10 Thrifty Ways To Deliver Big On Valentine's Day
By Ben Popken on February 11, 2011 11:38 AM
Just because the economy is in the dumps doesn't mean your spirits have to be on V-Day. There's lots of great ways to celebrate your relationship without buying into all the myths of conspicuous consumption. At the same time, classic romantic gestures can be nice and sweet, as long as there's more feeling than Franklins behind them. Here's a guide to some last-minute, creative, frugal and even free ways to say "I love you." (Spoiler alert: the best day to celebrate February 14... is February 15! It's like getting Valentine's Day half-off!)
1. SAY IT WITH A (FREE) SONG
Amazon is giving away a free $2 worth of MP3s. So find the song you guys played over and over on that big road trip and send it!
2. EVERYBODY LIKES THOSE DARN FLOWERS
If you've waited until this long to put your flower order in, you're probably out of luck as far as ordering flowers for delivery on Valentine's Day goes. You can order them for Friday or Saturday, or Tuesday instead. And who says the only kind of flower it can be is roses? Tulips, oriental lilies and carnations are totally beautiful, appropriate, and affordable.
Another thing to do is try hitting your local bodega or grocer very early on the morning Valentine's and pick up flowers before the crowds hit and deliver them yourself. But be careful you don't get burned; When I was a hapless 7th grader buying roses for the first time — on the morning of Valentine's, natch — I got suckered into buying what the florist told me were "Black Beauty" roses. He told me the dark coloration was just how this kind of exotic rose looked. I later learned through the girl grapevine two things: 1) I had given my girlfriend a bunch of dead roses and 2) she was no longer my girlfriend. So make sure whatever you get is fresh and will make it through the day!
3. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
We all know the candy industry is a bit of a scam. Considering the raw cost of ingredients, that's some pretty huge markup! Turns out that making your own chocolates and sweets isn't that hard and it's really fun. And if you waited until now to start getting your Valentine's gift together, it's the perfect thing to do early on Saturday morning. Epicurious has some great recipies for homemade sweets, like Coffee Chocolate Truffle Kisses, White-Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries with Citrus Sugar, or Bittersweet Chocolate and Walnut Fudge.
4. OH, JEWELRY...
Despite what the ads say, shiny bangles are not magic amulets that will instantly make your beloved collapse into your arms. So make sure you can afford it, your lover actually will want and appreciate the token, and that you don't pay out the nose. For starters, there's more to jewelry than just diamonds. Black pearl earrings are lovely and don't cost much, for example. A good place to hit up for jewelry that won't break the bank or your heart is bluenile.com. Thrift stores are treasure troves of unique and funky vintage jewelry. So too are consignment shops.
5. VALENTINE'S DAY CAN HAPPEN ON ANY DAY
Declare Feb 15 to be your Valentine's day. Or a week later. Reader Witold says he and his fiancée celebrate Valentine's on Feb 21 and it works great. "That way, we can get a good reservation, buy discounted V-day gifts, and not pay inflated rose prices," he writes. "She is sick of the over the top jewelry ads and blatant price gouging on flowers, and frankly, so am I."
6. SPLASHING CASH ON SHALLOW OBJECTS WILL LEAVE YOU SOAKED
The key to a really great Valentine's gift is to pick something that really matters. Something that says, "I'm paying attention to you!" Surprise them at work in your finery and give them a jar full of their favorite candy. Take one of their favorite pictures they've shot and get it blown up and framed. And sometimes, the most romantic gift of all is a sandwich...
7. OUR LOVE WILL NEVER DIE, SO LET'S DIY!
Handmade gifts are individual to the recepient and show that you put time in instead of just picking up something from the stand at the mall. Make your best attempt at a miniature clay model of their head. Decoupage a light switch. No time to get art supplies? No problem. Here's how you can make an origami heart with wings. For an added touch, reuse old wrapping paper. If there's still a lot of snow around you right now, you could prepare a secret lover's igloo and hide your gifts in there and bring your special someone there for a romantic rendezvous.
8. STAY IN AND WATCH A MOVIE
Snuggle up with some home-made popcorn and watch a fun flick. Redbox will let you send an electronic Valentine's with a coupon for a free movie rental on 2/14. Details are at their Facebook page, coupon code "BEMINE."
9. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
There's nothing more romantic than trying something new together, and it doesn't have to be pricey. Check out a free local music show at a cool bar or cafe. Enroll in a one-day poetry workshop and present the flyer for it on Feb 14. Have you guys ever tried snowshoeing or cross-country skiing?
If the two of you are both into video games, getting two copies of a new one for each of you and learning it and playing it together can be a bonding experience. Reader Lori's college boyfriend in 1992 chipped in with friends to buy her a copy of the massively multiplayer online game Everquest. "Creating an account to play with each other was something special," she writes. "I still have fond memories of staying in, installing the game and learning the ropes with the happy BF by my side."
"He graduated that summer and had it not been for that silly game, it wasn't likely our new relationship would have survived the long distance relationship we endured the few subsequent years," writes Lori. "Today, we're married and Everquest has fallen by the wayside, but we still remember those time affectionately."
10. KISSES AND HUGS ARE CHEAP, BUT DEAR
There is a no more cost-effective expression of love than a heartfelt kiss and a hug. So have at it!
MY THOUGHTS
there you go - it's the giver not the gift. it's the effort not the price. it's spending time together (face-to-face or online). it's being happy that there's a valentine's day to make each other feel 'more' special.
Showing posts with label valentine's day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label valentine's day. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
WHAT WOMEN WANT FOR VALENTINE
FYI Guys, The Gift We Want Is Free This Valentine's Day!
In an exclusive iVillage poll, the desire for romance trumps expensive gifts this year
Who said romance is dead? In an exclusive iVillage poll, women say romance matters more than expensive gifts this Valentine's Day.
And what exactly do we want more than anything else? A simple "I love you," as 87 percent of women polled told us that hearing those words is the most important part of the holiday.
Surprised? We were too, but perhaps after years of excess followed by a devastating recession, "material girls" are now old-fashioned romantics. Nearly 40 percent of women would choose a romantic weekend away or a romantic dinner with their partner as the gift they'd most like to receive, while less than 1 percent chose an expensive handbag or perfume as their top gift. Even fewer picked a kids-free night or weekend, or having a month's worth of clean laundry done by someone else.
Romance even tops sex! (Sorry, fellas.) Only 4 percent of women chose sex every night of the week as their No. 1 Valentine's Day gift -- although 21 percent put nightly sex as their second or third choice, with 53 percent said that making love on Valentine's Day was important to them.
Jenny Ingram, an iVoice on iVillage, mother of three and blogger, says she'd pick a romantic dinner out with her husband over a night out with the girls. "I would prefer a dinner out with my husband because for my birthday, I go out with the girls," she says with a big smile. "And he just needs time with me. I know it's good for him."
MY THOUGHTS
romance should never be allowed to die. it's what keep relationships and marriages intact. give me a dozen roses wrapped in newspapers anytime.
In an exclusive iVillage poll, the desire for romance trumps expensive gifts this year
Who said romance is dead? In an exclusive iVillage poll, women say romance matters more than expensive gifts this Valentine's Day.
And what exactly do we want more than anything else? A simple "I love you," as 87 percent of women polled told us that hearing those words is the most important part of the holiday.
Surprised? We were too, but perhaps after years of excess followed by a devastating recession, "material girls" are now old-fashioned romantics. Nearly 40 percent of women would choose a romantic weekend away or a romantic dinner with their partner as the gift they'd most like to receive, while less than 1 percent chose an expensive handbag or perfume as their top gift. Even fewer picked a kids-free night or weekend, or having a month's worth of clean laundry done by someone else.
Romance even tops sex! (Sorry, fellas.) Only 4 percent of women chose sex every night of the week as their No. 1 Valentine's Day gift -- although 21 percent put nightly sex as their second or third choice, with 53 percent said that making love on Valentine's Day was important to them.
Jenny Ingram, an iVoice on iVillage, mother of three and blogger, says she'd pick a romantic dinner out with her husband over a night out with the girls. "I would prefer a dinner out with my husband because for my birthday, I go out with the girls," she says with a big smile. "And he just needs time with me. I know it's good for him."
MY THOUGHTS
romance should never be allowed to die. it's what keep relationships and marriages intact. give me a dozen roses wrapped in newspapers anytime.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Funny Valentine's Day Quotes
Funny Valentine's Day Quotes
Laughter Makes Evergreen Relationships: Read Funny Valentine's Day Quotes
By Simran Khurana, About.com Guide
Lovers who share a sense of humor, stay together longer. Humor is the key to an evergreen relationship. If you want to win your lover's heart, use humor. With a dash of humor and love, make your day extra special with these funny Valentine's Day quotes.
* Helen Rowland
A bride at her second wedding does not wear a veil. She wants to see what she is getting.
* Groucho Marx
Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.
* Mickey Rooney
Get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day.
* Rita Rudner
I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
* Tracy Smith
I wanted to make it really special on Valentine's Day, so I tied my boyfriend up. And for three solid hours I watched whatever I wanted on TV.
* Francis Bacon
It is impossible to love and be wise.
* Ally McBeal
It’s funny how we set qualifications to the right person to love, when we know at the back of our heads the person whom we truly love will always be an exception.
* Mirabeau
Love has the power of making you believe what you would normally treat with the deepest suspicion.
* Plato
Love is a grave mental disease.
* Hoosier Farmer
Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
* Rita Rudner
My boyfriend and I broke up. He wanted to get married and I didn't want him to.
* Phyllis Diller
Never go to bed mad -- stay up and fight.
* Joyce Brothers
No matter how love sick a woman is, she shouldn't take the first pill that comes along.
* Oscar Wilde
One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.
* Margaret Atwood
The Eskimos have fifty two words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love.
* Ann Landers
The poor wish to be rich, the rich wish to be happy, the single wish to be married, and the married wish to be dead.
* Yiddish Proverb
Three things can't be hidden: coughing, poverty, and love.
* H. L. Mencken
To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia.
* Jay Leno
Today is Valentine's Day. Or, as men like to call it, Extortion day.
* Erich Segal
True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.
* Anonymous
Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is.
* Rosanne Barr
Women are cursed, and men are the proof.
* Mae West
Women with pasts interest men. They hope history will repeat itself.
MY THOUGHTS
'my funny valentine, sweet funny valentine...' so goes the song.and indeed, valentines can be funny. love is. i love valentines. especially the funny ones.
Laughter Makes Evergreen Relationships: Read Funny Valentine's Day Quotes
By Simran Khurana, About.com Guide
Lovers who share a sense of humor, stay together longer. Humor is the key to an evergreen relationship. If you want to win your lover's heart, use humor. With a dash of humor and love, make your day extra special with these funny Valentine's Day quotes.
* Helen Rowland
A bride at her second wedding does not wear a veil. She wants to see what she is getting.
* Groucho Marx
Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife.
* Mickey Rooney
Get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day.
* Rita Rudner
I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
* Tracy Smith
I wanted to make it really special on Valentine's Day, so I tied my boyfriend up. And for three solid hours I watched whatever I wanted on TV.
* Francis Bacon
It is impossible to love and be wise.
* Ally McBeal
It’s funny how we set qualifications to the right person to love, when we know at the back of our heads the person whom we truly love will always be an exception.
* Mirabeau
Love has the power of making you believe what you would normally treat with the deepest suspicion.
* Plato
Love is a grave mental disease.
* Hoosier Farmer
Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
* Rita Rudner
My boyfriend and I broke up. He wanted to get married and I didn't want him to.
* Phyllis Diller
Never go to bed mad -- stay up and fight.
* Joyce Brothers
No matter how love sick a woman is, she shouldn't take the first pill that comes along.
* Oscar Wilde
One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.
* Margaret Atwood
The Eskimos have fifty two words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love.
* Ann Landers
The poor wish to be rich, the rich wish to be happy, the single wish to be married, and the married wish to be dead.
* Yiddish Proverb
Three things can't be hidden: coughing, poverty, and love.
* H. L. Mencken
To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia.
* Jay Leno
Today is Valentine's Day. Or, as men like to call it, Extortion day.
* Erich Segal
True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.
* Anonymous
Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is.
* Rosanne Barr
Women are cursed, and men are the proof.
* Mae West
Women with pasts interest men. They hope history will repeat itself.
MY THOUGHTS
'my funny valentine, sweet funny valentine...' so goes the song.and indeed, valentines can be funny. love is. i love valentines. especially the funny ones.
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