Valley Valentine's Day ideas: local businesses offer creative gifts

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Valentine's Day is coming on Wednesday, and The National Retail Federation expects record spending this year. Local businesses are getting creative with their offerings, and right now, they're working hard to ready the orders and prepare for last-minute shoppers.

Love and floral aromas fill the air at D&L Flowers in Northeast Fresno as the team prepares dozens upon dozens of flowers for delivery this week.

"We have three semi trucks out in the alley that were filled with flowers, and we're going through a lot of them, but we have plenty left," said James Hensley, D&L Floral.

D&L is accepting orders online, over the phone, or walk-in for various arrangements, from a single flower to a LOVE sign filled with dozens of fresh roses.

Suppose you're looking for something sweet for your sweetie this Valentine's Day. In that case, Chocolate Wishes and Treats at the Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis has covered you: chocolate and caramel covered. They have chocolate-dipped strawberries, oreos, or something different, such as their strawberry pizza.

If you haven't ordered already, they said stop in to browse their hundreds of treats and build your basket.

"So when you come, you can basically grab whatever basket, and you can fill it up, and we will complimentary wrap it for you," said Susie Bowen, Chocolate Wishes and Treats. "It's a fun thing, so you get all your favorite Valentine's treats."

Maybe your Valentine is a coffee connoisseur or wants to be. Rare Earth Coffee in Clovis is offering a Valentine's Coffee Tasting class for you and your partner to sample a variety of their roasts. Your heart might skip a beat with the eight samples paired with a three-pack of Dad's Cookies.

"Have as much or as little of each roast as you'd like. Some people are more on the dark roast side when they get here, but they end up liking a medium or light roast," said Trevor Beal, Rare Earth Coffee CEO. "You get to start from the lightest point and go to the darkest roast point, and all the while, our head roaster is guiding you through what makes all of these roasts different."

There are limited seats, but if you miss out, Rare Earth offers routine tasting and roasting classes and is adding a Kona Coffee tasting class next month.

If you're not feeling the love this Valentine's Day, you can pay $2 to the Fresno Discovery Center to name a roach after your ex and feed it to a reptile, or for $5, sponsor a bag of poop with the Poop Fairies and get your ex's name put on it. All donations will go to Fresno Bully Rescue and Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center.

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