Valentine's Day Ideas

Feeling romantic lately, or in the mood for love? Could it be with Valentine's Day just around the corner you are feeling particularly inspired? I often feel so bad for husbands, boyfriends and any male person in general on Valentine's Day. It's the biggest day for pressure ever put on men by women in general. Do you ever sit back and wonder what it must be like for them to deal with this day upon all the others we place on their "To Do List"?

I mean, they have to actually plan on doing something or finding time in their already busy days to get to a card store or at the very least the grocery store. Most of them wait til the last minute and finding their pick is very limited if they can manage to find a card at all. Then they have to actually write something in it, because they just can't sign it. We would think that they didn't put any thought into it.

Then there is the gift, there has to be a gift of course, even though we tell them dinner or breakfast in bed is ok, it's a set up for most men. If they went off of what we said and not what we meant, it would be a long night for most of them on the couch or sleeping someplace else, not even the dog house is good enough for them. So what do they buy, over priced roses that during any other time of the year are only about $ 20.00 for a dozen and now they are $ 80.00? Or should it be another box of candy? Forget dinner out, since that is what every other person is doing on Valentine's day right? I mean you got to have reservations or your wait time will be over an hour, and the prices for the meals just jumped as well to double what they should be.

Poor men, I often feel that this day is so over rated by women. Let me give you a hint to avoid taking it out on your man this Valentine's Day. Be specific when he asks what you want. Don't tell him "Oh nothing really, just you", when deep inside your thinking card, candy, roses and dinner. He wasn't born with the God given talent of being a mind reader so tell him. If you don't and you come up short on Valentine's Day, guess whose fault it is? Yup, YOURS!

Here are my simple tips in today's economy to focus on the love part of your relationship. Girls feel free to print this out and hand it to your man for help. Trust me some need help while others deserved to be cloned to help other women out.

1. Re-enact your first date. For me, it was a movie night with Toy Story, dinner at a restaurant that isn't there any longer, which used to be the Hard Rock Cafe, in Newport Beach. Then we took a ferry to Balboa Island which was a 5 minute ride but still nice to see the lights of the harbor at night with the most incredible man of my life. It doesn't matter just try to relive that special night.

2. Make your own valentines! Agree that each of you will make one instead of buying one from the store. It has so much more sentimental meaning.

3. Agree to make breakfast in bed for each other, one of you does it Saturday and then the other does Sunday. Even if Valentine's day isn't over the weekend, celebrate it over the weekend anyway.

4. Write each other a poem that expresses your love for each other, how it began and how it has changed over the years or months.

5. Make each other feel special, make dinner a romantic thing with nice china and candlelight, make a special bubble bath with candles or add a bottle of wine while sitting under the moonlight, or watching the stars!

6. Remember what it was that brought you two together and remember that. Do something special for the other person that you know they will like, buy a book or magazine that they are interested in, have their car washed and the gas tank filled up, write post it notes and leave them everywhere your man or woman would likely find them, inside the refrigerator, inside the medicine cabinet, on the steering wheel of the car, you name it and you may just find yourself having more fun writing them and coming up with unusual places to find them.

7. Take Hershey's kisses and cover the floor of the bedroom with them along with the note that reads, I covered the ground you walk on with kisses!!

8. Get a lottery scratcher and enclose it with a card that reads, Ready to get lucky?

9. Write a note of the spice rack that reads "You are the spice of my life".

10. Get a book of matches and a note that reads, "You are the spark in my life".

The more creative you are will show that you not only put some thought into this day but it will be memorable as well. It is something that will live in their memories for a lifetime and one that they will talk about the next day to all their friends!

Happy Valentine's Day!!