Be mine, Valentine!

I have never, ever been one of those people who hates Valentine's Day. All of that bunk about not needing a made-up holiday to show someone you love them? Bah, don't be a Valentine Scrooge! Although I agree that you shouldn't need a day to be nice to your significant other, isn't it true that sometimes we get caught up in the mundane, everyday life routines? And when this happens, we often just, well, forget to be appreciative of our spouses or significant others. So why not be grateful for Valentine's Day instead? It helps us be more mindful of our spouse and how much we love them. It brings us out of that daily "funk" we can too easily get into.

Not to mention, who doesn't love another reason to walk down the aisles of Target, loving up all of the seasonal decorations and candies? I'll admit, it didn't take long after Christmas for me to buy a sweet little red and pink Valentine's wreath to hang on the door of our apartment (which no one has stolen yet -- yahoo!). And I really enjoy baking -- so what better time than now to whip up a batch of sugar cookies, cutout in heart shapes and topped with pink sugar glitter? Yummy.

To be honest, I just love holidays. And I'm sort of going through a Christmas withdrawal because mine feels like it was cut semi-short this year.

So what are hubby and I doing for Valentine's this year? Well, I feel like we should be really making a big deal out of it, because it is our first ever MARRIED Valentine's together. But truthfully, I don't think we're even going to get each other gifts this year. Maybe it's our single (not to mention variable) income talking, but I'm kind of feeling like, why buy gifts for Valentine's anyway? I know what you're thinking right now -- Now who's the Valentine's Scrooge? But I'd rather just spend time together instead. Go out to eat somewhere nice -- not that there's anything wrong with our annual weekend trips to Qdoba or Culver's, but maybe (just maybe) for Valentine's, we could step it up a notch and go for some Johnny Carino's (maybe even with dessert for the special occasion!). After all, the holiday should be able slowing down and remembering why you love your Valentine and showing them that love and attention.

Personally, I think the current Hallmark commercial says it best -- the one where the little boy says, "Mommy, who's your Valentine?" and the mom replies, "Daddy, of course." The little boy responds, "No, no, no -- you know, your valentine is who you want to sit by; who you get in trouble with; who you tell your secrets to; who you play with every recess." The mom finishes up by saying, "Well, that's Daddy too."

Perfect. And that's exactly why the man I married is my Valentine this year, too. Plus a few other thousand reasons as well.