The good thing about Valentine’s Day and other such occasions is that is gives us an opportunity to think about and do something nice for the people we love once a year. The not-so-good thing about it is that we often take that as an excuse for not being as nice on other days of the year! ( How many times have you done or said something terrible during an argument and thought,” I’ll make up for it on Valentine’s Day or our anniversary”?)
So this year, I was wondering, instead of saving up all your love and expressions of love( read gifts!) for Valentine’s Day – why not spread it out a little? Instead of Valentine’s Day, why not celebrate a Valentine’s Week? There are two benefits of celebrating this way – 1) It takes your spouse or that special person in your life completely by surprise when you start showing your love and appreciation a few days earlier than expected! 2) It extends the celebrations for both of you and when it comes to romance – who doesn’t like an extended stay?!
If you’re game for this route or are at least willing to give it a shot, here are a few of my suggestions for celebrating a beautiful Valentine’s Week –
1. Spread your budget- Instead of splurging on one huge, expensive gift, buy a few smaller, but nice gifts that your Valentine would really appreciate. Leave these around as surprises for him or her to find throughout the week – in her coat pocket, under his pillow, at the car’s dashboard, in her laptop case, in his grooming kit…
2. Tease a little – Why reveal your Valentine’s Day plans when you can send her on a treasure hunt instead? Create clues about where you’ll be going and place the clues strategically so your Valentine finds them in sequence and tries to guess your plans. Each clue that he or she cracks successfully is accompanied by a little present leading to the real Valentine’s Day gift on the final day.
3. Be nice – Isn’t it funny how simple, thoughtful gestures like making breakfast and giving a massage are relegated to special occasions such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s day? This time, take the time to indulge in nice gestures throughout the week and beyond. Show your Valentine how much you care even when it’s not Valentine’s Day.
4. Spend time together – If you both lead busy lifestyles, work full time, have kids or simply have too much on your plate all the time, you probably don’t spend as much time together as you’d like. This year, make a change. Plan your work and chores in such a way that throughout Valentine’s week, you get off work on time, meet each other and spend time in the evenings doing something you love – be it a walk, watching movies, playing a sport, cooking together or just hanging out. Taking time to do the things you both enjoy is very essential to nurturing a healthy relationship.
5. Send free Valentine’s Day ecards. One for each day of the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. There are so many wonderful ecards to choose from, it just doesn’t make sense to send just one. So, on each day of the week, pick a Valentine’s Ecard you like and send it to the one you love. This way, you’ll have a chance to express all sides of your personality – from witty to funny to sentimental or serious – there are so many ways to say Happy Valentine’s Day. So, why say it just once?
How do you plan to spend your Valentine’s Week? Tell us!
The good thing about Valentine’s Day and other such occasions is that is gives us an opportunity to think about and do something nice for the people we love once a year. The not-so-good thing about it is that we often take that as an excuse for not being as nice on other days of the year! ( How many times have you done or said something terrible during an argument and thought,” I’ll make up for it on Valentine’s Day or our anniversary”?)
So this year, I was wondering, instead of saving up all your love and expressions of love( read gifts!) for Valentine’s Day – why not spread it out a little? Instead of Valentine’s Day, why not celebrate a Valentine’s Week? There are two benefits of celebrating this way – 1) It takes your spouse or that special person in your life completely by surprise when you start showing your love and appreciation a few days earlier than expected! 2) It extends the celebrations for both of you and when it comes to romance – who doesn’t like an extended stay?!
If you’re game for this route or are at least willing to give it a shot, here are a few of my suggestions for celebrating a beautiful Valentine’s Week –
1. Spread your budget- Instead of splurging on one huge, expensive gift, buy a few smaller, but nice gifts that your Valentine would really appreciate. Leave these around as surprises for him or her to find throughout the week – in her coat pocket, under his pillow, at the car’s dashboard, in her laptop case, in his grooming kit…
2. Tease a little – Why reveal your Valentine’s Day plans when you can send her on a treasure hunt instead? Create clues about where you’ll be going and place the clues strategically so your Valentine finds them in sequence and tries to guess your plans. Each clue that he or she cracks successfully is accompanied by a little present leading to the real Valentine’s Day gift on the final day.
3. Be nice – Isn’t it funny how simple, thoughtful gestures like making breakfast and giving a massage are relegated to special occasions such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s day? This time, take the time to indulge in nice gestures throughout the week and beyond. Show your Valentine how much you care even when it’s not Valentine’s Day.
4. Spend time together – If you both lead busy lifestyles, work full time, have kids or simply have too much on your plate all the time, you probably don’t spend as much time together as you’d like. This year, make a change. Plan your work and chores in such a way that throughout Valentine’s week, you get off work on time, meet each other and spend time in the evenings doing something you love – be it a walk, watching movies, playing a sport, cooking together or just hanging out. Taking time to do the things you both enjoy is very essential to nurturing a healthy relationship.
5. Send free Valentine’s Day ecards. One for each day of the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. There are so many wonderful ecards to choose from, it just doesn’t make sense to send just one. So, on each day of the week, pick a Valentine’s Ecard you like and send it to the one you love. This way, you’ll have a chance to express all sides of your personality – from witty to funny to sentimental or serious – there are so many ways to say Happy Valentine’s Day. So, why say it just once?
How do you plan to spend your Valentine’s Week? Tell us!
