Ever since I flipped my calendar over to February, I’ve
noticed article after article slamming Valentine’s Day. Apparently it’s
overrated, overpriced… one writer even called it ‘evil’!
I love Valentine’s Day and no, it’s not just because I’m engaged. I loved it even when I was a little kid and I loved
it every year that I was single.
Valentine’s Day is effectively a day to celebrate love. It
doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a £40 bouquet of roses, or go for
dinner at a restaurant that has put its prices through the roof.
It also certainly doesn't mean that you can’t enjoy it if you
don’t have a significant other. I hope that everybody has someone in their life
that they love – family member, friend, even a pet! Why not throw yourself into
the Valentines spirit and spend the day doing something fun with them?
Valentine’s
Day can be the perfect opportunity to appreciate how lucky you are to have lovely
people in your life and there are so many easy and fun ways to celebrate that.
Food
If you don’t fancy eating out, why not make a tasty treat
for your favourite family member or best friend? You could cook their favourite
dinner, bake a cake, or even look through some recipe books and create
something new together. Inviting people round for afternoon tea is a
lovely treat and it’s so easy to put together – just make a few finger sandwiches and you
can always buy scones and cupcakes if you can’t be bothered with the hassle of
baking them.
Flowers
I find it so annoying that my favourite flowers (roses) are ludicrously priced in February. However, there are loads of lovely flowers in
season at the same time, such as wild primroses, delphinium, hydrangea and chrysanthemums.
You could nip out to the local florist and buy a bunch to decorate your lounge
or bedroom.
Cards
To order a personalised card online, you’re looking
at around £5 minimum, but it can be just as fun and much cheaper to make your
own. Instead of the usual soppy message, write a funny poem to make a parent, sibling or friend smile.
Movies
Some of the best films in the world are love stories. Curl
up on the sofa with a glass of wine, your favourite person and some yummy treats,
and take your pick:
- When Harry Met Sally
- Sleepless in Seattle
- Love Actually
- Notting Hill
- Pretty Woman
- Titanic
- The Notebook
- Gone with the Wind
- Casablanca
- Brief Encounter
- Roman Holiday
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Bridget Jones’s Diary
- Dirty Dancing
Books
Again, there are some fantastic books that are based on
great love stories and there’s something for everyone. You could order one
online, pick it up from a shop, download it to your kindle, or check out your
local library selection:
- Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
- Persuasion – Jane Austen
- Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
- Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
- Twilight – Stephanie Meyer
- Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
- Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
- The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks
- The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
- Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare
- A Room with a View – E.M. Forster
Fun activities
There are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities that won’t break the bank.
You could get together with your family or friends and play a
fun board game or charades, go for a walk, visit an exhibition or a gallery, watch old home videos, or explore a new place you haven’t been to before.
If you’re still not feeling the Valentines spirit and none
of those ideas have tickled your fancy, then here are some funny dog pictures
to cheer you up…
I hope everyone has a really lovely Valentine’s Day! x
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