When you take the time to personalize her Valentine’s Day gift, you show that you took the time to really think about what she would like. (And it proves that your gift is not simply an obligatory gesture.)

Here are eight ideas for giving a Valentine’s Day gift that is personalized and sentimental. Try combining two or more of these ideas to create something that will be remembered for years to come.

1. Give her favorite kind of flowers. While some may worry that the gift of flowers is cliché the trick is in the personalization. If she is traditional and formal, opt for the long stemmed red roses. But surveys indicate that more than 60% of women prefer bouquets in pastel colors, such as yellow, peach, pink, and white. Tailor your floral choice to her unique personality. What colors does she favor in her home and office? What kinds of plants and flowers are in her home? If you don’t know her favorite flower and her favorite color, ask. Women love it when men know these details about them.

   Choose your floral arrangement accordingly, and take the time to put some thought into the card, as well. Your best bet is to write your own romantic sentiment that pulls from the specifics of your relationship. If you’re stuck, simply make a list of 5 or 10 things that you love about your partner, the more specific the better. For example, “I love the way your hair smells after a walk in the woods,” or “I love the way you take care of me when I’m sick.” Brainstorm specific memories and list them in the card.

2. Burn a CD of special songs. Include her favorite songs, as well as songs that are important to your relationship. Do not forget those songs that bear a special message about the way you feel about one another. If you are stuck, include the classic romantic love songs, perhaps “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton or “Forever and Ever Amen” by Randy Travis.
3. Surprise her with her favorite meal and/or dessert. Here’s a romantic standby: chocolate covered strawberries. Purchase some chocolate covered strawberries, or whip some up yourself. All you need is fresh strawberries (preferably long-stemmed), a small bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and about a teaspoon of vegetable shortening. Melt the chips in the microwave, stirring in the shortening. Then dip the washed and dried strawberries in the melted chocolate, and place on waxed paper to cool. These are fun to share with a bottle of champagne, in front of a roaring fire.
4. Tickets to an event your partner will really enjoy. Whether it’s an opera, a ballet, a sporting event, or a monster truck rally, the key, once again, is to personalize the event to your partner’s unique tastes.
5. What is her favorite pampering treat? Whether it’s a massage or a pedicure, set her up with an hour or two just for her. Or, better yet, go along and enjoy a massage alongside her.
6. Jewelry. Many women dream about getting a sentimental piece of jewelry on Valentine’s Day. And most jewelers offer great discounts on heart pendants, as well as diamonds, this time of year. You can personalize jewelry in two different ways: 1. Make sure that the item you choose is something she is likely to wear. Does she prefer necklaces to bracelets? Would she wear an anklet? What is her favorite kind of stone? (Hint: it might not be a diamond.) 2. Add a simple engraved message.
7. Make a simple photo book of the times that you have spent together. Or frame your favorite photo of the two of you. Many online photo processing websites will allow you to make an inexpensive enlargement of a favorite photo. Some will even ship it to you, framed.
8. Plan a romantic weekend getaway. This doesn’t have to cost a lot. Go to an online travel website and search for romantic weekend specials in your city. The Internet makes it easy to find lots of great romance packages for couples, especially around Valentine’s Day. Your mate may even have a favorite hotel or spa where she loves to stay ? or has always dreamed of staying.

The key to giving the ultimate romantic gift is to fit it exactly to your partner. If you don’t know the details, simply ask her what she loves.

A personalized Valentine’s Day gift shows that you have been listening and that you have taken the time to pick out something perfect. It shows your partner that you truly care, (and it proves that you are quite a catch).

It is important to say I Love You with both passion and frequency. And we can say it not only with our words but with our actions, with our facial expressions and body language, even with our thoughts. Lasting intimacy comes from an everyday appreciation and a reverence for the daily moments we spend in the company of one another.

Here are 50 simple ways you can demonstrate the depth of your love. (I have used the words, ‘he’ and ‘she’ interchangeably here. The following ideas are not gender specific.)

1. Write down fifty favorite memories of your life spent together so far. Invite your partner to add to the list, as well as to share special ideas for the future.
2. Leave a message on her voicemail with a silly, romantic poem. (Roses are red, violets are blue . . .)
3. Make a CD featuring the songs that have been important in your relationship. Slip it into the CD player of her car.
4. Bring homemade cookies or brownies to his office with a simple love note.
5. Spoon.
6. Surprise her with some bath salts and her favorite magazine. Then take the kids out of the house for the evening so she can enjoy some time alone.
7. Stash a love note in his shoe.
8. Spend some time talking about all the goals you have been able to accomplish during your time as a couple. Reflecting on the things that you have been able to do with the strength of the other, including the challenges, can really help you to remember and to celebrate the depth of your relationship and how you have supported one another through it all.
9. Serve her breakfast in bed.
10. Give him some time one Saturday to do something he enjoys but rarely takes the time for.
11. Buy her luxurious new silk pajamas that will make her feel treasured and cherished each time she puts them on.
12. Create a special sign (such as a specific hand gesture) that means I Love You, just between the two of you.
13. Listen without interrupting.
14. Give her a few minutes of time alone when she first gets home from work. Sometimes, we each need a bit of time to process the transition from work life to family life.
15. Watch a sporting event together.
16. Place a single daisy on her windshield.
17. Kiss.
18. Surprise him by purchasing his favorite DVD or the latest CD of his favorite vocal artist.
19. Talk lovingly about your partner to others, and avoid criticizing your mate to your friends or family. Even if your words never make it back to your partner, the tension and negative energy will eventually wedge its way between you.
20. Talk a walk together.
21. Rub his back.
22. Dance to your favorite song.
23. Re-create your first date.
24. Light candles at dinnertime.
25. Write a love note and slip it under his pillow.
26. Send a romantic text message.
27. Send flowers, just because.
28. Keep a scrapbook of your love, from first meeting through courtship, through marriage. Write a few journal entries about how your love for one another has evolved as you have grown together, and the new kinds of energy each new phase of your relationship has created.
29. Take him out to lunch.
30. Make her coffee so it is ready when she gets up.
31. Jot down 20 things you love about him and slip it under his dinner plate.
32. Cook her favorite breakfast.
33. Choose a book you both will enjoy, and read it aloud together.
34. Rent a romantic movie.
35. Slip a Hershey’s Kiss and a Hershey’s Hug into her coat pocket.
36. Write about the feelings you felt when you first met your mate. Write about the first time you knew you were in love.
37. Celebrate special days in your relationship with unique traditions and rituals.
38. Have you been holding a grudge against your partner? Today, forgive it and move on. Witness how much power the act of forgiveness injects into your relationship.
39. Rub her feet.
40. Find creative places to write I Love You: in whipped cream on a slice of pie, carved into the side of an apple, in the steam on the bathroom mirror.
41. Bring flowers to her in the middle of the day.
42. Spend a few minutes together in bed each morning.
43. Call his mother and father and thank them for creating such a wonderful son.
44. Do a chore that is typically reserved for him.
45. Tell her she looks amazing.
46. Write her a love letter and mail it.
47. If she has had a rough day at work, bring home her favorite take out and a bottle of wine.
48. Create a marquis on your screensaver that declares your love.
49. Choose your favorite photo of the two of you as a couple and frame two copies: one for each of you to take to work.
50. Play a board game or a game of cards. (Margaritas optional.)