'Tis the Season for L.O.V.E
In case you haven't noticed, Valentine's day is SEVEN days away. I understand that for most this holiday is a lot like a love/hate relationship. You want to just treat it like any other day, by suppressing those deep feelings about love, but at the same time you want to show those you do care about that you appreciate their existence.
For me, this holiday could be just another day. I fully agree with the argument that we don't need just ONE day to show our loved ones that we care about them. BUT I do like to amp it up just a little bit. It is interesting to think how much the meaning of this holiday changes as you get older. As a kid it was about buying the class valentine cards and candy, it was all about who had the coolest card. In high school it was Candy-Grams, you purchase a rose or some candy from the booster club and send it anonymously to your crush- or whoever you were into that week. Then it would be delivered during their homeroom class. Enter adulthood. Somewhere between high school and 20, we become bitter towards the holiday. Perhaps it is because we tend to put so much emphasis on it being a "couples" holiday. Then we grow past that, and realize that it isn't.
To me this holiday is about celebrating those that have seen you struggle and been there to lift you up. The people that you call on in your time of need, the first person you call when things are going great. I celebrate those people. I have a lot of friends and family that have supported me throughout my life, most of them don't live near me. So I chose to take this day and celebrate them in some small way. Whether it is a one hour phone call, or mailing flowers and candy to their home, or just mailing a card thanking them for being there for me. For those that live close to me, I like to show them love too. For example, I give my mom flowers and I take her out to dinner or lunch. My parent's have been my life's biggest supporters. They have always believed in anything that I was doing. I am very lucky and fortunate to have them, I know not everyone gets that.
We often forget to show each other appreciation, so while the rest of the year we can get on each other's nerves, this one day we can celebrate our love for each other.
Here are a few fun ways to celebrate this year with your loved ones, that don't cost a whole lot:
Host a movie night. Have a few friends bring their fave movie (one per person) and their fave snacks. Everyone shares the snacks, and start the night by watching your friend's pick first- then work your way to your fave flick.
Cook dinner together. Whether it is with your friends, family, or just the two of you. Have everyone bring over ingredients for their fave dish (something simple that won't take 6hrs to make) and cook the night away. Check out our recipes page for ideas.
Call your mom/dad/sibling/best friend. Just talk.
Have kids? Cook with them. Make your fave pizza at home. Or grab some paint, and some .99cents canvas and have them draw what love means to them.
Have a game night with friends/family. Go to the dollar store and pick up some cheesy prizes.You don't have to buy a board game if you don't have one, get a deck of cards, or download a game app.
Away from home for the holiday? Get a box of Valentine cards (yes, like the ones from your childhood) mail them to friends/ family/ nieces/ nephews (even if they are adults) Start a new tradition.
Don't have time to make plans? Order a pizza, tell them to make a heart shape with the toppings, grab a movie that you haven't seen in a while (DVD is a lot faster than trying to find something on Netflix) or a movie you both enjoy. Enjoy a night in.
Spending the day solo? That is OK. Bubble bath and wine. Treat yourself. Get some ice cream, face mask, bathrobe, a good book, or do whatever you do to relax. Make sure the phone is off.
Go bowling. Great for groups of any size. Not crazy expensive. Super fun.
Hate the holiday altogether? Take a page out of that one movie about Valentine's day. Host an anti valentine party. This one takes a bit of planning, but you could still pull it of last minute.
The point is to spend time with those that put up with your crazy wonderful self all year, and you wouldn't trade them for all the marbles. <3