SECRET CUPID, ANYONE?

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (SANEPR.com) February 4, 2008 -- Chocolate and jewelry and sex…oh my! Valentine’s Day is upon us, and retailers and flower shops have worked themselves into a pink lather as they do every year around this time. Even if you love the romance and excitement of Valentine's Day, navigating the gift-giving portion can be a terrifying prospect. Wherever you are on the lifestyle wheel -- single, casually dating, committed -- Lavalife Corp., a leader in the singles industry for more than 20 years with a variety of web, voice and mobile communities, offers modern day gift and entertaining ideas on the most romantic and/or unabashedly self-indulgent day of the year.

“Whether you’re single or attached, Valentine’s Day always brings on pressure when it comes to what to buy or where to go,” says Lori Miller, Lavalife’s Singles and Dating Expert. “If you’re single, you want to indulge in this holiday and be where the action is. If you’re dating or in a relationship, you want to choose a creative gift (forget the staple roses and chocolates) that makes a statement without trying too hard. Lavalife’s 2008 Valentine’s Day guide offers great ideas to help break through Valentine’s Day gift clichés.”

How much to spend?
Figuring out just how much should you spend is tough at any point in a relationship. There is a fine line between caring and scaring. Use this handy guide as a ballpark on spending and read on for accompanying gift suggestions:

• $60 and under for less than two months
• $100 and under for four months and under
• $200 and under for four to six months
• $300 and up for six months or longer

If you're single and loving it…
Single on Valentine’s Day? Embrace it! Form a secret admirer co-op with other single friends, draw names (anonymously, of course) and send your pick something on V-Day to celebrate fun, friends and fabulousness. Think Secret Santa…only frillier and more fun. Secret Cupid anyone?
Ladies, order some takeout Italian food and a box of sumptuous chocolates and eat them in your pajamas with a hilarious, girly novel like Unpredictable by Eileen Cook ($14*, Berkley). Take the day off for a movie marathon (start with the new Kathryn Heigl flick 27 Dresses) or book yourself a day at the spa. Revel in spending a solitary, giddy day pampering yourself.

If you're a single guy with no attachments, send your mom a card. If you're a really nice guy, consider sending some non-red roses to a female buddy. That good-guy karma will pay dividends for years as she tells all of her single friends what a good catch you are.

If you've only had a few dates…
Guys, this may come as a shock: Even if a woman has had only one date with you in the month of February, she's hoping you'll send her something sweet for Valentine's Day. Spice up the traditional red roses or candy with one of these more creative tokens.
Emily's Milk Chocolate Love Fortune Cookies come packaged in an adorable red Chinese takeout box. Inside you'll find six delectable milk chocolate-dipped fortune cookies, each containing a little G-rated love note. Sweet! ($4.99, available at retailers everywhere and at www.emilyschocolates.com).
The 10-lb Monster Chocolate Bar ($49, www.heavychocolate.com) is billed as the world's biggest. It's made of Guittard gourmet chocolate and boasts 1,000 bites in every bar. It's not just huge, it makes a big impression as well.
Edna Valley Pinot Noir ($19.99 www.ednavalleyvineyard.com) is a pioneering (and still reasonably priced) label from California's central coast. The close proximity of the vineyard to the Pacific Ocean creates a rare east-west oriented vineyard with an ideal region for producing fine wines, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

KarmaThreads T-shirts fuse vintage flair with contemporary design to create "feel good" messages for women. And they donate a portion of proceeds to charity, which is good… you know, karma. We like the Become, Love is My Religion and Love Happens ($40, www.karmathreads.com).
If you've been dating for a few months…
OK, I know you're going to think this is strange but try thinking outside the chocolate box and inside the shoe box. KiKi*c designs shoes with jewels, faux fur and luscious fabrics that would make any fashionista drool. Doda ($79), Britster ($86) and Poodley ($79) are Lavalife’s personal favorites from (available at www.kikic.com).

For your guy, the RipStik is a cool in-line caster board that brings the fun of surfing and snowboarding to dry land. The RipStik is the newest in-line caster board to feed the street-surfing craze -- with traction pads on each platform, the RipStik is easy to learn and great for tricks (even I look cool). An instructional DVD, "How to Ride," is included ($99.99 at SharperImage.com).

If you're not quite ready to take the jewelry plunge, consider getting some bling for her iPhone instead. Gilty Couture is a fabulous new line of Swarovski crystal cases for Apple iPods and iPhones. Our favorite is the silver case with pink crystals ($55-$200 at www.giltycouture.com).

If you've been dating six months or longer…
Most people who have been dating six months or longer usually think jewelry. If you're steering clear of commitment, the safe bet is to stick to bracelets, necklaces or earrings. To avoid the jewelry plunge altogether, consider one of these gifts that will seem just as shiny!

For wine lovers, we like the IntelliScanner Wine Collector 250 -- a portable barcode scanner that works with your phone or PDA to organize your wine collection, determine the best drinking time or just make you look really cool in front of your friends. Just scan the bottle (right at the table or store) and the software will automatically give you details on the wine, from winery to color to variety to region, including ratings. The tiny keyfob scanner fits easily in your purse or pocket ($299, www.intelliscanner.com).
Ladies, improve your guy's enthusiasm for Valentine's Day by giving him a really cool gift. The Vuzix iWear AV920 is like a big screen TV that fits in your pocket. The 62" virtual screen makes video content larger than life for portable electronics devices, iPods, MPEG players, portable DVD players, gaming consoles, camcorders and cell phones. They're the perfect accessory for your business traveler, commuter or technology-loving guy ($349, Vuzix.com).

If you're short on cash, you can still make a big splash using a little creativity. Paper her bathroom in heart-shaped Post-it notes ($2.49, available at mass retailers everywhere) or give your sweetie a post-dinner massage using the Hot Heart Massager and the Burning Desire soy massage candle. The soy oil is warmed by the flame but never gets hotter than your body temperature ($13 each, www.pureromance.com).

Get out of town!
If you're up for a romantic trip this Valentine's Day, consider taking a trip to Lovelock, Nevada (about 100 miles east of Reno). Couples come from all over to "lock in" their love forever by placing a lock on the never-ending chain of more than 900 locks at Lovers Lock Plaza. The custom, according to city officials, is based on an ancient Chinese tradition -- as long as the lock remains on the chain, love will endure. In addition to Lovers Lock Plaza, Lovelock boasts dozens of après-locking activities as well (www.loverslock.com).
Sounds like a lock on Valentine's Day to me. For the complete Valentine’s Day ideas and tips, check out Lavalife’s free online magazine featuring new articles and exclusive tips for singles, Click at http://click.lavalife.com.
About Lavalife
Lavalife is ranked the #1 dating site in Canada* and is ranked among the top 10 worldwide dating sites.** A leading provider of products and services designed for singles, Lavalife connects, engages and entertains through a variety of web, voice and mobile offerings. Founded in 1987, Lavalife Corp. markets its products and services across the United States, Canada and Australia and allows its members anytime, anywhere access to like-minded individuals. Lavalife's open-minded approach to dating allows singles to choose how they want to "click" by offering three unique communities: dating, relationships and intimate encounters. Lavalife has attracted millions of unique members who exchange 1.3 million messages every day. For more information, visit www.lavalife.com/corp or www.lavalife.com/mediaroom.

* Source: Combination of comScore Media Metrix and Lavalife. Lavalife estimates that it ranks #1 in Canada when publicly quoted statistics are adjusted to reflect traffic assigned to other web sites.

** Source: Combination of comScore Media Metrix and Lavalife. Lavalife estimates that it ranks in the top 10 worldwide when publicly quoted statistics are adjusted to reflect traffic assigned to other web sites.

Editor’s Note: All prices quoted in US dollars.
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