This one’s for the guys…a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

I’m surrounded by men; a good dad, two kinda crazy brothers, an awesome boyfriend, lots of guy friends and plenty of clients and Facebook followers equipped with a healthy dose of testosterone.  I’m not complaining; I love the many men in my life. In fact, I love you all so much I’ve put together a fool proof guide to help you pick the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the woman in your life.  Here’s the thing; while a box of chocolates is nice, there’s a ton of women out there, myself included, that are trying to get in shape and would prefer not to be tempted at every turn to splurge (I can’t be the only one that insists on biting into every chocolate in the box just to find out the filling!!).

So here’s a list of non-fat, non-cheesy Valentine’s Day gift ideas that are guaranteed to make us happy and prove to us how much you support our healthy efforts.

1.       A massage. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying it or the one giving it. Massage helps to boost circulation, reduce stress, and helps us to recover from muscle strains while making us feel human again. And when we are relaxed we are nicer to you.  It’s a win-win situation.

2. Surprise her with a workout class that she’s dying to try with you. Whether it’s rock climbing,  yoga or boxing, work up a sweat together.

3. Make an upbeat workout playlist with her favorite artists. Make me a mixed CD with a little Drake, Eminem and Sam Hunt thrown in for good measure and I’m all yours.

4.  If she’s a goddess in the kitchen, think of how to make cooking easier or more fun for her. A real Chef knife (I like the brand Wusthof), a quality sauté pan (I like Scanpan), a food processor (life savers!) or even a healthy cookbook (avoid anything with the word DIET in it please!) are all cool ideas. 

5. Cook for her. Think decadent, yet healthy, like a filet mignon with Creamy Cauliflower Puree in place of mashed potatoes (find the recipe on my Facebook page) and spinach sautéed with fresh garlic and lemon for example.  Just make sure you do the cleaning too. We like that.

6. Splurge on a gift certificate to her favorite spa for a manicure / pedicure or to her favorite store to buy some workout gear (like Lululemon or even TJ Maxx or Marshalls which have cute workout clothes too).

I personally would be thrilled with any of the gifts above. If you’ve got an idea that’s outside the box and you need a woman’s opinion before the big day, lay it on me at: https://www.facebook.com/chefvaleriecogswell 

Happy Valentine’s Day!