Most people expect the typical gift of flowers and chocolates for Valentine's Day from their partner. This year go beyond the cliché gifts and think from the heart to create an extra special Valentine's Day with your love. You'll find a fresh new perspective and your partner will be totally surprised.

If you want to be romantic, but don't buy-into the commercialism, check out these 6 ways to impress and be yourself, right from the heart:

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Put your love into words by writing a love letter, poem or song about your relationship. Who wouldn't love an old fashioned, hand-written love letter given to them? During the hustle and bustle of life we often forget about these old school traditions. It's so meaningful to hear why we were chosen and loved by someone. If writing isn't your strong suit, consider a top 10 list of things you love about your partner. Remember you're not writing to get published, so just use your own voice and show your Valentine how meaningful your relationship is.

Make an impression and share the love by sending a Valentine's Day card, chocolates or flowers to your sweetie's mother and grandmother. This is a sentimental gesture that will surely impress your Valentine and their family.

Buy a beautiful flowering tree in honor of your Valentine's Day together and when spring comes you can plant the tree in your backyard. The tree can represent the growth in your relationship over time and each year it will be a special reminder of that Valentine's Day in your relationship.

Homemade is truly best (unless we're talking about a diamond ring). Show off your crafty side by making your Valentine a gift rather than buying one. If you knit, try your hand at knitting a pair of mittens with your initials on the palm side or maybe a special word that means something to you both. Or you can dig out the colored construction paper, heart doilies and glue. Channel the elementary school Valentine's Day cards of your past. Cut, glue and decorate your way to a beautiful Valentine's Day card sans the Hallmark stamp.

Nothing captures your real life and love together like the photos you've collected throughout your relationship. There are so many creative ways to make a gift of photos. The only hard part will be deciding which one to do. A few photo gift ideas include a collection of Instagram photos in a flip book, a video montage of photos set to music and a hard cover photo book that you design and upload photos to. You can add your own special message to any of these gifts as well. This can also be made into an annual gift. Who wouldn't love getting a collection of memories to cherish forever?

Whether you plan for a month or a year, organize dates ahead of time and package the plans into a gift for your Valentine. This will show your partner that you definitely see a future for the two of you! Come up with ideas that leave a big impression and build lasting memories. Plan a picnic in the park with an outdoor concert/movie; a trip to the museum or science center; join an Earth Day clean-up and planting initiative; plan a board game/beer tasting night in; a trip to a local vineyard for wine tasting; an all-day movie marathon with your favorite collective movies and snacks; a date night to see an up and coming band or comedian; a visit to the local farmer's market or flea market; go strawberry or apple picking; go on a DIY pub crawl; find a drive-in movie theater; or rent bikes from your local bike share program and tour around your city. Take some time to divide your date activities by month and place them in a booklet you can both reference back to.

Justin Lavelle is the Communications Director at BeenVerified, a source to check whether your new date is who they say they are. BeenVerified allows individuals to find more information about people, phone numbers, email addresses, property records and criminal records in a way that's fast, easy and affordable. (Photo by Pedrosiminoes, CC)