Each holiday comes with it’s own quirks and quarrels. Thanksgiving you eat turkey, but the stress of hanging out with your crazy relatives might just make you throw it all up. Christmas is presents, presents, and more presents, but your sister might hate you forever because you skimped on her gift this year because you were broke. New Year’s is fun, but what if you’d rather stay home alone and chill instead of partying it up? And of course, there’s Valentine’s Day..
Not only is there the built-in stress that comes with each holiday, but there is the added pressure to make this day extra romantic and special.. for no particular reason really. It’s what we learned in kindergarten, it’s what we do as adults, and Hallmark, CVS, See’s Candy, Godiva, and Papyrus are all very happy to support our endeavors to make every February 14th special and romantic.
For those of us who need a little help for this upcoming Valentine’s Day, I’ve put together a little something to help you out.
Plan ahead
Though it helps immensely, money isn’t the key to impressing anyone; it’s time. Put in enough time into research, you’ll be able to put together a nice date. A five-star restaurant is impressive, but it’s going to impress anyone. Really impress your girlfriend by taking them to a restaurant that she’d really want to go to. As much as I’d love to be treated to the most expensive bistro on top of the hill in Hollywood, bourgeois eateries give me anxiety sometimes. There’s way too many utensils around my plate, I can’t pronounce any of the food, and my dinner entrée never gets me full.
And ladies, you can partake in evening plans by taking your man to a nice bar with happy drinks to show him this day is as much his as it is yours.
Flowers matter
Flowers are important, even if she says they’re not. It’s not so much the actual flowers that matter, but the thought that goes into getting them. Whether it’s a single rose, a bouquet of mixed orchids, or hand-picked daisies from your mother’s flower garden, get her something, anything. Nothing sucks more than seeing other women get flowers from their boyfriends. Believe me, it’s happened to me before, and as much as I pretended to be okay with it, it wasn’t.
Creativity + Details
Again, money does not have to be the driving force of your special day. You are. Be the driving force of your special day. Use your creativity, especially if gift-giving is on the agenda. A homemade card will not only express your feelings, but will also communicate your thoughtfulness. Remember that movie s/he wanted to watch? Cuddle up with your love buddy for a movie, or a sensual massage. Bake dessert after cooking dinner together, or take a stroll in your neighborhood park and crack a bottle of champagne. It isn’t about the money spent. It’s about the TLC that was spent together.
Have fun
This is the most important thing. I think we get caught up with the idea of being romantic and “doing” Valentine’s day, that sometimes it gets stressful. Will she like the dinner? Will he like what I got him? How can I make this day the BEST? She will like the dinner, he will like what you got him, and the day will be the best, as long as the two of you have fun. Ten years from now, she won’t remember what she ate, he won’t remember what you got him, but what you will remember from this day is how fun it was.
Good luck charming the pants off each other! (;
