Hi,

Just intrigued to know if people still celebrate valentines day or if you see it as a "commercial gimmick"?
If you celebrate how will you be doing so?

Me and my chap decided that as we are decorating his house ready for me to move in (cant wait!) that we wouldnt celebrate valentines day and use the money on decorating stuff. Also, it is my birthday on 28th so it becomes an expensive month for him. However, i then found out he had booked a swish table at a fancy restaurant so i treated him to some new clothes for it and have now got myself so into the valentines day spirit its become xmas all over again and im going nuts buying things :-)
instead of buying lots of expensive prezzies i have got a big box, covered it with red paper and scrunched up tissue paper on the inside and am filling it will novelty gifts:love heart sweets, choccies, little teddy, novelty confetti and sprinkles etc and i have put a little box "thing" in the local newspaper to tell him how much i love him which will be published on v.day, this will also go in my homemade valentines box. It will mean more to him that i have done something that comes from the heart and took a bit of thought, and my bank balance is better off for it doing something like this!!!

Would love to know what others are up to.
Also, if you've got any other ideas for what i can put in my Valentines box :-)  i'd be more than grateful

x

The usual day for us, waste of money, in my opinion!! Sorry!

Aww that's very sweet of you & I think it's nice to celebrate the day, even if you're not into the whole commercial valentines day set up it's nice to have a day set aside to spend some quality time together.  We don't normally do much but I'm going to make a bit of an effort & am cooking a 3 course meal! Argh! Don't know what I've let myself in for as I'm no cook but hopefully OH will appreciate the effort.  With people having such busy lives nowadays, spending quality time with the one you love can sometimes get overlooked & I think even if you don't buy a card or pressie the day should be used for this :)

Hope you OH likes his box Freds Mum!

Sooo single here... will be spending it taking the pup to the beach and avoiding all the lovey dovey couples! FredsMum... your present sounds so loving and genuine, to me thats what Valentines should be about! Making an effort without conforming too much to the over priced roses etc etc etc.

No, we don't bother. Only did the very first year. We'll be at a dog show instead!!

we are going out for a nice meal... thats about it, its just a nice excuse to get all dressed up :)

we don't do too much, we send cards to each other and send little pressie's - I want a new Willow Tree ornament  :)  Other than that, it will be just another day....We don't enjoy to go out much anyway and although the idea of cooking a nice romantic meal is lovely, it just wouldn't be the same somehow with the children present and they're too old to tuck up into bed early.

Not exactly celegrate but recognise it!  We usually buy each other a card and perhaps a small gift.  Depending of the day of the week it falls on then we may go out for lunch or dinner.  This year it has crept up rather too quickly on both of us and we only realised yesterday that it was this Saturday, so dinner is probably out! 

The most we ever do on Valentine's day is to exchange cards. I always feel it's a bit forced and unnatural so prefer to do nice things/buy small gifts at other times of the year. I think I have never got on with being told what to do, just like to be contrary!
I think the most special little gifts are odd things that show you really have thought of the individual not just anything with a love heart on it etc, so it's hard to make a suggestion - you know your OH the best. I was particularly appreciative recently when my husband brought me a book home which he knew I really wanted to read, he had ordered it in to the library and collected it in his lunchbreak.
Hope you have a lovely day!
Ruth 

I don't celebrate it because, being married, it has not relevance to me.  It no longer resembles the tradition I grew up with which was one of being sent cards or little gifts from a secret admirer.  This was, in my opinion, deeply romantic but of course it did not encompass a broad enough customer base for commerce:-)

well me and hubby been married 32yrs and he reckons i dont need a card or gift as i am lucky to have him.
Cheeky devil,i think its the other way round.

I would be more impressed if hubby brought me flowers/chocs on ANY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR because he wanted to , not on Valentines day because he thought he was obliged to .

I can think of a few things to go in your box Fred's Mum , but they are too rude and you never know who is reading !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>We'll be at a dog show instead!!

me too, I will be at an agility show and OH will be at home completing the list of jobs im going to leave him ;)

Hate Valentines Day.  My OH wants to do something nice and special, but really I cant stand the day.  I told him not to do anything, so he said he was going to get me 12 Black Roses.  (Weird sense of humour he has) 

But maybe, I can get out of Valentines with the pups coming!!! 

(Oh I planned this so good!)

got a dog show :) boyf is starting to get a complex, showed at manchester on 15th jan, which is his birthday, and now valentines day. he thinks im avoiding him lol. hmmmmm

Were get a meal from M & S  I expect and a bottle of wine  :-) no cards ....

I'm not a huge one for celebrating and Don't see the point in going out for a meal as it's so much more expensive and we go for meals quite often anyway so it's nothing out of our norm.

In relaity we are not destined to spend valentines day together anyway.  first year I was working that evening, 2nd year he had to work and I had to go to uni and we were 180 miles apart.  This year, he has joined the police and has training.  LOL at least we get the evening together.

As Dave is going away next sunday with my son to Anglesey(i have to stay at home and work..) he secretly arranged to fly us to Spain for the day to have lunch on the Med last saturday...
we flew to Mercia at 6am then his friend met us at the airport and drove us around the area then took us to the beach where we had a couple of beers then bought bread, cheese, red wine and sat on the beach having a fantastic time....
we then drove around the coast and went to Albox where we had a chinese meal and stayed in his friends apartment until 7am on sunday when he drove for 2 hours to Alicante and we flew home..what a fantastic present...and he has booked us a table at a thai place in Nuneaton on saturday..i am too spoilt...i have arranged a flight for us both in a couple of weeks that flies over Snowdon and down the menai straits...he will  love it....

We have a friends wedding to go to :)

Should be a lovely day...and can't wait to wear my lovely £110 Monsoon dress that I got for the bargain price of £33 yesterday :D

> Me and my chap decided that as we are decorating his house ready for me to move in (cant wait!

Whoop!! ( I think a change of signature might be on the horizon then?? ;))

6pm HG Towers Yesterday:

The 'Dead man walking' : (cheerily) I think we should just forget Valentines on saturday.. what do you think?
HG: (((((( ))))))

@@@@@ Tumble weed blows past @@@@@

The DMW: ........ (audible gulp)....... well?
HG: ((((( )))))

***** Clock ticks and somewhere in the distance a bell tolls *****

The DMW: (looks at feet, shuffles nervously) "You've gone quiet"
HG: ((((( :( )))))
The DMW: what?? why are you looking at me like that?? Have I said the wrong thing?
HG: ((((( where is that rolling eyes smiley!?? )))))

***** Clock still ticks (or is that his panicked heartbeat!?) Bell tolls louder *****

The DMW: Have I upset you?
HG: No! (said in an 'obviously YES' tone)
The DMW: You *are* upset! (said triumphantly..then realises this is not a good thing......)

***** Too late! *****

The DMW: ((((((Owwwww!!))))) that *really* hurt!! (as dog's indestructible ball connects with his thick head)
HG: :-P

:)   :)   :) @ HG post

Thank you every one. Nice to hear what others do (or do not) do.
As my chap has his young daughter every weekend it is hard being romantic or doing "grown up" things.lol. He regularly buys me flowers or nice surprises but this is the first time we have been out for a proper romantic meal on our own. Its also our first valentines day so i think we need to do something special and memorable. I've never been into the whole romance thing before but now i'm truly in love its great and i cant get enough of it. I've turned into a soppy mess :-)

My OH gave me a small gold heart when we got together 18 years ago,I weear it on my chain around my neck everyday. I do get the occasional card from him but they are usually funnies.
Sometimes I get flowers out of the blue and I also get tea in bed when he walks both dogs on a Saturday morning (I do the housework) he thinks thats romantic enough!

Thats great go for it and a little something in the bedroom to finish the evening???

ooh whistler - you saucy minx :-)

I hope you all have a great valentines day!  we dont really celebrate it much, dont really see much point in going out for a meal, to be crammed in and over charged just because its feb 14th!
we do just a card and little gift and a take away :-) Im not really the romantic type, I think OH thinks he is..... ha ha THINKS he is! :-D

the box idea sounds good Freds Mum!

It's funny isn't it, Valentines day I don't see so much as a commercial gimmick due to the fact that it brings so much joy to so many people, it has been the catalist for many romances and I'm sure will continue to do so.

I've loved Valentines for soooooooo...... long. :-)  From being a school girl, I used to love the thought of who sent me the mystery cards it was the talk of the school playground as we all tried to figure out our secret crushes, wasn't that great fun? :-)

Once being dated Valentines is so romantic for your girlfriend/boyfriend to send a card and gift then pre-marriage and early marriage I have to say the romance has been fab, the weekends away, the cards, flowers, presents. I'm sure it will always bring great joy to many others, so wouldn't wish to see it ever disappear.

However, long in the tooth now I couldn't really give a hoot about Valentines, I feel it is no longer needed for hubby and myself, we know we love each other we show it every single day, hubby always buys me flowers and treats me all the time, so I don't really need an extra romantic day set for us as it's always there, so to contradict myself, it does now feel like a gimmick, and if I'm honest I feel silly buying a Valentines still at my age, I don't know why but I just do.

However, out of duty and habit, we shall be going out for a meal and will give each other a card. Why you ask?

Well, one year when we had returned from a fantastic holiday, after a fab time and a very long night flight (neither hubby nor I can sleep on a plane) with Valentines the next day we just could not be bothered to get up and go out for a card or set up a babysitter (well mum) for us to go out for a meal, we just wanted to stay in, curl up on the sofa, relax and have an early night.

Our boys had been doing a bit of whispering together, we had noticed it but thought nothing of it until they came to us and asked if we did not love each other anymore!!! as there was no Valentines cards or presents. :-( Goes to show we kiss and cuddle every day, had just had a fab holiday, but miss out on Valentines and were getting divorced.!! :-D

So alas, we continue to do it................. I guess we always will. :-)

I agree with HG a signature change is definitely on the cards!!!

If you've got some spare time I thought of a great idea to go in your box...a set of vouchers for 'special treats' handmade by yourself, I'm doing one for my OH but have to keep quickly tidying my craft stuff away when he comes home from work! Examples of stuff it will contain are: a meal of your choice cooked, breakfast in bed, night out of your choice paid for by me etc etc you can add some rude ones too if you like - I know I will be!!! :) ;) :) ;)

I got the idea when chatting to my friend yesterday, it's her b'day soon & when asked she says there isn't anything she really wants so I've done her & her OH (b'days are 14&15th) a babysitting voucher to be redeemed whenever they want a night/day out!  We've offered loads to look after their baby boy but I'm not sure if they take us seriously, hopefully this will spur them on to take us up on our offer! I think it's important they get to spend some time together & plus it gives me a chance to work on my 'mothering' skills!!  Do you think she'll like it?

Freds Mum,

Re: Your Valentines Box for your man.

What about writing a poem, having it laminated and also putting that in your box, with a single red rose too, are you artistic at all can you make things? If you don't wish to buy a red rose you could make one from anything like crepe paper to a wooden carving or even a painting.  I've done all of those things over the years and hubby has to this day still treasured them, because I made them for him, they last forever too. :-)

whilst sat in bed the other night my OH went online and bought me a "delux" body pillow to rest my baby bump on to help me sleep better at night - apparantly thats my valentines gift !!

I have a poem being printed in the paper on valentines day. i will get this laminated at work so he can keep it.
Thanks for all the ideas and stories.

:-D Valentines = Romance = a comfy nights sleep, um what about the bit in the middle. :-D

Ah, bless at least he thought of you in a comfy relaxing way, better than a frying pan!

Any other men out there, it's about romance i.e flowers, chocolates, romantic meal, theatre, evening out, poems, even singing a romantic song to us will do it. That's Valentines.

Mind you it is also to say I love you, he loves you so much ClaireyS, he wants to care for you and give you a comfort nights sleep, so not too bad I guess. **prefer a dozen roses though**

Any other men out there, it's about romance  

I think woman need to realise men appreciate the romance to, men arent just there when we need the car fixing or the d.i.y :-) 

It was the bit in the middle that got me the need for a body pillow ;)

He is a romantic at heart, its me thats not, last year I did get him a red rose, this year I will probably get him some nice chocs from hotel chocolat - and will no doubt help him eat them too !!!

On the subject of romance, and men.  After breakfast yesterday and while he is getting himself organised to leave for work, OH shuffles over to me and looks at me, looks at his feet, looks at me.
"I've got something for you" he says. 
"Your dirty washing?" Due to the nervousness and shuffling I am getting suspicious.
"No. Worse.  It's been in my family a long time and I want you to have it." Shuffle, look, shuffle "It's a ring."
Gives it to me (the ring) then leaves for work.
Cue me putting it on and running out into the snow in my poodle dressing gown to give him a hug and kiss.

Now, I popped the question a year ago when we were in the process of buying the house and we've never done anything about a ring.  I guess it was sort of taken for granted.  So to now have one, out of the blue like this, I was blown away.  So I guess this is my Valentine :-)  I don't get anything from him on Valentines day, rarely anything for my birthday lol, so for me this shy nervous shuffling was incredibly romantic coming from him :-)  What I think I am trying to say (apart from Oooh look I have a ring :-p) is that what is romantic for one woman/man will not be romantic for another.  OH and I are polar opposites, which does make life interesting, he loves nothing better than when I make him a homecooked meal (whereas I love eating out) so I'll most likely come up with one of his favourites on Saturday.

For Freds Mum,

I agree, I wasn't leaving them out, it's just that women 'usually' automatically know that Valentines is about romance, we're not likely to buy our man a new tyre, whereas men don't always think that way, they are more likely to buy a household accessory or get straight down to it with a neglegee, or a chocolate willy, :-D fine! But they often miss out the romance bit which is what we generally want and what the day is actually about.

Of course not counting my hubby if he is reading this, he is always very thoughtful and romantic as am I.

Huge congrats GCG - now THAT in my opinion is very romantic, I can't be doing with commercial and contrived hearts and flowers nonsense myself :) :) :) 

You've got yourself a good 'un there - and of course he's got himself a great 'un :-p

It is certainly so romantic when a man puts himself out of his comfort zone for you :-)

Hopefully I didn't flash the neighbours too much with my carry on outside in my "goonie" ;-)

Oh Yes, very happy for you GCG, Congratulation!!! :-D :-D

Spontaneous flashing isn't offensive kiddo (so my neighbours tell me :-p )

Ah congratulations. That is romantic, bless him for getting all nervous

Such a funny, but lovely story GCG! Congrats!

Flash the ring this way - what's it like????

Thank you everyone :-)
Nobody else thinks it was romantice - they all think he should have gone down on one knee and waited till Saturday.  They don't seem to understand that FOR HIM this is romantic *dreamy sigh*
Will update avatar when I get home so you can all have a nosey.  It's not what I would have picked for myself but it is still very special - especially as it's an heirloom!  Hope I don't lose it :-o

> Hope I don't lose it :-o

That was my fear with my engagement ring, make sure you add it to your home contents insurance!

Can't wait to see it!

He gives me a kiss in the morning I give him dinner in the evening, usual day really :p: . We used to do cards, little pressies and flowers in the early days but now he tells me we're too old for all that 'tosh' :-o

We are getting a new pooch though, a rescue one on Saturday :-D

Congratulations GCG!  (What's a poodle dressing grow?)

My OH announced last night that Valentine's was cancelled 'cos we are getting a new stove and as our 10 year anniversary is in March (when it's being fitted) that should cover it too, it that ok?  I had a HuskyGal tumbleweed moment, OH then said is it Iron or wood for ten years 'cos that'd be really good!  Humpf!

> OH then said is it Iron or wood for ten years 'cos that'd be really good!  Humpf!

And I'd be telling him he's gonna get a Morphy Richards Iron round the ears and a No 3 Wood round the legs :-D

Now that would've been a good reply but I was far too stunned - the very nerve!

Lol! Sorry a poodle dressing gown :-)  It's a fluffy dressing gown with little black poodles all over it (goes with my poodle pyjamas, poodle pants, poodle socks - all for me, I don't dress my dogs up lol). 

Pinky, you've got the right idea.  It should feel like Valentine's day every day when you are in love :-)

>  little black poodles all over it (goes with my poodle pyjamas, poodle pants, poodle socks

:-o    is this your idea of sexy lingerie    :-D

Is there a poodle bra and where would the pom pom bit be? :) :)