Do you hate Valentine’s Day?

Some people  hate Valentine’s Day.

Shocking, isn’t it? Most of us associate Valentine’s Day with happiness, beautiful, long-stemmed, red roses, chocolate, soft stuffed animals, sweet cards, or a romantic candle-lit dinner or get-away…and did I say CHOCOLATE?

Other people associate Valentine’s Day with pain and loneliness. Maybe they’re single, divorced, or widowed, and it’s a reminder of what they DON’T have on this day.

Or they don’t feel cherished and loved on this day. Maybe their husband or wife views it as just another ordinary day. Or they hate the holiday because companies take advantage of human sentiment to market and promote the company’s greed for profits. (Last year Valentine’s Day spending was expected to reach $15.7 billion in America.)

So these spouses do nothing for their spouse. Not even a sincere “I love you,” which is what 87% of women really want on Valentine’s Day.

Even if it’s true that Valentine’s Day is a day of greed, it’s also a great opportunity to let the ones we’re close to know they’re special and loved. If your distaste for Valentine’s Day is because of how much money is spent, you don’t have to spend a lot to make the day special and your spouse, children, friends, or other loved ones feel cherished.

Here’s a few tips to save costs, but still celebrate:

• Deliver the flowers yourself with a romantic card or a few pieces of Godiva chocolate.
• Bake a chocolate cake or other delicious dessert. Let your kids decorate it with sprinkles, icing, M & M’s or whatever their favorite topping is. Bake enough to share with family, friends or neighbors to bless their Valentine’s Day, too.
• Dine in. Put the kids to bed early or let them spend the night with a friend, prepare some delicious hors-d’oeuvres like bruschetta, light  his or her favorite, fragrant candles, and make home-made lasagne with garlic bread, a Cesar’s salad, and a glass of red wine or sparkling grape juice. Have a tech-free night with no smart phones or PC’s, just enjoying talking to each other and spending time together!
• If you know a single, separated or divorced, or widowed friend, do something special for him or her. Have a bouqet of beautiful flowers delivered to them, or give them to him or her yourself. Give them a coupon for a massage or a pedicure. Treat them to dinner. Call or text to say, “I love you!”
• If you are single, separated or divorced, or widowed, and you know the day will be uneventful, love yourself. Treat yourself to a Starbucks, dinner and/or a movie. Buy yourself something special that you’ve been wanting – that cool watch, a pretty blouse or new sneakers, a tech gadget. Bake yourself a treat. Get your hair done. Soak in a  hot bubble bath. You deserve it! Don’t let this day go by without loving yourself and making Valentine’s Day special just for you.
• Make some buttered popcorn and watch a funny movie together as a family or as a couple. You can even spend the night under your comforter or on sleeping bags on the living room floor for a “camp-out.”
• Stock up on his or her favorite snack foods, and give them to him or her in a big basket: pickles, olives, pickled okra, pickled asparagus; Snickers, M & M’s, Kit Kat’s; carrots, cucumbers, broccoli with ranch dip; or hummus, pita bread, olives, cheeses. For your kids, include a toy, a new DVD or CD, a cute stuffed animal, or a cool tech gadget they’ve been wanting for awhile. (Cool tech gadgets work for women, too!)
• Have a scavenger hunt in your house, hiding little, inexpensive gifts throughout closets, under comforters, in sock drawers.
• Create a special Love album online, using Shutterfly. I made a special book for Ray one year, honoring his life. He was touched by this gift. The books are beautiful and well-made.
• You can find inexpensive, pretty Valentine’s Day jewelry on Etsy.
• I don’t know of anyone who would ever turn down an oil massage by their spouse for Valentine’s Day! It’s intimate and relaxing. Prepare the room with fresh sheets on the bed, a scented candle, and a bottle of soothing almond oil. Pray over your spouse as you’re massaging him or her.  You could give no greater gift!

Whatever you do for Valentine’s Day, just make sure you are speaking your honey’s love language – something that makes THEM feel appreciated and loved.

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Be sure to tune into my Valentine’s radio show on February 13 at 1 p.m. Central Time (2 p.m. Eastern Time), with special guest Susan Evans, A Romantic Get-Away With Your Husband.

The Talkshoe call-in details are below:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 117704
PIN: 1 # or Your Talkshoe PIN

You can join us in the chat room by clicking here.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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