10 out-of-the-box Valentine's Day gift ideas for couples with young kids

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• The way you celebrate Valentine's Day changes once your lives are dominated by young kids; so too, then, should the gifts partners give each other evolve.
• While romantic nights out, flowers, and wine might be lovely in theory, practical gifts that make day-to-day living more enjoyable are the best gifts for parents.
• Here are 10 Valentine's Day gift ideas that might not have come to mind at first but that will be appreciated long after those roses have wilted.

When we were dating, engaged, and married, my wife and I went out all the time. We saw movies, we went to restaurants and bars, we went to museums and the theater, we hiked, we saw friends, and so many other things. Now, with two young kids, we still go to museums, but they tend to be geared toward people 12 and under, and we still hike now and then, albeit now with a baby on my back and our range limited by the stamina of a preschooler.

As for dining out? That's usually more stress than it's worth. Bars and movies? Forget about it. So these days our date nights are mostly spent at home, playing a game or watching a movie. And I'm totally cool with it — it's exactly as I expected life to be, really. But being generally limited to nights in, it has proven a bit harder to find a decent Valentine's Day gift. Taking my wife to a nice dinner means securing child care, timing things around breastfeeding, and waiting for that call that it's time to rush home because of [insert one of many issues here]. Not... very... romantic.

While I could bedeck the home with roses and candles and open a 2016 bottle of Légende Bordeaux Rouge to create a romantic evening, there's already enough stuff around what with the toys, the baby gear, the art projects, and everything else that comes with this stage of life. Also that stuff takes time. The decorating, I mean, not the Bordeaux.

How then to get a thoughtful Valentine's Day gift during the busy days of parenting? Think outside the box.

Give the gift of great coffee.

Though many do, parents have no right to claim sole ownership of exhaustion. That said, man, parenting is exhausting. Everything you already needed to take care of in life is still right there, now with other lives fully depending on you and taking most of your time. Coffee transcends pleasure and becomes necessity. So why not make sure your partner can enjoy a great cup at home any time?

It's hard to beat the quality of a cup of pour-over coffee. This brewing process allows for the fullest extraction of the flavors and potency of the grounds and, with practice, allows you to control the strength of your brew. If your partner loves great coffee but isn't looking for extra work to make it, then the Brim 8-Cup Pour Over Coffee Maker is a must-have. The showerhead design of this coffeemaker ensures steady, even distribution of perfectly heated water, creating a hand-poured effect that's completely controlled by the device.

Buy the Brim 8-Cup Pour Over Coffee Maker, $199.95, from Williams Sonoma

On the other hand, if you're shopping for a DIY barista, get a kettle that ensures perfect water temps and let her do the pouring over herself. Try the Brim Temperature Control Electric Gooseneck Kettle.

Buy the Brim Temperature Control Electric Gooseneck Kettle, $99.99, from Amazon

Forget the lingerie; go with yoga pants.

Sexy lingerie is great and all, but not when you think a kid might walk in at any moment. Also, when your free time is limited to the hour and a half after the last kid is asleep and the moment you and your partner submit to exhaustion, you really don't need to add any steps to the process, if you take my meaning.

But a good, comfortable pair of yoga pants? Those can be used any time, from walks to workouts to the grocery store to dropping the kids at school. While lingerie might be the standard bearer for Valentine's Day apparel, comfortable, logical clothes make the better gift.

For use primarily indoors or during the summer, the ONGASOFT Yoga Pants are a great option thanks to their mesh venting.

Buy the ONGASOFT Yoga Pants, $29.99, from Amazon

For use in the cold, the Everyday Yoga High Waisted Go-To Pocket Leggings are thicker and warm. They're durable and perfect for yoga and beyond, with a high waistband for support and coverage and handy side pockets perfect for stowing a smartphone or small items.

Buy the Everyday Yoga High Waisted Go-To Pocket Leggings, $32.98, from Yoga Outlet

And if you want to give her a super comfortable top to go with it, this company makes just about the most comfy stuff I've yet come across yet.

Buy a Tani USA SilkCut Camisole, $65, from Amazon

Chocolate is always a good gift.

Some things don't change when you have kids, one of them being the love of chocolate. If your partner loves chocolate as much as my wife does, then allow me to share with you her current favorite: Hu Kitchen. These guys make some of the finest chocolate bars she has ever tried, and that's saying something. It also helps explain why they cost rather a lot. But this is a gift, so go ahead and spend a bit.

Hu Cashew Butter and Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Bar 4-Pack, $25, on Amazon

Hu Almond Butter and Puffed Quinoa Dark Chocolate Bar 4-Pack, $25, on Amazon

Hu Crunchy Mint Dark Chocolate Bar 4-Pack, $25, on Amazon