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Valentine's Day Survival Guide

By Megan Capone Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013

Still need a Valentine's Day present for your squeeze? We're not gonna judge. But please DO NOT panic and grab a random stuffed animal holding a heart from the corner store. Your grown-adult Valentine does not want that. Instead, choose from these ideas of gifts you can still grab online and present tonight. How about an IOU for a monthly movie date with a Fandango gift card or what about one of these other perfect presents that can be bought from the comfort of your chair without running around last minute to a bunch of stores. Here's our guide to print-em-right-now Valentines:

Magazine Subscriptions

The great thing about magazines is that there are so many that cover so many topics. Meaning that despite your last-minute shopping you can still get something perfect for your honey. There are a million hobby and specialty magazines to choose from--many that he or she would never see on the news stand. Here are a few great places to pick up great deals on magazines right now.

A tip on presenting the gift: print the subscription confirmation from the site where you buy it, then write a note that says why this is perfect for them. Ex: "I know you are starting to love golf as much as you love me, so I hope this year-long subscription to Beginners Golf will come in handy."

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Gift Cards to Print Right Now

Okay, how great is this? You can give your Valentine a gift certificate and THEY get to choose where to spend it. GiftCertificates.com offers an e-mail-able SuperCertificate that allows the recipient to choose whichever gift card they want (from a huge variety on their Web site.) But here's our warning: you still have to make this gift personal. It's great that you're not locked into one store, but you DO have to think of what you're giving them the gift certificate for. Ex: "I know you want those Tory Burch knee-high boots, but I'm not sure what color or what store has the best price. So here's a gift certificate that will let you choose where to buy them."

Music & Movies--to Print Right Now

Hulu is an online video service that offers a selection of hit shows, clips, movies and more at Hulu.com. HuluPlus adds to the Hulu experience the ability to watch entire seasons and past seasons of your favorite shows, movies and exclusive content wherever you are - online, on your phone, tablet, video game console and connected TV. Give the gift of HuluPlus and your recipient can get instant access to all of this.
Got an avid reader for a sweetie? How about an avid listener? For those of us with long commutes, Audible is a lifesaver. A division of Amazon, Audible is an online audiobook store that allows the users to download audiobook for listening on nearly any type of media device - including the entire Mac family.
Visit the iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store for music, podcasts, audiobooks, books, movies, TV shows, apps, games and so much more. Buy an iTunes gift card for a specific amount or set up a monthly iTunes allowance that gives your Valentine a set amount to spend each month. Both available for e-mail delivery.
Barnes & Noble eGift Cards can be purchased for e-mail delivery and can be used for anything on the Barnes and Noble Web site or in Barnes and Noble stores. They can even be used for ebook downloads. Oh, and right now if you Gift a Nook, you get $30 as a treat to yourself. (Exp. 2/14)
Fandango gift certificates can also be bought online and used for access to movies as many theaters nationwide including AMC and Regal Cinemas. Why not announce that you'll have a monthly movie date in your card, then give a gift card that'll pay for it?