Valentine's Day

In my book, Valentine's Day is sweet. It's a day that kids get to make each other valentines and show one another how much they care. It's a day where shoe boxes and paint magically turn into bumblebees and robots. It's a day that people are reminded of just how much they're loved and appreciated. It's an excuse to do something special with your significant other or children. It's a beacon of hope in middle of winter dreariness that allows for a little bit of extra fun. I do fully understand the 'Hallmark Holiday' hype, however. But I think that's due to people getting lost in fancy gifts and expensive dinners, forgetting the true meaning behind it. Yes, love should be shown every day of the year, but having a day dedicated to it is just fun. It's as simple as that in my mind. Adam and I don't go overboard on Valentine's Day. I'm more of a sentimental person and I think I've slowly turned Adam into the same type. I got my hair braided while on a family trip to Mexico in 8th grade and kept my purple hair beads for years...Strange, I know, but I couldn't part with them! They reminded me of how much fun I had and I felt bad throwing them away (I eventually did). That being said, when Adam and I started dating I made it clear that sentimental gifts meant more to me than anything. Since then, he's always written letters to me, instead of gifts (aside from a few small gifts over the years). I've kept every one and I fully intend to for the rest of my life. So, for Valentine's Day, we've always done letters and an activity. Two years ago, we made dinner at his apartment and bought small painting canvases. We painted each other a picture and had so much fun doing it! It was a cheap and fun activity, as well as a meaningful gift to one another. Last year we made a deal that our gifts had to be edible. I made Adam a fruit pizza, with the fruit pieces in the shape of a heart. Adam made me homemade chocolate covered strawberries and undeniably blew my treat out of the water. This year, we decided to have a pizza and movie night. We picked up pizza, ice cream and Red Box after work and just spent the night together. It was low-key and totally what we needed after a long week. For his letter this year, he wrote it in the journal he gave me on our wedding day. I read the first entry from Adam right before we saw each other the first time. Anyways, I woke up on Valentine's Day to the journal on the kitchen counter with my wedding ring on top of it, as Adam had early class and left before I woke up. The letter he wrote made me tear up, of course, and reminded me of what an incredible man I married. It's not about gifts, how expensive your dinner is or how many roses you get, but it's about the feeling I had at that very moment. Loved.




Banana Bread Muffins