Looking out of my window, all I can see is a thick, white sheet of snow. Not pretty snowflakes peacefully drifting to the ground. No. Miserable, angry Amarillo-style snow.
According to Weather Underground, it is actually 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now, but it feels like -18 degrees when you factor in the wind chill. Unbearably cold is unbearably cold, right?
So what am I doing? Sipping on some hot tea, typing up this blog post (which will be my shabby tribute to the upcoming holiday), and desperately waiting for some kind of notification telling me that I don't have to be on campus at 7:30 in the morning.
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Valentine's Day is Monday. Are you ready?
For no justifiable reason, I've never been a big fan of Feb. 14.
Valentine's Day has always been kind to me, though.
Growing up, my parents always gave Ashley (my younger sister) and me cute cards telling us how much they loved us. We also received those little boxes of Sweetheart candies that said cheesy things like "Be Mine" and "Hug Me"- you know the ones.
My grandparents always gave us big boxes of gooey, chocolaty,
caramel- and pecan-filled Russell Stover Turtles (yum!).
There were those Valentine's Day parties at school. We would pick out boxes of Valentines, usually the ones with our favorite Disney characters or something of the sort.
Even as a teenager and in those first couple years of dealing with boys around this time of year weren't unpleasant, by any means.
I always got precisely what any girl would expect: a fluffy stuffed animal (usually a teddy bear), a box of chocolates, maybe a few roses (if he really liked me), and/or a card with something ridiculously corny printed in it and a sloppy signature following.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe that's one reason I'm not particularly fond of this holiday.
Granted, last Valentine's Day my wonderful boyfriend gave me a beautiful James Avery necklace with a peace sign charm (which I wear nearly every day).
To those of you who just grab the stuffed bear, box of chocolates and a corny card off the shelf at Walgreens- consider trying something different this year:
- Handwrite a letter or list of your loved one's qualities that you most adore or get crafty and make a homemade valentine.
- Life is hectic, so just set aside a couple of hours to enjoy each other's company. Cook dinner together, play a board game, or share a bowl of ice cream and Netflix your favorite TV show (or pop in the DVDs if your favorite is Seinfeld).
Another annoyance- people always hype up this holiday to be about romantic relationships, but some of my dearest Valentine's memories involve my family and friends. Am I alone on this?
Sure, take advantage of having a special day set aside to pamper and spoil your significant other, but don't forget about everyone else near and dear to you.
- Call mom and tell her you love and appreciate her.
- Let your sibling(s) know that you care.
- Wish your true friends a happy day and let them know they mean a lot to you.
- Relive those grade-school days and buy a box of fun cartoon Valentines to hand out to friends, family, coworkers and even classmates.
Finally, be appreciative (ahem... ladies).
A girl actually complained to me today about how a "secret admirer" sent her a dozen roses last year while her boyfriend "only" gave her a homemade card.
In my humble opinion, a homemade card is far more heartfelt and thoughtful than $50 dropped on a bunch of flowers that are doomed to die. Try to be slightly less materialistic and open your eyes to what really matters...
Keep warm and be safe and good luck preparing for Valentine's Day!
If you have any great Feb. 14 ideas or stories you would like to share, please do so. I enjoy getting feedback from my readers!
OMG, I totally agree about the holiday not being exclusive to romantic relationships! In fact, where I come from, the day is actually referred to as "The Day of Love and Friendship"! I remember always having a blast celebrating with my friends. Hopefully something like this can catch on, because not everybody has a partner, but usually everybody has a friend!