| |
| |
|
Holidays Information |
|
|
|
Romance on a Budget
Valentine's Day is often synonymous with lush velvety looking red roses and spending big bucks on your sweetie. You're blinded by advertisements touting the latest luxury jewelry, over-priced flowers, and exquisite five star dining. You can sometimes feel pressure from this single day that is supposed to symbolize and convey your emotion of love to your sweetheart. Expressing your love can be shown with frugal abundance and still create heartfelt memories. You may not do anything at all because you feel that you can't afford it. Don't skip the holiday completely. The following are some traditional ideas and then some frugal alternative tips for inexpensive and thoughtful ways to express that you care without completely emptying your wallet. Romantic movies Movies are popular on Valentine's Day. There isn't any doubt that this idea rates highly on the snuggle meter. The following are some movie suggestions: Sleepless in Seattle Traditional: Big night out at the theater with the works. Cha-ching Creatively Frugal: Select a nice romantic comedy for your sweetie. Pop some popcorn, pour your favorite beverage of choice, and light a fire if you're able to or at least some candles. It's all about ambience. You both can cuddle up on the couch or have blankets and pillows out on the floor. Confectionary Treats Hard to imagine Valentine's Day without candy. The holiday is notorious for chocolates. They're definitely decadent and these treats have been acclaimed to have an aphrodisiac effect. It's difficult to pass up this romantic suggestion. Traditional: Godiva chocolates or satin and velvet heart shaped box of chocolates. Oohlala. Creatively Frugal: Bulk candy or homemade candy, baked goods, or just coffee and a dessert at a quiet cafe. Here are two great chocolate creations to make yourself. Chocolate Pretzels Chocolate Popcorn Beautiful Bouquets Saying "I love you" with flowers can make a lasting impression. Traditional: A dozen roses with a short lifespan and hefty price. You think you're smart when you select multi-colored or any color besides red roses, but oops what about all those rose flower meanings? Are you accurately describing your feelings? Creatively Frugal: Try a single bulb to force such as an amaryllis or tulip, a collection of seed packets for spring planting, or one single flower with the recipient's favorite hot beverage in the morning. Festive Feast A romantic night out can be lovely. You can have reservations made in advance and can get gussied up for an enjoyable evening. Planning the perfect setting complete with candles, wine, and excellent service is so romantic. Traditional: Expensive restaurant out on the town. The problem is that everyone else has the same idea. You'll often run into staff that is rushed or crowded parking lots and restaurants. This suggestion has the best of intentions, but lacks privacy and could easily prove to be the least romantic. Creatively Frugal: Valentine's Day breakfast versus dinner out or breakfast in bed. So many small details can be created with serving a meal at home. It provides the feeling of appreciation. You can light small votice candles, use favorite glasses, play soft music, and use cloth napkins. The meal itself doesn't need to be fancy. Use your creativity. If you don't have a tray, use a folded tablecloth or a nice basket. By all means, don't forget to clean up! Penned Sentiments Greeting cards are an excellent choice to show you care. There are endless varieties of romance cards. A card is well-received. Traditional: The perfect card for your valentine. You look through aisles and rows of costly greeting cards and spend hours trying to find the perfect one. Valentine's Day is the second largest card-giving holiday and that is reflected in the stores. In the mad rush to grab a card and get it delivered, you just sign it "with love". Creatively Frugal: Try love coupons, homemade card, handwritten letter, or cut out cartoons from newspaper and add a few words to it. It's so much more sincere in your own words from your heart. It's all about the presentation. Don't just toss your handwritten sentiment at your love. Delightful Pampering Cupid's arrow is sure to hit when you give your love a day of overindulgence. Being carefree is so appealing. Traditional: Spending a ton of cash on a spa day gift certificate for your sweetie. Creatively Frugal: Make a comfort box. In the box add a cd, scented lotions, bubblebath, hairbrush, candles, tea, cocoa, coffee, book, bookmark, and give a massage from you. As you can see, creating loving and memorable moments doesn't have to carry exorbitant prices. It's a day of expressing your affection and doesn't have to break the bank. Traditional romance can be nice, but it is often overrated. Being creatively frugal is a gift of the heart. Give your loved one the gift of your time and thoughtfulness. If you're desperate and reading this, I'll leave you with a small list of last minute ideas: Dance to a slow song. Take a walk and hold hands. Take a drive and tell your love your feelings from your heart. Go to a local playground and play on the swings. Read to your sweetie or recite a romantic song. Add red to the day with red cookies, clothing, candles, lipstick, red fruit, etc. Sit and talk and reminsice and talk about your dreams together. Play a board game or assemble a puzzle together. Watch the sunrise or sunset together. Find a trophy at the thrift store to give. Place notes in hidden places in the house for them to find. It's extra special when they dont find them all and come across them after the holiday is over. Frame a picture of the two of you or a place you both have enjoyed together, or make a collage of sentimental tokens collected during your relationship. Balloons are a nice gift. Keep in mind that you can tuck a note inside a latex balloon before filling it or attach an item to a balloon. Happy Valentine's Day and here's wishing that love fills the air as you celebrate with your dearest. Sara Noel is a freelance writer and the Editor/Publisher of http://www.FrugalVillage.com and http://www.HomesteadGarden.com Visit both these sites for information on getting back to basics through frugality, gardening, lost arts, simplicity, homesteading, and natural family living.
MORE RESOURCES:
Holidays - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Valentines Day Flowers Flowers & Valentine's Day go hand in hand. Your Valentine will be so thrilled to receive a beautiful flower arrangement! Of course, Roses are known for their association with love. Creating Your Own Holiday Traditions I love this time of year -- decorations on the houses, a cold nip in the air, beautiful music everywhere you go. I often have a hard time understanding why so many people get so FRUSTRATED during the holidays -- until I go out in public and partake of the madness. Contact Lenses for Halloween It is never too soon to begin planning the perfect Halloween costume, and frequently the best ones require a lot of planning and special effects items. Luckily for all the Halloween fans out there, there is now a huge line of contact lenses for Halloween. The Last Laugh: Parental Pranks for April 1 The exact origin of April Fool's Day is uncertain, but popular belief is that it began in France with the adoption of a new calendar. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar (still in use today) replaced the long-standing Julian calendar and New Year's celebrations were moved from April 1 to January 1. Texas Exotic Hunting Texas Exotic Hunting is a popular sport in this state. Hog hunting in Texas and dove hunting in Texas are both considered exotic. Unique Gift Ideas -- The Gift Of Fitness Well, it's almost that time of year again - the holiday shopping season is just around the corner. Have you thought about what you are going to give those people on your "hard to shop for" list? Instead of another tie for your dad or music CD for your sister, why don't you give them a truly unique and invaluable gift? I'm talking about the gift of fitness. Tribute to Dad Father's Day should not be the only day that we celebrate Dads. I think we should make Fathers feel special all year long!As a wife and mother I would like to celebrate husbands with children. Easy Costumes Kids Can Make The kindergarten class I was teaching was scheduled to perform a dramatic recitation. We needed several flower and bumblebee costumes. Valentines Day is NOT only for Lovers Some people hate to see Valentines Day come around. Some have ended relationships and feel lonely while others have not yet met that someone special. Overcoming Loneliness this Christmas Christmas is one of those times when the social norm is to get together with our families even if you never see them during the year. For those people who are isolated from their families, or do not have a family, it can be a time of great loneliness and even depression. Say I Love You For Valentines Day With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about the perfect gift for the one you love. Whether you are looking for something special on a tight budget or would simply like to add something special to another gift, there's no better way to express your love than by saying it in a variety of languages. Making Mom Happy on Mothers Day Mothers day is May 8th this year, are you ready? Are you in need of an idea for how to treat mom on Mothers Day that will not break your budget? How about indulging mom with a delightful home cooked brunch and a special tea pot for her to take home at the end of the day.Making moms eyes sparkle with a beautifully set table is as easy as pulling out that lacey table cloth and placing a vase of fresh flowers in the center for her to enjoy. Choosing A Great Gift For A Polar Bear Lover Do you know someone who is absolutely crazy about polar bears? Choosing a polar bear gift for a friend or loved one can be a lot of fun because there are so many choices out there, and luckily the price range is wide enough so that anyone can choose a great polar bear gift.Of course, sometimes having a lot of choices can be a problem, too. Holiday Beauty Dos and Donts Why is it that whenever you go to a holiday party, you can always find someone who doesn't look how you would expect? Is it because you think they overdid their fashion or make-up, or is it a touch of envy?Beauty queen or fashion disaster, it's up to you. If you want to shine for the holidays, take note of these do's and don'ts to spruce up your look and receive raves from your friends and family. The Cheapest Christmas Ever! Have you ever said "I wish we didn't have to spend so much money on Christmas?" or "I wish we could have Christmas without going into debt!" Well here is your answer - tell your family that next Christmas no one is allowed to buy a new, expensive gift for anyone! Yes, I really said that. Tell them that all presents must be from garage sales, tag sales, yard sales, auctions, handmade or made over. Little Helpers in the Holiday Kitchen The holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to allow your children to help with the meal preparation and offers quality time together as a family. This is a way to keep your children occupied, but is also a fun, educational activity that incorporates a range of skills and senses, such as counting, measuring, reading, touching, listening, planning, smelling, tasting, and creativity. Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas Now that the biggest shopping season of the year is in full swing it might be a good time to create a holiday budget. I'm sure there are lots of names on your list, but hopefully you can find gifts that won't put a big dent in your pocketbook. How to Host Thankgiving Dinner and Enjoy it Anyway You've been nominated; or perhaps your family has issued a decree; or perhaps it's simply your turn. No matter what the reason, you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. Kid Birthday Party Game Ideas - 7 Proven Winners Here are 7 classic kid birthday party game ideas that are always successful. And you can easily make all of them fit your party theme. Valentines Day Rapport How to develop and heighten rapport on Valentines Day beyond your wildest dreams!With Valentines day on the doorstep for another year here is way of enhancing those romantic occasions. In thinking about something pertinent to Valentines, I thought I would write about a topic that fascinates me; developing rapport.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
