph!!!

My first boyfriend in high school was certainly a unique individual. For our first (and only) valentine's day he got me a shoe box with: "Stephanie's Box of Love" written on it. Inside was a large bag of Skittles and, I kid you not, a plaster mold of his teeth. I think he thought i could use it as a candy dish. At the time I thought it was endearing, now, I think it's creepy.

What I got from my college boyfriend: a plain security envelope in which he'd put all the hearts cut out from a deck of cards.

This is a gift that I gave. Last year's Valentine's Day happened at a time when I was really busy with work and my boyfriend was painting day in, day out (he's an artist). I couldn't get him a present in time for V-Day, but I promised him that I would once things settled down a little for both of us.

In addition to having no time, I also had no clue what to get him. But when March rolled around, I got the idea that he would like a pet rat, since he had rat named Bauble that died two years ago. I myself was not particular to the idea of a rat, but if it makes him happy, I thought could live with it.

We went to the pet store one day, and he picked out a white and brown baby that he named Morsel, along with a cage, water bottle, and food. I added some toys to the mix, and we were set. My boyfriend was really happy with Morsel!

Then I started doing some casual Internet reading on pet rats, and that quickly turned into full on research on everything rat-related. I liked what I found out (that rats can be litter trained, are intelligent, clean themselves more often than cats, and enjoy belly scratches just like a dog), and Morsel indeed grew on me every day.

Morsel is now 10 months old, and I adore him, maybe even more than my boyfriend does. Having Morsel around has bought us a little bit closer together. It's always great to have a good laugh over our little rat.

Giving a rat a try reminds me of when my boyfriend and I first got together. At first, I was like, "I don't know about this guy," but once I gave him a chance, I realized that he is the most wonderful, kind, and caring person I have ever met. He and I can't wait to get a second rat, a little brother for Morsel.

One of the most unique Valentine's Day gifts I ever received was a simple one, but touched my heart, nonetheless.
I was on a first date and it just happened to be two days before Valentines Day, several years ago. The man I was seeing that evening took me to a nice restaurant. Upon being dropped off after a successful night of good company, good food, and good conversation, I noticed something wrong. The button from my expensive blouse had fallen off and I became upset. The blouse was my favorite, and I knew I could never replace it. My date consoled me, but soon left my porch.
Unexpectedly, my date the previous night, showed up at my home on Valentines Day, with a bouquet of gorgeous flowers... and a big jar of buttons... hoping that one might work with my unique blouse that I thought had been lost forever.
I was touched by this thoughtful act of giving buttons... and I eventually married that same man. To this day, my husband celebrates our love on Valentines Day by giving me flowers, a shirt button, and a love that goes beyond that one simple gift.

My most unique Valentine's gift was actually on the first day my now wife and I met. We met online and by coincidence the first day that worked for both of us to meet face to face was Feb. 14, 2004. So anyway, I drive 4 hours to get to her house and I present her with the cliche flowers and a Valentine's card and she presents me with a card. I open it up and it's a gift certificate to the restaurant where she worked for $50. (She lived in a small town and said restaurant was the only nice restaurant for about 30 miles unless you count Hardees and Subway nice). She said that she was a believer in the guy paying for the first date but that she didn't feel it was wise/frugal to pay full price for a meal that she could get for half price, so she bought the gift card with her 50% discount and gave it to me so I could still pay for our first date. This was one of many indicators that I found a winner!

One side note too was that we both got a great meal and it only came to around $35 (I left a tip in cash) so there was still $15 left on the card. I found out later she planned it that way so I'd have to take her out on a second date if I wanted to use the card up!

My boyfriend got me a single rose and a 3 ft high Garfield card. It was the '80s...

Ok, so the strangest Valentine's gift that I ever received was from my husband...who was my boyfriend at the time... We had been dating less than a month - and really, how well do you know someone at that point? Anyway, he gave me a pink teddy bear (awh...) and a bottle of Captain Morgan Rum (I'm not sure a bottle of rum and a teddy bear have ever been combined in a gift bag before)...and yes, I do like CM Rum...but enough to have it signify our early love? Lol...maybe he was hoping it would lead to a more "loving" relationship...or maybe he thought I needed that to love him...who knows! But it was the first and only time I've ever been given a bottle of liquor as a gift...and I guess it did work because we're now married 6 years later...and although the bottle is long gone, I still have the pink teddy that reminds me just how odd a Valentine's Day that was! I guess it was love at first shot!

One year in high school, my boyfriend made me a 11x14 card made completely of glued together Sweethearts. It didn't last long, but it was pretty crazy looking!

My response is actually regarding a gift I gave, to the man I was dating, my first love. Someone I am still friends with, and always will be.
One year for Valentines, I shed all of my inhibitions - sat him on the couch with the lights low, got into a red teddy, fishnet stocking, and red stilletos, popped in a Motley Crew tape, and gave him the lapdance of his dreams!
We still recall that day fondly!

The first year my husband and I were together he had no money, maybe $10. He bought me a couple of roses and made me a heart cake with my name on it (he is a pastry chef in the U.S. Navy). That's not the odd part... the odd part is he put my cocker spaniel's angel halloween costum wings on and presented the cake and flowers wearing nothing but those and a huge diaper he made out of the bed sheet! It was the sweetest thing ever! Thanks for making me remember that. He's gone on deployment this year and I was pretty down about it; this cheered me up!

Good luck to everyone and Happy Valentine's day to you all!

So far, last valentines day was the first one in which I had a real Valentine. Single on every other one for the past 21 other years. There was a snowstorm in NY last year, but that wasnt gonna stop my girlfriend and I from going to dinner after work, and just being with each other. Unfortunately this one girl that used to work with both of us needed a ride home, and also as unfortunate was my niceness in offering to drive since it was snowing. so my girlfriend met me at work, and followed me to her house then we were off to dinner....

or so we thought. It turns out that this girl didnt exactly know how to get home from work, and led us up and down major roads and backways trying to find her place. And in the process almost making my girlfriend in the following car to hit something.

and when we FINALLY got there, we got as far away from there as we could. Ended up getting chinese food and just hanging out. Not the best way to spend Valentines day, but at least it leaves room for this one being WAY better! because if its not, im dead.

but im still gonna try to think of something romantic for her, because were crazy for each other, and have been from the start.
(not that anyone cares, but it'll be one full year a little bit before Valentines day.... hey, thats my record so far, and i dont plan on losing her ever.)

My darling gave me an art piece of a beautiful autumn scenery, made by herself using lipstick marks from kisses. Was super touched!

The best and most romantic Valentines gift was a proposal from my husband of almost 20 years. Long story. But, I was pregnant, not with his child and had another child. (My fiance left me on Christmas Day, clearing out our accounts, etc)

Anyway, this knight in shining armor saved me and I will never forget him wanting to spend the rest of his life with me, on Valentines day. Since, we have never quite had the money to ever celebrate, since we had more children after, and we would put all our efforts into them, sacrificing our own wants. We love eachother and that would mean more to us then gifts. Gifts were for the kids to let them know they were our special blessings.

Now, we have one more to leave the nest, hopefully soon and the Prisoner of Love will be ringing true in this house!

Thank you!

This would be the perfect surprise for my spouse for Valentines Day. For 17 yrs we've agreed no gifts, I'd love to finally break that agreement with this jewelry. Good Luck everyone.

My best Valentine's Day gift was in college by my now dear husband. He suprised me after class by decorating my entire room and apartment, I mean streamers, candy, balloons covering the entire floor, roses everywhere, cookies, candy, and a HUGE card for my roomies and me since they did not have any Valentine's themsleves that year! What a man!!

it was a couple weeks early, but last year my husband and i found out we were pregnant, after trying for years and finally doing ivf. this year my gorgeous baby son will be my valentine!

My very first Valentine's day with my husband (we were simply dating at the time) he bought me a cute little pair of dolphin earrings. I wore them all the time until one of my dogs ate one. And well, it's safe to say I never found it.....

Every time I see dolphin earrings I think of that very first Valentine's Day.

My husband took me on a sleigh ride...we had a wonderful time!

I don't date, so I don't have anything to say about the unique Valentine gift thing, but I do like jewelry, so sign me up for the giveaway!

I had been lusting after some very expensive throw pillows for my living room to replace my old ones that were flattened and pretty shabby looking. Yes, I know its not a very romantic gift, but its what I really wanted! We were newly married and low on funds (to say the least!) so expensive gifts were not an option! My hubby knew that I so wanted to makek our new place together "homey" and all of the gifts I had asked for were house related, but I really wanted those pillows!
My sweet hubby stayed up all night the night before Valentines Day, he had bought some upholstery cleaner and new batting. He took apart my shabby, sad throw pillows, cleaned them the best that he could, replaced the batting (filling, whatever you call it!) sewed them back shut and presented them to me wrapped in a big bow with a little note saying how sorry he was that he couldn't get me the ones that he knew I really wanted but promised to replace them as soon as he could!
My hubby is not a seamstress by any means but those pillows will ALWAYS be my favorite!
dansan826 at yahoo dot com

When I was 16 I had the best valentines day to date.. I recieved two gifts that were sooo special I think about them every valentines day since. Both of them actually came from guy friends not boyfriends and they were sooo thoughtful.

The first one was a black unicorn that I had so desperately wanted. It was well over $150 and far out of my budget that my allowance would allow me to buy. I visited it every time I went to the mall and I guess my best friend was watching. He got saved the money he made at his part time job and bought it for me. It still sits on my bedside table and I wake up every morning and smile as just the fact that he noticed was so thoughtful.

I also got a stuffed Elmo... Mind you I am not even a huge Elmo fan but he came in this tiny tiny box (the doll itself was almost as big as me) and it must have taken hours to stuff this huge doll down into this tiny box. When I opened it it came springing out at me and I almost peed on myself. I laughed soo hard and I kept that doll in my room until I was well into my 20s.

I blogged you too http://www.prizeatron.com

When I was 17 I received 3 Valentine gifts from 3 different boys, each of whom was under the impression that he was my Valentine. The gifts themselves weren't unusual, but the quantity was. While it is funny to look back and remember the year that I "played the field" it was also kind of lousy of me to do that to those guys. It's been 10 years, though, so I'm sure that they are over it. Although, come to think of it, I don't think any one of them ever knew that I got other Valentine gifts that day!

My most unique Valentine gift was one year after our third child was born my husband bought me a leotard, spandex shorts and slouch socks and a gift card for aerobics.
No, I did not take it well at all.
He was actually trying to be thoughtful because I had been wanting to go to aerobics, but didn't have anything to wear and didn't want to spend the money. Doing it at home was impossible as the kids would cling to my legs screaming.
I wasn't happy, but in retrospect he was being sweet.

The most unique Valentine gift to me was the first year my son gave me something that he made. It was the sweetest thing and made my heart melt.

I've been with my hubby for 11 or 12 years now. We met right before vday in my senior year of high school. He honestly never gave me anything unique, lol. I usually get some chocolate, a flower & a stuff animal if that. One year I did get pregnant though, does that count This bracelet is just too cute!

I don't really have any "unique" Valentine's gifts. I get the usual...flowers, stuffed animals. I love Valentine's Day, though...such a special time to be romantical.

Thanks for a great giveaway!

My husband gave me a little orange kitten (Penny) for Val's Day the first year we were married. She was a very sweet little kitta.

A pregnancy test. Yep, that's right. And a card, of course. My husband had a hunch my wild mood swings were possibly due to pregnancy, even though I said there was no way I was pregnant. I started out the evening in tears, nearly gagged on the smell of a rose three tables away, and ravaged a huge dinner in no time. He knew something must be up with the bizarre emotional outbursts and insatiable hunger. He popped into a drug store after our Valentine's Day dinner and out he came with a pregnancy test and a card. I was so offended--I just thought I was overtired. Men!

Oh yeah, I was pregnant!

I would like to enter!

The greatest gift (not really unique though LOL) I have gotten for Valentine's Day was a puppy, a Basset Hound. He is truly the love of our lives. A very special gift.

I met my boyfriend when I started getting into a Lord of the Rings trading card game. For my gift, he framed a very rare Eowyn card. It was a very sweet gesture as he coould have used it in game playing.

yeah...thats me. I guess the worse would be silverware. Yeah...I gave my wife silverware for Valentines Day. Since then, I have put more thought into the gifts....but this would go a long way to helping me out.

Of course it has to do with love. I was 16 years old and my boyfriend got a key to my house and filled my room with pink, white, and red balloons. He covered my bed with candy kisses and colored jelly beans. He put a big white bear in the center which held my valentine's cards and a huge copy of the book Guess How Much I Love You. One of the cards said I will pick up at 7:30pm for a romantic dinner! Needless to say when I arrived home from my soccer game I was thrilled and surprised. It really was the best gift ever.

My husband and I don't celebrate Valentine's either, like one of the earlier commentors- although we get around the whole deal due to our dating anniversary. ;)

We started dating on February 16th, so every year we go out and buy a box of candy, find a sappy movie, and curl up to eat sugar and spend some quality time in front of the television.

Even though we're married now, we try to celebrate all of those special anniversaries (dating, engagement, and wedding) so that we have more than one day a year that's special just to us, and to remind each other that we really don't suck so bad.

One Valentines Day, instead of giving me a dozen roses, my ex-husband gave me a dozen rose bushes so I would always have roses, and paid to have a gardener plant them all for me.

One year when I was in highschool my boyfriend at the time was away on vacation with his family for Valentines.

Needless to say I was crushed, but he made up for it by sending me a picture of I *heart* You written in the sand where he was vacationing. It was all framed and matted and arrived in the mail on the 14th.

I always thought that it was incredibly sweet of a 16 year old boy to think of something like that.

The most unique Valentine gift I’ve ever received was a coffee table book of horror movies. Perfect since I'm a huge fan of the genre, but unusual for celebrating love ;) *Thanks* for the giveaway!

Papa and I started out in life 20 years ago, after some devastating occurances that left us, not homeless, but, close to it. Every year we fought to crawl out way out with our three children so every penny went to retirments (pay yourself first), bills and then our children and their needs. We always never bought anything for each other, because that meant we were taking away from the children and their future. So, we never bought anything for eachother on Valentines day, either. Usually we would write up our cards and spend the few minutes together we could manage before the kids interrupted. Funny, how when you are around they don't want you around and when you try to be alone..they are all up in your business!
It is always something. This year..it is saving our money to finish buying the house and sending our son to college.
Our love is our gift we give to each other every year, and that to me is worth more then anything we could ever buy or spend money on. It is priceless.

My mother passed away in September of 06... Valentine's Day was my parents anniversary. On Valentine's Day 07, which would have been their 53rd anniversary, my father gave me the roses that my mother had preserved from her wedding bouquet as a remembrance of their love. It was the most beautiful Valentine's gift I have ever received.

I once received a pair of love birds. We were just browsing in a pet store and he bought a pair. I didn't know they were for me until I got home and he handed them over!

An unusual gift in that my husband went to get up from the very upscale restaurant table and pulled on the table cloth (he thought it was his napkin) and moved/shifted/dropped the whole set up, including bottle of wine, plates, silverware, candle and soup. We were both bright red in the face and some of the wine.

My hubby always gives me peach colored roses for Valentine's Day, as they are my favorite. Last year I thought he had forgotten, but right before bedtime, he brought in my roses from the car. Attached was a little box containing diamond earrins, which I've always wanted and never had.

Thanks Nomination!!!
Great Giveaway!
Unfortunately, I never have gotten any unusual valentine gifts. A couple times I have gotten the usual flowers and dinner, and of course that was nice.
BUT, just yesterday my boyfriend of 5 years mentioned in conversation that he would like to get married! Very Surprising!! Since it's almost Valentine's Day....this may be the best Valentine's yet!
This giveaway would be perfect for me....I'm definetly a prisoner of love this year! (Cheesy, isn't it)