Valentine's Day Again

Let me start out by saying I have never been a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. Ok, I probably was when I was in elementary school and we used to exchange valentines cards with candy. Once the dating game began, my dislike of Valentine’s Day began. Now that I'm married, I'm still honestly not a huge fan of the day. To make matters worse, I spent two Valentine’s Day's working in a floral shop. If you think Valentine’s Day is crazy in the candy aisle, try working at a flower shop. Crazy doesn't even begin to describe things around there. But, I love to watch people so Valentine’s Day in a floral shop is prime people watching time. My favorites were the men that came in after work on Valentine’s Day staring at the cooler with no clue what to get.

I have to be honest, I wasn't planning to get Andrew anything for Valentine’s Day this year, but I thought that was a little lame. So, I spent $20 and got him some of his favorite things; food! Andrew loves black jelly beans, so now he has a vase full to enjoy. He also loves different kinds of stuffed olives, so I bought him some feta stuffed olives. But, I think my favorite part of his gift is the card. The doggies and I are pretty proud of our project. Check it out!

My other favorite place to people watch during Valentine’s Day season is Victoria’s Secret. I just happened to be there this past weekend and got the enjoyment of watching a bunch of men lose their minds. I think that might be more lingerie than most of them have seen in their lifetime. Then, there were the women who stood looking at the different options probably thinking it was easier to pick out a bottle of wine or chocolates. I'm right there in that category, which is why I just bypass the whole thing. Here are just a few observations I have made over the years about Valentine’s Day:

1. Rather than standing at the flower shop wonder what kind of flower to get, why not find out what his/her favorite is before hand? Also, have the flowers delivered please, for the love. As a woman, nothing makes my day more than having flowers come to my desk. Yes, I like to show them off and feel special for a day.

2. If you are going to buy lingerie for your significant other, find out the right size before you go to the store. Lingerie isn't something to eyeball, and there is no better way to bring a girl down than to give her something too small; especially something like lingerie.

3. If you are going to buy chocolates, spring for the good stuff. As much as he/she might like M&M's, they aren't a Valentine’s Day gift. Spring for some Godiva or Lindt; get the good stuff.

4. If you are going to buy a bottle of wine, Valentine’s Day isn't the time to experiment with wines.

5. Men don't always have to be the ones to plan the Valentine’s Day festivities.

6. It isn't always about the money spent that matters, sometimes it really is the thought that counts. So you need to buy a $5 card? No, make one! Write a poem, write your feelings down on a card; it will mean more coming from the heart. You don’t have to go out to dinner, make dinner. Enjoy a candlelight dinner at home; make your favorite meal together.

I think this next one is the most important one:
7. Don't wait until Valentine’s Day to tell someone you love them. Make sure to tell your loved ones you love them every day. Do things for them every day: make breakfast, cook dinner, buy flowers, clean the house, do some laundry, buy some donuts for breakfast (ok, I put this one in here because I love breakfast), wash the car(s), bring some coffee home after buying donuts! You get the idea, it is the small things that count.

Just a small side note here, if you haven't read "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, I highly recommend the book. If you have read the book, you will probably recognize that most of these things I just mentioned fall under the acts of service category, which is where I score high on the love language scale. Taking out the trash goes a long way in my book!
Now that I have shared my thoughts on Valentine’s Day, I hope you all have a good one!