Let Love In With These Fun Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”
The hard part is over: you found your missing puzzle piece. Now it’s time to celebrate that romance, friendship, devotion, and partnership with a heart-warming gift that’s thoughtful and hits all the right notes. This Valentine’s Day, think beyond roses, chocolates, and teddy bears, and find a gift that will make your sweetheart feel all the feels.
For some gift-spiration, check out some suggestions in my latest segment for CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” above (or click here to view on CBSAustin.com) and make sure to keep reading for all the details on the items shown on air. They might just make your palms sweat and your heart race too!
JCPENNEY HOME ACCENTS
What turns a house into a home? Love, of course! This Valentine’s Day, then, fill your beloved’s living space with beautiful home accents that will remind her of the affection you have for her. JCPenney offers some great options from brands like Peyton & Parker, which is exclusive to JCPenney. Anyone will be tickled pink by the sight of the Peyton & Parker Heart Throw Pillow ($32 at JCPenney.com), which has a fuzzy faux fur front that adds great texture to any sofa or accent chair; and the Peyton & Parker Set of 4 Colorblock Coffee Mugs ($50 at JCPenney.com), a quartet of extremely roomy, 100 % stoneware cups that have an almost artisanal quality thanks to their shape, which widens as your gaze moves down from the rim to the base, and to the painterly pink color adorning the lower half of each mug.
Another fun option is the Hammer & Axe Tic-Tac-Toe Shots Game ($50 at JCPenney.com). As with a standard game of tic-tac-toe, the game involves one player picking X’s and the other O’s, then taking turns and strategically placing their corresponding shot glasses on the etched, marble-like board, with the hopes of creating a full vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row. The twist? Here, if one player manages to get three shot glasses placed in a row, the opponent must take a shot. Talk about a fun night in! And, of course, since the Xs and Os could stand for “hugs” and “kisses,” there’s a fun Valentine’s Day element to the game. It also looks wicked cool on any side table, countertop, or bar cart!
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ NARCISO EAU DE PARFUM ROUGE
Ardor, passion, intensity — these are the sentiments that designer Narciso Rodriguez hoped to elicit when creating his Narciso Rodriguez NARCISO Eau de Parfum ROUGE ($116 at Macy’s stores and Macys.com). Like all of the scents in the NARCISO family, NARCISO ROUGE has a sensual heart of musk, but it’s even more intoxicating and more audacious than its predecessor thanks to the top notes of Bulgarian rose and iris. The base notes of black cedar, white cedar, sandalwood, and vanilla, add the right hints of woodiness and creaminess to complete this aromatic seduction. And, of course, the passion seems to radiate from that crimson red bottle!
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO AMO FERRAGAMO FLOWERFUL
Love is a-bloomin’ this Valentine’s Day thanks to the new Ferragamo AMO Ferragamo Flowerful ($108 at Bloomingdales and Bloomingdales.com), the latest chapter in the Amo franchise. It’s a fresh and youthful fragrance that evokes joy, whimsy, and playful spontaneity. It opens with yuzu flower, blackcurrant, and an Italian bitter accord that leads to a floral heart of pink peony, jasmine, and plum blossom, so that the scent feels like a magical journey into a lush garden filled with fragrant blooms. The iridescent lilac bottle, meanwhile, completes the romantic and ethereal fantasy.
MANIGLOVZ MANICURE GLOVES
Gel polishes are a modern marvel. They leave nails with a mega-watt shine, and they last about twice as long as traditional nail lacquers. But here’s the hitch: gel polishes are cured under a UV or LED lamp, which means that every time you place your hands under a lamp at the nail salon, you’re putting your skin at risk. To protect your hands from skin cancer and photoaging without giving up your beloved gels, you can stash a pair of ManiGlovz Manicure Gloves ($24 at ManiGlovz.com) in your purse.
These fingerless gloves have a UPF rating of 50+, so they block 98% of all UV and LED rays, so that they can act as your protective armor whenever you’re headed to the nail salon, plus the fabric has a four-way stretch that ensures a snug fit and resits runs. And they’re not just for manicures — you can slip these on when driving to protect your hands from the sun and keep pesky age spots from popping up.
The gloves come in ton of adorable prints like the “Smooches” lip print shown here, which can give your outfit a fun ’80s Madonna vibe.
BYTE
Want to give a loved one something to smile about? Well, if they’re self-conscious about having crooked or unevenly spaced teeth, help to set them on the path to a straighter smile — and the greater self-confidence that comes with it! — with the help of byte. This new service is revolutionizing the world of orthodontics with its direct-to-consumer, at-home, invisible aligners. With byte, consumers can work towards a straighter smile from the comfort of home — without the hassle of constant appointments with the dentist and orthodontist, the inevitable shuffles in schedules, and the time investment involved in these types of treatments. Plus, it’s considerably more affordable than other alternatives, with prices as low as $70/month!
Here’s how it works: you first order an Impression Kit and take your dental impressions, then snap a few selfies of your teeth, and mail everything back using the pre-paid box. Once an orthodontist receives your kit, he or she will examine your individual case, make an assessment, and develop a custom interactive 3D treatment plan, then discuss it with you in detail. Once a treatment plan is in place, you’ll receive a kit with invisible aligners, as well as byte’s exclusive HyperByte device, which is part of what sets this company apart from the fray. See, the HyperByte uses high frequency vibrations to accelerate dental movement, making those aligners fit better and facilitating more accurate teeth movement — all while minimizing discomfort. Using the HyperByte with your aligners for five minutes a day has actually been shown to straighten teeth twice as fast, so you’ll get the results you want in a much shorter period of time. As if that’s not enough, your kit will also include a teeth whitener so you can brighten that smile as you straighten it.
For more info, visit byteme.com. Right now, you can enjoy 50% off your Impression Kit and $100 off aligners when you enter the code CBSAUSTIN at checkout.
BAKBLADE 2.0
A lot of men who are naturally hairy – like Teen Wolf hairy — are proud of their furry chests and their woolly legs and arms. Their backs, however? Not so much. Those hoping to do some manscaping on the backs and shoulders, however, tend to find that the options available are far from ideal. Waxing such a large surface area is incredibly painful and requires constant follow-up visits. Laser hair removal is an even more expensive alternative — and, while it could result in permanent hair loss, countless sessions are needed to disable all those tiny hair follicles, which means it’s far from a quick fix. And sure, there’s shaving, but how can you possibly use a standard razor to shave an area you can barely see? And what man wants to ask his lady to shave his back? That’s the very opposite of pillow talk!
That’s why the BAKblade 2.0 ($27.95 at Bakblade.com and Amazon.com) is a total game-changer for men who want a smooth, hair-free back in a matter of minutes. This DIY back shaver has an ergonomic, retractable handle that allows men to access hard-to-reach areas. The device also comes with DRYglide blade cartridges so men have the option to shave wet or dry — without any irritation. Simply put: this is the most economical, convenient, and simple alternative for taming that unseemly back hair.
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH BOURBON
Countless songs have been written about love, heartache, and bourbon whiskey — from Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River,” Zac Brown Band’s “Whiskey’s Gone,”and The Killers’ “Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf” all come to mind. And, when it comes to bourbon, no state does it better than Kentucky. Case in point: the award-winning brand Four Roses Bourbon, which has a really rich history that dates back to 19th century Kentucky. Even the company’s name is steeped in romance and Southern charm. As the legend goes, after the company’s founder, Paul Jones Jr., became smitten with a Southern belle, he sent her a proposal. She replied that if the answer was “yes” she’d wear a corsage of roses on her gown to an upcoming ball. Sure enough, on that fateful evening, she wore a corsage of four red roses, making her suitor’s dreams come true and inspiring the name of his then-blossoming company.
Its sweet back story aside, Four Roses has the distinction of being the only Bourbon distillery that combines 5 proprietary yeast strains with 2 separate mashbills to handcraft 10 distinct recipes that can then be mingled together. The Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon (visit FourRosesBourbon.com to find a retailer near you) features 4 bourbon recipes mingled together for a perfectly balanced end result. When you pour yourself a drink, you’ll be rewarded with an aroma of mellow spice and rich fruit, along with hints of sweet oak and caramel. As you sip, you’ll detect ripened red berry and dried spice flavors that are mellow and go down smooth. Try it on the rocks or whip up a timeless cocktail like a Classic Manhattan or Mint Julep. Cheers!
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIALS
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore — and when your pizza pie is heart-shaped, well that’s a sign of a-dough-ation! For the first time ever, California Pizza Kitchen is offering diners the chance to order up their favorite pizza flavors on heart-shaped crusts! From Feb. 13th through Feb. 17th, guests can request a special thin crust, heart-shaped pizza when dining in, taking out, or ordering delivery at participating location — all at no additional cost!
Lovebirds can gaze into each other’s eyes while munching on some cheesy pizza slices or they can explore the rest of CPK’s fabulous menu and take advantage of their Sweet Deal For Two prix fixe menu, which is comprised of an appetizer, two entrees, and a desert for just $35. To make the deal even sweeter, they can pay an additional $12 and get two 6 0z. wine glasses with which to toast to their romance.
And if your significant other is out of town this weekend, you can always send him or her a Valentine’s e-gift card. After all, what better way to let ’em know they stole a pizza your heart?
For more info on heart-shaped pizza on other Valentine’s Day offers, visit CPK.com
