I continue to find it satisfying to do a pick-and-choose Valentine’s Day each year, based on inclination and mood. Last year, which was the first Valentine’s Day of the pandemic, I felt like buying cozy/at-home Galentine’s Day gifts and leaving them sneakily at local friends’ houses, and doing a Galentine’s Day care package giveaway that got wildly and beautifully out of hand. This year I am doing:
• heart sweater
• heart sneakers
• heart earrings
• heart mug for coffee
• classroom-style paper valentines (candy taped to each one) for co-workers
• giant Hershey Kisses for the kids
• Valentine care packages for the college kids
• Valentine care package for niece/nephew
• heart-shaped plastic plates
Which looks like a lot when I list it out, but FEELS very low-key: I already owned the sweater and the sneakers and the earrings and the mug and the plates. The co-worker valentines were a last-minute decision, half an hour before I left for work, when it suddenly seemed like it would be fun; I already had a bunch of paper valentines on hand, and I had a bag of heart-shaped York peppermint patties, so I combined them real quick and they were fun to hand out / put at people’s work areas. (I knew from previous years that a few co-workers hand out similar things, so I wouldn’t be the only one.) I always get the giant Hershey Kisses for the kids, so that was very low mental effort. The care packages were small and casual, not elaborate.
In previous years I’ve ordered myself a shipment of See’s Candies to arrive in time for Valentine’s Day. This year I didn’t, because I’d ordered myself some See’s back in the fall, and was still working on it in January, so it seemed less special/tempting. Also, I’d wondered if Paul might suddenly order some, because recently it seems to me that he senses a disturbance in the force and has been attempting to do some of the things I have finally given up on him ever doing. Probably I will buy myself some sort of Valentine’s Day candy, maybe See’s or maybe a box of something at Target, but I will buy it on sale/clearance this year.
And I have flowers, because I like flowers, and happily I like grocery-store flowers, so in The Difficult Months (January and February and often well into March) I try to have two bouquets going: one $3.99 misc-but-mostly-carnations bouquet, and/or one $4.99 tulips bouquet, and/or one $1.89 daffodils bouquet, depending on what is available. The vase with the $3.99 misc bouquet starts out looking pitiful, because a $3.99 bouquet is fairly thin; but the NEXT time you go to the grocery store and get ANOTHER $3.99 bouquet, part of the FIRST $3.99 bouquet (including usually all of the greenery) is still fresh and good!—so you just pull out the wilty items, freshen the water, trim the stems of what’s still good, add in the new bouquet, and now the bouquet is much fuller! This is how it works with the daffodils, too: $1.89 worth of daffodils is pretty okay, but it’s even MORE okay if you go back and get another $1.89 of daffodils, and get rid of the wilty daffodils from the first batch, and keep doing that every time. (I have a THIRD vase, a small one that is in fact a surprisingly prettily-shaped a Starbucks frappuccino bottle and I highly recommend acquiring one, for the flowers/greenery that have lasted longer than expected, but have been trimmed so many times they’re now too short for the regular vase). The $4.99 tulips typically last at least a week, but they all blow out at once; so I let them do their thing, and then I throw them all away, wash the vase, and start with a new batch.
Oh, and I ordered heart-shaped boxes of See’s to be delivered to the unit where Edward was in the hospital for a week, and I see that those were delivered today, so that’s fun!
I do miss going out for dinner with Paul: we’d get cocktails AND dessert; and, because we don’t usually eat out, it felt special enough that then we could stop having the discussion about what we were doing for Valentine’s Day. But we are not yet eating in restaurants, and it is not warm enough to eat outdoors, so we got take-out yesterday, and that did not feel at all the same. Well, perhaps next year.
I was one of the (many) recipents of the Galentines giveaway last year — that was such a great thing you and your readers did. I immediately ate all the candy and use my mug and tea towel all the time.
Happy hearts day Swistle and everyone in Swistle-land!
We had a two-day getaway in a nearby town, something we’d always talked about, and this year I made it happen. It was such fun, staying at an inn in a very walkable small town, and everybody was just so friendly and nice and we pictured ourselves living there and walking around the town every day. It was just the thing for mid-winter. Because my birthday is at the beginning of February, and his is at the beginning of March, we had plenty of opportunities to raise a glass and toast each birthday and Valentine’s Day. We thought twice (and more) about eating in restaurants, and decided to just do it and it felt fine, and every place we went into asked to see our vax IDs and all workers were required to be vaxed AND masked, so it felt fine.
We didn’t buy each other any Valentine cards or gifts (still eating birthday candy!!), but I had some fun Valentine’s towels and cat toys for the neighbors and it felt like just the right amount of effort for 2022.
I love your V Day plans and wish very much that I had a heart sweatshirt. And yay for sending candy to Edward’s nursing staff! How thoughtful! Here, I cut hearts in my daughter’s pancakes and gave her a pile of redi wip with pink sprinkles. I got cards for the kid and husband, bought candy and a few non-edible treats for the kid, and we each picked out a candy or two for ourselves. The red tulips I bought last week died this morning, so I bought some new pink and white flowers. My husband got me a card!!!!! and at some point suggested to my kid that she make me one, so that’s lovely!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Swistle!
If you want special restaurant style food without having to leave home, Goldbelly has a lot of fun options. We did it for our anniversary and it was delicious. It’s pretty pricey but I’d compare it to a really fancy restaurant you’d eat at once a year and the food was amazing and we had lots of leftovers. And it’s fun to put it all together yourself but without the work of figuring out what to make.
I actually have a gift certificate to Goldbelly but haven’t used it due to Decision Paralysis. There are so many options! If you feel like sharing, I’d love to know where you ‘went’ for your anniversary dinner?
I sent my three elementary kids to school with Valentine gifts (stickers/candy) to give to their classmates and was surprised to get the report back that my 4th grader was the only one in his class to hand anything out. My 3rd grade twins said about 1/3 of their class handed stuff out. We live in Korea, so it’s not as big of a thing here, but I was still surprised because it seems there was more done last year. I bought little gift packs of stuff for the kids, although messed up and bought almond candy for my oldest, who doesn’t like nuts, but it was fine as he took them to school to share with his friends. My husband had the day off FOR THE SUPER BOWL which is absurd, but I guess they figure it’s a morale thing to let the military watch a football game at 8 am or whatever. We didn’t watch, but it was nice for him to have off while kids went to school so we were able to go out to lunch (Taiwanese restaurant for bao and beef noodle soup and dan dan noodles and lu rou fan and omg I want it all again today) and coffee and then bought fancy macarons in a bunch of flavors to share with the kids after dinner.
That Galentine giveaway was amazing and I smiled when I thought of it today.
Our Valentine’s is always a very low-key thing. The Husband usually brings flowers home – which is always sweet; on Valentine’s or not.
I’m hoping that I will get out tomorrow for half priced candy. We shall see.
Happy Valentine’s, Swistle!
I used my Galentine’s mug from last year for tea this morning. Still love it! We’re having pizza leftover from yesterday’s super bowl for tonight’s dinner. Each kid has a small bag with small gift and hubby has fancy underwear plus chocolate covered oreos. It feels appropriately low key. Just once I want to be the wild spender who grabs giant stuffed animals from roadside vendors. This is not the year for that.
My husband is in hospital after having a stroke two weeks ago, so not much of a Valentine’s day here, although at least I was able to visit him after covid restrictions on visitors were lifted on the weekend.
(not to be disputing anyone else’s claim to the suckiness of a disappointing valentines day)
@Nancy I am very sorry about your husband. My husband was hospitalized last September and it was very sad and difficult. Thinking of you.
Thinking of you all
I feel you would be the most fun coworker ever.
Although you had sent the perfect and wonderful care package for the kids, although my mother also sent two delightful little heart shaped boxes of chocolates last week, although we have the heart plates from you currently in our plate rotation, still, STILL, your brother and I both managed to space that today was Valentine’s Day until 9pm last night, when I suddenly thought, “Wait. What is today’s date?” I ran out in the snow to CVS, and let me tell you where nobody is: CVS at 9pm on Super Bowl Sunday. I got an absolutely peerless parking spot, and I found cards and candy–Ferrero Rochet chocolates in a long box with a fake rose on the end- for the children and husband. Success!
Also today I ate strawberry-banana Cheerios in the shape of hearts.
Ferrero Rocher*
I knew that wasn’t right.
I looked everywhere for a Valentines Day shirt leading up to today but had no luck. Are they hidden somewhere? I tried Walmart, Target, Old Navy, Loft, Francescas
I tried to find a link to mine, but it’s gone. I bought it on Amazon, which I am trying to avoid, but unfortunately they have t-shirts that fit me and are cute. If I were buying one now, I’d buy this one (big heart made up of little hearts), probably in pink; or, if I were feeling more subdued, this one (four “faded” hearts), probably in olive or asphalt; or this fun pretend-sparkling one, but I’d be worried that it wouldn’t look as good in person. Or or this two-pack (one pink, one white with hearts)?? They came up in my search results; I’ve wanted more of these but they’ve been out of stock in my size FOREVER, and now they’re finally back.
Came back to add that I have a Single Red Rose t-shirt that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day: it’s this one, and I have it in pink.
@Swistle ooo thank you!! I will be ready next year (or anytime I feel like wearing hearts)
This was my first ever Valentine’s shirt (the adult size Kawaii valentine heart tshirt from Mochi Kids) and I love it: https://www.mochikids.com/products/kawaii-candy-hearts-baby-kids-adult-tee
“A disturbance in the force” – I’m glad he senses it!
It’s half-price chocolate day and I’m going out as soon as the store opens!
I need to know about these heart sneakers, please!
I got them on clearance from Converse a few years back! I brought them out and Elizabeth said “Ah! The once-a-year shoes.”
We did our usual card and candy. Except I kind of over bought on the candy. When the seasonal section switched from left over Christmas stuff to Valentine’s stuff, I saw some cute Valentine’s candy that I knew my people would like. I debated about waiting but was afraid that it would be gone if I waited for a sale or to see if something even better came along. THEN! I forgot all about it! So last week, I bought more and things that I had not already bought. When I went to put the more recent purchases in the gift drawer, I discovered the earlier purchases.
Anyway, no one is complaining about too much candy.
I can’t get to the store today so I’m hoping there will still be heart boxes of candy on sale when I get there later in the week.
Your V Day sounds delightful. My kids (1st grade and preschool) came home with SO much candy (and stickers and pencils etc). It’s cute, but seems excessive? I don’t know. I had them make cards, which turned out cute and which I photocopied to make enough for their classes. Not a single other kid did something homemade. I think it looked cheap by comparison, though the color copies cost as much as store bought cards would have. Are homemade cards lame now??
I spent the night in a hotel alone! I took a portion of the CPA exam this morning and it was an hour away from our house with no traffic, and I had to be there at 7:30 am, so the best thing to do for my peace of mind was stay in a hotel near the testing center. We don’t actually celebrate Valentine’s Day, it has never been a thing in our house, AND it was nice having a king-sized bed all to myself for a night . . . so no complaints here.
My favorite memory of Valentine’s Day was the year my daughter was in a school program the night of Feb. 13 and her teacher casually said to me, “Hey, you all ready for tomorrow?!” and then I watched as she realized that I was just then realizing that “tomorrow” was Valentine’s Day and NO I was not at all ready. I stopped on the way home and got the best Walgreen’s had to offer.
I may have mentioned that my husband and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with each other… and then the stinker got separate gift baskets of goodies for me and each of the kids! Fruit, cheese, chocolate, crackers, cookies, and even mugs! I mean, I guess I’m glad that he did something nice and unprompted and took some of the weight off me (did he too feel a disturbance in the force this year?), but I did feel a bit shown up since I didn’t get him anything specific and had just gotten components for a couple of big platters of finger foods (think charcuterie but with less preserved meats and a lot more fruit and cheese and nuts and carbs – we call them “nibbly dinners”) and picked out a YA romcom Netflix movie for the family.
This reminds me of that time my (now ex-)husband brought flowers for our first wedding anniversary – which I didn’t think we would celebrate because we had gotten married mainly for papers and he always said he didn’t believe in marriage. I walked in, saw the bouquet on the table, realized what was the occassion, and said “oh f*ck yeah, that too”. Whoopsie.
People don’t go as big on V-Day in the UK – certainly not in the hand-them-out-at-school way – and my daughter is off school this week for half term break anyway. But my mother in law, who’s in the US, sent the kids each a sweet card and some heart stickers and ink pad stamps which they absolutely loved. And my daughter asked what I’d got for her… so I ran out and bought some assorted pink and red chocolates and a card for each kid and made them a little gift parcel for the end of the day because I’m a sucker ;)
My birthday is the day after, so tbh Valentine’s often gets subsumed by that, but my husband has been trained to buy me a lovely bouquet (I don’t care if it’s on Feb 14, any time of year is fine but I do love a fancy bunch of flowers) – this year’s one had stocks and tulips and hyacinth in I think – and I bought him a gift box of craft beers. And he cooked us steak and dauphinoise potatoes for dinner. So overall not too shabby! Unlike my actual birthday which was delightful until my ungrateful progeny threw epic, public joint tantrums of the kind that make you wonder why you had kids, and marred the whole day big time.
I comforted my teenager (PMS plus a lack of galentines presents from friends)
I made chicken parm for dinner. I was already planning a baked breaded chicken thing, so making it parm was pretty easy.
I fretted about my mom’s cataract surgery
I sat in a 5 hour zoom class for my job.
Meh. (Although the husband and I took ourselves out to lunch and for fun shopping on Saturday.)
As if Valentine’s Day wasn’t pressure enough for teens, now they have to measure the amount of “galentine’s” presents, too?! Ughghghghg.