Whether you’re shopping for the perfect sparkly gift for the woman you love (significant other, mom, mom-in-law, best friend and the list goes on!) or maybe this Valentine’s you’ve decided to treat yourself because after all, self-love is equally important. Just remember that you don’t have to break the bank in order to shine.

We’ve got you covered with 5 of Robbins Brothers’ best ever jewelry gifts under $500!

Rose Gold Diamond Ladies Ring – $395

Diamond Love Necklace – $295

Diamond and Blue Topaz Necklace – $495

Infinity Love Necklace – $195

Freshwater Cultured Pearl Bracelet ($90) and Necklace ($99)

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This year’s Oscar nominations were just announced and some fantastic actors are being honored for their work. If you want to see an award-worthy acting performance in person, however, give your man a pair of boxer shorts or a box of chocolates – and watch him attempt to act excited about it. For a holiday that’s all about celebrating love, Valentine’s Day can be a real pain when it comes to picking out gifts. Since it can be difficult to pry ideas from your man on what he actually wants, here are five ideas that may inspire you.

1. A romantic night with no distractions. Are technology and busy schedules negatively affecting your relationship? On Valentine’s Day, make it a point to shut down your computers, put your phones away, send the kids to the babysitter’s and focus on yourselves for once! Whether it’s a Netflix and Chill night or a trip to your favorite restaurant, cut out the distractions and savor each other’s company.
2. Something he wouldn’t normally buy himself. Treat him to something that he’ll love but wouldn’t normally buy for himself. A nice bottle of scotch, new TV, leather watch case or tickets to a concert or ballgame are all solid options.
3. Boudoir photos. Let me settle a common debate about boudoir photos: guys love them. Think about it. The next best thing to seeing you wear something sexy in person is having a private photo album that he can enjoy anytime.
4. Spend the day in bed together. Trust me, this is better than anything you can buy at the mall.
5. No pressure. A common misconception is that men don’t like Valentine’s Day. It’s not true! We’d just prefer to spend a special day together instead of feeling pressured to spend big bucks on what commercials say is required of us. If your beau falls in this category, a “no pressure” V-Day could be just what the doctor ordered. No chocolates. No corny greeting cards. No expensive flowers. Just the two of you celebrating your love.

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It’s safe to say that Valentine’s Day comes with a lot of expectation, for most of us, at least. After all, for the month leading up to the holiday of love we’re bombarded with commercials, store displays, and promotional emails stressing the importance of surprising that special someone with a lavish gift (diamonds, preferably) or, at the very least, a hefty bundle of roses. Nearly every news website produces gift idea round-ups and articles about exciting date nights your honey should plan in celebration. Basically, if you don’t have the most amazing, intimate, romantic Valentine’s Day ever… well, there’s something amiss.

In reality, however, most people’s V-Days won’t look like the ones you see on TV—or in your social media news feeds. And, you know, you might even be feeling a little bummed if your significant other didn’t pull out all the stops to commemorate your relationship.

That’s totally okay—and beyond normal. Though, you probably don’t want to dwell on these feelings of disappointment, right? Here’s how to deal with those lingering emotions—and appreciate your partner despite them.

Stop checking Facebook
Have you ever heard the phrase, “to compare is to despair”? (If not, now you have!) Keep this mantra in mind as you read post after post of how amazing your social media friends’ V-Days were or see Instagram photo after Instagram photo of home-cooked gourmet meals, office-delivered bouquets and more. That twinge you feel in your gut? It’s telling you that you “should” be jealous, or that your significant other “should” have done the same sorts of things.

Stop comparing (and despairing) and log off. Not everything is what it seems in the virtual world, after all. You don’t know what preceded those displays of love—A fight? A guilt trip? A polite request for a gourmet meal?—so judging them against your own experience isn’t fair to you or to your partner.

Reality check yourself (you know, before you wreck yourself)
People go all out on Valentine’s Day for the following reasons (for the most part): They really, really love Valentine’s Day, they have the means (as in, money) to do so, or they know their partner will be angry if they don’t. If none of these match your relationship (or your own values or your lifestyle), then there’s really no reason to feel bad about not celebrating the holiday to the nines.

Maybe your partner just isn’t into the holiday. If you knew that going in—and you didn’t necessarily tell him or her that you feel otherwise—then you really can’t fault your partner for not going all out. V-Day can bring up a lot of negative associations for people (materialism, pressure, and feeling unable to measure up, for starters), so maybe it’s time to have a frank talk about it so you don’t go through the same thing next year.

Focus on the positive
Instead of dwelling on what your V-Day lacked, be grateful and happy for what it included: Maybe your partner let you sleep in while he or she took care of the kids. Or maybe you were brought a mug of hot coffee when you woke up. Or maybe you exchanged cards. Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be a show-stopping event to be meaningful.

Modify your expectations—and how you communicate them
If you truly crave a V-Day that’s out of this world, you need to let your partner know. As much as we expect our significant others to read our minds, or pick up on dropped hints, many of them just don’t. If Valentine’s Day means the world to you—say so! Or, better yet, treat your partner how you want to be treated by creating a plan for the holiday yourself: In other words, model the type of celebration you desire. Try it next year and see how it goes—you just may be happily surprised.

The post What To Do If You’re Feeling V-Day Disappointment appeared first on Robbins Brothers Blog.

I don’t know about you guys, but I find that in the midst of wedding planning, it’s not so easy to find time for passion. The romantic moments my guy enjoyed pre-engagement can often take a backseat to seating charts, picking out music and all of those other details you can’t escape when preparing for the big day. Not. Cool.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner (yes, already!), I decided that the holiday will be the perfect time to introduce some spice back into my relationship — because, really, my last V-Day as a non-married woman should be at least a little more special than the previous ones, right?

For those of you also looking to up the ante this Valentine’s Day with your fiancé, here are some fun, flirty ideas to get you started. Enjoy, ladies!

1. The Fantasy Box
You may have heard of Birchbox, which delivers beauty samples to your door every month, not to mention a slew of similar subscription services. Of all of them, this is the one you should sign up for: With The Fantasy Box, you and your guy get themed goodies to spice up your love life each month. (If you so choose, the company offers less frequent packages, too.)

2. A Boudoir Shoot
Doing a saucy photo-shoot has become somewhat of a new standard for brides-to-be. But why wait until the day of your wedding to give your guy this gift? Book a sitting with a skilled photographer for a boudoir shoot, or even a tamer, but still gorgeous, glamour shoot. (Your wedding photographer may even offer these services — mine does!) Not only will you reconnect with the feistier side of yourself, you’ll have some gorgeous snaps to show your hubby-to-be.

3. RevolutionWear’s FRIGO Boxer Briefs
Lingerie is a tried-and-true Valentine’s Day gift. But, why should us ladies be the only ones who get to parade around in sexy style? Pamper your man with RevolutionWear’s FRIGO line of men’s undies — they’re basically boxer briefs that are actually comfortable, supportive and completely breathable. Which means that your fiancé will actually want to wear them. Oh, and did I mention that these briefs are also super sexy? They’re a major score for those of us who love a man in figure-hugging underwear, but can’t get our man to part with his ratty old boxers.

4. Emily & Tony Massage Candles
Brides and grooms-to-be can certainly use a good rubdown amid the stress of wedding planning. Go the extra mile with this new line of massage candles devised by a sexpert (Emily Morse) and a beauty guru (Anthony Sosnick). They not only smell amazing (yep, I have one!) but the “wax” melts into a warm, delicious body butter. These candles are the perfect addition to your Valentine’s Day plans, but I would suggest using them as often as possible to keep you and your fiancé nice and relaxed leading up to the big day.

5. Craftsy Class
Learning a new skill together is a great way to bond and rekindle your passion — plus, it can really take your mind off the stress of where the heck you’re going to sit old Uncle Erwin at your reception. Check out the line-up of online cooking classes available on Craftsy.com — I’m partial to Homemade Italian Pasta and Thai Cooking Essentials, personally — then grab your ingredients and start heating things up in your kitchen (literally and, hopefully, figuratively).

The post How to Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day appeared first on Robbins Brothers Blog.

One of my favorite fashion bloggers in the whole wide world, Mary Hall from The Recessionista, visited our Torrance store to check out Valentine’s Day gift ideas and share her Top 3 Blingin’ Items this romantic season. Mary has such great taste and leaned towards the subtle, tasteful and affordable jewelry styles. (Oh and she loves halo diamond engagement rings!)

We had the greatest time sipping on Coffee Bean (our favorite!) and trying on rings with Nicole Vietor, sales manager of the Torrance store.

Mary loves HEARTS! (And not just because Valentine’s Day is around the corner.)

And now for Mary’s TOP 3 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas from Robbins Brothers (after a super fun one-hour store tour!):

Tacori Platinum and Diamond Engagement Ring

Reminds Mary of her grandmother’s ring: bright sparkle, classic and elegant.

U Two Ladies 14K White Gold Wedding/Anniversary Ring with Round Diamonds and Pink Sapphires

Fun to stack with weddings rings or even rock as a right-hand ring.

Vintage Inspired Halo Diamond Engagement Ring

Simple yet elegant and radiant.

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