Valentine's: The Practical Approach?

I love Valentine's Day... not because I get to receive flowers and candy, but simply it gives me more reason to spend extra time with my loved one.

Some say, "Every day could be Valentine's Day."

But we all know that we humans aren't that perfect. To maintain the level of attentiveness and commitment that could make every day Valentine's Day is quite an ambitious goal, which I have yet to see anyone achieve. In fact, it doesn't make sense at all because we humans have our ups and downs each day. Some days we wake up, raring and ready to go. Others, we may wake up on the wrong side of the bed, leaving us grouchy for the better half of the day, which means we would be in no state of mind to be putting anyone's whims before our need to be grouchy. Haha!

Hence, I believe every holiday or special occasion, not just Valentine's Day, should be celebrated. Sure we can postpone it, but I believe that we should never miss it. Why? Simply because it gives us a chance to make up for all those less than quality times we spent with our loved one. It gives us the opportunity to do a little more and be a little sweeter than usual, without seeming like a crazy person, because it's a special day :)

And what of gifts? Well, in my opinion, gifts are necessary, but they can come in many forms...

1. Favours e.g. a massage

Chilling at home after a simple dinner... watching a DVD, and then very naturally giving your loved one a massage. That would be a lovely gesture on your part... and may lead to sexy time! Hehe! Others may be cooking a meal, setting up a bubble bath (if you have a tub), stocking his/her fridge and... ironing? LOL!

2. Expression e.g. a nice handwritten card

A good way to express some thoughts you may normally not want to say in person. I paired mine with a compilation CD of songs, which my boyfriend ended up not liking anyway cos it's not his style. Haha! But he appreciated the thought and effort, so it does matter that you try to do something.

One of my cousins wrote his girlfriend a nice long letter for her... birthday? I forgot. These things, you get to keep in your drawer and cherish for life. You re-read them when you want to remember the best times, until they get dog-eared, and someday, you can show your children what a great relationship you had :)

3. Object e.g. a present he/she would like/need

A new vacuum cleaner for the wife? LOL! Wives out there are about to kill me. Haha! I believe presents can be practical. I received a sports watch with a heart rate monitor from my boyfriend on my recent birthday. It was a simple and very thoughtful gift because he wanted to motivate me to get in shape. In the end... it did :) Other practical gifts can be a new electronic gadget (if his/hers is already broken), face/body care products (so that he/she can take better care of himself/herself), coveted makeup products (my friend's hubby bought her UD's Naked 2 and scored many many points... ask her girl friends if you need advise), a new shaver for him or even the new game he's been itching to buy, and a gold bar instead of jewelry?

To be honest, buying household appliances may not be romantic, but if the purchase can make his/her life easier or more enjoyable, it's definitely alright to go ahead, be it a vacuum cleaner, shaver, blender, television or a new sound system you can both enjoy. If it makes both of you happier, why not?

4. Experience e.g. an enjoyable date or short trip

Plan a nice date... it doesn't have to be at a posh restaurant. It could be just taking the initiative to book the movie tickets and dinner venue and just taking him/her there. Or even a nice long dinner, followed by a long stroll on the boardwalk, in a park, by the sea... etc. My friend brought her hubby to a shooting range as a Valentine's Day gift. How cool is that?! ^_^

Trips don't have to be extravagant either. It could be just a quick weekend trip to a nearby island destination, a night at a nice hotel in the city, or even a day at the amusement park or a hike on the hills. The key here is to spend quality time as a couple... talking, laughing, enjoying each other's company.

I suppose you may have noticed by now that not once have I mentioned the staple gifts of roses and chocolates. I do love receiving flowers like every girl, but I always get a huge headache after I receive them. Where will I put them? And when they dry out, it seems like a huge waste to throw them out. This lead me to the conclusion that I don't want to receive flowers anymore, and stuffed toys too. Plants are fine though :) They live on and on... as long as I don't kill them. Hehe! As for chocolates and sweets, well... they're just like any other food. I'd rather have a good Japanese or Korean meal which probably costs as much as a box of chocolate or candy on Valentine's Day. Hehe!

So I guess the take away from this post is that we should all find time to spend quality time with our loved one. If we can't make it a habit to have fixed date nights, then holidays and special occasions give you a good avenue to do so. Don't waste them :)