Unique Ideas to Celebrate Valentines Day this Year

Want to celebrate Valentine's Day in a different way? We've
collected a bunch of unique ideas - special ways to show how much you care about your spouse, family members and friends you cherish.

Heart-Felt Valentine's Meal
Make up a batch of heart-shaped pancakes for a yummy Valentine's breakfast or brunch. Just pour the batter in the frying pan in a free-form heart shape and serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Balloon Goodies
Insert candy surprises into balloons before inflating them - add
a folded-up Valentine's message then inflate each balloon. Tie
with a red ribbon and attach to your loved one's chair for them
to find Valentine's morning.

Family Affair
Have the children help you prepare red Jello with cinnamon hearts mixed in, mashed potatoes colored with pink food coloring, heart- shaped cookies and any other creative ways to present your Valentine's Day meal.

The Gift of Time
Give a hand-made coupon for some work you can do to free-up some time for your spouse or parent. For example, a coupon good for cleaning Dad's garage or for a full-house vacuuming for your wife. How about a coupon for your best friend - you can walk her dog or baby sit one evening.

Coupon Day
Each of you can create individual notes, say 4 or 6 each, to
describe a special surprise - a back rub, a bubble bath, kisses
from head to toe, a special meal - fold up the notes and toss
them into a jar. You can take turns having fun plucking a coupon
from the jar and doing what it says.

Scavenger Hunt
You can prepare this one for your spouse or for your children to
enjoy. Write up little notes about how you feel and what they
mean to you and place them around the house along with a candy heart or other treat. Add a riddle at the end of each note about where to find the next note. At the last note, have something special waiting there. For example, you can be waiting for your hubby in a candle-lit bubble bath with two glasses of wine. For your children, then can find a teddy bear or other toy or treat.

Less Fortunate
Visit a hospital or chronic care home to pass out small Valentine
surprises to the residents. They will enjoy the care and
attention from something so unexpected.

Alone?
No one special to share Valentine's Day with? Sure you have! You!
Why not pamper yourself with a candlelit bubble bath, then
prepare your favorite gourmet meal and rent the latest comedy
video. Or treat yourself to a day at the spa, or a day at the
gym with a step or aerobics class. Plan for Valentine's Day at
least a week in advance - you'll find yourself looking forward to
your special treats and your quality time with yourself, by
choice.

Picnic Fun
Place a blanket on the floor near the lit fireplace with candles
on the mantle and have your Valentine's meal as a candle-lit
picnic with a bottle of your favorite bubbly.

Italian Romance
Some soft Italian love songs on the CD player, a luscious
Fettucini Alfredo with a bottle of your favorite Italian vino,
then some fresh canoli from the pastry shop and cups of amaretto-flavored coffee for a taste sensation - top it off with a
sensuous scented bubble bath for two

A Cereal Surprise
Sneak in love notes and chocolate kisses in your sweetheart's or
children's cereal

Notables
Little notes in their lunch boxes, on the bathroom mirror, in his
briefcase, stuck on the car windshields, in his underwear drawer
I'm fortunate to have you!Mix up a batch of fortune cookies (seehttp://www.whimsies-online.com/valentine.htm for recipe!) and add your own little words of love

Messy but Marvelous
Make sure you wear old clothes for this one and plan this
escapade where cleanup will be easy (no carpets, please!) Makeup a batch of chocolate pudding. Feed each other and wind uphaving a food fight! Ideally, this is more fun in your birthdaysuits, then the pudding won't go to waste where it lands!
<smile> Guaranteed for loads of giggles between the two of you -take a shower-for-two after this one and wash each other's
chocolate-flavored hair!

Take a Letter
Take turns writing a love letter or love poem to each other.
Read them out loud

Valentine Sharing
Plan some community work - help out at the local shelter,
volunteer at your local church, work with other volunteers to
spread some caring amongst your community.

All in the Family
Spend some quality fun time with your niece or nephew or other
child in your family.

Long-Distance Caring
Call your favorite aunt whom you haven't seen since she moved faraway, or your best friend who transferred to another country -let them know you're thinking of them this Valentine's Day

Just For You
Have you wanted that delicate pair of earrings for awhile but
kept putting off the purchase? Give yourself a special
Valentine's Day gift

Poetry In Motion
Write a poem - can't write? Try out the poem generator on
http://www.whimsies-online.com/valentine.htm for fun! Print out
your creation and place it on your loved-one's night table for
when they awake!

Heather Diodati, is the owner of Whimsies! by DDesign, one-of-a-kind personalized cartoon designs for all occasions. Sign up forour free ezine, On A Whim, for your fr~ee time management gifts!
http://www.whimsies-online.com

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