Valentine’s Day

There are 12 posts tagged Valentine’s Day (this is page 1 of 2).

Peace by Chocolate – Delicious

My Mother read about this company, Peace by Chocolate. I was surprised to find it in the Vince’s grocery store just a few days later. I bought two of them, one for her and the Canadian maple for me (I don’t love hazelnuts and I am fond of almost anything Canadian).

The chocolate was really good! The wrappers are interesting and the business is supporting Canadians (newcomers as they are supposed to be called now, not immigrants). Probably too late for ordering in hopes of a Valentine’s Day delivery, but it is really good chocolate, so just treat yourself. I’ve scanned the wrappers from the chocolate I bought.

How to Be Someone’s Secret Admirer on Valentine’s Day

Could you… Should you… Be a Secret Admirer?

You might want to be a secret admirer because you like someone or you might do it to perk up someone who has been alone awhile or feels left out. Be careful, either way. It’s fun to have the mystery of a secret admirer but it can backfire. If you are sincerely liking someone, make sure the person you admire is worth the admiration. If you are trying to make someone else feel admired be sure they wont feel even worse if they find out the admirer was not really a romantic admirer.

Tips and Ideas for Secret Admirers

Pay attention to the stationary you write on. Pick out something nice from the store or… go to a hotel and ask if you can have a couple of pages and an envelope. You can send your letter on hotel letterhead and add to the mystery.

Penmanship counts. Write carefully, take the time to make your writing clear and easy to read – add a romantic embellishment if you can. If you print the letter choose a font with some curls and swirls, whatever seems kind of romantic to you.

Induce a few lines of poetry or write something yourself. You could note down the lyrics from a romantic song if you aren’t interested in poetry.

Draw a heart somewhere on the envelope at the least. If you have some drawing ability create a romantic design, something individual and one of a kind which will be special for the letter you send. It’s nice to have something you created yourself rather than the store bought card art and design.

The greeting should be personal, not impersonal. Direct your note to the person, by name. Don’t try to be mysterious when it comes to who you are writing to.

Don’t give yourself away. Keep your name and any details which could identify you out of the letter. As fun as it is to write a mystery letter, it’s just as fun to get one and have that mystery – at least for the day.

Begin in a complimentary way. Don’t start by telling them you thought they seemed lonely or you like fat girls/ guys or anything else even slightly negative or critical. Write about why you picked them to admire, secretly but be positive to make them feel admired. This also makes you seem far more sincere too.

While writing the letter itself, be specific. Don’t become timid now and write about pretty eyes. Describe the eyes – the eye colour, the way they crinkle when he/she laughs. Write about where you have seen them and what they were doing, not in a stalker way. Describe and be specific about what you liked, what draws you to them. Why are you attracted and what do you admire about them?

Overall, keep the letter short. Don’t start selling yourself and trying to make a romance in just one letter. A simple letter will keep you from getting into trouble by saying too much or taking it too far.

Most of all, when you write as a secret admirer your letter should not be about yourself. Make it a feel-good type of letter for the person you address it to. Avoid mentioning yourself or your interests so you can keep the mystery of the mysterious, unknown, secret admirer.

Sign the letter with flourish, a nom de plume. Create a made up name for yourself, something not a real name but something dramatic, mysterious and/ or romantic.

Think of something you can include, a small gift that fits in an envelope. Stickers are simple but not something everyone would care for. Think about things which can be mailed like a coupon for a store or a gift card giving a free hot chocolate, something like that would be pretty perfect.

Deliver the Valentine in a unique way. But make sure it isn’t lost, overlooked or ends up damaged like falling into a pile of snow when it blows off the door you taped it to.

Valentine Daisies to Crochet

If you have yarn and know how to crochet a granny square you can make a blanket of daisy squares in all the Valentine colours. It is a simple pattern, the main thing is to change yarn colours to create the daisy. The colours in this pattern are really perfect for Valentine’s day. But you could use any yarn you have, leftovers from other projects, in shades of red.

DIY – Grandma squares with Daisies / Daisy Squares
by BautaWitch

As usual, I have used the yarn Catania, a 100% cotton yarn with lovely luster that is available in about 50 wonderful colors. I have crocheted my squares with a 3.5 mm crochet hook to make them compact and tight. I have planned to make a beach bag and/ or a cushion for my hanging sofa at Landet.

How-to-step-1-daisies-by-BautaWitch
Cast on 5 ch and make a ring from them using 1 sl st. 2. 12 sc around the ring and finish with 1 sl st. Remove the yarn 3. Choose a new color and crochet 4 ch in any st = your first dc. 4. 3 dc in the same stitch.How-to-step-2-daisies-by-bautawitch

5. Pull the crochet hook out of your stitch and thread it through the 4th ch in the first dc, then through your last st and then crochet them together with 1 sl st. 6. A further clarifying image of the above (5). 7. The result is a bumpy petal. 8. 2 ch.
How-to-step-3-daisies-by-bautawitch
9. 1 dc in next st in ring. 10. Another 3 dst. 11. Pull the crochet hook out of your stitch and thread it first through the 4th ch in the first dc, then through your last st and then crochet them together with 1 sl st. 12. 2 ch. You now repeat image 9-12 until you have 12 petals.

How-to-step-4-daisies-by-bautawitch
Finish the round with 1 sl st in the 4th ch in your first dc. 14. Remove the yarn. Your Daisy Collar is ready! 🙂15. New color. 2 ch in any ch-loop. 16. 2 hst.

How-to-step-5-daisies-by-BautaWitch
17- 18. Time for the first corner. 3 pcs, 2 ch, 3 pcs in next ch-loop. 19. 3 htr in the next 2 ch-loops. Next corner as picture 17. Repeat until you have crocheted around the whole flower. Finish the round with 1 sl st and to get to the next ch-loop make another sl st in next htr. You who crocheted granny squares before, will now recognize you!

How-to-step-6-daisies-by-BautaWitch
21. Time for ordinary “granny squares”: 3 ch. 22. 2 more in the same ch-loop and then 3 pcs in each ch-loop BUT when it’s time for corners you make 3 pcs, 2 ch, 3 pcs. 23. Voila, your box is ready! If you want the larger one, crochet one or more rounds according to picture 21-22. 24. The more the better, right !?

Alone for the Holidays

You can be happy being alone over the holidays, even your own birthday. Avoid being alone if you want. Or enjoy being alone if you want a break from being social.

So many of the big family holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and of course New Year’s Eve) arrive at the end of the year. If you are single, not dating anyone or a single parent with kids to celebrate for and with, it can be a bit lonely – if you let it.

I am single, divorced and don’t have any children. I do look after my sister’s children but it’s not the same. I kind of look forward to being alone. Maybe it’s because I’m not alone very often. I share a house with my Mother for half a year. The other half of the year I have a brother and two sisters who keep in touch. It’s all good. But, I crave alone time sometimes. So, I may not be the prime example of being alone for the holidays – because I’m happy to be alone and do whatever I want to do.

Avoid Being Alone

Accept invitations from family, friends and co-workers.

Find other holiday orphans and get together somewhere. Have a great evening out.

Attend events like the office Christmas party.

Invite people over to visit you too.

Go to church. Even if you don’t attend usually, churches will have people and host their own events during holidays.

Go somewhere you know there will be people, like a shopping mall, a coffee shop, a restaurant, and strike up a conversation. Even a short chat can make you feel connected to the world again.

Host a party or get a group together for a day out.

Make the Best of Being Alone

Create a new holiday tradition of your own. Have Chinese food delivered on Christmas Eve. Enjoy a taco salad on Valentine’s Day. Find your own personal way to celebrate.

Plan an event for each day of the holidays, or those coming up to it. Give yourself something to look forward to every day. You can always visit the museum, art gallery and buy tickets for the theatre.

It may feel pretty self-indulgent but, buy yourself a gift or a card for the holidays. Have a Valentine card you sent yourself. Get yourself something you know you really want for Christmas. Send yourself flowers on your birthday.

Write a holiday journal about your adventures.

Be an artist, even if you can’t draw, take along some paper and pencils/ pens and draw some holiday scenes.

Enjoy some alone time to think.

Whatever the holidays and season you can still decorate the house for the holidays: St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines Day, Halloween, Christmas… all the holidays can be an excuse to indulge in a little excess cheer around the home.

Rediscover a creative talent. Become a baker, or a film maker, or take up crochet discover a new creative outlet.

Eat out somewhere new you have wanted to try.

Eat in – cook yourself a wonderful dinner with new recipes and unusual ingredients or go for all comfort foods, the foods you love, cooked the way you like them.

Buy something from a fancy bakery but get just one slice, one piece, one square you can enjoy all by yourself.

Put together a holiday emergency kit for yourself. Stash it with the things you really want like a few chocolates, coffee beans, pick a great wine, a fresh book, candles, bubble bath, gift cards and coupons for a restaurant.

Have some special plan of your own. When others talk about their holidays you will have something to talk about too.

Redecorate your bedroom, your kitchen, find something new and great for the house and make it fresh, shiny and new.

Pamper yourself with all the little luxuries, like a real soak in the tub. Have a spa day at home.

Use the time to catch up on reading, rent movies you wanted to see and anything else you have let slide while you were too busy with other people or a full schedule.

Work on little home repair projects you just haven’t gotten around to yet.

Indulge yourself. Go to the unfashionable, geekiest, nerdiest movies, events, and places you’d love to go but would never ask anyone to attend with you.

Be of service to others. Be a volunteer for a day. Phone or write to relatives and acquaintances you seldom think about. .

Take a road trip, a bus trip, a train trip. Plan a day trip and be home before midnight or plan an overnight away. Look for great tour packages and travel even farther.

Book a room in a downtown hotel and spend your time indulging in downtown holiday events, tourist places and all the holiday decorations.

If you’re single, try a few dating sites, look into a dating service, something where you might find someone new to meet over coffee.

Revel in Being Alone Don’t be SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) creeps up on people during the winter holidays. I think we can feel the same SAD feelings around our own birthdays too, but that doesn’t seem to have a name yet.

If you are feeling alone and neglected let your family and friends know so they can make sure to include you in their events and get togethers.

Avoid being SAD. Use the time alone rather than letting it drag you down into feeling alone around the holidays.

If you need other people around – get them. Make plans with others but understand that plans around the holidays change a lot and last minute things pop up. Have back up plans if you are planning to meet a friend, that way you still have something to do if the friend can’t be there.

Find yourself a patch of sunshine somewhere and sit in it awhile. A great place to try this is a coffee shop window where you have some sun and people watch while you read a book and enjoy a great coffee too.

Not Everyone Alone for the Holidays Needs Cheering Up

People who don’t want to be alone for the holidays are more likely to be upset or feeling down about the holidays.

Some of us, like myself, LOVE having some alone time. For me being alone during the holidays is great. I spend time with family and I make arrangements to meet up with friends and co-workers. I attend the office/ work parties. But, I really enjoy the days I am alone and I can do just what I want to do.

I feel empowered when I am alone. I soak up the holidays: the good cheer, the lights and decorations and the excuse to be self indulgent. Being alone for the holidays is like having an extra birthday – the day that is especially all about you! Make being alone for the holidays all about you.

A Few Links

Join The Holiday Project – Local chapters visit people confined to nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions and enriching the experience of a holiday for everyone.

Afterwards for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is over for another year. How did you score? Isn’t that a bad way to think of it!

What could be all romance, cuddles and affection has become about retail, shopping and spending. No, I’m not going on a retail rant. I’ve worked retail enough to live and let live. People need to change, if they want to.

But, what did you really want for Valentine’s Day this year? Was it the traditional chocolate and flowers. Did you think about something pretty like jewels or something slinky like erotic lingerie? Maybe you’re more practical and what you really would have liked was a book of poetry? Or a dinner out, a time you can enjoy the meal without the cooking or the clean up.

I would have liked a dinner out. Nothing flashy or fancy. Just a nice meal, conversation and maybe a small surprise gift. I admit I look at the advertising sent out by the jewelry stores at this time of year. I do oogle the pretty, sparkly things. Now and then you see just the ‘right’ brooch. Why doesn’t he just know what you want? Does he need that ESP antennae adjusted again? Is it unfair to men to expect them to know what we want? I don’t really think so. If they listened they would hear us saying we want or need this and that. I don’t mean ordinary things like cooking gadgets or hair dryers or toasters. No, something nice, something that says “You really are my Valentine”.

Helping men shop for Valentine’s Day gift ideas

Of course, it goes both ways. What did you get him for Valentine’s Day? A tie you wish he would wear but know he won’t? A fresh new pair of socks? Undies? It is hard to know what to get a man for something kind of romantic. They pretend they aren’t romantic at all. But, ignore that. The smart woman has paid attention and knows what he needs and would really like to see wrapped up with a red bow….

No, not anything slutty (though we won’t try to pretend that isn’t on his list).

I’ve seen a grown man crack the biggest happy smile when his girlfriend sent him flowers, delivered to his office. Now, if she had asked him if he would like flowers… I’m sure he would have said no, in some nice way. But, actually having them made his day in a big way.

Each guy is different though. Just like we tell them, you have to listen, pay attention. It will come up in conversation, at one time or another.

It helps if you already know what he likes. My husband liked Batman and sort of dark horror like zombies, even before they became popular. So, if I noticed something that would stroke his Batman or zombie fetish, I knew I had something he would like. But, is it romantic to give your husband a T-shirt about brain eating zombies for Valentine’s Day? Well, romance is in the eye of the beholder.

Nowadays, as a single, divorced woman I have a new appreciation for slinky things. Just for myself. I like to look on sites like Ann Summers and window shop. It doesn’t cost me anything. If I were not single I might get the catalog sent so I could suggestively leave my favourite selections for him to find on his computer keyboard and other places I know he won’t miss them.

I’d really be impressed if a man I was dating bought me a locket or a charm bracelet though. For him to know how much I like traditional, romantic, pretty things – that would be a great Valentine’s Day.

Think about a Valentine gift for a character you have written of the opposite gender. What would your character love for Valentine’s Day, something they would never actually admit for fear of sounding overly mushy, sappy and sensitive?