Who else does absolutely *zero* on Valentine's Day?

[battlemaiden]

I need some partners in crime on this one.

Jo

[Laura Corin]

I need some partners in crime on this one.

Jo

It just seems so...... manufactured. I'm going to have to warn the boys that they might need to learn all about it when they start dating.

Laura

[Gingersnap]

We don't do anything much at all. You're not alone.

[nancypants]

It just seems so...... manufactured. I'm going to have to warn the boys that they might need to learn all about it when they start dating.

Laura

Those are generally my feelings as well. We don't do cards or anything but sometimes we use it as an excuse to have a quiet meal alone... this year we are going out because some friends offered to watch the kids and we never turn that down! LOL :D

[MaryM]

We don't do anything here. I do buy some candy for kiddos though.

[jail warden]

I do enjoy a date night with hubby if possible, but I've gotten to the point that Valentine's Day is just one more holiday that gets pushed for the consumers in us. We are supposed to just buy more and more and more stuff. When does it ever end?!

Money has been tight, so the last two years we've done nothing. My husband is a gift-giver though so this is a bit tougher for him. Although I think he's finally learning there are other ways to show love other than spend money!

[Patty Joanna]

Sign us up! We voted from day ONE 26 years ago not to do this one. Largely for the reasons Jail Warden mentioned... You guys have friends in the non-diamond business!

[Janna]

Dh and I have never done anything special for this day. Same with "Sweetest Day" (what's up with that one!?).

However, I do always get the kiddos a treat of some sort, usually not in the candy range, but more of a small gift - a book, lipsmackers, hot wheel car etc.... I will put it in a cute gift bag and when they wake up it's somewhere they can easily spot it in their rooms in the morning.

Tomorrow, we are making cut-out cookies but only because I didn't have the energy or drive to do much at Christmas time and I promised them we would bake for V-day.

[yvonne]

I was thinking of posting the same thing earlier today.... Anyone else dislike Valentine's Day or is it just me? It seems like every time I turn around there's some contrived holiday requiring that I go out and buy a card/s. Has anyone else noticed how **expensive** cards are?!?!?! That alone makes me irritable. Then there's the problem of finding an appropriate one. UGH! I hate it. Then I have to be sure the kids make cards for their grandparents and spinster aunt & uncle, when they just want to make a card for one grandpa, one cousin and an uncle. It's the expectations that irritate me.

Unfortunately, my dh is much more sentimental & always gets me an elaborate card & flowers. The thought is very nice and I do appreciate it, but I'd so much rather have a book or a couple of hours to myself. Mostly I'd just rather be free of the hassle of doing anything on some contrived day.

[Mrs. H.]

Valentine's Day could be a special meal, or a fun meal (we are doing fondue). I use it as an opportunity to tell the kids how grateful I am for Dad and my family...it's love all around. I know, I do tell them I love them every day, but I don't see anything wrong with taking special days to make an extra effort. It helps to bring us out of the blahs and keeps us from falling into a rut of work-home-school-sleep that we tend to get into with dh's busy schedule and our busy lives with five kids.

I also use this time as an opportunity to teach the kids about giving and not expecting anything in return. They make cards for Dad (and me, when they remember), and they love telling him all week that they made him a secret card that is hidden. He makes a big show out of reading their cards, and keeps them all.

[Audrey]

I need some partners in crime on this one.

Jo


Absolutely nada here. It's a Hallmark holiday. I'm not buying. I don't need a certain day to express love and appreciation for my spouse, and I certainly don't need to buy a bunch of useless cr*p to do that.

[Kristafish]

I don't even have a special meal planned or anything.
I try to get the kids something, but haven't been anywhere to get them anything yet http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/love014.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)
I do have a Dr's Appt tomorrow morning, so I'm sure we will be out and about if the weather is alright(snow tonight, so we will see). And my dad wants to take me and the kids to lunch..
But as for night time at home, nothing planned http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/love063.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

[Elinor Everywhere]

I need some partners in crime on this one.

Jo

Our anniversary is Feb 23rd, so we skip VD and celebrate our anniversary instead. The whole VD thing feels fake and manufactured to me. I don't like being told when to celebrate the loves in my life!

[Jami]

Dh and I don't really do anything. But I do sort of like to use the holidays (Hallmark and otherwise) as chances to celebrate my children. I'm not naturally a celebratory person, so a few days a year to be nudged to bake special cookies, make a craft, go out for a fun breakfast, etc. are good "pushes" for me. My in-laws are the big gift givers and send a box of little gifts and treats for holidays. So I usually don't give much in the way of actual gifts, but I do want to my kids to remember that we had "special days" once in awhile. Which I'm not sure I'd do otherwise. :)

[dangermom]

For us it's a kid's holiday. We had a bunch of kids over yesterday to decorate cookies, and my kids have fun making cards and decorations, and we're going to get a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's for fun. If I can find the little heart tins from last year, I'll bake muffins in them for breakfast.

But my husband and I don't do anything. Our first-date anniversary is 2/28, so we always do something special then.

[nmoira]

We do nothing, though this year the girls asked for a box of peppermints and we obliged.

[Patty Joanna]

That's a more generous spirit, truthfully. And there is nothing wrong with doing something on a special day. I almost didn't respond to the original post because I didn't want to convey any sort of "superior, superior" (think Dana Carvey) attitude. But this is what we decided...

We were so broke when we got married that we didn't want to spend $50 on roses that would be $10 the following day. That being said, I get a big flock of roses on our anniversary and for my 40th birthday, my husband gave me the gift of roses once a week for the rest of my life. (I rescinded in laziness after I was drowning in vases, dead roses, and chat with the now-my-best-friend delivery man!) But that was still a sweet gift, dontcha think?

Anyway, no offense intended.

But it's not like we are walking around snarling at each other all day, either, right? (wink)

[abbeyej]

I've mentioned before that my dh is an amazing gift-giver -- incredibly thoughtful and sweet about such things. Valentine's day has never been a big deal for me, but he has done some really sweet things over the years (so more notable than others).

I'm actually *worried* about this, because, sigh, as usual I have no ideas for him, and I generally end up feeling guilty. :(

I don't do much for the kids (other than read the Robert Sabuda Saint Valentine book to them), but their grandparents sent them some little cards.

Anyway, if anyone has any fabulous last minute ideas for dh... ;) (I've also got our anniversary coming up next month. As far as I'm concerned, just going to dinner together is awesome, but it's so clear that the way dh shows love is, often, with thoughtful gifts, I'd hate for him to ever get the impression that I care less about him because I don't do that so well as he...)

[GLOWAcademy]

We do nothing we stay home

[battlemaiden]

The Diamond commercials. How could I forget the diamond commercials.

It's painful.

Commercialism at it's ugliest.

Jo

[Jami]

Oh I absolutely love to do special things for my hubby, Patty! :) And I love to be wooed myself. Valentine's Day has never been the day that seems to bring that out in us though. Anniversary, birth of children, birthdays, just-because days...bring on the cards, flowers and chocolates! :D My children did pick out a card for dad and a couple of treats he likes more than regular Valentines candy (Reeses Pieces). I certainly don't think those that choose to skip the more "Hallmark" days have any superiority issues, anymore than those who pull out all the stops love their familes more. Certainly a "to each his own and as the budget allows" sort of thing.

[abbeyej]

The Diamond commercials. How could I forget the diamond commercials.

(Shudder!)

Those commercials make my skin crawl...

[Jami]

Definitely!

"He went to Jared!"

*insert gagging emoticon*

[Laura Corin]

That's a more generous spirit, truthfully. And there is nothing wrong with doing something on a special day.

It might not be my choice to celebrate it, but I wouldn't feel like it was being pushed so hard. It was when my kids started getting Valentines' cards from their grandparents that I really felt like it was just yet another commercial enterprise.

As a Brit, I have come to appreciate Thanksgiving: eating a good meal with family. No pressure to buy beyond the food. That's an expression of love, to me.

Laura

[WTMCassandra]

Pretty close to nothing. I got each child a tiny Whitman sampler shaped like a heart--the ones for 50 cents. DH and I typically do nothing or a teeny chocolate something. I'm not much into Valentine's Day. The only time we really did it up was when we were dating.

I refuse to get into the card thing for relatives for a minor holiday. Cards are bad enough on birthdays! You either pay for hugely expensive ones or have to oversee them making decent ones (since they aren't exactly friendly to homeschooling I feel a lot of pressure for them to do their best). Oy. Fuggedaboudit!

[Night Elf]

We don't do Valentines Day. It's my DH's birthday and we celebrate that instead. That means we eat out at the restaurant of his choice. That's it. :)

[Patty Joanna]

Oh, Laura--isn't this funny? The only thing I remember from my dad that was just an "I love you" was the Valentine's Day card he got me every year. And the minute I had the kid, the KID started getting it instead of ME! So you never can tell what will make a difference, I guess.

I think that book "Love Languages" told me a LOT about what makes people feel loved; so whatever works, y'know? But to me, it is more eloquent when not so ... prodded.

It takes all kinds to make a world, including in this area.

[Basketmaker Amy]

We don't celebrate much either. We may go candy shopping on Friday...when it's 50% off! I usually give the boys a candy bar or something simple. The holidays have become too commercialized.

[Karen sn]

Wonderful thread. I am not alone.
I told my man that I just wanted to have a cold bedroom and a warm bed to snuggle in. That's it.
Will get dd chocholate.

[Tarheel Heather]

Although when I was younger my dad used to make *hallmud* cards and we all would look forward to getting those. It was his sense of humor and art work and we loved getting them.

Dh and I are buying a house so that pretty much covers the holiday's for '08.

[Jenny in Atl]

My husband feels it is a conspiracy by the Hallmark Corporation. :rolleyes:

[tess in the burbs]

In fact tonight Dh asked if it was ok we skipped it this year :-)

the kids have a party tomorrow that we made homemade valentines for and they got loads of candy at Awana's tonight, but nothing here at home. no money for it really. but we are a loving family and don't one day to express it.

[imeverywoman]

My husband does not celebrate Valentine's Day, because I broke up with him 20 years ago, while we were dating on that very day.

Build a bridge and get over it. That was forever ago and I've since birthed you two children and stretched parts of myself all out of shape doing so. If anyone should be holding a grudge, it should be me! :D

Instead, he says he celebrates the day we got back together, Feb. 16. We'll see what Cassanova has in store for me on that day.

[chiguirre]

For us Valentine's is definitely a kid holiday. We do kid card exchanges, cookies, small toys and dressing in valentine colors. My dh and I don't do anything except participate in the kids' stuff. I DO buy good chocolate and flowers on the 15th cuz I love a bargain. :D

[Brigitte]

Nothing here. The kids make Valentines for their friends and that is it. Now I am feeling guilty that I don't make a card for my kiddos. Sheesh.

[Diann]

Dh and I don't generally do anything for each other. We always buy the boys some chocolate, though.

Laura in China, I'm with you on Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday because I cook and share it with my family and friends. What could be better than that?:)

Diann

[Lorna in the boonies]

Dh and I don't do anything, though we do give the kids a couple of (very) small things. We actually 'did' V-Day this evening, as our oldest was born on Valentine's Day and we want to keep her birthday, her birthday.

[PrairieAir]

Sometimes I buy sale candy for the kids and dh the day after. I hate the idea of a holiday manufactured by greeting card companies and jewelers.

Sometimes dh and I do something very small for each other. He'll bring me a single rose picked up on the way home from work or I'll make him something I know he likes for dinner and give him a homemade card. No one feels badly if the other doesn't observe the "holiday" with cards and gifts. We'll probably have a private celebration after lights out;), but that's not necessarily different from any other day of the year.

I did specifically tell dh that I didn't want any candy this year. Oh, I've seen them in the stores and I've been craving it, but I feel the need to lose about 10 pounds and eat a little healthier. If he did buy me chocolate, I wouldn't be able to resist.

[Karin]

If it were up to me, the whole thing would be cancelled! I used to be totally into it, but then I got to wondering how and why this became such a big deal. I'm rather skeptical that it's just a huge money maker for the card, candy and flower industry. Now my dh, otoh, had my kids make valentine's cards for his mother and sister. My parents send them. But I told my dh a few years ago not to buy me flowers then because the prices are so jacked up. He can wait until it's all over!

[Tonia]

Valentine's Day could be a special meal, or a fun meal (we are doing fondue). I use it as an opportunity to tell the kids how grateful I am for Dad and my family...it's love all around. I know, I do tell them I love them every day, but I don't see anything wrong with taking special days to make an extra effort. It helps to bring us out of the blahs and keeps us from falling into a rut of work-home-school-sleep that we tend to get into with dh's busy schedule and our busy lives with five kids.

I also use this time as an opportunity to teach the kids about giving and not expecting anything in return. They make cards for Dad (and me, when they remember), and they love telling him all week that they made him a secret card that is hidden. He makes a big show out of reading their cards, and keeps them all.

My biggest reason for celebrating - it is the middle of the winter and I need something to give me a little "pick me up" and making little cards and planning a special meal for my family gives me a little lift that I find really necessary in the middle of our frozen winter weather!

This is what we do. We don't buy anything (besides a bag of conversation hearts - I love those). We make our cards for each other - and everyone gets cards, it's not just a couples things. dd and I just finished making cards for the grandparents today. I will make a special meal for dh because I don't often do big meals. So, we will share our cards and have a nice meal. That's enough for us.

[Elisabeth in IL]

I don't! In fact tomorrow night my husband won't even be home. He has to work than go to class. I might see him at 10:30 pm if I'm still up.

[*anj*]

Naaah, we don't do much. I will make a heart shaped dessert, and give the kids some chocolate. I know they've made some Valentine's. I'll make a slightly nicer than usual dinner, but that's about it...nothing costly or excessive. Anything that I do will be for the kid's sake because they think it's fun.

We agree with the others who said that it's just a Plastic Hallmark "Holiday." Dh says that he resents being told that on February 14 he is supposed to spend money to prove his love for me. I agree. How many people are out spending money they can't afford, buying stuff that the other person doesn't even want or need? It's insanity.

Oh, and the best things in life are freeeee!!!! http://www.pic4ever.com/images/bd9.gif (http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/%5Bimg%5Dhttp://www.pic4ever.com/images/bd9.gif%5B/img%5D)

[lovemyboys]

that we send homemade cards to family members. We started to do it a few years ago when ds would receive them from some friends and family. The ones I make sure to send things to are the older single folks, especially those over 50 women, who may feel it more keenly than those with a relationship/family. Sorry if it offends the feminists, but we just want them to know they're loved and to get some mail in this season.

Otherwise, we do try to avoid the big commercial holidays, especially the ones *requiring* the $5 cards!:p

[Bev in B'ville]

This actually goes back to our first year together, dating. We had a rather large disagreement that day. I won't bore you with the details. Anyway, the next day we made up and celebrated UnValentine's Day, since we had sort of missed the boat. 20 years later, we're still celebrating UnValentine's Day.

I do have to say I'm really tired of the same Pajama Gram and Teddy Gram commercials year after year after year.....I groan every time I see one of them.

[Alice]

We've never done much for Valentine's Day either, and I always kind of agreed with the idea that it was just a way for Hallmark to get people to buy stuff.

But this year I decided to get books on Valentine's day for our reading for the week. We got a few on St. Valentine and who he was (or at least the legends about him). I actually found that really interesting and so have been a little more into it this year.

My husband and I are going to see U2-3D on Saturday and calling that our Valentine's Day date...although it's really just a convenient day.

[cricket1178]

Hubby and I talked about this last night. We usually rush out at the last minute and try to do something for eachother because, well, that's what we're suppose to do, right? We decided not to. End of story. We are just treating it like any other day. We will be kind to one another and love eachother and let eachother know it.

[Kari C in SC]

We don't really do anything. This past weekend we went out to dinner because it has been stressful moving and then my dd had surgery on her ankle, etc. It was nice to go out to a nice restaraunt and enjoy a meal. We also went to Lowes and bought a new storage cabinet for me. My dh was putting it together on Sunday night and he was discussing Valentine's day with me. He was thinking of a few ideas. I told him that, honestly, I was happy with the wonderful meal we had gone out to and I loved my storage cabinet. I told him that was all I needed. (Well, actually, he is getting me another storage cabinet because they didn't have anymore in stock!) How is that for romantic? I don't want roses, candy or wine. Just give me shelving to store toys and art supplies and I will fall over in love with my dh!

[Kari C in SC]

[quote=Janna;50789]Dh and I have never done anything special for this day. Same with "Sweetest Day" (what's up with that one!?).

My dh asked me out on Sweetest Day in 1986. We don't really celebrate it, but we do remember that is where it all began. I always thought Sweetest Day was just for teenagers and maybe youngish 20 somethings. I didn't know there were older adults doing the whole gift thing for that day! UGH! Just give me some more shelves for storage please! LOL!

[crazycoffeechic]

We usually don't do anything, but this year I did buy a couple of helium balloons just so we could talk funny:D.

[Anna]

I need some partners in crime on this one.

Jo

I know you asked who doesn't celebrate the day but I thought I'd chime in just to say that we DO celebrate it..... as our wedding anniversary ;) . Happy 27th to dh and me:D .

[Ellie]

if we did dinner last night instead of tonight?:D

My dd and her dh are going to a comedy club tonight and taking one of dd's best girlfriends with them. That almost counts, doesn't it?

[Amy in Orlando]

Happy Anniversary, Anna!!!!

[PariSarah]

The ones I make sure to send things to are the older single folks, especially those over 50 women, who may feel it more keenly than those with a relationship/family.

What a lovely idea!

[PariSarah]

The Diamond commercials. How could I forget the diamond commercials.

It's painful.

Commercialism at it's ugliest.

Jo

I almost cried last night at the one where the little kid goes to his "girlfriend's" house with the "Kay" box. It was so awful. Oh, that's what "training up a child" is supposed to mean! Okay! Sounds great! :mad:

[Robin Hood]

I don't acknowledge Valentine's Day as a rule in the romance dept for dh, but I always do something for the girls. Overall I think it's a stupid holiday. But after 15 years, dh continues to acknowledge it by doing little things to make the day special. I finally decided it's special to him so this year I won't partner with you. I am joining my dh, got a babysitter and we are going out to be patrons of stupidity and have fun doing it. No pun intended.

[Elm in NJ]

although my 7 year old twins did inform me that since today was Valentine's Day, it was a holiday for them and that they would not be doing school today.

Elmeryl:D

[jmgconner]

We celebrate Valentine's Day, but not in the traditional sense. We don't buy anything! The DC and I will make heart-shaped sugar cookies today. For DH, I made up a list of 52 reasons why I love him (silly stuff - I love you because you let me put my cold feet under your warm ones; I love you because you never complain about digging though the sock basket looking for a matching sock; etc.). I printed each on individually on business cards that I ran through the printer and bound them together with a little ribbon.

As we've worked to slow down our busy lives, I'm appreciating the minor holidays more. I'm using it as an opportunity to spend time with my family and doing things that I should do anytime of the year, but normally doesn't happen because I need to get the laundry finished or the sink repaired or whatever. We do NOT use the holidays as an excuse to spend money.

[Eliana]

We don't do anything, but that is part of our larger policy of not observing holidays which are outside of our religious tradition.

...but I don't think this is a day we'd do anyway. We are deeply and passionately in love, our marriage at the center of our lives in every way, but we don't do most of the traditionally romantic things - some years we acknowledge our anniversary (the kids like to make us cards, etc), occasionally my mother watches the kids when she's in town and we slip off to a bookstore or to drive along the river (though for the last number of years most of my mother's babysitting has been while I go to the hospital or something equally romantic!), every now & again one of us might get the other a flower or a card... but in general we celebrate our relationship in little day-to-day ways.

The other things feel, as someone else said, so artificial. We live together, love together, learn together, and play together...

fwiw, :)

Eliana

[Jean in Newcastle]

We have never celebrated it. I had a hard time with that in our first year of marriage but I got over it! And I agree with my dh that it is hard to have to get the "expected" things or better yet, somehow "one up" the expected things!

My dd6 is hugely into the valentine thing. She has been making valentines for two weeks now. I thought it was very sweet when she gave a valentine to a single 40-ish man at church who is one of her "teasing buddies" - he blushed!