ooo-la-la...Reserve your box(es) of baked-that-morning authentic French pastries from Marion B., A Taste of France. Marion Bonte runs a cottage bakery business out of her certified home kitchen, and bakes and delivers her homemade French pastries to households throughout the city. Her sublime pastries are moderately priced and exquisitely packaged in wooden boxes, ready for gift-giving. For Valentine’s Day she has a few special options: a $20 assorted tasting box for two; a larger size, 30 piece box for $49; and a box of 5 cannelés ($15). Visit Marion’s website for a full menu and delivery/pick-up options. Order by 2 PM on Monday, Feb 12th for doorstep delivery on Valentine’s Day or by Wednesday, Feb 7th for pick up at Fulfilled Goods in Newtonville on Feb 9th.

This bakery in Upper Falls is owned and operated by two professional pastry chefs—Bettina, who is originally from Germany, and Naun, who is Honduran. On their multicultural menu everything is made from scratch—including the bread for their sandwiches. Sweet treats for Valentine’s Day include: an 8” Chocolate Mousse cake with raspberry jam and fresh raspberries; Heart-shaped Sugar Cookies; and Chocolate & Vanilla Cupcakes With Heart Sprinkles. Desserts can be ordered in advance or you can always stop in to purchase: (617) 206-2001. Mon-Sat: 7-3. 295 Elliot St.

At Blacker’s Bakeshop everything is baked from scratch using the highest quality ingredients. Since opening in 2008, this family-owned business has built a loyal following, stopping in for some of the best baked goods in the city—including half-moons, cupcakes, cinnamon horns, blueberry muffins, and challah. Holidays like Valentine’s Day are an opportunity for Blacker’s bakers to showcase their creative talents with over-sized heart-shaped sugar cookies decorated with red, pink, and white royal icing; bite-sized, colorfully decorated cake truffles, and a Valentine’s Day cake polka dotted with little red hearts, specially sized for two. Oh and while you wouldn’t know from tasting anything at Blacker’s, the bakery is Kosher, 100% dairy-free, and nut-free, too. Open 8:30-4 Tues-Fri and 10-2 on Sundays. Closed Mondays and Saturdays. 543 Commonwealth Avenue

Offering gorgeous bespoke floral arrangements, botanical themed gifts, garden décor, and inspired-by-nature home accessories, Derby Farm Flowers is unlike any other shop in Newton. A one-stop resource for Valentine’s Day, Derby Farm also carries cards, a candies, and other goodies, too, to streamline your shopping. Their flower arrangements--which recently made it onto the pages of Vogue—have a strong local following for their elegant farmhouse feel. Place orders for pick up or delivery. Mon: 10-2; Tues- Sat: 10-5; Closed Sunday. 1280 Centre Street

Greentail Table in Nonantum is a one-stop shop for Valentine’s Day. A Best of Boston Winner for Entertaining Essentials, it's a destination for contemporary tableware, home accessories, and gifts for all occasions including Valentine’s Day. For the holiday, Greentail Table is stocked with cards, party supplies, local sweets like truffles and caramels, and gifts for every valentine on your list. Their website even has a Valentine’s Gift Collection for help selecting just the right item—bright felt flowers, softly-scented soy candles, cocktail mixers, fondue-for-two kits, heart-shaped tea infusers, pretty vases, and colorful childrens’ Kinderkitchen tools for budding chefs. Shop Greentail Table in-person or online. And for far-flung valentines, the shop also ships nationwide. 10-6 Mon-Fri; 10-5 Sat; closed Sun. 343 Watertown Street.

This is the third year that Lynne’s Vintique is bringing back its over-the-top, grapefruit-sized, dipped-in-chocolate, decorated, fortune cookies which have become a sought-after Valentine’s Day treat for families all over Newton. The individually wrapped, tied-with-a-bow, gourmet cookies are made from a French butter cookie recipe and are ready for gift-giving. To reserve yours text or email Lynne: 617-831-3781, lynnes.wrvi@gmail.com Lynne has other Valentine’s Day gifts, too, like jars of local honey from a Needham farm, locally roasted Dean’s Beans organic coffee, and a huge selection of organic teas. Located in the Echo Bridge Mall at 381 Elliot Street, Newton Upper Falls.

Look who’s making Valentine’s Day just a little sweeter! Nothing Bundt Cakes has bundt cakes for all of our valentines—friends, family, teachers, or maybe even a treat for ourselves. There are bite-sized bundtinis, single-serving bundtlets, and larger cakes to feed a crowd, all dressed up for Valentine’s Day. Their outstanding cakes come in crowd-pleasing flavors, all drizzled with their signature, not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting, at prices that won’t break the bank. With options like lemon, red velvet, white chocolate raspberry, and a Reese's special, it’s easy to find everyone’s favorite. All cakes are Kosher Dairy Certified. Open 7 days/week. 170 Needham Street, Newton, with easy parking

For the past 70 years Antoine’s Pastry Shop in Nonantum has provided Newton with scratch-made baked goods like cannoli, Italian rum cakes, tiramisu, eclairs, custom cakes, and more. For holidays like Valentine’s Day, Antoine’s production goes to the next level, as it turns out heart-shaped cakes, frosted cookies, cupcakes, and decorated gingerbread men--perfect for all of your valentines. With a week until Valentine’s Day, Antoine’s cases are already filling up with heart-shaped goodies, so we can begin treating ourselves now and right through February 14th. Mon-Sat: 7-6; Sun: 7-3. 317 Watertown Street.

One of the best restaurants in the world (yes, THE WORLD) has a sister restaurant right here in Newton. Bianca, located on “The Street” is owned by local restaurateurs Tim (a James Beard award-winning chef) and Nancy Cushman, the duo behind top-rated O Ya. After slowly opening during the pandemic, Bianca is now in full swing, offering an eclectic menu ranging from sushi to wood-fired pizza, in an upbeat, lofty space. For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant has a special $75 per person prix fixe menu, featuring creative options for each of the three courses, like Goat Cheese Fritters, Wood-grilled Hamachi, and Passionfruit Mousse. Even better? The menu is offered from February 10th - 17th, so we can celebrate Valentine’s Day all week long. Reserve your table—while you can—at one of Newton’s hottest new dining spots.

Since opening in Newton Centre, The Cork & Board has become Newton’s one-stop resource for just the right bottle of wine, hard-to-find craft beer, specialty foods for entertaining a crowd or enjoying at home, and gifts for special occasions. It’s a foodie and locavore’s dream with a huge selection of top quality finds, all under one roof. For Valentine’s Day, Cork & Board checks all the boxes—with bubbly, lots of chocolates, soaps, candles, and fun local gifts. Stop in to pick out something special for your valentine or assemble a custom basket with all of their favorite things, for a gift that’s sure to be a hit. 1207 Centre Street. Tues-Thurs: 10-8; Fri-Sat: 10-9; Sun: 12-6. Closed Mon.

How did we miss this one-of-a-kind home decor-gift shop-art gallery-Italian coffee spot? Elizabeth Home Decor & Design is Best of Boston’s 2023 & 2024 winner for Best Home Accents—and now we know why. Elizabeth, an interior designer and world traveler, scouts out eclectic home furnishings and accessories, selling them in her shop at what she calls “feel good prices.” Elizabeth asks herself, “At what price would a shopper feel good about buying this?” And then sets the price—even if the markup is miniscule. Her shop is stocked with lots of sweet presents for Valentines-- ceramic mugs, jewelry, throws, objets d’art, and more. 242 Commonwealth Ave. 9-5 Mon-Thurs & Fri 9-3.

Lara Van Slyke is the owner and creative talent behind Lara B Designs, the high-end leather handbag designer whose work has been featured in British Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan. Lara recently moved her workshop and retail boutique to Echo Bridge Mall, making it easy for us to purchase fashion-forward leather bags straight from the source. (She can even customize her designs so they’re exactly what we want.)

For Valentine’s Day she has leather bags embellished with little pink flowers and hearts. There are sweet sock monkeys, too, hand-made by her mom. Open: Tues-Sat 12-4 or by appointment—just email lara@larabdesigns.com

With a name like “Market-Tiamo” you just know that this Italian market is a special place for Valentine’s Day. (“Ti amo” means “I love you” in Italian.) Stocked with authentic Italian food and products, Market-Tiamo, in the heart of Newton Centre, makes shopping a treat, with its friendly atmosphere and regular wine and food tastings. For a valentine who loves Italian food, grab one of their signature red shopping bags and fill it with favorites imported from Italy, including cold cuts, cheeses, olives, crackers, cookies, cakes, and more. Add dinner of freshly made pasta, sauce, and baked-daily bread, a bottle of sparkling wine, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, tiramisu, and the holiday couldn’t be more perfect.

SoleAmour, the new women’s clothing store in Newton Highlands, goes all out for Valentine’s Day, bringing in lots of sweet gifts at reasonable prices. Handmade, heart-shaped ceramic bowls ($24), jewelry (starting at $25), and “little words” bracelets with cute sayings are some options, and, of course, you can always shop their on-trend clothing for just the right Valentine’s Day outfit. Owner Stephanie Sipley hunts out clothing that’s on-trend but far from generic, selecting items based on wearability, function, and fabrication. The result? A women’s boutique filled with one fashion find after another, each one ready to become our new favorite piece. Open 10-5 Mon- Sat. 25 Lincoln Street.

Newton resident Beth Kirsch trained in France as a Master Chocolatier. Her award-winning chocolates are made in small batches with the highest quality French chocolate and fresh ingredients. Beth has earned a reputation for A+ artisanal chocolates at modest prices, all made in Newton!
 
For Valentine’s Day, choose from assorted boxes of colorful chocolate bonbons, which are (almost) too gorgeous to eat. There are hand-painted chocolate bars festooned with red and gold hearts, a special chocolate bundle, and, of course, lots of heart-shaped lollipops. Order on-line for either local pick up or shipping. Places orders by February 4 for the best selection and to have shipped orders arrive by Valentine’s Day.

Well sure, there are flowers, chocolates, and jewelry for Valentine’s Day, but if you want to get a memorable gift, Chris DeBarge, tattoo artist and owner of Auburndale’s Bird in Hand Tattoo, has some great ideas. Known for primarily custom tattoos, Bird in Hand also has flash tattoos, including a sweet Valentine’s Day collection of cupids, hearts, flowers, and doves, created by Chris, showcasing his American Traditional style, and fellow tattoo artist Erica Mason, and her Realistic style. Walk-ins welcome, or call ahead to assure availability. Tues-Sat, noon-8. 425 Lexington Street

This new kids' art studio in Auburndale has creative classes, school vacation camps, and nights out for kids aged 18 months-10 years! At Creation Station there are no run-of-the-mill arts and crafts projects—classes are designed to inspire imagination, spark curiosity, celebrate play, and promote arts exploration. In February it’s celebrating Valentine’s Day all month long with Open Studios, a Valentine Drop In, Taylor Swift Party, and Kids’ Night Out. Pre-register for events and subscribe to Creation Station's email list for event news and to try a free class. Address: 409 Lexington St.

Folklorica is Newton’s go-to boutique for jewelry lovers, for pieces like on-trend Jenny Bird earrings that are fashionista favorites. It also has accessories (hats, gloves, scarves, and bags) and home accents. Valentine’s Day is when this little shop, in the heart of Newton Centre, really shines. With a fine eye for craftsmanship and value, owner Don Gross carefully selects merchandise that offers shoppers gifts for different styles and tastes. It even carries local hand-crafted chocolates, making it a true one-stop Valentine’s Day shopping destination. Open 10-6 Mon-Sat and this Sun from 12-4. 61 Union St.

If your valentine is more into green than pink, then Lochtree, Newton’s zero-waste online store, is a new gift resource for Valentine’s Day. Launched by Newton dad and environmentalist Henry Palmer, Lochtree removes the guesswork from online shopping with well-crafted product descriptions, images, and videos, while impact statements give the environmental and health benefits of every product. For Valentine’s Day, Lochtree has items for pampering (like face masks, skin luminizers, and shaving kits); gifts for the home and kitchen (like candles and cold brew coffee kits); and fun presents such as packages of plantable Sprout pencils, Parisian-style net shopping bags, and insulated travel coffee cups. It's also offering 14% off purchases for Valentine's Day. Order by Feb 9th to assure on-time delivery.

For those of us who have been curious about anti-aging treatments but haven’t yet explored them, there’s a new professional med spa that can help. Newton Medical Aesthetics recently opened on Needham Street and is staffed with some of the areas top experts ready to help us turn back the clock a bit. Their treatments are non-surgical and improve skin texture, remove sun spots, smooth out lines and wrinkles, and restore volume in areas that need it. The practice is led by two women Board Certified DMDs with more than 10 years experience in medical aesthetics and cosmetic procedures. They offer complimentary consultations to those curious about refreshing their appearance, and, in February, 20% off any procedure for first-timers—just mention “ALL Over Newton.” Located at 233 Needham Street near 128.

This sweet little shop, tucked away on Union Street in Newton Centre, makes Valentine’s Day shopping a breeze. Woops’ French macarons in a rainbow of colors are available in creative flavors, like Honey Lavender, Tiramisu, Nutella, Dark Chocolate, and Strawberry Lemonade. Their presentation boxes, dressed up for Valentine’s Day, come in a variety of sizes—large ones are sure to be a hit with families while smaller sizes are perfect for friends, teachers, your sweetie, or kids. And to make your Woops purchase even sweeter, buy 18+ macarons in-person, and receive a free Valentine’s Day card with your purchase. Shop online or stop in—there’s shipping too, to easily mail a surprise to a college student or far-flung valentine. M-W: 11-6; Th & F: 11-7; Sat:10-7. 79 Union St., Newton Centre