V-day gift fail -_-

[lilcupcake]

I got my hands on something that i thought would make a great gift. cologne and aftershave. yes, terribly cheesey i know. but there's a point to it.

He's from the city, and im from the south. we often joke and mock each other for our cultural differences. The brand of the cologne and aftershave is "wild country" XD
the idea of sending him that with a little note that says "Welcome to the other side" is just brilliant for us, absolutely perfect.
Bad news: I hate the smell ._.

It doesnt really stink, it just smells more like it should be for women. so when i think about my SO, or any man for that matter, smelling like this stuff... no. just no.

I need seriously low budget gift ideas. I can not stress the low budget enough lol. I want to send him some pressed flowers, like i used to do in the early days lol. So i know i'll be doing that. What are some things you've done for your SO? :]

[Moon]

Bake him some cookies, pack them in a tin to keep them fresh for a couple of days, and send them. Guys like edible, homemade gifts!

[squeeker]

And of course there's always the really cheap gift that can turn out really thoughtful.. that you are probably already going to do.. and that's a card.. and you can decorate it with pictures.. or inside jokes.. or make it a multiple page book.. maybe a mini scrap book or picture book.. :P Though it's not as useful. I think Moon's cookie idea is good if you are able to send the package within a relatively short period of time!

Hmm.. the best I can think of is something artsy.. like drawing a picture or writing a poem or story.. or putting together a video. Or maybe you could search for bargain items at whatever bargain store is near you, or a dollar store, and see if you could find anything that sort of connects to something you talk about with your partner.

Though I know that my boyfriend likes useful items.. but most of those cost money. I crochet (beginner level though lol) and have a small stash of yarn so I like to crochet things with it for him.. I'm not the greatest but it's a way to make something that might be useful for him.

I don't know what else.. I think just try and be creative with what you have around you and try and think of things you could put together that remind you of your relationship.. or things he likes.. maybe some candy or chocolate he mentioned he likes.. or maybe a new keychain thing for his keyring.. or a cool pen.. maybe one with your state name on it if you can find it.. or your name! or a pen with your name and a pen with his name..

I'm not sure.. I hope you find something cool.

[itsjen516]

i think you should sent it to him anyway lol he may like it and then as a gift since your on a budget why not make him a little book of things you guys want to do and some memmories you have

[piratemama]

And of course there's always the really cheap gift that can turn out really thoughtful.. that you are probably already going to do.. and that's a card.. and you can decorate it with pictures.. or inside jokes.. or make it a multiple page book.. maybe a mini scrap book or picture book.. :P Though it's not as useful. I think Moon's cookie idea is good if you are able to send the package within a relatively short period of time!

Hmm.. the best I can think of is something artsy.. like drawing a picture or writing a poem or story.. or putting together a video. Or maybe you could search for bargain items at whatever bargain store is near you, or a dollar store, and see if you could find anything that sort of connects to something you talk about with your partner.

Though I know that my boyfriend likes useful items.. but most of those cost money. I crochet (beginner level though lol) and have a small stash of yarn so I like to crochet things with it for him.. I'm not the greatest but it's a way to make something that might be useful for him.

I don't know what else.. I think just try and be creative with what you have around you and try and think of things you could put together that remind you of your relationship.. or things he likes.. maybe some candy or chocolate he mentioned he likes.. or maybe a new keychain thing for his keyring.. or a cool pen.. maybe one with your state name on it if you can find it.. or your name! or a pen with your name and a pen with his name..

I'm not sure.. I hope you find something cool.

Great ideas! I like these gifts.

[differentcountries]

I like the coockie idea, just wonder if they will taste good after three weeks in the mail...

[Ahava]

Are you allowed to send cologne/aftershave in the post in the US?

Because my SO tried sending me perfume (and some other things) for Christmas and it wasn't allowed.
(Within the UK I think it would have been okay but not to another country in the EU).
(Good news is he's been able to get the parcel back and I will be getting it at Easter)

Maybe save the aftershave etc for a later date, you can laugh about it, especially with it's name and if he also finds the smell not so good.

[Dziubka]

Are you allowed to send cologne/aftershave in the post in the US?

Because my SO tried sending me perfume (and some other things) for Christmas and it wasn't allowed.
(Within the UK I think it would have been okay but not to another country in the EU).
(Good news is he's been able to get the parcel back and I will be getting it at Easter)

I feel like all I'm doing is hijacking threads lately, and this seems like a stupid questions but are you sure?
I'm pretty sure I've recieved perfume or perfume-like (lotions,etc) things in international-inside-EU mail. How did they know it was perfume anyway? If it's inside the EU and you don't need to worry about customs, you don't need to make a list of what's inside the package. Or at least I never had to.

[Moon]

I like the coockie idea, just wonder if they will taste good after three weeks in the mail...

She's US to US, it'll take around two days to get there.

[Lovebee]

You could always spritz a little bit of the cologne on to a card with a picture of some wild country and write him a note to explain the gift idea, but demonstrate how awful it smells and what a joke it would have been. That way he'll get the thought (which is what counts )

[dglynn77]

Or, here's one perk of being LD... Send him the cologne! The chances you will smell it on him are pretty slim, and if he wears it for a visit maybe his chemistry mixed with the cologne will actually be something you like! NOTHING smells the same on me as it does in the bottle (this is not a good thing) but maybe te same thing will happen with your SO and you will like the new smell!

[stormy]

I've sent my SO a watch that works well for his job (Navy swimmer), a journal with writings about him in it already, and a pair of my undies

He has sent me a book that survived a fire that destroyed his home. He wrote me a letter on the inside of the cover, bought himself a new copy of the book and we read it together.

[lilcupcake]

You guys are brilliant! I'm no good at baking though >.> I think i'll pass the cookie idea. I have few drawings i'm considering sending him. Really, i have a enough to just wrap it up and be done with it. but he's sending me one heck of a gift (a sweater, Nintendo DS and SP, and a stack of games for them) they're all hand-me-downs, they were his and since he doesnt use them he wants me to have them. but it's still such a big gift!

[XxFranticLovexX]

Everyone has already suggested most of the things that I would do as well. My SO really always seems to like the little personal gifts and cookies (him and all of his friends love the sugar cookies that I make for him and they're really easy to do, plus you can add in cute sprinkles and designs for v-day) over the gifts that are bought and repackaged to send to him. I mean, he seems to like them all but the personalized things always seem to mean a little more. I made him a cookie earlier this week that was heart shaped and had "I <3 U" cut into it with sugar sprinkles on top... I found a picture of it on his phone a few days after he had eaten it. XD

[Hollandia]

You could make him a mini collage of things that remind you of him and you. Movie tickets stubs, plane ticket print outs, reciepts from things you have done when together. Me and my SO are planning on making a book of ours on V-day together. We are going to use the stuff he has and that I have from when we have been together.

If you make him a mini collage and send it to him you could add a not that at some point in the future you plan on turning it into a larger one. Our finished book someday, whenever we close the distance for good, will have our couples keychain glued TOGETHER on the cover since we each carry a piece with us until that day comes. My SO is a bit of a mush puppet so for him this stuff melts his big teddy bear heart. He hates V-day too. LOL.