It’s almost that time of year again – Valentine’s Day. A time to share with that special someone, whether it be romantically or just for fun. It is also a time that you typically try to find a unique gift or share a special night out. Some people spend weeks planning for the big day, but if you are like me, you have not even thought about it yet.

So, as the holiday quickly approaches, I thought to help this year go a little smoother, I might suggest turning to the Internet for not just some great gift ideas but ideas for the special day as well.

Since flowers and candy are a typical mainstay of Valentine’s Day, let’s start there. Sure, you could just go to the store, but sometimes it doesn’t always have exactly what you want.

That’s where sites such as Flower.com and Candydirect. com come in.

Both sites offer a large selection of traditional and unique fare, as well as many options for customizing a unique gift. Unfortunately, Flower.com can be very expensive. Candydirect.com, however, offers items in just about any price range. Also, if you cannot find what you want there, a large selection of similar sites are available, each with their own unique selection.

If you are looking for something more personal or original, then there are several sites available for that as well. Redenvelope.com has a nice selection of gifts, although it too can get a bit pricey. Some of their items can be found elsewhere for cheaper but many are unique and really appeal to specific tastes.

Surprise.com does not offer any gifts themselves but instead has a large user-submitted database of ideas and links for gifts. The ideas are categorized by holidays, personality types or hobbies to help you narrow down a specific type of gift.

The ideas are original and can help you come up with some unique gifts you may not have thought of otherwise. The sites offering the gifts range from inexpensive to far pricier packages, so it is easy to stay in a particular price range.

Reflect.com is another unique site that offers an array of products that you can customize the scent for, such as shampoos and soaps.

Since it is a little risky to make a scent and some packages are expensive, they offer “sampler” packs that come with a gift certificate to the site. This way, the person can choose what he or she likes and go online to buy more of it.

Since many of these sites are a little more than you may want to spend, it is always a good idea to head to coupon and deal sites such as Fatwallet.com. There are many promotions and deals for the online shopper. One example is Reflect.com’s offers for gift certificates, chocolates or flowers, depending on how much you spend.

As good as gifts are, sometimes it is just a special night out – or in – that you want. In that case, check out Lovingyou.com, a site devoted to gathering ideas for a romantic evening or getaway. Many of its ideas are submitted by site visitors as well, so the ideas are typically not over the top or silly.

If you already know you will be staying in and cooking, Allrecipes.com has large selection of user-submitted ideas for meals and candies and other foods to make.

Also, do not forget sites such as Wine.com, which has nice selection with many reasonable prices. They also have a good rating system for various people’s wine tastes.

These are not even close to all the ideas and gifts you will find on the Web, but it is a place to start. Once you find the types of ideas or gifts you want, you can start narrowing your search down and find more specifics. If nothing else, I hope these sites just give you general ideas or plans that will help make your Valentine’s Day a memorable one.

Chris Weishaar is a sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication from Bronson.