NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and for those of you who want to get a bit more creative with gifts this year, we have some ideas.

Here are today's heart warming five tips...

In 1868, Richard Cadbury introduced the first box of chocolates, and later, the first Valentine's Day candy box. Now, more than 130 years later, the National Confectioners Association says Americans are expected to buy 36 million heart shaped boxes this year, spend $1.05 billion on candy (both chocolate and non-chocolate) and 8 billion conversation hearts will be produced.

While most of us are accustomed to the traditional packaging of gold, lace and frills, why not spice things up a bit this year?

Matt Lewis, of Chocolate Bar in New York City, says chocolate looks just as good and sexy in a clean, modern design. Consider individual pieces of chocolate decorated with a Valentine's design. If your sweetheart loves chocolate, but you want to move beyond pieces of chocolate, these are some ideas.

Alison Nelson, co-owner or Chocolate Bar, said, "They can get creative. You can find many, many products. There are teas that have chocolate, there are candles that are chocolate-scented, there are chocolate based body products. If you wanted to add chocolate to your dinner, you can whip up a chocolate martini."

Truffles are also a popular idea. Nelson says they are also seeing new trends in truffles. Chefs are moving away from the traditional champagne truffles and are mixing up the spices with more adventurous flavors. How does wasabi and ginger sound?

Milk or dark? Milk chocolate is what is traditionally used in chocolate bars. But according to annual studies by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, the percentage of Americans who prefer dark over milk is on the rise.

CNNfn's Gerri Willis reports on five creative gift ideas for your Valentine. Play video (Real or Windows Media)

One possible reason? More and more people are aware it has a lot less calories, a lot less sugar and a lot less milk. Lewis says, just like wine and cheese, people are really into chocolate.

In fact, Americans consume more than three billion pounds of chocolate a year. And if you are really into chocolate, you're going to be really into dark chocolate. Experts say a lot of people don't even consider milk and white chocolate at this point because it has been so corrupted by the sugar and the milk.

Now, we can't discuss dark chocolate without discussing the basics of cacao (pronounced "ka-cow.") Cacao is the percentage of real chocolate. Lewis says products containing 65 to 72 percent cacao are the best, while anything above 72 percent might be a bit too bitter for most tastes. He says it is not unusual to hear a customer ordering based on the percent of cacao or chocolate.

As for cost, the higher the cacao, the more expensive the chocolate is for the chefs. They may or may not pass that on to the consumer. Overall, chocolate is considered an affordable passion. Consumers can find adorable boxes for as little as $8.00/box to the more high end which can reach $100 or more a pound.

Lewis says a lot of what makes the chocolate more expensive is the packaging. He says he has seen people give chocolates in leather boxes.

If they are concerned about carbs, there is the option of Atkins low-carb chocolates. Log onto www.Atkins.com for some ideas. We found everything from a box of milk and dark chocolate caramels for about $7 dollars to an Atkins Endulge Chocolate Candy Bar box for about $20.

Russell Stover is also jumping into the low-carb game. It is selling a low-carb chocolate heart box this Valentine's Day. It's wrapped in silver ribbon instead of gold. We've heard of boxes being sold for $5 to $30 dollars, depending on the size.

Harold Hoogasian of Hoogasian Flowers in San Francisco says, why not move away from the traditional roses for Valentine's Day and instead give your loved one some tulips?

Hoogasian says tulips are a very romantic flower, there is always good availability and the pricing is more moderate than roses. You can spend $80 to $100 dollars for a dozen roses, while tulips can cost $15 to $20 a bunch.

It's a lot easier to grow tulips at this time of year and maintain them, says Hoogasian. Roses take a lot of sunlight and warmer temperatures to grow, while tulips can even grow in the snow. The reason? Tulips are a bulb flower and have everything they need to grow, except water, inside the bulb.

If roses are still your top choice, you're not alone. In fact, the Society of American Florists says an estimated 156 million roses were sold for Valentine's Day last year.

While red reigns as the all-time favorite rose color, especially among men, the Society of American Florists says 62 percent of women surveyed actually prefer hues such as yellow, pink, peach and white. There are also some unconventional colors hitting the market, such as lavender, green and orange. Log onto www.aboutflowers.com for more detail.

Make sure you are picking a perfect rose. First and foremost, look at the stem. If the florist has quality roses, they will have strong, thick stems. Also, pay close attention to the buckets at the florist. Hoogasian says the water in the buckets should be crystal clear. And the buckets should be so clean that you could drink out of them. Ask the florist if the water is chemically configured. A reputable florist should have the right amount of preservatives in the water.

As for buying flowers online, make sure it is a reputable company such as FTD or 1-800-Flowers.com and, as always, it can't hurt to ask friends and family for references.

A recent Roper Poll confirms men's top choices for Valentine's Day gifts are beer and chocolate. 46 percent of those poll said chocolate and 23 percent said cheers to Valentine's Day.

Luckily for these men, chocolate and beer were also selected by women as the top two gifts they thought the men in their lives would most enjoy.

Brewing company Samuel Adams teamed up with Scharffen Berger Chocolate to create a new, limited edition chocolate beer. It is called Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. It is packaged in a 750 milliliter bottle -- roughly the size of a champagne bottle -- and sells for $14.99. But act fast! The company is only rolling out 50,000 bottles.

If your honey doesn't have an appetite for beer, our contacts over at GQ magazine have a few other ideas. In this month's issue of the magazine, you can find several gift ideas ranging from affordable to fantasy.

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Among them -- go for the bold. Bold colors for the spring are popular this year to help punch up any suit combo. Dress your guy up in stripes, polka dots, pinks, and purples. In GQ, you'll find price ranges from $36 shirts to $235.

Also, chronograph watches are becoming more and more popular. And while they look complicated to use, they are actually quite simple. Once again, you can find price ranges from a couple hundred dollars to more than $16,000.

And, finally, if price is absolutely no object, how does a $1.2 million Bugatti Veyron sound. There will only be 300 released worldwide and the car can reach 252 miles per hour.

Gerri Willis is the personal finance editor for CNN Business News. Willis also is co-host of CNNfn's The FlipSide, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET). E-mail comments to 5tips@cnnfn.com.