Valentine's Day Keeping Up With The Jones(es)

Show your love with homemade baked goods!

I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day but then again, I wish all your days to be happy. 

Today is not special to me, by any means.  I don't buy into the commercialized hype of this holiday.  I think that your love and adoration should be celebrated every day of the year, not just on this day. If you cherish your love everyday then you don't need society to designate a day to shower your significant other with love, gifts and attention!

Musical Valentines By ZombieSmile
http://zombiesmile.deviantart.com/

I believe that when guys over the top to create the perfect Valentine's Day that it's not really about love.  I think that there is usually some other motivating factor behind the gesture, most likely guilt.  They don't do it because they feel especially romantic today or because it's going to be fun for them mostly they buy the gifts, plan the date, get the flowers because society tells them they have to or their woman will be outraged.  I hate being pressured into doing anything, how about you?

Typical Valentines Day Gift
(Photo credit: Nikita Kashner)

Or maybe they do it because they have done something wrong; like fooled around with a girl at the office or they lied about where they went on their business trip or they are just a slacker the rest of the year so today is the day to make up for it.  If I received a gift of jewelry on Valentine's day from a man that didn't usually opt for such gifts I would be convinced he is hiding something.

When I was 18 my boyfriend planned an expensive, over the top Valentine's Day date for me.  He picked me up at my house driving a slick Jaguar he borrowed from his step-mom and handed me a beautifully wrapped box containing a necklace.  He walked me to the car and opened the door for me (which he had never done before) waiting for me in the car was a single red rose and chocolate truffle covered strawberries sitting on the passenger seat.  He drove me down to Alki Beach for a romantic walk on the beach before whisking me off to a fancy dinner at the restaurant perched atop of the Space Needle.  Afterward we checked into a suite at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Seattle.

Now don't get me wrong, I appreciated his attention to detail and the effort he put into planning and executing that date.  I had always wanted to eat in the Space Needle restaurant and despite living in Washington State my whole life I had yet to experience that.  I had only been up on the observation deck once before and the observation deck doesn't rotate around!  It was unbelievably beautiful to watch the skyline, beaches, mountains slowly move past the window while we ate.   I think the restaurant deck rotates a full 360 degrees approximately once per hour The food unfortunately, wasn't great and should have been spectacular at $125 a plate and only 3 choices of entrees.

 but he spent well over $700 for one night’s activities.  I think it is completely nuts to spend that kind of money on Valentine’s day or any other stupid holiday.  Could you imagine spending $700 on St. Patrick’s day or President’s day?

Or homemade paper roses!

I hate that people spend all this money on roses, cards, chocolate, jewelry and cute stuffed bears to prove their love to the special person in their life.  Worse, I hate that lavish gifts are not only expected on this day but that the love these gifts represent is measured by the expense of said gifts.

I think gifts you make are so much more special and they really show the love you poured into them.

(Photo credit: JeepersMedia)

There is obvious thoughtfulness when someone makes you a Valentine's gift or card.  Personally, I love creating cool Valentines cards, baking sweet heart shaped goodies, writing a little love poem or handcrafting a special gift for my loved ones.

See my post about the Valentine I gave my son this year...

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