The art of gift giving 🎁

Welcome to The Spark (by Hunter at Show Her Off Dance).

Every Thursday, I’m going to send you a quick, five-minute email with fun date night ideas, conversation starters, and resources to help strengthen your relationship.

My goal is to help you and your partner have more fun, feel more closely connected and create more meaningful memories together (just like with Date Night Dancing).

Don’t want to receive the email? You can unsubscribe by clicking here.

Date Night

You may be aware that there’s a holiday coming up dedicated to your special someone :)

That’s right, Valentine’s Day. 

Whether you love it or find it challenging to know how to make a romantic gesture, I’m here to help spark some ideas!

Date Night Gift Giving

Your next date night will happen near Valentine’s Day, so it might be nice to add a gift to make it extra special.

I’ve re-imagined some common Valentine’s gifts so that they’re even more thoughtful 💝 

Here are some ideas:

• Red roses → You can’t go wrong with a bouquet of roses, but how about preserved roses to signify your long-lasting love? (They should last for a year or more) ($30)

• A box of chocolates → A box of jerky. Seriously! I found an amazing heart-shaped box of jerky from Man Crates perfect for a meat lover who isn’t into romantic gifts ($50)

• Jewelry → A necklace with a custom message so they can remember you whenever they look at it ($50)

• Date night calendar → 100 date night ideas on a scratch poster ($15)

• One dinner together → A book of at-home dinner dates with recipe ideas and activities for you to do together ($50)

• A romantic night home dancing → ;) Cozy up with your sweetheart in the comfort of your own home and learn a few basic more steps with Date Night Dancing Part 2 & 3 

For the gifts that require you to shop online, act fast to make sure they arrive on time! The links I’ve given are to items that have an expedited shipping option.

I’d love to hear what gift you choose for your next date night 🎁

The Love Lab

I mentioned The Five Love Languages in a previous newsletter as a way to better understand yourself and your partner.

It came from author Gary Chapman in 1992 and it’s still super popular today.

He says that there are 5 ways people give and receive love with their partners and each person has a primary way that they naturally prefer. 

One of the “languages” is receiving gifts – but it’s not just about receiving, it’s about gifts as a way to both express love and feel loved.

The monetary value of the gift doesn’t matter – it’s really about the sentiment behind the gift. 

Was it thoughtful? Individual? Unique?

The important part is the message underlying the gift: “I was thinking about you when I saw this. You’re always on my mind.”

What makes a good gift?

It could be surprising your partner with lunch delivered to their work (for no special occasion). 

Or picking up their favorite snack at the grocery store on a routine trip. 

I also learned that most people express their love in the way they want to receive it. 

Counselor Mark Williams explains in this article: "If your partner buys you an album two days after you talk about how much you love a new band, or gets you a subscription to a magazine they think you’d like, it’s likely that their love language is gift-giving.”

Noted, Mark. 

Want to learn more?

There’s an official website with more resources from founder Gary Chapman.

And, of course, there’s the original book, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts if you want to go all-in on this concept.

Is Receiving Gifts your love language?