Pedicures and Valentine's gifts.

There are very few things as relaxing as getting a spa pedicure: you slide your legs into warm bubbly water, sit back in a massage chair and read a trashy colorful magazine; your feet are scrubbed with a pumice stone and the foot and leg massage that follow feel great! A pedicure is very functional, you get hygiene and beauty (minus the pain) rolled into one. I definitely agree with Aisha Tyler on this (in her book "Swerve"). Guys, take note! If you are looking for a fabulous gift for your sweetie (yeah Valentine's is around the corner, we know), you cannot go wrong with a gift certificate to a spa. It doesn't have to be one of those expensive, snooty, high-end ones either. Girls love to be pampered. Of course, you've gotta work with your budget--but it's not that hard to give a memorable gift. I am going to list some suggestions of stuff to give (or do) for your honey this Valentine's. Why do I even care? I'm unattached and not expecting any romantic overtures. So maybe it's just my own wishlist, but there are a lot of people who agree with me!

1) Gift certificate to a spa. Or to hell with it, if you have the skills--just take a bottle of massage oil over and give the massage yourself! I once got a foot massage at the club from some guy--ladies I'm sure y'all know how feet ache after a few hours of dancing or even just standing in some of those pretty shoes--it took a few minutes but it was memorable (he wasn't).
2) CHOCOLATE. Yes, it is cliche, but it does work. Think along the lines of Ferrero Roche, Godiva, Lindt, going up. You don't have to break the bank, but if Hershey's or milky way is the only thing you can afford, I say give it up and go for something you don't have to spend a lot of $$ on.
3) Love POEM. Another cliche, but it really works. And I'm not talking about those high school love letters that your friends helped you write! I swear, there must be some kind of form letter circulating in Kenyan secondary schools and every boy gets a copy of it, fills in the name of the girl he likes, signs his name, and mails it off! It does NOT make a girl feel special if she gets an exact copy of her roommate's letter. And yes, we may share your letters or poems with our friends. Or we just keep them for ourselves as souvenirs. So write it well! And don't write it on notebook paper please! (It worked when you were younger but not anymore). And don't write about yourself either!
4) FOOD. Cook it, buy it, whatever. Just make sure you know if the person is a vegetarian/vegan or on a liquid/raw diet. I once shared some meat ravioli (accidentally of course) with a roommate, and the results were disastrous. Sorry K!
5) MUSIC. Buy it, play it, or sing if you have the talent.
6) LINGERIE. You need to be in that kind of relationship and you need to know the sizes well. or else get a giftcard.

And the list goes on...Basically, it's about you spending time with someone and showing them that they are special. It DOES NOT have to cost a lot of money, if you have the $$ go ahead and splurge but if you don't then just put some time or creative thinking into it.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
I think for all the gifts to be appreciated you need to have a special relationship with the person. There's nothing like receiving a love letter from a random acquintance that not only spells out all of your names, but describes you (or him) in detail--you are thinking "Do I know this person?". Words like stalker, creep, and arrogant asshole run through your mind instantly. Do NOT be too presumptous please. You know, us ladies are brought up to be polite and in turn kindness is mistaken for like. And if you're trying to guess if the person likes you--they probably don't. Sorry to be so pessimistic. But some people need to hear this. Or maybe the person likes you but if they are not putting any effort it's not worth it.

OK, now that I have the whole Valentine's thing out of the way, I'll be moving on to other subjects. Do NOT ask your unattached friends "Why" they are not with somebody. It happens. For various reasons. And just so you know, February 14th is also "Quirkyalone" day (a great book by Sasha Cagen). If you don't know what it means, look it up!