“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

So said Albert Einstein. Yet fairy tales are as much for adults, with written tales originally targeted to an adult audience to teach all of us how to navigate life with strength and resilience. Many of these tales feature love and romance, which makes them a perfect theme for a Valentine’s Day gift. Here are some other ideas, and whilst some gift experiences are not on Valentine’s Day, it is still a chance for you to spread the love throughout the year.

Denver Pop Culture Con

If you want to surprise your Valentine with some real Disney princesses, the Denver Pop Culture Con 2020 in the US plays host to Jodi Benson (Ariel), Linda Larkin (Jasmine), Irene Bedard (Pocahontas) and Paige O’Hara (Belle) who will appear at the convention at various times throughout the fourth of July weekend event. Others who will be there include Smallville’s Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum and Wil Wheaton of The Big Bang Theory, Star Trek: TNG and Stand by Me.

Fairytale Jewelry

Create a piece of jewellery that tells your partner how much you love them.  From bangles, pendants and watch straps, engrave a fairy tale quote they can wear.  From "Beauty and the Beast" to "Once upon a time...", from "I want adventure" to "The grey stuff, it's delicious." Choose your favorite fairytale quote they can wear as an endearment or joke between you and your Valentine.

For a more public announcement of your love, consider a glass slipper for your loved one’s charm bracelet. A rose for Valentine’s Day will always be a success, and can be part of a necklace and earring set in her birthstone color. Alternatively, consider a single rose preserved in gold or platinum that can be displayed at home as a reminder to you both of the love you share, and as an heirloom within the family.

Rewritten Fairy Tales

 “Till We Have Faces;” by C.S. Lewis is a novel retelling the fairytale of Cupid and Psyche, which was also the basis for Beauty and the Beast. In his work, Lewis follows the idea that we must speak with our own voice, honestly. Like all fairytales, there is a message that can be taken from these retold tales to help us deal with life’s challenges at any age. You can also gift fairy tales retold in Melanie Karsak’s Golden Braids and Dragon Blades: Steampunk Rapunzel and The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, on the Valentine theme of love.

Stream Movies and Television Series

A subscription to a movie streaming channel will guarantee you date nights throughout the year. You can choose fairytale-themed movies such as Pan's Labyrinth (2006), an imaginative gothic fairytale for adults set in Spain during World War II in which a girl must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the true princess or see the king, her real father, again. Enjoy old favorites including The Wizard of Oz or animations such as Shrek or Tangled. Also consider out streaming television series, including “Grimm”, which is dark, menacing and fairly terrifying, just as the written stories were originally intended to be. A fun TV series based on fairy tales is the aptly named “Once Upon A Time” with the first three seasons highly acclaimed.

Invitation to Comic Con

There are Comic-con’s taking place across the world each year.  A chance to meet some of the characters from Games of Thrones, Star Wars, Harry Potter and more. Combine the tickets with a lovely hotel for the two of you, and you can say “It's no fairy tale because it's true! I'm the Valentine for you!”

You could fly out to the romantic location of Rose City Comic Con in Portland, US for a special Valentine’s touch. Choose a sumptuous hotel or head to an Italian gastronomic restaurant before dancing all night to the sounds you both enjoy. For something more quietly romantic, dine under the stars at a rooftop restaurant for memory to treasure.