2020 showed us the importance of taking care of ourselves and our loved ones. As Valentine’s Day approaches, we’ve compiled a list of ideas for how you can treat yourself (and others!) on this special day dedicated to celebrating love.

As we all know, the best way to someone’s heart is through their stomach. This makes our Bay Area gift boxes the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. Our Local Love Gift Boxe s are filled with flavorful favorites from fantastic small businesses all around Oakland and the East Bay.

Nothing says love like a warm and gooey chocolate dessert, a flaky pastry, or a scoop of delectably-sweet ice cream. Valentine’s Day is the perfect day for an indulgent treat! To satisfy your sweet tooth, we recommend some of our Oakland food tour favorites like Colonial Donuts (Grand Lake, Oakland), La Farine Boulangerie Patisserie (Rockridge, Oakland), and Susie Cake s (Lafayette). Market Hall Foods (Rockridge, Oakland) also has delicious treats—everything from its popular tres leches cake to fresh fruit tarts—in its bakery. You can find a full list of our food tour partners here.

De-stress and relax with a luxurious bubble bath, epsom salts, face masks, sugar scrubs, essential oils, candles, and anything else you can think of. 2020 was a rough year so whether you were single or taken, you deserve some R & R. Alternatively, you can fill up a box of relaxation goodies and send them to your friend or long-distance partner so they can enjoy themselves as well.

According to Dr. Loretta G. Breuning of Psychology Today , flowers trigger the “happy brain chemicals” of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Is there a better Valentine’s gift than the feeling of happiness itself? We love picking up bouquets of flowers at Diablo Foods (Lafayette) and Market Hall Foods (Rockridge, Oakland), but there are also tons of Bay Area florists like Gorgeous and Green, Lee’s Florist & Nursery, Oakland Flower Market, and Flower Bowl Florist (Walnut Creek) that you can check out.

Order your favorite drink, or try making one yourself! Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, a tour stop on our Grand Lake Cultural Cuisine Food Tour in Oakland offers to-go cocktail boxes and cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic options are available), and you can check out this link to order.

Gather your friends and meet virtually on Zoom for a safe, fun party. Now that COVID has temporarily put our tours on hold, we’ve pivoted to really fun virtual events like our Virtual Ice Cream Social and new Virtual Mai Tai Cocktail Party to get your friends together and enjoy yummy treats together.

Remember when you would make Valentine’s cards for your classmates in elementary school? Take a trip down memory lane and get crafty this year with handmade cards and heartfelt notes to show some love to the people you care about. You can drop off cards with some baked goods if you live near your Valentine(s)—and if not, mail them! You can probably even ship your treats if they’re sturdier foods, like cookies: just let them cool, wrap them in plastic wrap, and nest them well in a tin or container with bubble wrap or crinkle paper.

Valentine’s Day is a quintessential “treat yourself” day, so if you’ve been looking for a special occasion to try that pricy brunch place (the holiday falls on a Sunday this year!) or upscale sushi restaurant, this is your chance. 2020 was the year of ordering in, but in the interest of keeping yourself and your community safe during the pandemic, we recommend ordering take-out and enjoying your meal from the comfort of your home. You can find a bunch of our favorites on our Instagram page. We’re always sharing great local places we’re supporting, especially now!

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