Locally-Made Valentine’s Day Gifts for Every Love Language

Back in 1992, Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate hit the shelves, making the idea of “love languages” mainstream. Chapman essentially claimed that expressions of love could fit into 5 categories: 

words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, receiving gifts, and acts of service. 

Across cultures and individual relationships, there are countless other ways to express love. That said, we thought we’d play around with those 5 languages that Chapman fellow was going off about. 

No matter what love language your partner aligns with, we’ve got some Manitoba-made goodies in store that they’re sure to love. 

Words Of Affirmation

If your partner loves words of affirmation, they're probably a big fan of words in general, and they'll surely appreciate a good journal. 

These hand-bound leather journals by Debra Frances are so romantic. We’re talking wax-sealed love letters, “Romeo-oh-Romeo” romantic (minus the tragedy). 

Want to take this gift to the next level? Write something you love about the person in the header of each page. They’ll be showered with words of affirmation as they work their way through their new journal. 

Quality Time

How romantic is a picnic? Here’s how to pull off a mid-winter quarantine picnic with your boo. All you’ll need is a blanket and a Made Here curated gift box. 

The “Morning Person” box is perfect for an early hours picnic. With a pour-over coffee maker, a mug from Wildflower Colour and Clay, and coffee from Mugging Whales Coffee, this box has all you need to make the perfect cup of joe for you and your partner. While the water’s boiling, push your furniture aside and arrange a blanket and some pillows on the floor of your living room. 

This box also packs a Little Wing Odd Bird’s wool chickadee figure. Perch this little guy near your picnic and throw on some nature sounds (you can find hours of this stuff on YouTube). 

You’re going to need something to eat. Good thing this box comes with an irresistible almond butter from Spreads by Cede—the perfect topping for oatmeal or toast. 

Voila: a romantic set-up for a slow Sunday morning together. Browse our curated gift boxes to find one that matches your picnic preferences, or contact us to create a custom box.  

Physical Touch

Picture this: it’s a snowy February evening. A soft, crooning voice drips from the stereo, the lights are low, and you and your favourite cuddle companion are entwined on the couch wearing matching fleece knit Cabin Street sweaters. 

These irresistibly soft pullovers are the perfect gift for snuggle enthusiasts. Find even more cozy gear in our home decor section.

Receiving Gifts

Just because your partner’s love language is receiving gifts doesn’t mean they’re easy to shop for. Chocolate and roses? Let’s step it up a notch. 

If you were thinking of grabbing a heart-shaped box of drugstore chocolate, try Utoffeea instead. Your sweetheart will be so pleased they might even share.

Roses? They’ll be dead after a few days. If your boo has a thing for flowers, go for a therapeutic roller by Essentially Handmade. A delicate flower is suspended in each of these pocket-sized essential oil rollers.

Acts Of Service

If acts of service woo your partner, they appreciate any gesture that shortens their ever-growing to-do list. This year, surprise your partner with a decadent dinner at the end of their whirlwind day. 

Shop our Food + Drink section to find sweet and savoury sauces that’ll help you make a mouth-watering three-course meal for that special someone in your life. Don’t forget drinks. Abiding Citizen syrups and bitters make for gorgeous cocktails or mocktails.

Made Here is now open for in-store shopping! 

You can now swing by the shop to pick up your Valentine’s Day gifts. We’re open at reduced capacity Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Share the love!

At Made Here, 10% of all sales go to The Dream Factory. When you shop Made Here online, you can make an extra direct donation at checkout. 

The Dream Factory’s newest Dream Kid is 5-year-old Jubilee. Jubilee is living with Hirschsprung Disease, which affects the bowel, and dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively. In the picture above, Jubilee poses with her Dream Kid welcome kit. Until she decides what her Dream is, The Dream Factory will support her and her family by doing all they can to add some joy to her life. Your donations will help! 

Remember: not everything is about romantic love. This Valentine’s Day, show some love for your community, too.