By Lisa Neff

Contributing writer

L’amour, l’amour, l’amour.

Opinions abound as to the identity of the original Valentine, with the most popular theory that he was a clergyman executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome.

No, he wasn’t a clergyman who married same-sex couples but rather violated a mandate of Emperor Claudius II, who felt marriage weakened his soldiers.

By A.D. 496, as decreed by Pope Gelasius, Feb. 14 was set aside as the day to honor St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers.

It seems appropriate that a native of Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, sent the first Valentine cards in the 1840s. Valentine’s Day, of course, has become much bigger—one of the biggest retail events of the year.

CFP sought to lessen the stress of giving on Valentine’s Day with a quick guide to good gifts for the heart, the soul and the mind.

Dandy candy: Candy can be good for the body in moderation. The estimated 26 pounds per capita consumption of candy by Americans is probably too much, but sweets for the sweets definitely can keep the holiday from going sour. Hazelnut praline. French vanilla. Milk chocolate. Smooth coconut. Dark chocolate. Extra dark chocolate. Strawberry. Cappuccino. Roasted almond. Double chocolate raspberry. Key lime. These truffles can be found in a small but rich box from Godiva Chocolatier. www.godiva.com

Flower power: You hear a lot about bigger TV sets, louder stereo equipment and mega mega-pixels in cameras. Now Trident Design has taken home gardening digital with the launch of Thirsty Light Digital. The Thirsty Light is a convenient and unobtrusive digital moisture sensor that when placed in potted plant soil intuitively monitors conditions, testing the soil’s moisture level once per second. The device resembles a green lollipop and blinks a subtle LED light to alert the user when it is time to water. Perfect for water conservation efforts.
 www.thirstylight.com

Charm and warm: The Clarus Q-Link is a sleek decorative pendant that goes well with a pair of jeans and a T—you might have seen it in the tabs on such celebs as Lindsay Lohan, Selma Hayek and Dennis Hopper and Jerry Hall. More importantly, the Q-Link pendant comes with a promise to provide more energy, less stress, greater focus and enhanced wellbeing. The Q-Link works like a tuning fork to help rebalance the body’s natural energy field—or biofield—so man-made electromagnetic radiation from computers, cell phones, power lines, TVs, home appliances and other life stressors do not interfere with optimal body function. www.q-linkproducts.com

Wrap your lover in the tantalizing aroma of melting chocolate or the sweet scent of strawberry. Scented colored throws from OwenLawrence.com are available in Chocolate, Strawberry, Orange, Lemon, Raspberry and Green Apple. Your valentine will relish the sweetness of the raspberry, the brightness of the lemon, the voluptuousness of the chocolate, the freshness of the strawberry, the vitamin energy of the orange, the inebriating green apple.

Heart smart: In addition to hosting Valentine’s Day, February is American Heart Month—that’s probably not a coincidence. The Life Fitness Dual Watch and Heart Rate Monitor looks and functions like a standard sports watch but features advanced heart-rate sensing technology called “ActiveEKG,” which allows for easy and accurate contact heart rate readings. “ActiveEKG” provides electro-cardiogram accuracy in seconds—allowing the wearer to stay within his or her THR throughout a workout.

Lotions and potions: Farmhouse Fresh’s Strawberry Smash looks good enough to eat. The strawberries and cream-scented moisturizer is a swirl of red and white wholesomeness capped in a vintage jelly jar. And it’s not just a good-for-the-nose product. This bath-time jam contains live strawberry cells, strawberry extracts, aloe leaf juice and shea butter. Farmhouse Fresh’s vitamin-rich Sweet Cream Body Milk is a delicate moisturizer that pours like milk and leaves the skin feeling like velvet. www.farmhousefreshgoods.com

K-Y Intrigue is a premium lubricant that combines the tantalizing and sexy sensation of your smooth skin gliding against your partner’s with the cutting-edge technology and ingredients that K-Y has become known for. Happy Valentine’s Night. www.kyintrigue.com

Since Kombucha was discovered around 200 B.C. as the “Immortal Health Elixir” to the Qin Dynasty in China, the ancient tea has been associated with holistic harmony and wellbeing. Fermented with probiotic-rich lactobacilli on a base of herbal tea, Kombucha’s active enzyme culture is believed to stimulate metabolism, increase blood circulation and strengthen the immune system. Carpe Diem Kombucha contains a special blend of hibiscus bloom, rose hips, blackberry leaf, elder bloom, peppermint leaf, lemon balm leaf and a unique fermentation gives the tea a fruity flavor. The tea has found many drinkers in Europe and debuted in the United States after finding fans in southern California. Seize the day. Drink to health. www.carpediem.com

Chocolate continues to entice a new generation with boasts of health claims and new popular ways to enjoy it. The high antioxidant levels in dark chocolate have drawn in greater interest and sales of dark chocolate. Mighty Leaf's Chocolate Truffle Teas consist of two black teas, a pu-erh and three herbal infusions. Chocolate Chip Truffle is a confection of deep black tea leaves with cacao nibs and chocolate chips offering an indulgent rich body with moderate sweetness. Chocolate Orange Truffle blends black tea leaves with vanilla, citrus peels and cacao nibs for a satisfying brew. Smooth and savory combine in the Mocha Pu-Erh Truffle, a blend of rare golden buds of earthy pu-erh tea leaves with cacao nibs and the clean notes of citrus for an infusion that both stimulates the palate and aids digestion.