Different ways to say 'I adore you'
Why send a fresh bunch of flowers or artisan chocolates when you could send a sweet potato instead?
Sure, conventional Valentine's gifts are popular for a reason – people generally cry the good kind of tears on receipt.
But this year, maybe it's time to switch gears.
DORITOS ROSES
The crisp-loving masterminds at Doritos have come up with a most excellent way to show you care on Valentine's day. By sending 12 long stem roses lovingly crafted using tomato ketchup flavour Doritos. NO JOKE. Unfortunately, delivery of these bouquets is only available in Canada but you can make your own at home, thanks to this handy DIY guide, from their website.
LOVE SPUD
Adore your boo? Want to let someone know you like their face? Consider posting the subject of your affections a humble potato this V day. What spuds lack in conventional beauty they make up for in charm. As the brains behind the enterprise put it: ‘Sending an anonymous personalized potato to your friend, associate, family member, ex, boyfriend, or girlfriend is an amazing way to give them a confusing, hilarious, maddening, and distinctive item. We love mysteries. We love potatoes. We really love sending Mystery Potatoes.’ The site is US- based but there’s nothing stopping you from taking a DIY approach. All you need is a spud and a sharpie…
SPREAD THE LOVE
Thinking of buying your sweetheart a personalised jar of Marmite with ‘bae’, ‘snookums’ or ‘baby cakes’ stamped on the front? Forget about it. The manufacturer of the yeast extract spread has banned the nation’s most hated pet names from its Valentine’s personalization service (seems rather draconian to us). Instead, you can get your hands on two limited edition ‘Pot of Love’ designs – one asking ‘Will you be my Valentine?’ and one declaring ‘Love me or hate me, I’m yours’. Or you can choose to personalise a jar with a pet name that Marmite hasn't blacklisted, something like 'possum' or 'sugar chops', perhaps.
SHACKLES OF LOVE
Make a love lock inscribed with your initials and throw away the key. This romantic tradition is Italian (naturally). On La Festa Degli Innamorati, Italian lovers attach personalized padlocks to bridges and then discard the key with passion and flourish (it symbolises never ending love). It’s caught on all over the world – if you want yours to nestle between other love locks in the UK secure it to London’s Tower Bridge or Millenium Bridge – they already boast quite a collection.