If you believe everything you hear on the radio lately about love, passion, and devotion being demonstrated with gifts, you are setting yourself up for a Valentine's Day of frustration. Valentine's Day should be a day of love, tenderness, and kindness with homemade valentines and cookies.
Don't let your husband spend his hard earned precious money on jacked-up roses and artificially priced diamonds like every other woman has. No. Let's keep it real. Let's ignore the Valentine's Day hype and do something better. Now don't get me wrong. I love flowers, chocolate and jewelry (just not the super expensive kind - I'd rather travel). Give that stuff to me for our anniversary or my birthday or no reason at all and I will be giddy with delight. I just don't like being told that I should expect that on Feb 14th.
Ignore those ads. Do something new. Let your husband know he doesn't have to spend $128 on 12 tired roses that normally run $39. Tell him what you you'd rather have instead.
One thing 24 years of wedded bliss has taught me is that you have to ask for what you want. If you want those overpriced roses or boring diamonds - ask for them. If you want a love letter, a foot rub, a babysitter for the day, fancy lip gloss, or an overnight trip to a nearby town - ask for it. Don't hint. Don't hem and haw. Just come right out and say: "I want you to give me a ______ for Valentine's Day!" Flirt, bat your eyes, lick your lips, and play with your hair while you say it. Really.
Another thing I have learned after 24 years of marital success is that your husband WANTS to give you everything you want. He really does. So make it easy for him and do a little research and give him a few options. I have found that a list of suggestions makes it easier for my husband to surprise me rather than telling him just one thing and then expecting it. It's more exciting for both of you if you give him lots of ideas.
This puts a little burden on you. I bet some of you are reading this and thinking, "But I don't know what I want! I want him to surprise me with his love!" Brother. This is a recipe for disappointment. If you don't know what you want, he won't either and you will end up with Walmart Roses and a goofy necklace. So take some time and think it over.
And then share with us. What do you REALLY want for Valentine's Day?
9 comments:
I want to get pedicures together!
GValley Girl
AMEN! I love Bossy sisters! I concur with this whole heartedly.
Give me roses and the necklace. But I don't demand or even request it... it's just what he has always done, and I love it. So call me shallow.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
GREAT ADVICE. It's just not fair to set him up for something he is not capable of knowing. Ask for it- he'll find a way to get it for you! That includes Everything.
GREAT ADVICE. It's just not fair to set him up for something he is not capable of knowing. Ask for it- he'll find a way to get it for you! That includes Everything.
That's why I love you Robin, you hit it right on the head! I used to wait for some romantic overture that he thought of and was always disappointed. Now, I say what I want, he knows what i want, and I get it. It's much better. This year I want a platter from Lisbon (he's there AGAIN).
When you find something you really want, write it down with price, store, size, color, or cut it out of the catalog with picture and put it in a designated "gifts" drawer that he knows about. Then when he wants to get you something but doesn't know just what you want, all he has to do is go into the drawer and choose. That way he can still surprise you.
Without looking first to see who wrote this post my suspcions were confirmed about it being Robin when I read, "Flirt, bat your eyes, lick your lips, and play with your hair."
Except for the lip licking, she's been doing that since she was a one year old.
Great advice. My first married Valentine's Days were so disappointed. When I learned the importance of helping my husband, we both found the holiday a lot more satisfying.
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