For Valentine's Day, my husband and I got each other a share of Pixar stock. There are several companies online that offer one share of stock that is more for a novelty decorative item than investing, but it is a real investment.

With this one share, my husband and I own part of Pixar, the company that made Finding Nemo and Toy Story in joint tenancy. This means that it belongs to both of us, and we are both shareholders. We are allowed to attend and vote in their shareholder meetings, although our votes amount to almost nothing.

On the surface, you might think this is a bad idea. First of all, because it was sold as a novelty item and not stock, there are certain fees. Stock isn't typically held in certificate form, but more as an "idea". It also was required to be shipped with a frame, which was fairly pricy. With a coupon I found online, we paid about $40-50 dollars more for this share than it is "worth". You have to weigh your own feelings on the matter, but for this stock and for this holiday, this was worth it to us. Furthermore, Pixar is being sold to Disney, so I will essentially own a stock certificate for a company that no longer exists.

Now let me tell you the benefits. In addition to shareholder rights, there are other things that made me decide this was a good idea for a Valentine's Day present. First of all, for each share of Pixar, Disney is trading 2.3 shares. This means I will still have the physical Pixar stock certificate, but I will also have Disney shares. And I believe I can get physical certificates for them too, but this is something I plan on researching futher later. Plus, in time, chances are high that the Pixar certificate will become a collector's item of sorts, especially since they are so beautiful. My husband's birthday is in March. For his birthday, I can purchase him tickets to Anaheim, and we go on vacation to the Disney shareholder meeting. As a perk, Disney often gives out tickets to their theme parks at the meeting. So now, I have his Valentine's Day and birthday present picked out, and for the cost of two children's tickets and hotel, we have a family vacation planned for later in the year. Also as a stock holder, I can purchase a card that allows me 10% off almost everything Disney related. So, those children's tickets and hotel just became even cheaper. Not to mention, I save 10% at the Disney store, so I can get Christmas presents at a decent price. In addition to the price of the stock potentially rising, I also get 1% dividends per year. This is a ridiculous 27 cents, but it is 27 cents that cost me no effort or work to make.

Finally, almost every place online that is in the business of selling these novelty shares offers them framed with a plaque. On our plaque, it reads, "You will show him that you remember that he's Mr. Incredible, and you will remind him who *you* are." This is a quote from The Incredibles, a Pixar movie. It just seemed to fit. It is about a couple that is in it for the long haul, and that love each other deeply. On Valentine's Day, I can't think of anything more romantic than giving someone a gift that says you plan on sticking by them a long time. After all, it's called an investment for a reason.