If you’re anything like me, now that Christmas is over you’re probably counting down the days until you get to unwrap your next surprise, and with Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away, that’s good enough for me!

Due to being a perpetually single person, I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day before, but this year is a little different. For the first time ever, I’m going to be receiving a Valentine’s card off someone other than my Mum and Dad. Hooray!

“Roses are red. Violets are blue. Happy Valentine’s Day. Your Mummy and Daddy love you” is an annual occurrence in this household.

After a discussion with my boyfriend, Jake, about the ‘most romantic day of the year’ we decided that we’re not bothered about extravagant gifts. Pshhh who needs them when you have each other! So instead, we’re setting ourselves a challenge of only buying each other gifts from charity shops.

We all know that Valentine’s Day is about consumerism, and Clinton’s cards and blah blah blah, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Let’s reclaim it and make it fun and raise a bit of money for some worthy charities in the process.

After all, who needs flowers that’ll be dead within a few days? Do you know what doesn’t die within a few days? Charity shop gifts. Because you’ve saved them from ending up in landfill, with your little purse and your big heart.

I know that it’s perfectly possible to track down great gifts in charity shops. I’ve done it before, here and here. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit scared. As of yet, I have no idea what I’m going to get him. But I know that as long as I try my best, I’m sure to spot something that he’ll love…eventually…even if I have to go in every Scope, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK in the Greater Manchester area over the next few weeks.

Fellow couples, what do you reckon? Think you can join us on our ever-so romantic charity shop challenge? Let me know in the comments below.

Photo credits: Polka dot dress