Ok, so I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day. I have one of those sappy stories that will make the perpetually single person nauseous. My hubby proposed to me on Valentine’s Day, even though I was deathly ill with the flu and in my flannel pajamas.
However, before I found my soulmate, I spent many a year dreading Valentine’s Day and all the romantic hoopla that went along with it. You see, when you’re unattached and you want to be attached, Valentine’s Day is the loneliest day of the year. (New Year’s Eve comes in a close second.)
So, if you love Valentine’s Day, you obviously have a reason to love it – likely a person who makes you love it, and you don’t need my encouragement. But, if you hate Valentine’s Day, here’s my advice on how to get through the day without hating all of your attached friends.
- Make plans. Sitting at home on Valentine’s Day only makes it worse. This year, the date falls on a weekday, which makes it a little easier to tolerate, however. But, you should still make it a point to go out and have some fun with a friend. Skip the romantic restaurants that will be filled with couples, and opt for a fun bar, see a movie, go ice skating or go bowling.
- Eat chocolate. If you love those beautiful heart shaped boxes filled with delicious candies, buy one for yourself. There’s no reason you should miss out on your favorite treats just because you’re single.
- Be thankful for your life. You’ll never attract someone for next Valentine’s Day if it is your sole focus in life. Enjoy the life you have and be grateful for it. That makes you much more attractive to other people.
Tips and Ideas
Date Ideas, Proposal, Valentine's Day
A new study suggests that making dating a New Year’s Resolution may actually improve your chances of finding true love.
According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, making resolutions about how you approach dating and relationships can actually make you more successful at them.
For example, make a resolution to try new avenues for meeting people, such as taking classes or dating online. Or, make a resolution to be open to different types of people than you’ve dated before, such as people who have children or people whose education is very different from yours.
You may also want to make a resolution to stay away from the types of people you’ve dated in the past that haven’t panned out. You know, the bad boy rocker dude who can never commit, or the workaholic who never really has time for a relationship. While you may be attracted to these types initially, it might be time to say you’ve learned your lesson and move on to other types of people.
When you make a decision to change the way you think or act when it comes to dating, you have likely taken the step required to set yourself up for success. There’s an old saying that “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got”. This adage certainly applies to dating. If you haven’t been successful, then it’s time to change your approach – and what better time than the New Year?
Tips and Ideas
Holidays, Love, New Year's Resolutions
Let’s face it; whether you’ve just started dating, or you’ve been married for 10 years, choosing a gift for your significant other will probably be the hardest gift choice of the holiday season. If you’re in a really new relationship, even deciding whether or not to buy a gift can be tricky. Our advice on that one is, if you like the person and see yourself continuing to go out with them; buy a gift. If you don’t like them enough to want to buy them a gift, you probably shouldn’t be seeing them by Christmas anyway. Choosing the gift may be tough. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help choose the right gift:
- What would he or she like to spend more time doing if they had the time?
- What would he or she love to have but would never buy for himself/herself?
- Pay attention to things he or she comments on when you’re out together. It could give you really good ideas.
- Go places that will help you choose gifts. For instance, take him to a wine or beer tasting; make a mental note about which varieties he likes and come back later and buy some.
- Talk to her friends. A woman’s girlfriends are usually full of ideas and quite happy to help.
- Stay away from clothing purchases, especially for women, unless you’re absolutely sure she’ll love it and it will fit. Clothing is the single most returned category of Christmas gift.
