Send your long-distance love a birthday-themed care package that lets your special person know you really care and wish you could be there on their big day. In the care package, you could include presents, a hand-written birthday love letter and fun birthday items, such as a kid's birthday hat and noisemakers. Cover everything in the box in colorful confetti for a fun surprise. You could also have cupcakes delivered to your sweetie's door from a cupcake bakery near their home.

Use your technology skills to send a super-cool birthday message to your love, electronically. If your significant other is away from friends and family, you could gather friends and family for a birthday party in their honor and record the whole thing. Have everyone give a personal birthday message to your love, and record everyone singing "Happy Birthday." You can edit the recording to make it extra special, using special effects such as slow motion and adding background music. Post the video on your sweetie's social media page, or email it if you want it to be private. You could also put together a slide show of pictures of your relationship, set to songs that are significant to the two of you.

For the adventurous couple, send your love on a birthday scavenger hunt throughout the city or town where your sweetheart is living. You may need to coordinate this with a friend that lives in the same area, who can set up the hunt for you. The final clue will lead to a party with your sweetie's friends or family. If possible, you could be on a live video chat with someone holding the phone or electronic tablet so that your love sees your face when walking in. Another idea is to set up a video chat birthday date. For example, if one of the first dates you went on was to see a movie, get the DVD for yourself and send your sweetheart one as well, with a microwave bag of popcorn. The two of you can watch the movie at same time while on a live video chat.

It doesn't get any better than seeing the person you love and don't get to see all the time on their birthday. Planning well in advance, if possible, take the plunge, purchase the ticket and give your sweetheart the surprise of his or her life. You may need to coordinate with a close friend or family member to pull it off without your sweetheart suspecting anything. Also, come up with an excuse for the reasons your sweetheart won't be able to get in contact with you if you are flying and will be in the air for several hours, such as attending a major work conference. When your sweetie sees you standing there at home or at the party, expect plenty of shock and happiness on his or her face.