Showing Love as a V-Day Hater

My husband and I SUCK at Valentine's Day. If we do anything, it's always super last minute. Reason being, his birthday is the last week of January, my birthday is the first week of February, then Valentine's Day is the week after! We always say that we aren't going to celebrate because going out is so expensive. It’s also borderline impossible with two kids under 3. It practically takes an act of God to coordinate a night out.

Then, when we do celebrate, it feels like an afterthought. All our friends made Valentine’s Day reservations weeks ago while we were busy figuring out how we’d get away for a few hours on our birthdays. All the good restaurants are booked up, all the good candy is gone, and all the cheesy teddy bears have been snatched off the shelves. 

Additionally, Valentine’s Day has always felt a little… superficial. At least in my opinion. When I was in grade school, Valentine’s Day was a popularity contest. Whoever had the most admirers was envied. People with the least were quietly jealous, secretly hoping more gifts would appear throughout the day. When I was in high school, the administration stopped accepting and passing out Valentine’s Day gifts for students unless they were specifically prepared by the school. They wanted to make it more “fair” to the kids who weren’t getting any gifts, I guess. Or maybe they just saw it as an opportunity for financial gain.

Either way, Valentine’s Day feels like a gimmick. You definitely pay a love tax on things that are available for purchase every other day of the year. Flowers, cards, candy, jewelry, dinner, you name it. If you’re buying it for Valentine’s Day, chances are it’s more expensive than if you were to buy it the day after.

But still… we're suckers for love!

Yes, maybe V-day is superficial. Maybe it’s gimmicky. But you know what else Valentine’s Day is? An opportunity to make your loved ones feel special. And whether you celebrate V-Day or not, everyone likes to feel special.

So if you’re like us and Valentine’s Day is always an afterthought, here are some quick and easy tips for showing appreciation to the ones you love the most without breaking the bank.

1. Write them a Love Letter

A love letter is like, the easiest thing you could possibly do to show someone you love them. It doesn’t have to be super complicated. Just start listing out all of the things you love about them. Or, tell them a story. Like what you were thinking when you first met, or what it felt like to fall in love with them.

Pro Tip: if you have children, write them a small letter every year filled with all the things you love about them. Then, when they’re older and can appreciate V-Day for more than just the candy, dig them out of the jewelry box and put them inside a card. So special!

2. Minimalist V-Day Gifts

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to buy 2 dozen roses to show someone you care about them. It’s all about presentation. Buy a single rose and leave it on the pillow next to them. Buy their favorite candy bar and a gift bow, stick that sucker on there, and leave it in the front seat of their car. Leave your love reminder somewhere they will definitely see it, but least expect it. The surprise adds to the delight!

3. This One’s Cheesy…

Stay in and make a heart shaped pizza! This is definitely what we are doing this year. Pizza dough in a can for about $3, plus some sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Super easy! You’ll have just as much fun eating it as you’ll have making it. Turn on a good movie and enjoy!

4. Slow Dance Around the House

This literally requires no effort. Any slow song will do. Extra points if it’s your partner’s favorite one to dance to or if it’s your wedding song. Any spot in your house will do. Slow dance in the living room! You just turn on the song, silently grab your partner’s hand, and let the music do the rest. You’ll thank me later.

5. Leave Them Alone

And, finally, if you have littles, this one might be a winner. Maybe what your partner craves is some alone time. A nice, warm bath, a couple hours to watch whatever they want on the TV, no little ones in the bathroom hollering for someone to wipe their butt. Give your partner the gift of alone time. Pack up the kids for a few hours and disappear.

Now, I don’t suggest ONLY doing this, but pairing this with any of the options above will make Valentine’s Day an absolute win. I PROMISE.

Ladies, if any of these options sound like the Valentine’s Day of your dreams, shoot this article over to your partner! Gentleman, if you’re reading this, I can bet the special people in your life would feel appreciated if you did at least 1 of these things.

It’s not about the what, it’s about the who.

Happy V-Day!