Put a Little Love in Your Valentine’s Day!

As writers of romance, some might think that we have St. Valentine’s Day all planned out and perfected. Rose petals and candles, sentimental handmade cards exchanged while we listen to memory-filled songs from a specially created playlist. Sexy lingerie and of course steamy ruby-colored stilettos. After all, we have “written the book” (or many books) on love and romance so Valentine’s Day must be a sultry breeze for us.sunset dancing

Uhhh…nope.

As you may have learned from other Ruby posts, we are as real as everyone else, struggling in the very unromantic world around us. Tantrum-perfected toddlers, eye-rolling tweens, unrepentant teens, tired spouses, deadlines, dirty houses, mini-vans with unidentified odors, dogs with way too much gas, spouses with way too much gas… It goes on and on. The majority of life is NOT romantic.

However, it is vital for your mental well-being to appreciate life and those who are special to yours. If you have beings (spouse, kids, friends, pets) in your life whom you care about, use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to remind them how special they are to you. And if you have a very special someone in your life, carve out a little time for romance to show them that you truly love them. They may not be the romantic type, but that doesn’t mean you can’t teach them by example. Making others feel appreciated and loved can fill your own well too.

So how to do that…hearts

There are as many ideas as there are people because what might be appreciated by one may not be by another. The key to a fabulous Valentine’s gesture is to make it personal. Here are a couple of ideas.

  1. Find five items that represent qualities you love about the person and wrap them (don’t buy them, find them in the house). Examples: a hammer if your hubby is Mr. Fix It, picture of the kids if he’s a great dad, a feather if your partner is creative in bed. Then for five days leading up to a special day(or every hour since we’ve run out of days), place one wrapped item on the mantel or where he/she will see it. When asked don’t tell what you’re up to. Just smile. Then on the big day have them open each and explain how it reflects something you love about them. This doesn’t cost anything but really makes the person feel appreciated.wrapped gifts
  2. For the kids or partner – Cut out a bunch of paper hearts. Write something you love about he/she on each one (I do different colors for each of my three kids). The night before Valentine’s Day, after they are asleep, scatter them around their bed or hide them in fun places. In the morning they hunt for and read them. Smiles all around. My teenager has kept his from years ago.paper hearts
  3. If the temperature is above freezing – Take your partner out to a field away from the town lights. Bring hot chocolate in a thermos, a waterproof picnic blanket and a cuddly blanket for on top. Drink, snuggle, watch the stars and keep each other warm. Ladies, might I suggest wearing a skirt ; )kissing under stars
  4. Write out different kinds of kisses on paper hearts and put them in a cute box or bag. Examples: passionate, sweet, French, on a ticklish spot, movie kiss, etc. Have fun with coming up with silly or very specific ones. Present it to your partner and have he/she pull out at least one kiss a day.kiss bag
  5. Breakfast in bed. Include items like honey, melted chocolate, and whipped cream. Play Kama Sutra Mad Libs and “Find-the-Cheerio” adult style. Don’t forget to lock the door (if you have kids)!bedroomshoot_4

These are just a few ideas to start you off (check out my web site for more ideas). I would love to hear your thoughts. What romantic, sweet or sexy ideas do you have to make those in your life know you appreciate and love them?

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