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February 11, 2015

Valentine’s Day Ideas!

Valentine’s may or may not be your most favorite holiday.  For the longest time, it seemed the only reason it existed was to single out all of the single people who weren’t getting flowers and candy sent to them.  And I went through my phases of wearing black on February 14, having girls nights, or just sitting at home alone and moping because I didn’t have a love to dote all over me and make me feel special.  Part of those reactions were from immaturity.  Part of them were because of how God created us… I’ll explain that in a minute.

But then I decided to change my attitude about it.  I John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.”  And what better way to reflect that than to love on others?  We HAVE the ability to love because the God who created the universe loved us first!

EVERYONE craves love and attention.  EVERYONE craves for people to notice and appreciate them.  EVERYONE is like this because it’s how God created us!  So, instead of sitting by and lamenting over why no one was sending me any Valentine’s cards, candy or flowers, I decided one year to just get into the spirit of things.  So, I went to Target and purchased a couple of boxes of Valentine’s cards.  You know the ones we used to get and give to our classmates?  Yes, those.  And honestly, the cheesier they were, the better they were!  I gave them to friends and family and I’m pretty sure I even put some in the mail.

It probably cost me $10-20 to do all of that but it was so much fun!  And completely worth it.

So what can you do between now and Saturday?  Whether you’re single or dating someone, whether you’re married or not, whether you want to forget about Valentine’s Day and pretend it never happened or you want to change how you view it, here are some ideas for ways you can celebrate others that God has placed in your life.  My guess is that most won’t even expect you to do anything so even a little ounce of love could mean the world to someone!

  1. Go to the store and find the cheesiest box of Valentine’s you can – the funnier, the better!  Pass those out to friends/co-workers/neighbors/store clerks and watch their faces light up when you hand them a Valentine!
  2. If you’re creative, make your own Valentine’s cards!  I’m so NOT creative in that way so I rely on others for things like this… Jones Design Company has some beautiful free printable Valentine’s that she posted to her blog the other day.  (And if you aren’t already following her, now is a good time to start!)
  3. Lace and Loyalty is a blog that posts about weddings and encouragement for marriages (I love it!).  And they posted a blog today with Valentine’s ideas that go along with your spouse’s love language!  How creative is that??  You can check out their post here.
  4. Put together some goody bags of your favorite Valentine’s candy with a little note saying how much they are loved.  The best part about this is that you can sign your name or let it be anonymous.  How fun to leave something like this on desks at work or in neighbor’s mailboxes??
  5. A Starbucks gift card is almost always a good idea!  And the best part about these is that you can give them in SO many different ways!  Purchase one and leave it sitting on a table in the coffee shop with a note that says, “If you found me, I’m yours!”  Or you could go through the drive through and ask the barista to give it to the driver in the car behind you.  Or you could include it in one of your handmade Valentine’s cards!  So many options :-)

StarbucksValentines-101

I’m actually going to give this particular one away to one of you!  We have no idea when this baby girl is going to arrive, but I’d love for one of you to have this card to use on Saturday… I’ll choose a winner on Friday and will actually text you the numbers on the back or a screenshot of the bar code (since we may very well be in the hospital!).  How you end up using it is totally up to you!

To enter, just leave a comment below.  It can be about ANYTHING!  Or you can just say hi :-)
I’ll use random.org to choose the winner Friday by 4pm eastern!

  1. Grace Custer says:

    What a great reminder of God’s love for us. Some of my favorite Valentine’s memories are of Valentine Tea Parties that my good friends Mom would host for ALL the girls Toddlers through college age in our church. It was always so fun to get all dressed up and go to tea.

  2. Carrie Moore says:

    Love reading your blog! So creative and fun :) Can’t wait to meet your baby girl.

  3. Joanna says:

    hey friend!! I’m a sucker for Starbucks, so thought I’d leave a comment. Love you and praying for you, Ben, and baby Catherine!!! Can’t wait to meet her! ;)

  4. Amanda L says:

    How thoughtful of you when you could easily be wrapped up in your own goodness and excitement to spread the joy to others! I am a sucker for these cute designs too and giving them makes them even more special!

  5. Sarah K says:

    Great ideas! You’ve motivated me ;)

  6. Katie Barry says:

    We love Starbucks! Can’t wait to hear that baby Catherine is here!

  7. Anna Duncan says:

    You’re the cutest thing. Can’t wait to meet your little babe! Here’s hoping she’s born on Saturday!!!

  8. Sara B. says:

    Can’t wait for your baby girl to make her grand entrance into the world! Praying lots of blessings over you!!

  9. ginny chan says:

    You’re just awesome! I love your blog and can’t wait for your sweet little girl to come and meet her great mom and dad!

  10. Ashley Post says:

    What fun ideas! Reading about love languages now…

    PS – love Starbucks!
    PPS – can’t wait to see pictures of your baby girl!

  11. Cindy Taylor says:

    What a sweet idea to share with others. Especially when you could take every opportunity to stay wrapped up in your impending little family.
    Thanks for sharing!

  12. Nora says:

    Love this!!! I hope you have a new little valentine this year. ;)
    When I was in college I never had a valentine, so every year I would make about 50 giant heart-shaped cookie cakes and give them to all of my friends. It definitely was a much more enjoyable way to spend valentines day than lamenting not having an awkward date.

  13. Sarah Dattoma says:

    Been watching your wait for baby girl as we have been on a similar journey. Our son should arrive in the next eight weeks! Ah! Enjoy this valentines weekend – hopefully she’ll keep cooking until Sunday! :)

  14. Marleigh Selby says:

    Love that. I miss getting valentines like we did in 3rd grade. Hope you’re doing well, and of course go tigers!

  15. Megan says:

    Great blog post! Im so thankful He loved us first. Good reminder of what love-valentines day-is/should be about. :)

  16. Julia Weeks says:

    Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m excited that you are so close to holding your baby girl in your arms! :)

  17. Sarah Guth says:

    Thank you for the ideas and especially for directing me to the blogs. Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Wishing you a smooth delivery when the time comes for you to meet baby Catherine

  18. Shellie Silva says:

    Praying a lot for you in these days and for Catherine Marie!

  19. Michelle says:

    Can’t wait to see pictures of that baby!!

  20. Teresa Mabry Torrence says:

    So happy to hear that the young girl (who was just a little older than my daughter Shannon) who lived next door on Thunderbird is now being blessed with a precious little girl of her own. Congratulations on your MANY BLESSINGS!

  21. Mary says:

    Roses are red
    Violets are blue
    Sugar is sweet
    And so are you, honey!

    Praying for you and baby Catherine!

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