Unique Ideas to Celebrate Valentines Day this Year

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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 (see
http://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!) Make
up a batch of chocolate pudding. Feed each other and wind up
having a food fight! Ideally, this is more fun in your birthday
suits, then the pudding won't go to waste where it lands!
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 far
away, 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 him or her 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!