The Perfect Valentines Gift

Business wire published some dire statistics about men and Valentines Day:

"The National Retail Federation’s Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, has consistently reported that men spend nearly double what the average female spends for Valentine’s Day.

A 2007 Men’s Health survey of its own readers indicated that – when left to plan the holiday independently - nearly twice as many men felt it was their obligation to do so as compared to women.

A 2009 study published in the February edition of the Journal of Business Research, revealed that 63% of males feel obligated to give a gift to their partner for Valentine’s Day, compared to 31 percent of females."

Come on girls! Buy your man some roses this year.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are sending their Valentines roses this year to women caught up in trafficking. They are working with an organisation in New York that cares for traffic girls. They want them to know that "they can be loved without anybody expecting anything in return". What a great way to celebrate the day! After all, what do you buy someone who has everything?

Are your children getting excited about Valentines and you're not sure what to do with them?

Penny Reis at eZine articles gave me a great idea:

"You may think that valentines are only for lovers and couples, but you would definitely be wrong. You can send a valentine to anyone special to you, or anyone you would like to be special in any way. Fathers send flowers, candy, and a valentine to their daughters. Mothers may send a valentine to their sons. Siblings may send flowers, candy, and/or a valentine to each other. Children may send a valentine or make a valentine for their parents or grandparents. Valentines are a wonderful way to make anyone in your life feel special and remembered."

I thought it would be a good idea for children to make a card for their grandparents, expressing their love. Combine this with some Valentines Day cookies (you can find a recipe at http://www.joyofbaking.com/ValentinesSugarCookie.html) and maybe a rose or two, I know that Grandma will be my Valentine.

I'm not sure that spit wads would be on anyone's Valentines Day wishlist just under roses, but Taylor Lautner’s character in the movie Valentines Day threw just that at Taylor Swift’s character until she noticed him!

There's a very funny clip on YouTube about it. Let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmlwv7YnggU

Oh...and how did YOU meet your special person?

Chinese New Year coincides with Valentines Day this year, so I can only imagine the swathe of red that will cover the world. Perhaps your red Valentines roses will be much more lucky this year! If it were me, I'd be swapping my red roses for some of that lucky money in the red envelopes...

Gongshe!

The Washington Post have reported that "Just in time to feel the love of Valentine's Day, the ever-effervescent Venus (negative third magnitude, very bright) can be spied skimming the western horizon after sunset. On subsequent evenings and ever so slowly, this lovely planet appears longer in the western sky as it puts more distance between it and the sun. Because it is so close to the horizon, expect that it will be hard to find in February. Realistically, you'll get a better view of Venus in March".

So consider a little stargazing with your sweetheart this Valentines Day and let Venus cast her eye on you.

You can read more about it at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/30/AR201001... .

I spotted an excellent article on Valentines ideas by Roger Heywood on AboutMyArea.co.uk. He shares tips - I've summarised - on Valentines Day:

Prepare now
Pay attention
Don't make assumptions
Be imaginative
Be romantic
Keep it simple
Scrub up
Involve the children
...and
Have a plan B

You can read the full article at http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Tyne-And-Wear/Sunderland/SR2/News/Reviews-a... .

Sinead Van Kampen of the Independent.ie, sounds a warning note:

"Anyone looking to bring their relationship to an abrupt end this Valentines may wish to avail of offers on flowers available at petrol station forecourts. The only person who can justify turning up with flowers smelling of diesel is one employed as a mechanic, and only then under certain circumstances. As well as forecourt flowers other bargains to avoid are teddy bears and free compliments like "It's not how much you spend but who you spend it with" and "Money can't buy love""

Ouch. I guess I'll have to check my budget again.

Valentine's Day is named for a saint. Staff at the RV Mirror report on his history:

"Valentine was a holy priest in Rome who assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II [who was]...beheaded – on February 14, about the year 270." Not what you'd had in mind for the special day, eh?

Apparently, "one legend says that, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter. Another says that on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer’s daughter, signing it, “From your Valentine.” "

Kelli B. Grant at Smart Money has some great tips for saving money on your Valentines roses:

She says "wait much beyond the start of February to order, and you can expect to pay a premium...As the holiday approaches, [the floral industry] may offer sales on arrangements that haven't sold well, and pump up prices on those popular bouquets with dwindling supply."

Valentines is on a Sunday this year, and "delivery on Friday or earlier in the week will be far cheaper because it allows florists to spread out the work" so consider a weekday for the delivery of flowers to your love.

"Arrangements in a shorter vase or bowl let florists start out with stems of shorter lengths, and so cost less" so go ahead and be generous with number and not stem-length.

Avoid premium colours - go with pink, white or yellow roses - or limit the number of roses in the bunch and add lilies and carnations. Red tulips are also less expensive than the popular roses.

A romantic and inexpensive option is a single long stemmed rose, leaving budget over for dinner at a swanky restaurant or something sparkly.