HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME SHOW YOU THE CHEAP WAYS!
Jan 20 '01
The Bottom Line There are so many ways to show a person that they are loved without spending a lot of money. Just use your imagination and create from the heart.
Valentine's Day has become so commercialized that the media would have you believe that you can't properly show someone you love them without spending a small fortune. You have seen the advertisements scolding you for purchasing candies instead of the shiny diamond ring. Don't buy into the hype.
Valentine's Day is a day like any other day except that it has been designated as the official day to show those you love that you care. Sure I wish I could fork over the money to take my loved one on a cruise or buy a sparkling Rolex watch but the chances of that are slim to none this year.
The most memorable gifts are the ones that truly come from the heart. In an earlier review, I told you how we surprised each other with a "home made" Christmas one year because our finances were non-existent after purchasing a house. Well, here are some inexpensive Valentine's Day ideas that will warm your loved ones heart and create a lasting memory.
A Sweet For The Sweet
Valentine Cookies
You can make cookie dough from scratch or purchase already made Valentine cookie dough from the grocer by Pillsbury. Whatever option you choose, add your personal touch. Decorate each cookie with your own phrases of love like, "I Love You" or "My Heart is Yours". You know your mate better than anyone else so you decide what to write.
Glue a candy heart at each end of a piece of ribbon. Wrap the cookies in red or pink tissue paper and bundle it up with the ribbon.
How About A Kiss?
Purchase a colored lunch bag from the party goods store or use a brown paper lunch bag and decorate it with rubber stampers, stickers, or your own artwork and fill it with 365 chocolate kisses. A kiss for every day of the year!
Attach a gift tag with your expressions of love written just for them.
Create A Gift
Music From The Heart
Why not make your loved one a cassette or CD with your favorite love songs to bring memories of your first years together rushing back? Did you have a special song that reminds you of your first date? Make a list then start recording. You can also make a label for your musical creation from templates found both on the Internet and in most graphic programs.
Contact your local radio station and ask the DJ to dedicate a song to your loved one.
If you are musically talented, why not write a special song just for them? This is definitely something they will remember forever.
A Scrapbook of Love
If you aren't pressed for time, gather up little mementos like movie or concert ticket stubs, photos, matchbooks from your favorite dining spots, postcards from your vacations together, and other memorabilia from times you have spent together. Put them all together in a scrapbook and present it to your loved one to show them how much you cherish that time spent together.
Personalized Greeting Cards
If you have a printer, why not create your greeting card instead of purchasing one that everyone else has given to their loved ones. You can create your own using clipart, small quotes, and a poem written by you.
You can always visit greeting card sites like www.americangreetings.com and personalize a card online then print it from your computer. I did this at Christmas and it turned out beautifully.
Photo Wrapping Paper
One of my favorite ideas is to gather photos of you and your loved one and arrange them on the glass of a copier. Make several copies of your photo collage then use it as wrapping paper, to decorate a paper box, or as gift tags.
Need Help In The Romance Department?
Straight To Their Stomach
Prepare a romantic dinner with their favorite dish. Make a simple centerpiece for the table by filling a glass dish with candy hearts and placing pillar candles in the middle. Pour some wine and enjoy!
Bubble Bath Built For Two
Decorate your bathroom with candles and fill the bathtub with scented salts or bubble bath for a start to a romantic evening for two.
Bedroom of Love
Lead your loved one to the bedroom with a trail of kisses, pedals from flowers, or post-it notes all over the house. Turn your bedroom into a romantic getaway with candles, incense, a bottle of wine, and a snack tray with fruit and candy.
Final Thoughts
There are so many ways to show a person that they are loved without spending a lot of money. Just use your imagination and create from the heart.
Remember that what they really want is just to know they were remembered on this special day and that they are first on your mind and in your heart.
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A special thanks to Jo.com for inviting me to participate in this Valentine's Day write-off. Please be sure to visit these other fine writers that have contributed their ideas:
sugarpharie | pisces61| lisa_j | ledomaine | garfield12 shelxland | lifesdream | bmcnichol | beckish | leemo | jro26 | beawriter | debbie26 | lunisdisarm | jeeperscrow jo.com | ginaav
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Member: Pamela
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