The Greatest Gift for Valentine's Day is You!

I don't know about you, but my budget for Valentine's Day this year is drastically reduced in comparison to last year. Normally we exchange presents and then go to our favorite restaurant in Tappan, NY, Il Fresco, and have an amazing meal (complete with a free rose for me). This year I've got class until 8pm and no money to go out to eat so we spent a minimal amount on gifts and I'll be making my smoked gouda mac and cheese along with a TBD dessert from my new cookbook that Nick's sister got us for Christmas.

In all honesty, as much as I know Valentine's Day is just a Hallmark Holiday, I'm a little bummed that I'll be in class as late as I have to be. Nick and I tell each other we love each other every day and we're constantly finding ways to show that love as well. Our anniversary is less than a month before V-Day too. So it's not like we really need another excuse to say we love each other, but why not say it? Why not make it special? I'd love to have some fun with it instead of getting home at 8:30, starving, shoving food in my mouth, throwing some gifts at Nick, and then passing out after 8 hours of reading and 4 hours of class with cooking and baking mixed in. I'm sure we'll find something to do, wink wink, but if I had all day at home and could really have some fun with the holiday I might plan something more special.

In the past I've done lists and scrapbooks for guys saying all the different ways I loved them, or showing them memories of our relationships. I'm not sure how much guys appreciate that kind of thing. While I do think Nick would find it sweet, how often would he actually look at that? Once, then it would take up space somewhere. Maybe my kids will find it when they're 20 and find it mushy and gross. Ok, so it'll get looked at twice.

In Google-ing fun Valentine's ideas I think my favorite thing I came across was the scavenger hunt. You start off with a note left for your honey giving them a clue or direction. Each time they find a note there is another clue which eventually leads them to some amazing surprise at the end. You can get other people involved and have your S.O. drive all over town eventually winding up at a restaurant, hotel, special spot, or back at home. You can make it a smaller affair and have them travel from room to room in your home or around your yard. You can leave presents or a picture at each clue. One person also had a puzzle and her husband had to put it together to figure out where to go at the end. I actually really wanted to do a scavenger hunt when I took my B-Pics (I told Nick I booked the hotel room as a surprise for him to relax from all the stress at work), and have him arrive at the hotel as the last thing with dinner waiting in the room. But I opted not to do that because it was already a complicated enough affair to orchestrate.

I still haven't given up hope that one day I'll be able to put something like that together with many intricate plans and steps all leading some place where I'll be waiting with a bow on my head. "Happy Valentine's Day! Your gift is me!" Isn't Nick lucky? Hahahaha.

And if you really must buy something, I think any guy/punk rocker/Cancer survivor/vulture enthusiast would love this t-shirt from People Like Me. All proceeds go to help my friend, Kerry Kelemen, in her battle with cancer. And it's a way cool design. Why wouldn't you want to buy it?