VALENTINE'S GIFTS FOR HIM FROM NORTH CITY

*Not actually a fact, but could be a fact.

But women can be easy to buy for – no matter our interests. Show me a woman who doesn’t like flowers, chocolates or a good bottle of wine! Actually, any wine… Some men are the same. But some just aren’t.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, we want to share some gift inspiration with you so that you can treat the man in your life. Valentine’s Day is not about what you do or how much you spend, it’s about showing that special person how much you mean to them. So without further ado – treat him with these ideas (and it’s always a bonus if you get to share it with him!)

Pop the cork and indulge in delicious homecooked food for a luxurious night in. Show off your domestic prowess with a fancy fresh seafood platter to nibble on with a cold glass of bubbles. New World has plenty of delightful sparklers and fresh prawns, crayfish, salmon and scallops that you can serve from home. Grab his favourite DVD or book and settle in for a romantic evening. Top it off with a back massager and you have one happy and relaxed partner.

Tip: Acquisitions has gorgeous flutes, platters and delectable cooking sauces for special occasions, plus check out Farmers, and Stevens for Valentine’s sales on cutlery and other homewares to bring the silver service restaurant feel alive at home. You could even look at special occasion bedspreads for nibbles and bubbles in bed. For CDs, DVDs, books and more check out Kmart, Paper Plus, Whitcoulls and Farmers, and visit The Body Shop or Life Pharmacy for massagers or at-home treatments for him.

Everyone knows that a man loves a good film. The rush of action, the escapism, the eye candy, the actual candy… Treat him to a movie of his choice, and he’ll forgive you for the many times he’s been taken like an accessory to your chick flicks. Movies we reckon will take his fancy are: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Pork Pie, Patriot’s Day and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. Tickets start from just $10 for an affordable night together. Make a night out of it with a quick dinner stop first – the foodcourt has a wide range of offerings from dumplings, Mexican, donburi, kebabs, sushi, roasts, curries, burgers and even Butlers, the specialty chocolate café.

If he’s the rugged type that moans when you drag him shopping with you, we’re sure that you could turn the experience around if you make the shopping all about him! Let him pick the pace, the place and he’s on his way to treat town! New jeans, shoes or even to pick out his own sportsgear, he’ll love the experience and that you appreciate his choices and letting him take the lead. You could suggest Hallensteins, Amazon, Cotton On, Factorie, Jay Jays, Jeanswest, Footlocker, Shoe Connection, Stirling Sports or Overland (plus have a cheeky peek for yourself when he’s not looking!)

To go with his new outfit, he could even get a slick haircut from Hair+Beauty+Nails, Kess, Rodney Wayne or The Sharing Shed, OR take the manover home with you; head to The Body Shop or Farmers for some specialty men’s products that you ca help him use.

Now a soothing traditional back massage is something that he’s surely not likely to buy for himself, but will immensely appreciate. Alternatively, a head massage or a special relaxation massage especially for the hardworking corporate man, or a rejuvenating whole body massage for the sports player or tradesman is a great choice! Check out Serene Massage and Hong Sheng for options for him, and special packages. Perhaps you could even get one together! How’s that for a win/win?! We’ve never heard of a guy who doesn’t like a good couple’s massage.

This is something that certainly benefits both of you! We once asked a wise person*, “if a man was really nice, really smart and really good looking, but he didn’t smell nice, would you still be attracted to him as a potential friend or partner?” The wise person did not think they would. Our favourite safe picks from Farmers when you don’t know what scents he prefers are John Varvatos Classic EDT or Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, but there is a huge selection to sample, starting from $25. You can also check out Life Pharmacy. The Body Shop sports a bunch of products for “the man” to have him smelling almost-edible after bathtime – and there’s another idea! (wink)

*Based on one opinion. Also “wise” is debatable.

Boys like toys. If it moves, lights up, flies or beeps, he’s probably going to want to play with it. From drones, robots, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles, projectors, sound bars, headphones (deep breath), iPads, phones, portable power banks, action cameras, digital cameras, VR headsets, and smart watches, EB Games, 2degrees, Spark, Vodafone and Omnitech are your heroes. Bonus for you: him playing with his gadgets means more “me time” for you, but time together if you’re also into your gadgets.

There’s no time like the present, so give the present of time! Ha ha… Jokes aside, a new watch is always nice to have, especially if the old faithful is getting a bit tatty or past its use-by date, so to speak. Make an extra-special effort to show a bit of love on V Day by engraving a nice quote or meaningful message on the back of the watch. A great token of love to last the testament of time…. Okay, we’ll stop now!!

You can view and purchase watches from Adorn, Michael Hill, Pascoes, and Silvermoon. Engraving can be done at Mister Minit. Bonus for you: he’ll never have an excuse to be late again, even though he’ll try…

Have you got any other ideas? Let us know on our Facebook page!