Happy Valentine’s Day, fellow Boomers!
The first thing I thought about when Valentine’s Day was coming around again is that after so many years together, it’s difficult to find a gift that is different or “inspired.” So, of course, I did a bit of research and found some cool ideas to share with you today. 😊 Ned is someone who likes to ask what I want for any and all holidays, and my response at Valentines is usually something like: “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate on Valentine’s Day might be nice!”
Here are my top 5 choices for sweet surprises for your Valentine!
- Did I say a little chocolate? Well, maybe a little more than a little, or, maybe – A LOT! I LOVE dark chocolate. Green and Black’s 85% is my favorite, so creamy and chocolaty and… oh, dear, just telling you about it makes me want some! Amazon sells it and if you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free. The best thing is, I only eat about an ounce of it at night for desert, so several of these tasty treats will last me many weeks. And if you like adventurous pairings, we have found that a sip of a big fat Shiraz with a little square of dark chocolate can provide an explosion of cherries in your mouth! And, oh by the way, dark chocolate is chock-full of antioxidants which are good for heart and brain health!
- Many of us women really love flowers, but perhaps something a bit different is called for this year. Like, a lovely blown glass bird or flower from my friend Ozzie, or a blown glass vase in the shape of a heart, or maybe your special someone loves glass unicorns. Trust me on this, guys, any gift that is thoughtful and planned for us personally will be a HUGE hit! And both the giver and receiver get the endorphin benefits from something given from the heart.
- Another fun way to celebrate together, is to pick up a few lovely little items that you each like – for instance, Ned loves an inexpensive sweatband that Amazon sells for $4.95. It’s the best thing for keeping the sweat out of his eyes when he bikes. He’s also fond of dark chocolate covered almonds. And, we both seem to always need to replace the batteries in our watches, garage door openers, etc. Those little C2032 batteries, so they are always appreciated. Valentines do not have to expensive to be loved! Another fun part is hiding all the lovely little treats around the house and having a “Treasure hunt!” This is sooooo much fun. I have found chocolate bars in places like: under my pillow when I’m preparing for bed, inside the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator when I’m getting the veggies for dinner, in my shoes as I’m putting them on, on the seat of my car when I open the door. Be creative! Have fun with it. Laughter releases endorphins, and, believe me, finding a chocolate bar sitting on the toilet seat with a big red bow around it, when one takes a bathroom break, cannot help but bring on the laughter!
- Another fun way to celebrate this holiday is by cooking a romantic dinner together. Even if one of you is not a good cook, you can still make this a fun event that you can share together. The “sous chef” can clean or peel veggies, add salt and pepper, set the table, pour the wine for the chef, bring home a sweet desert from the bakery, wash equipment as the chef finishes with them so the clean up is done, assemble the salad – you get the idea – be a team! Make this your own creative adventure. Ned and I love to cook together, but if this isn’t your thing, you can bring home a pizza, set a blanket in the living room in front of the fireplace, or wood stove, and have an indoor picnic. One of you can get the pizza, the other can pick up some hors d’oeuvres and an adult beverage… Make it fun and different so you can enjoy a stress-free evening together!
- And, maybe after dinner, you can give each other a sensuous foot massage! Use your favorite scented oil, put some romantic music on, and set a timer so that you each get a 20-minute foot massage. It will the best twenty minutes you’ll spend all week!
As you can see from this list, the important thing is to make it fun for you both. Success doesn’t have to be expensive, it just needs to be fun and something different from every day activities!
Enjoy your Valentines Day, and let me know what you end up doing in the comment section below this blog post – you may give someone else inspiration for the next holiday!
Best of Health,
Kathi
