Hubs and I are so perfect for each other. We both agreed last year that Valentine’s Day would get no special treatment from us: no flowers, no gifts, no stuffed animals.
Because if you recall, I loathe stuffed animals.
So I was sitting here thinking how many years I spent February 14th without a Valentine. At first I hated it… “V-day.” All of a sudden, in addition to my mother, the whole world seemed to take notice I was single. As if something was wrong with that.
Years later I actually enjoyed V-day. You know why? Because while all those love-birds were out paying twice the going rate for dinner, I was at Old Navy, stocking up on cute heart-embellished pajama bottoms. That’s right – 50% off! Suckas!
Over the years I stocked up on enough pajama bottoms to clothe a small country, so I moved on. Then I sort of just ignored February 14th. Yes, hearts and red & pink color combos were abound but I just told myself it was because February was red-month and hearts…well, hearts are just cute!
So when I met hubs and he shared my distaste for an over-commercialized holiday that really should be EVERYDAY, I knew it was love.
GAG!
And even though we are going out to dinner Monday, it’s NOT because we are endorsing this holiday. No way, Jose. It’s just because we love food. Especially the local gems of places we’ve discovered the past 4 months here in Jacksonville. That, and we only really have 3 nights a week we can go out since hubs’ schedule is OOC (out of control). Ok, maybe it is a little bit because it’s Valentine’s day…but only because TRUE LOVE means not having to do the dishes after dinner.
5 ways you can be anti-V-day this year:
- Bake cookies, brownies, etc. and DON’T make them in the shape of hearts. Of if you must (because hearts are so cute) then decorate them with anti-Valentine’s colors. My fave? Camouflage cookies. Nothing says anti-lovey-dovey like camo. But don’t make them too stealth – you wanna find them when that sweet tooth kicks in.
- Wear dark clothes. I know your OCD will kick in on Monday and you’ll try to convince yourself you really wanted to wear that red shirt with the heart on the pocket today. Or maybe it’s that pink ruffled top you just got at Banana Republic, but RESIST the urge. Wear it Tuesday instead! Take that V-day!
- Avoid glitter. This includes shimmery shadow and lip gloss. I know how hard this is, trust me. I use lip gloss more than I use soap. That’s gross. But true. Better yet – go makeup-free!
- Have a movie night… and watch Gladiator. “Am I not merciful?”
- Play hookie and stay in bed all day. Use the day to catch up on reading (no love stories!) or napping. Avoid the TV, the Internet and the phone - as all will likely lead to some conversation or mention of Valentine’s Day and thus you will have negated your plan to de-value the day.
*For those of you who don’t know me well – please see the light-hearted humor I meant in this post. By no means am I a scrooge or a Cupid-hater.
Happy February 12th! And may you learn to love fully each day, so that February 14th in no way impacts your emotions or your expressed affections any differently than any other day. Make a vow to treat everyday like Valentine’s day and tell those people who need to know how much you care for them. Remember, love is patient and love is kind; true love knows no limits.
