Editor’s Note: Kerry Abner works with Turner Broadcasting’s Insights & Inspiration team. Each month, he scouts out innovative trends at the intersection of technology and lifestyle that are changing the way we live. Check out his previous column on ways to beat the winter blues.
Whether you’re in a relationship, single or it’s complicated, here are a few ways to share (in a manner of speaking) the love on Valentine’s Day… if that’s your thing.
With the rise of the do-it-yourself movement over the past few years, showing someone that you care doesn’t have to be expensive. Besides, being creative is way more personal and fun! “Hearts of Ice” by textile artist Margie Oomen are a great reason to revisit those arts and crafts talents so many of us left behind. A step-by-step tutorial is available on design blog Poppy Talk, but all you need is a heart-shaped watertight container, water, small stones, flower petals and string for hanging your ornaments. Place all the items in the container, fill it with water and freeze for at least 24 hours. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have a beautifully decorated frozen heart to hang up for your loved one to see – at least until it melts.
In an age of hyper-personalized everything, what could be a sweeter than surprising your honey with a bag of M&M’s inscribed with tiny love notes? Or better yet … a picture of your face! OK, maybe your mug printed on a hard candy shell isn’t the most romantic gesture in the world, but it’s good to know you have that option thanks to M&Ms, which allows you to personalize their chocolate candies, from color assortment and messaging to the packaging.
“Blind Gate” contest: Airline pairs strangers in “cuddle class”
Social media has made it more common than ever to interact with people you’ve never met, but what about putting your romantic fate in the hands of an airline? For Valentine’s Day, Air New Zealand has launched a blind date contest called “Blind Gate” (get it?) to promote its new “sky couch,” a set of three seats that fold into a bed for two. The airline is offering to pair up strangers for a chance to win a weekend trip from London to Los Angeles. The lucky winners get a long flight in “cuddle class” with a complete stranger, a weekend together in L.A., all captured on camera with plans to produce a five-episode series. Would you participate?
The anti-loneliness ramen bowl
Flying solo this Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to remind yourself just how much you love being you! Buy yourself a new outfit, go to the spa and treat yourself to dinner. But eating while trying to browse Facebook in an attempt to distract from your loneliness can be a challenge. That’s where MisoSoupDesign’s “Anti-Loneliness Ramen Bowl” comes to the rescue. It’s a bowl with a built-in iPhone dock. While this tongue-in-cheek design clearly plays on how attached we are to our mobile devices, you have to admit you kind of want one, right?