10 Ways To Geek Out Your Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is upon us, so it's time to come up with the ultimate plan for that special geek in your life. From cool activities to got-to-have gifts, here are 10 ideas for the perfect geek-tastically romantic day.
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When it comes to Valentine's Day gifts, consumers in the US are expected to shell out $146.84 on average, or a record $19.7 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
But when it comes to scoring cool gifts and awesome activities for that special geek in your life, it doesn't take a ton of money. In fact, all it really takes is spending time together doing fun activities, a little suspense, and some insight into your sweetheart.
These components will put you on a path to a super romantic Valentine's Day that any geek would love.
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"There's brain research that shows that doing fun and exciting activities together increases the feeling of connection," said Gal Szekely, director of The Couples Center in San Francisco. "Not everything that you do together has the same value. It has to be fun, exciting and preferably something new for you. When we have these kind of experiences, the brain records them better so it creates shared memories that connect the couple."
When adding mystery and suspense to a relationship, as in a geo-cache-like treasure hunt, Szekely said, "mystery and suspense can create that newness and excitement that I mentioned [earlier], which can promote shared memories and connection." He added that some level of mystery, suspense, and the unknown can spark feelings of intimacy.
Here are 10 super romantic and geeky Valentine's Day ideas for you and your sweetheart. Take a look and let us know if you've tried any of these activities, or if any of the gifts are perfect for that special geek in your life.
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Send your love goddess or god on a geocache-like treasure hunt, where he or she can search for that trinket or gift that best symbolizes your affection.
After finding a secret hiding place to stash your Valentine's Day gift, preferably in a spot where no one else will accidentally stumble across it, take note of its location using coordinates on your smartphone's GPS app or geocaching app, said Steve Wood, founding member of Geocachers of the Bay Area.
If you pick a hiding spot in an urban area, you'll likely have cell coverage to use your smartphone's GPS app. But if you choose a remote area to stash the gift, you'll likely need to use a handheld GPS device, said Wood. Such a device can cost anywhere from under $100 to $200 for an inexpensive model. Once you have your coordinates, pass them onto your sweetie, along with the GPS-enabled device, and send your love on the hunt.
Too shy to utter those three little words, "I love you"? Then consider saying it through a collection of songs.
Create a free membership on any free streaming music site that lets you share playlists. Using Spotify, for example, once you've selected the songs that capture your feelings, you can send a link to your loved one to give the gift of music.
If a picture says a thousand words, a slideshow or a video should speak volumes. These choices allow love-struck users to combine photos and high-definition videos into a slideshow. As a result, you can create a visual love story of you and your honey without having to utter a word.
How well do you know your coder chick or hacker hunk? One of the best ways to show it is by filling a basket with goodies that he or she would want and speaks to that person's interests. In addition to favorite beers, how about a sleep mask for when your dearest has to nap under the desk during crunch times near a release deadline? Of if you're fond of a Star Wars superfan, how about a bouquet of plush Storm Troopers surrounding a Vader stuffy? For Doctor Who enthusiasts, a TARDIS Gelatin Mold might be a fun addition.
You may need to recruit some help with this little project. You want your Valentine away from his or her place for several hours during the day so you can install a constellation of stick-on, glow-in-the-dark stars on your love's bedroom ceiling. The project can be relatively cheap, costing approximately $15.50 for 500 glow-in-the-dark stars and a free copy of the constellations from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas physics department.
Togetherness is a key trait of happy couples, but the relationship can get an even bigger boost when you're doing an activity together, according to The Couples Center's Szekely. With that in mind, how about building a model together? It can be as expensive as the $99 Meccano MeccaNoid G15, or as cheap as a $12 metal model of Star Wars' R2D2.
Make some sweets for your sweetie with a 3D printer. The Choc Edge, initially a research project at the University of Exeter in the UK, developed the world's first commercially available 3D chocolate printer. The printer can take a photo of a couple, for example, and turn it into a chocolate 2D and 3D version. How sweet is that?
Curious how much time has passed since you last kissed your Valentine? TEcoArt has a range of clocks made of recycled computer parts to keep track of such things and more. The clocks, which cost $40 to $50, are made of hard drives, circuit boards, and other computer parts. One of the company's clients, Google, purchased more than 2,000 hard-drive clocks for its employee awards program several years ago, according to TEcoArt. The company has been transforming former computer parts into clocks since January 2007.
Although cloud computing provides vast amounts of storage, it doesn't provide the same warm and fuzzy feeling that receiving a heart-shaped memory stick from that special someone does -- especially if that USB stick comes pre-loaded with photos of your most memorable times together and, perhaps, a special love note. The Litop comes in 2GB through 64GB sizes.
"We usually give gifts or plan amazing experiences with our partner because we want to show them that we really care about them, that they are special for us and bring a lot to your lives," said Szekely. "So, why not also express that directly to them? You can tell your partner, 'Here's how you make my life better… Here's how I become a better person when I'm with you… Here's what I really appreciate about you and learn from you…' I guarantee you that your partner will see that as the best gift ever, and it won't cost you anything."
Although cloud computing provides vast amounts of storage, it doesn't provide the same warm and fuzzy feeling that receiving a heart-shaped memory stick from that special someone does -- especially if that USB stick comes pre-loaded with photos of your most memorable times together and, perhaps, a special love note. The Litop comes in 2GB through 64GB sizes.
"We usually give gifts or plan amazing experiences with our partner because we want to show them that we really care about them, that they are special for us and bring a lot to your lives," said Szekely. "So, why not also express that directly to them? You can tell your partner, 'Here's how you make my life better… Here's how I become a better person when I'm with you… Here's what I really appreciate about you and learn from you…' I guarantee you that your partner will see that as the best gift ever, and it won't cost you anything."
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