Today I visited Affordable Treasures in Los Gatos to pick up a few goodies for Valentine's Day. (I have teens. They still like candy!) Not suprisingly, the place was packed!

Not heard of it? Affordable Treasures is a "mainstay" in Los Gatos!

If you have never been to Affordable Treasures, let me tell you, it is aptly named. It is the ideal place to purchase party favors, seasonal decorations, and inexpensive trinkets. Whether you need a little something for Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Independence Day, Hanukkah,Christmas, New Years (or probably even Groundhog's Day), it's there. If you're filling a pinata for a birthday or goodie bags for kids, it's a great place to see things that are truly affordable and in non-Costco sizes. (And no, this is not a paid endorsement. They have no idea that I'm doing this post.)

Affordable Treasures is located at 15795 Los Gatos Boulevard and you can find them on the web at AffordableTreasures.com.

Another surprisingly reasonable place right in town for this and other things is Walgreens. Here's a secret: your friends who visit may want to take away a tshirt that says Los Gatos on it. Take them to Walgreens. IF the tshirts are on display, you will find the price to be incredibly low.  But let's get back on topic: this is another store (OK, two in town, one in downtown at N. Santa Cruz and Highway 9 and the other at Blossom Hill Road and Harwood Roads) with great Valentine's goodies at a great price. Need a card? Just do it!

So this is the stuff you get ahead of time, the cards, the decor, the little not-too-impressive candies (hey, my kids still like the heart candies with the words on them!).

What about really impressing someone for Valentine's Day?

I'm at the point in my life where I don't care about going out for dinner (or getting flowers) on February 14th. The nice things that happen day to day are more appreciated to me than that. Even so, sometimes it's nice to celebrate a holiday like this is an extra nice way.

So here are a few ideas:

Los Gatos is filled with beautiful parks, and this week the weather has been in the low 70s. Suggestion # 1 for a romantic interlude in Los Gatos for Valentine's Day would be to get a simple assortment of cheeses, crackers, grapes and wine and head to your favorite park, whether it's Vasona or Belgatos or anything else.

Another nice place to "just be" is the pedestrian bridge between Old Town and Forbes Mill. There is something about being still on this little bridge with the world passing by underneath that's very special.

Need to do the official Valentine's meal out? Los Gatos is oozing with great restaurants. Some of my favorites include I Gatti, Tapestry, Viva, Crimson and Trevese, There are also tons of great places nearby. (Last night I was in San Francisco with a bunch of blogger friends and we dined at a fantastic place called Cafe Tiramisu. The ambiance, food, and service were all spectacular, and a wonderful Sicilian waiter humored me with a conversation in Italian to boot. If I had 4 thumbs, I'd give it four thumbs up!)

Need flowers? Bunches in downtown is very nice. I hate to say something negative, but do NOT buy them at Safeway. I've had terrible luck with the flowers not lasting from there. Better with those from Lunardi's. But do yourself a favor and visit a proper flower shop if you're going to do it.

Need chocolate? I love Chocolate Dream Box, located near Lunardi's at King's Court Shopping Center (yes, it used to be downtown on N. Santa Cruz Avenue). Another good option is Fleur de Cocao, which is downtown.

Need attention, ladies? Romantiques on University Avenue near Old Town, Los Gatos, is worth a visit!  Beautiful silk goodies that you are NOT going to find in a chain store.

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day, no matter where or how you celebrate it!