The sweetheart holiday is just around the corner. Gift ideas, how much to spend and spontaneous plans can be a struggle to come up with for some people. Over the years, Valentine’s Day has changed, but also has stayed the same in some particular aspects. Although candy and flowers with a clever card seem to be the typical hit, it’s always good to be creative.

Dajour Lester, senior, said, “Valentine’s Day is for you to show your significant other love for a day with roses and chocolate.” He also said, “When planning on the gift, remember that dinner is a special part of the day.”

When planning for dinner, there are various restaurants that provide a special menu on Valentine’s Day. Granite City, Applebee’s, and Biaggi’s are only a select few. Even though Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year, it’s best to make reservations ahead of time as many places will be fairly busy. Before making a reservation, it’s a good idea to check the dessert menu, as it’s a popular day for a special dessert.

It’s estimated that in 2017 every 1 in 2 people will be celebrating the fond day. When looking for Valentine gift ideas, there is a variety of prices and ideas on what to buy. Candy and flowers are the most popular gifts, followed by jewelry. However, sometimes being adventurous is the way to go. Some great gift ideas would be a scrapbook of all of the memories a couple has endured, a story written about a couple’s love journey or a massage/salon certificate. For the people who don’t have a special someone but want to do something special for another, they could write an anonymous card or note. When planning for Valentine’s Day, surprises and memorable places can bring out the best times to reflect on love with a significant other. Junior, Lexi Neal said, “It’s fun to do something different, something that the usual couple celebrating the day wouldn’t do.”

As Valentine’s Day is creeping up, don’t be the last minute shopper, various stores already have their Valentine’s Day specials out. When multiple high schoolers were asked about how much they were going to spend on their significant other this Valentine’s Day, the typical answer was from $45-$70. Typically, girls spend less than the guys. Senior Emma Gellerstedt said, “It doesn’t necessarily have to be the price of the gift that shows its value.”