With Valentine’s Day/Galentine’s Day quickly approaching, we sampled a few products to consider for gift-giving ideas. Some are edgy, some are sentimental, and some are serious fun.
Provided
JOYUS DEALCOHOLIZED WINE
If you started the year with Dry January and want to continue avoiding alcohol or are just looking for a non-alcoholic wine for a special occasion, pour a Jøyus wine and celebrate. Founder Jess Selander, who has been sober for 16 years, missed sharing drinks with friends during girls’ nights and created this line of dealcoholized wines that taste like the real thing, minus the headaches and hangovers the next day.
We sampled the award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in American oak, and liked the flavor, finish, and slight effervescence. It’s not as full-bodied as a traditional Cab and quite a bit sweeter, but it’s easy to cheer on this ethanol-free option that earned a silver award in an international wine competition. $28.99; drinkjoyus.com
CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES
Provided
On the other end of the booze spectrum is the gasp-inducing Liquor Whaaat set of chocolates. You may find yourself raising your eyebrows and shaking your head, but if you have some pals in your life who love dirty jokes and innuendo, they may love this company’s novelty box of Cream Filled Beavers. The six-piece box comes with three dark chocolate pieces with rum truffle filling and three milk chocolate treats with champagne cream filling. The beaver-shaped chocolates may disappear quickly, but they are sure to make a lasting impression. $14.69; liquorwhaaat.com
LEODANIELS BRACELET
Provided
We recently covered the trend of permanent jewelry, and it started my search for a loving Valentine’s Day gift for my daughter. Then a representative of LeoDaniels, a Minneapolis-based jeweler, stopped by with a lovely rose-gold chain bracelet for review. Each link in the wrist-sized chain is a tiny heart-shaped interconnected piece for an elegant, delicate design. This bracelet has a clasp, so it won’t be welded on like permanent jewelry but is lovely enough to wear day and night. LeoDaniels is offering the jewelry for Valentine’s Day at an affordable $5 per inch, and a portion of the sales will be donated to women’s heart health causes. Support a local company that supports women’s health—what’s not to love? $25; leodaniels.com
Provided
FABULYSSBOUTIQUE SELF-DEFENSE KEYCHAIN
A different type of bracelet can keep you or a friend armed against danger. The Fabulyss Boutique self-defense keychain is an all-in-one set of tools connected by a wristlet that you can slip on or separate out for style. The interlocking set may be a bit bulky but connects together a fashionable wristlet, a pepper spray canister, an LED click light, a Kubotan poker, a hand sanitizer holder, and a pom on a heavy-duty keyring. Keep what you want and detach what you don’t for safety tools at your fingertips. $30; fabulyssboutique.com
