Valentine's Day Chocolates in the City

A guide to the best chocolatiers in the Greater Boston area.

Looking For Valentine's Day Gift Ideas?

Crib our gift list, and add your suggestions.

Two years ago, a dear friend sought my advice on what to get his girlfriend for Valentine's Day. His idea? A lamp. Because nothing says I love you quite like a lamp.... Don't get me wrong — I'm all about practical gifts. But when it comes to Valentine's Day, I believe sentiments or surprises should come from the heart, and be about the person you love, not about fulfuling their lighting needs. After a little bit of coaching, my friend settled on a necklace from a local artist. His girlfriend loved the gift, not only because it was pretty, but because it would remind her of him throughout the day, even when they were apart. Remember too, Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about spending a lot of (or any) money. The way to a loved one's …

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City Teens Pick 10 Unhealthiest Songs of 2011

Boston teens worked with the city's Public Health Commission to choose "Marvin's Room" by Drake as the unhealthiest song (in relationship terms) in 2011.

With the 2012 Grammy Awards and Valentine’s Day right around the corner, Start Strong Boston, a program of the Division of Violence Prevention at the at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), is taking a critical look at the messages in songs from Billboard’s “Hot 100” chart. For the third year in row, program youth have created a Top 10 Healthy and Unhealthy Relationship Song List to help other teens think through which songs can serve as models for their own lives and relationships, and which should not. “We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t listen to certain songs because they may not have a healthy message, but it’s important to be able to recognize that a song, although it may be your favorite, may not have a positive message,” …

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Better Get Those Orders in Now for Beacon Hill Chocolates

Chocolate-dipped strawberries need to be ordered by Saturday, French macaroons by Sunday to make sure you get some.

Visiting Beacon Hill Chocolates on a quiet afternoon several days before Valentine's Day, one gets the sense that they are enjoying the calm before the storm. Indeed, it's the busiest day of the year for the Charles Street chocolatier. And shoppers who wait until the last minute to get sweets for their sweeties could find slim pickins. "Don't wait until Valentine's Day. We've had to turn people away at the door before," Danika Wood, an employee at Beacon Hill Chocolates, said. Even this weekend will be busy.  Two popular items in particular need to be ordered by this weekend: chocolate-dipped strawberries – which are only availabe at the store once a year – and French macaroons. For the strawberries, which can be milk or dark chocolates, …

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Where to Have Valentine's Day Dinner in the City

Dinner menus for Valentine's Day across the city, including Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, Clink and Scampo.

Mom Talk

Valentine for a Stranger

Need an excuse to practice random acts of kindness? Good deeds are contagious.

On the spectrum of risky behaviors, this one ranks high only if you fear the fluorescent orange envelope.  We’d just finished an errand on Newbury Street one Saturday afternoon, and the kids were waiting for me to unlock the car. As I dug out my keys, a couple was parking just in front of us. They got out of their car and headed for the “pay and display” meter, the kind that gives you a sticker receipt. I looked quickly around for someone who might disapprove of what I was about to do. I then took my own parking sticker off the window and asked the driver who was about to pay the machine, “if you only need a few minutes of parking, would you like mine?”  Surprised, the man looked at me as if I’d made his day. He smiled and thanked me, and …

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