Whoopie, it’s Valentines Day again. I just
can’t get too excited about Valentine’s Day anymore, because
I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a crock.
It isn’t because my husband and I are not
romantic people. The problem is that I truly believe it has become
a commercial holiday.
My husband swears that it must have been invented
by, or at least influenced by, Hallmark-type industries. Let’s
face it, it has become a big money-maker for some retail markets.
My idea of being romantic is more of a daily
thing. I’m not saying that Valentine’s Day isn’t important. It
certainly is.
Unfortunately, with real life demands, the
little romantic things tend to get pushed to the back burner.
That’s real life.
My idea of romance has nothing to do with
a dozen red roses (for an ungodly $60 dollars) or chocolate.
Give me the $60 bucks and I will go to the mall and make it last
for a year, in new shoes for the kids.
Romance doesn’t have to be only one or two
days during the year. If you are looking for the sweet romance
(the best kind), look no further than your own creativity, the
Internet, or even one of the many romance idea books on the market.
The little things are the ones that end up being the most meaningful.
Give me a sweet note taped to the bathroom
mirror or scrape “I love you” in my car windows in
the morning before work. I will be thrilled all day.
That says “Hey baby, I was thinking about
you and wanted to make your day.”
Note to the men: Simple is good. Trust me
when I tell you that a love note sprayed with your cologne, although
corny, will make her smile. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate
composition – just tell her how much you love her and why in
a sentence or two.
The trick to this is putting the note somewhere
where she will find it when you aren’t there. In the car, in
a lunch box, taped to her hand when she’s sleeping, or in the
shower in the morning.
As most attached women will attest to, any
small gesture that she can brag to her girlfriends about is a
sure fire hit. And, you will be the one reaping the benefits,
if you know what I mean . . .
A man I know (who shall remain nameless because
he told me that if I ever used his name in my column again, he
would never speak to me) did something so sweet for his wife
long before they were married.
He cut out a bunch of hearts from construction
paper and wrote simple and cute things on them that made him
think of her. The hearts read things like her nickname and his,
I love you, you are cute, and stuff like that.
Then he took the hearts, broke into her car,
and taped them all over the interior. Those hearts stayed taped
in her car for months. She loved them.
She still smiles, 10 years and three children
later, when you bring it up. I bet the whole deal cost him a
maximum of $3, including the tape he took from the junk drawer.
But it was “priceless” in emotional value.
Now ladies, stop reading here. (This will
likely be the only time you will ever read those words in my
column.) Instead, circle the column in red marker and put it
somewhere that it will surely be noticed by your man. And don’t
peek.
(AKA the romantically challenged)
You will just have to trust me on this one,
because I can guarantee that she will love it. I know that these
ideas seem so goofy, and you may feel stupid, but it will make
her day.
· If she takes a lunch to work, make
a sandwich for her and cut the bread into a heart shape.
· Put a picture of yourself or the
two of you on the dash of her car, with a simple “I love
you.”
· A backrub, with lotion heated for
a few seconds in the microwave, is the best.
· Send her a racy e-mail at work, but
make sure you warn her in the subject line to be alone when she
reads it. A word of caution though, since it is at work, don’t
make it too racy.
· After your shower and before hers,
write a sweet phrase on the foggy mirror. She will see it when
the mirror is foggy after her shower.
· Give her the remote and tell her
that it’s her night to watch whatever she wants. Then sit next
to her and try to enjoy HGTV or a sitcom. This one won’t work,
though, if you go to the next TV and turn on the game.
· Make her a napkin rose.
· If you have a PC, open up the paint
program and draw a heart or two, an I love you, and a smiley
face. Then set the picture as her computer wallpaper. When she
turns on the computer, she will have a nice surprise.
The best romantic gifts are the ones that
are simple and sweet, not done to suck up when you made her mad,
or because you are supposed to. Being broke is not an excuse
to blow off Valentine’s day.
It is also not a reason to go out and blow
your entire paycheck, especially if you aren’t financially able
to do so.
Show her in little ways that you appreciate
her all year round. She will be smiling for weeks, and her girlfriends
will be looking at their man with a “why aren’t you more
like him” expression.
This may not go over too well with the guys,
but hey, the best thing the guys ever cooked for you was a frozen
pizza. The little things, done any day of the year, are the things
that will keep her happy.
Trust me. I am a woman. I know these things.
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