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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Cheap, But Meaningful Things to Do on Valentines

So everyone struggles with Valentine’s Day, well almost everyone. It’s a very overly commercial holiday, and the best way to get away from the hype is to get the bigger message that Valentine’s is supposed to mean.

That is the love for your partner.. There are many ways you can show you love your partner other then saying I love you. Here are a few low-cost suggestions and high meaning tips.

Kiss Differently

Try a new type of kiss, no—not the chocolate. Try kissing differently. One in particular, the upside-down kiss. Get your partner to lie down on their back with their head at your knees, your behind them kneeling, then bend down and kiss them upside down. Yep, it feels totally different, and if they don’t know you are going to do that, then they will really remember that. Do whatever you like with that kiss :)

Write something

Write a poem or words from the heart. This is so much better then words written in a card. Because you wrote them. You are allowed to read others poetry for inspiration, most people usually need something to spark their mind and get into the mindset for creating a perfect piece of love in the form of words. Or make it into your own card.

Cook for your Partner

Do you know the favorite thing your partner loves to eat? If not, find out. Then learn how to cook it, make it from scratch and even if you don’t do it well, learning how to do something for your partner tells them how much you love them. Doing this is absolutely a perfect way to show your a good friend as well.

I personally think, that almost anything that doensn’t cost money is the best present to your partner. It required thought, and money can buy anything but love. So it’s important to express your love without money.
By Lisa Hallman

Romantic Ideas and Things to Do for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day - a holiday just for people in love - is fast approaching! Now, if you are like I used to be, you are thinking "Valentine's Day is a Hallmark Holiday." Well, to some extent I still agree with that, but I also think that Valentine's Day is a great chance to re-focus our lives on the one we love.

Bwedd.com W edding planning is more than likely taking up a lot of your time, and if it's not, then it is probably taking up a lot of your thoughts. Not to mention all of the other busy-ness that takes up our lives and time. Valentine's Day is a great excuse to put everything else aside for an evening or a day to show the love that we have professed, to forget whose mother said what, and to take a break from it all.

That is why I am dedicating this issue of the Cost- Effective Bride to celebrating Valentine's Day. You may wonder how this issue is going to save you money on your wedding, but being a cost-effective bride isn't always about saving money. Sometimes, it is about saving time, and often it is about replenishing energy.

So, what are you planning for Valentine's Day? A dinner out? A small gift? Flowers? This year, why not make it a Valentine's Day to remember? How, you ask? Here are some ideas:

1. Skip the dinner out - restaurants are busy and expensive on Valentine's Day - order or make your fiance's favorite meal and eat by candlelight in your apartment or house (even if it is McDonald's or Burger King, this can be nice).

2. Make a scavenger hunt for your fiance. Have each clue lead eventually to a small gift or even dessert.

3. Type up 10-15 things you love about your fiance. Write a short sentences about each one. Print them out and cut them into sections for each sentence. Take each sentence and tape or place them throughout your house or apartment. Watch as your fiance scrambles around trying to find each one when he or she gets there.

4. This one could take a bit of prep time, so get going! On colored construction paper cut out as many hearts as there are for each day from Valentine's Day until your wedding. On each heart, write something you love about your fiance, favorite memories, quotes from your favorite songs or movies, and quotes about love in general. Buy a photo album (make sure it has enough pages for each of your hearts) and label each page for the days from Valentine's Day until your wedding. If you have enough pages, every now and then place a picture of the two of you in the photo album. Put all of the hearts in a box or tin and give the album and box to your fiance for Valentine's Day. Tell him or her to pick a heart at random each morning or night and to place it in that day's page in the photo album. This is especially great if you do not get to see a lot of each other. (My fiance did this for me, and it became something I absolutely looked forward to every day!)

5. Write a poem or letter for your fiance about all of the things you love and appreciate about them or the things you are looking forward to in your marriage together. Recite or give it to your fiance to read.

6. Have a picnic in your living room. Spread a blanket. Buy some cheap wine, cheese and bread. Light some candles and have fun discussing your day and your future together.

7. Set goals. Believe it or not, this can be really romantic. My husband and I do this at least once a year and we always learn something new about each other. We share the things we want to accomplish within the coming year and other things that we just dream about. This really helps us to prioritize our lives and our marriage. We tend to do this on our anniversary, but I think that Valentine's Day would be another great time to do this. Be sure to write them down so that you can revisit them from time to time and have a record of the things you accomplished and those goals that simply changed. It will be fun in later years to look back and see the direction your life has gone in.

Whatever you decide to do, make a few rules for the evening or day, like "No TV" or "No wedding talk". Even if you just play a game together or spend the evening talking, focus on your love for each other and laughing together. Do the things that you know your fiance likes to do and make it special for him or her. I guarantee you that it will be special for you as well.

Bwedd.com(Note: I realize that most of my readers are women. And, I realize that what we, as women, really want, is for our fiance to do all of these things for us. Well, take the pressure of him for one night and show him how much you care about him. I think that he will like it so much that he may just return the favor on some other day! Give it a try, I think you will be glad that you did.)

I hope that this Valentine's Day will be one that you remember for a long time to come and that it will give you the chance to re-focus your relationship on one another and not just on your wedding. Have fun! And, Happy Valentine's Day!

Sincerely,
Kelly Kons

Top 10 Things to do on Valentine's Day

Number 10
Reenact your first date
One of the most romantic things you can do is get nostalgic with your girlfriend. Women go gaga for guys who remember the details of the past, such as the restaurant you went to on your first date, what you ate and you did afterward. It will be like celebrating your anniversary and you can combine gifts with cards that mention how happy you are that you met her.
Number 9
Partake in a physical activity
No, not that kind of physical activity; I mean something that will get your heartbeat going, like ice skating or going for a hike in the woods and bringing wine to drink on the way. Such activities are perfect to boost an old and predictable relationship, and nothing will kick start a new relationship better than such a thrill ride. If you take her out, take her to a pottery and painting shop where you can actually talk, be creative and share your thoughts. If you want to invite her over, make sure you cook something together so you're both engaged in the activity.
Number 8
Go for the massage
Either you give her a full-body massage or better yet, reserve a double massage for him and her. You should both take some time off and enjoy some relaxation together. It is lover's day after all, not just girlfriend's day. Any kind of spa getaway is perfect for Valentine's Day.
Number 7
Make a path of rose petals
Girls flip over temptation, flirting and teasing, so buy a lot of rose petals or even potpourri, and leave a trail from the entrance of the house to your bedroom. Leave her a little gift on the bed and she'll feel like it's a romantic treasure hunt, and the rewards will be spectacular.
Number 6
Rent a hotel room & pretend you're tourists
There is something exciting about not having to clean up the bedroom afterward, so rent a hotel room, grab some bubbly, and use all your senses as you pretend to be out-of-town tourists on a love journey.

As the champagne is chilling, go in for the kill...
Number 5
Don't forget to do your homework
Nothing spices up a mundane relationship as much as staying at home, renting an erotic movie and "getting to know one another" better all over again. This is obviously not suitable for a first date if you catch my drift, but perfect for couples who have been together for some time.
Number 4
Have sex in public
Although this may not be for everybody -- and all climates -- some couples will get a thrill of a lifetime if they perform the act on risky grounds. It definitely serves as a bonding period and is sure to serve as a great inside joke between the two of you for years to come.
Number 3
Get away
If your work, time and budget allow it, plan a two or three-day vacation getaway, specifically at a ski or spa resort. This is guaranteed wild action, and may even take place outdoors.
Number 2
Dress up
Dress up as if you are going to the opera, and go to a restaurant or just have dinner at home. Girls love an excuse to get all dolled up and the fact that you'll be getting dressed up will make anything you decide to do seem like a special occasion. This will be telling her you think she is special, and she'll love it.
Number 1
Pop the question
If you think that the time is right and you have that look in your eyes... if you are sick of the single life, and if you are... well, when the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, then maybe, just maybe, there is no better time to propose to her.
a time to shine
Hopefully this article gave you some fresh ideas for what to do with your girlfriend on Valentine's Day. You can combine some of them to make it an all-day event and you can modify as you see fit. Remember: Use the special occasion to make her feel special, and she'll be on cloud nine. Have fun and happy Valentine's Day.
By Shawn Croft

10 (Last-Minute) Romantic Things To Do On Valentine's Day Together

The list of unique romantic things you can do as a couple on Valentine's Day is endless.

Perhaps you'll find something fun (or practical) from my own list of creative ideas for couples on Valentine's Day.

If not, then rest assured... you are guaranteed to find something fun in the Top 10 lists at the end of this article.

Enjoy!

1. Make an appointment for the two of you to get your picture professionally taken together.

2. See what his Horoscope is for this day & do something silly around that "theme".

3. Spice up your relationship... here are 5 ways to get creative with digital photos.

4. Attach a $50 bill to a lingerie store ad or catalog, along with a note, "You choose."

5. Give her a gift certificate for any of the following: professional massage, day at a spa, manicure, pedicure, facial from a local spa or nail salon.

6. Spend a couple hours together writing romantic ideas on separate slips of paper. After you get a total of 100 romantic ideas on 100 pieces of paper, then fill a jar with them. Every Sunday, from this day on, alternate who picks one and has to implement it by the following Sunday -- at which point the other partner will pick a new romantic idea and have a week to follow through with it.

7. Make a list of the top 10 reasons you love him/her.

8. Purchase an "I Love You" helium balloon from a local party store, then drive to his work and attach the balloon to the handle of his car door or windshield wiper.

9. Have some friends over and play some fun couples party games.

10. Spend the day just photographing each other... outdoors (at a local park, walking downtown, at the beach, on the playground), as well as indoors. Make sure you get someone to take some photos of the two of you together. Take some candids, and some posed. Then frame one!
Written by Lynnette

Friday, January 16, 2009

Romantic Movies to Watch by Yourself or with Someone

Valentine's Day is filled with love and joy but sometimes an excellent romantic movie will do the day justice. These love struck movies will tear at your heart strings and fill the room with thoughts of
love.

Breakfast At Tiffany's: This classic movie, based on the novel of Truman Capote, a young jetsetter woman, Audrey Hepburn, living in New York City meet a young man, George Peppard, aspiring to be a writer. Breakfast At Tiffany's is a romantic yet a little comedic movie. If you're with your Valentine or alone, definitely pick up this classic and some popcorn.

Titanic: This epic adventure takes place on the beautiful ship of dreams, The Titanic. A poor young man, Jack, saves a rich girl, Rose, from committing suicide. From that point on the pair fall in love and never leave each other. The winner of 11 Oscars, Titanic is a movie not to be missed.

Sixteen Candles: On the day of her sixteenth birthday, Samantha, Molly, suffers from embarrassment and the fact that her family forgot all about her birthday because of her sisters wedding. Sam's crush Jake Ryan begins to show interest in her and she is then the happiest girl in the world. This 80's movie is one of the greatest teen love stories of our time. With growing up, this movie shows a lot about our friends and us.

Never Been Kissed: Josie Geller, a journalist, enrolls into her old high school to cover a story that can make or break her career. Through the process, she uncovers old wounds and falls in love with her teacher, who does not know that she is undercover. Josie is faced with big conflicts, which turns into a great story. Never Been Kissed will make you smile from ear to ear with laughter for miles.

The Notebook: An old man reading a story to an old woman in a nursing home is how the movie begins. He reads to her the love story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton. The two meet at a carnival, but Allie's parents disapprove of Noah. The two young lovers are torn apart, but find each other in the end. The Notebook is a sappy love story that brings tears to your eyes. It is a perfect movie for Valentine's Day.