Valentine's Day « Back to Group Discussions

[Jaimee]

Sooo... how to spice up V-day now that there is a LO dictating how the evening will go?  Post your ideas to celebrate!

Here are a few things I have planned:

• Take-out from a Thai restaurant
• A little gift (nice, warm point6 socks- one of dh's favorite things)
• Pictures of me in lingerie... I just took a few with my tripod today while ds1 was napping and I plan on emailing and texting them to dh throughout the day. 

[TalkToMeNow]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Sooo... how to spice up V-day now that there is a LO dictating how the evening will go?  Post your ideas to celebrate!

Here are a few things I have planned:

• Take-out from a Thai restaurant
• A little gift (nice, warm point6 socks- one of dh's favorite things)
• Pictures of me in lingerie... I just took a few with my tripod today while ds1 was napping and I plan on emailing and texting them to dh throughout the day. 

Jaimee, you are brave with the pics! Nice job. I'm going to skip that idea... It might lead poor dh to believe we would be having sex. Lol! My Mirena has ruled that out for the time being. Sucky!!

[Jaimee]

Yeah, it's not like me at all, but I think I need to push myself outside of my comfort zone in order to keep the spark alive with dealing with 3 kids!

[TalkToMeNow]

Totally off topic, but I used to have a lot of pics like that. Then I almost lost my job over them. Seriously. So no more for me, either way. How awful, huh? Just thought I'd share... 

[Jaimee]

How did you almost lose your job over that?  Were you sending them at work?  Did your boss see you in compromising clothing and positions?!   Dh works in his own office, so if I title it "open when alone" or something like that, it should be fine...  Otherwise I could just text them, I guess.

Anyone else have some Vday ideas??

[TalkToMeNow]

I got a new camera, so I wiped the old one and used it at work (high school) to take pics of my students for projects, on field trips, etc. Well, I let another teacher borrow it and she gave it to a student to use for a project. Somehow, he was able to go into the memory and recover a deleted file. A bad deleted file. It was awful! Anyway, I didn't lose my job because after a long investigation it was determined that I did everything in my power to prevent the situation and kids are just too smart. But I did have to be transferred. It was pretty devastating, actually, because I loved my school and students. But it's water under the bridge now... I'm staying at home, anyway!

Total weirdness, huh??

[TalkToMeNow]

On topic, I think we will get Thai take out, as well. Maybe light some candles in the evening. I'll probably try to clean the house. I'm going to write some nice love notes for dh and hide them in his work bag, under his pillow, etc. I'll also get up and make sure I make him coffee to go before work.

[Jaimee]

A deleted file?  Come on!  What was the student doing recovering files on your SD card anyway??  That requires recovery software.  Seriously!  I'm sorry that happened!

Love notes... that's a good idea!

[jbk21]

I make food.  LOL  that's about it but my boys love my baking so it makes them happy.  I am making heart shaped soft pretzels, chocolate rolled sugar cookies that i'll decorate, and every year i make homemade chocolate truffles.  I'll make a nice dinner since we won't be going out.  Maybe we'll rent a movie for after the boys go to bed. 

[seraf]

DP doesn't like v-day. I asked if she wanted to exchange gifts this year and she said, "I want chocolate.". So chocolate she will get. 

[birdhappy85]

DH works on Valentine's Day (night) this year so I don't think we're doing anything. We could celebrate it early but since the 4-ish hours in the day we're awake at the same time are the time of night when the baby is fussy and then needs to be put down for bed, I'm not sure we'll find the time to spend together. Oh well, better luck next year? We're not that big of celebratory people with giving super creative gifts. We suck in that department!

[MrsKatie]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

We're not that big of celebratory people with giving super creative gifts. We suck in that department!

This! I'm a big gift-giver and celebrator and I've always loved it and simultaneously been stressed-out by it.  So it's been a surprising relief that DH is not interested in gifts; in fact, for the past couple years, I've given him nothing for his bday or Christmas because he SO BADLY doesn't want anything (we still go out, and I write him a card and I'll make him some little sentimental gift or something, but I won't buy anything new).  I don't know what we'll do to celebrate; we haven't "done" V-day in the past and I don't think we'll start now.

Wait, I lied... last year for DH's birthday I gave him a bound book of photos from a burlesque photo shoot I did that I meant to give him for the wedding but didn't get around to until much later.  Maybe I'll wrap it up and give it to him again Those photos are pretty glam and racy and awesome and maybe they'll inspire me to rid myself of the rest of this PP belly!

[MrsKatie]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

I make food.  LOL  that's about it but my boys love my baking so it makes them happy.  I am making heart shaped soft pretzels, chocolate rolled sugar cookies that i'll decorate, and every year i make homemade chocolate truffles.  I'll make a nice dinner since we won't be going out.  Maybe we'll rent a movie for after the boys go to bed. 

Man, that sounds SO nice!  I think we'd be in a more romantic mood without grandma around.  So next year...

[CDsMom1031]

We both work. And with the way we have our schedules set-up, we won't even see each other. (We alternate our work/school schedules to avoid paying a daycare.)

I'll be work/school until 3, and he works 3-1130.

I'm sure we'll swap cards or something, but there's no actual plans to do anything.

[dashley111]

Pshhh...Valentines Day....

Im a firm believer that romance and gifts are more special is they are given on a random Tuesday rather than a random holiday. 

Im constantly reminding myself to make DH feel special...to do something nice for him.  Valentine's day around here is more for the kids.

[birdhappy85]

Ash - You hit the nail on the head! I could never figure out why I don't get creative with V-Day, and now I get it... It's a scheduled day to do something thoughtful and romantic, and I'm not a scheduled kind of person with things like that. That puts pressure on me. I'm much better at doing random unexpected sweet things for DH, even if it's just having breakfast ready for him when he gets home from work in the morning, or now using the baby to get my point across with a cute little onesie that says something sweet about loving daddy. Hehe.

With that said, I still like the thought of Valentine's Day. It gives DH a reason to go more out of his way since he's not usually as outward with his emotion. I like the thought of Sweetest Day too, but don't get me started on how DH feels about that one...  Is my DH the only one who calls Sweetest Day a made-up Hallmark holiday V-Day wannabe and thus not worthy of the same attention? LOL

[MrsKatie]

Joanie - WTF is "Sweetest Day"?!?

Ash - Yeah, growing up, Valentine's Day was all about us kids!  It was a cutesy pink/white/red candy and balloon extravaganza in our house.

[Abraisme]

I don't have anything too specific planned.  I might break out something from my lingerie stash (if anything fits) and make an extra point to dtd that day.  I also have a bottle of champagne in the fridge, so we'll probably open that too.  We're sort of moderate holiday celebrators.  Small gifts and a little extra attention is the most we ever do.  We went to a Valentines party this weekend, so we already 'sort of' celebrated.

[jbk21]

Katie: sweetest day is a total-hallmark holiday that is only celebrated in the midwest. Mid-October.  The year I got married it just so happened to be the day of my wedding    We totally did NOT plan that but it seemed so kitsch at the time.  Oh well! 

We honestly take any reason we can to celebrate!  We do thoughtful and romantic things on other days as well (my DH brings me flowers often, and I bake special treats very, very often.  We also give massages, etc frequently.  But I like celebrating, so if there is a holiday- even a "pseudo-holiday"- well, we are going to go all out.  I don't decorate the house or anything.  But I make special treats, we do special crafts, maybe go to or make a nice meal.  I personally don't think the American culture celebrates nearly as much or on as many occasions as other societies.  I think it can be done without being super consumeristic about it, too, which is important to us. 

Like Abra said- we'll try to make it a point to be intimate, and hopefully I will get a nice backrub :-)  The rest is mostly for the kids.  Our "gift" to each other was that we made terrariums with succulents.  Fun, and so pretty!

[jill the pill]

Since I grew up  in the greeting card business, I've always been a little desensitized to V-day.  I always see men come in the day of picking out the biggest, most expensive card they can find with "Wife" written on the front. Many times they don't even read it and some have even bought birthday cards by accident! That said, my husband has taken over my hours in the store for now so I can be home. He is surrounded by cards so I still expect to get one.  I told him rather than jewelry this year (I have quite a collection) I want a new baby carrier since it is something I can really use!  I hope he listened.  I plan to just stay in and make a nice dinner, get a bottle of wine, and watch netflix.  Much more relaxing and less expensive than going out, getting a sitter, pumping milk, etc.