3 ways to have a better Valentines Day

I am a romantic, but I'm not married to a romantic. And I've learned that I'm just a girl with some high expectations for..... well, for everything. So our first few Valentine's Days over here weren't exactly my favorite (not Jay's fault at all, to be clear). But I FREAKING LOVE VALENTINES DAY. And we really have rocked it the past few years (even though I'm a mom to small children and Jay has always worked all day) So if you're a cynic, or looking to make Valentines Day a day better this one is for you! I've compiled a list of things that have changed the game for me.

1. Make it about love in all it's forms.
Don't just make Valentine's Day about receiving love! Know a single friend? Parent? Widow? Another mom of small kids? A teenager who might not receive a lot of love? Make it about showing love in all it's forms. Bake cookies with your kids. Go paint your grandma's nails or stop in for a chat. Go out to lunch with a single friend (one of our favorite traditions!) Paint your own nails and take yourself for your favorite starbucks. When I started focusing on the love I could GIVE it changed everything for me.

2. Don't do gifts if you don't want to do gifts!
Last year Jay and I decided that we just really wanted a new sink for our kitchen, so we spent our money on something we really wanted and watching Jay install it was way better than a necklace! And if you want gifts, do gifts! but....

3. Be Crystal Clear about expectations.
Some people are in the kind of relationship where their partner speaks their love language and inherently knows what to do to make them feel loved and special! And I'm so happy for them! But I think the reality is that most of us don't have that. Our spouses and Significant others aren't mind readers. So try something like "Hey, honey, I would really like to do [this] for Valentine's Day this year. Do you think we could make that happen?"


So if you're single, a cynic, married, or anywhere in between- I hope these help you to have the BEST day ever tomorrow! Show yourself (and your neighbor) some love.