by Emily Foreman
Contributor

We all know how fickle American consumers can be. This time it’s a shift in the goodies that are being given for arguably the second most important gift-giving time of the year, Valentine’s Day. 

Consumers across America are as tired of those chocolates (that you have to poke the bottom out of) as they are of the oh-so-dreaded fruitcake at Christmas. American and international chocolate-makers alike have been feeling the resulting strain in their pockets in recent years. According to a report published on ConfectionaryNews.com, seasonal chocolate sales in the United States have declined more than 10 percent from 1999-2005.

From L.A. to New York to the deep south, consumers are looking for some variety in their gifts to add spark and warmth to this special day. One popular alternative to the boring box of chocolates cop-out is a gift more tailored to your mother, partner, or teacher, like a box of hand-made brownies or some heart-warming gourmet coffees, from a gay-friendly business, of course. 

But who has time to bake a batch of brownies? One popular way to “cheat” your way into better graces with your loved ones is through help from the team at Red Angel Brownies. Check out the wide array of brownie and coffee selections at http://www.redangelbrownies.com/ or call 615-491-7465 for more information. 

Other gift ideas that are much more original, but still not painfully time-consuming include:

• A day at the spa (Check out the local Urban Fusion Spa on Elliston Place)
• Personalized photos from Snapfish.com (Simply upload your favorite pictures, and voila! Get a calendar, a coffee mug, a purse, or one of hundreds of other ideas for your sweetie(s).)
• Jewelry from LBI Jewelry – mention O&AN and receive 20 percent off any in store or online purchase. Ask about custom partner commitment rings for the entire GLBT community. Call 615-519-1814 for more information.

With a few clicks of the mouse, you’ll have gifts for everyone for which you’ll receive major cool-points.  Talk about one-stop shopping…don’t you just love the digital era? 

So don’t be left in the “bad chocolates” dust. Get with it, and make Valentine’s Day 2007 one that’s truly special!