Valentine's Day!

BF's parents are coming to stay with us on the Monday through Thursday, as his mum needs to get a plaster cast taken off her foot from the surgery she had a couple weeks back.  So no romance there!

But, the kiddo is at his mum's this weekend, so we're going to make fajitas and drink beer on Saturday to celebrate my visa and I guess Valentine's day as well. 

I used to get cards and sometimes chocolate from my Dad when I was a kid. So sweet!  

Of course, when we were younger, we all got our obligatory from everyone in the class V-day cards.  Still that didn't prevent my uncoolness- because I used to get the worst cards in the box!!

Then when we got older, the student councils used to sell carnations for $1/flower.  So you realised just how cool/uncool you were, just based upon the number of flowers you'd get and if they were from a member of the opposite sex, you were ace.  
Needless to say, I was of the very uncool persuasion, so I never had many flowers, if any at all.
(Hehehe, last laugh's on me, I am so much cooler than my high school counterparts now!!!!   )

In Uni, my group of friends used to go out to the very cheap and cheerful Chinese buffet on Valentine's Day, to celebrate our friendship, boys and girls and couples, everyone together for friendship! Great stuff. However, the place was always jam packed with couples! Boak,   who thinks that going to the cheap/chintzy/MSG filled/fake tablecloths/probably should be condemmed Chinese buffet is romantic?!?!?!

This V-day, I've got no plans and my singing rehearsal on Monday nights was even cancelled because of school holidays. So I think I will happily enjoy my evening of nothing!  

My husband works away during the week so we're going out on Saturday night instead.  Visiting the new Indian (which I've been to but he hasn't yet) which has opened nearby.  I'll give him a card to take with him (and vice versa I hope or he's in trouble!!).

I just hope we make it to the restaurant as the past two St Valentine days we've had rows and refused to hand cards over to each other - I have to say we do behave like 3 year olds sometimes - think I'd know better in my 50s!

Here in the UK your card goes to someone whom you want to be your 'valentine' and it should be anonymous!

Here in the UK your card goes to someone whom you want to be your 'valentine' and it should be anonymous!

Yeah last year he my DH didnt sign it just xoxo....I said are you afraid to sign it? He said noooo its suppose to be anonymous b/c you should know who loves you and wants to be your Valentine...I still signed mine this year

I'll get myself some marked down chocolates on the 15th.   

Question...  When my first Valentine's Day in the UK was approaching, DH and I were shopping and I stopped in a card shop to buy some for my mom, kids & grandkids.  Poor DH was confused that I wasn't buying just one for him.  Am I odd?  My parents always sent valentines to their kids & grandkids.  I used to send them to everyone, friends & family.  But DH found this custom very strange, thinks valentines are for sweethearts only. 

Oh yeah, my grandma was a great valentine sender--everyone got one. When I was in elementary school they always had a big "mail" box so everyone could post their valentines to their classmates. It was expected that you sent one to everyone.

Just a few years ago, probably 2007, I found some valentines from my schooldays.  A heart-shaped pouch made of faded red construction paper, filled with those little paper valentines in white envelopes, signed in pencil by each classmate.  I'm talking vintage 1968-ish.  I'm not sure why, out of all the years of classroom valentines, I saved that batch.  But (I'm a little ashamed to admit this) I sold them on e-bay.      Not for a fortune, I think the final price was about $10.  A scrapbooker wanted them for her craft stash so they went to a good home.   

Here in the UK your card goes to someone whom you want to be your 'valentine' and it should be anonymous!

I would say this is more a person preference thing rather than a "here in the UK" thing...

Yeah last year he my DH didnt sign it just xoxo...

A couple of years ago, mine wrote in the card, "Happy whatever."
 

We just got a package today from my Dad and it was Valentine's Day prezzies and cards for all of us (minus my DH...LOL).  I'm kinda surprised as my dad is usually forgetful and a procrastinator about things like this (I didn't get a birthday present  ).  I know his new girlfriend was a big influence on the package but I still think it's pretty sweet (especially coming all the way from the US).  Now DH will understand why I said we *needed* to get the kids something from us.   

Lovely to see everyone's plans!  I'm excited for my champagne dinner... 

Question...  When my first Valentine's Day in the UK was approaching, DH and I were shopping and I stopped in a card shop to buy some for my mom, kids & grandkids.  Poor DH was confused that I wasn't buying just one for him.  Am I odd?  My parents always sent valentines to their kids & grandkids.  I used to send them to everyone, friends & family.  But DH found this custom very strange, thinks valentines are for sweethearts only. 

I'm with your husband on that! In the UK it is a sweetheart thing.

We were planning to go to a local Italian restaurant on Saturday that we really like but it was fully booked when I called 2 weeks ago!
So instead we are having a date night tomorrow - a meal and then cinema. And having a Valentines dinner at home on Saturday

We don't usually make a big deal of it, falling between our dating anniversary (Jan 29th) and wedding anniversary (Feb 24th) and with being so close to my due date there's no way I want to go out to eat.  We'll exchange cards, get a takeaway to share with Jean,and exchange gifts.  It's unusual we're doing gifts this year but it was a good excuse to buy a hard drive for the Qnap that we're buying with money my parents gave us for our anniversary.

Oh and my parents sent Jean a card with a tube of mini M&Ms and some Disney fairy conversation hearts (which were sour -yuk and not like the conversation hearts I remember)

Cooking a special dinner, but thats about it.
No cards, sweets or flowers. We're both not big on the day or things like that. We dont even have an anniversary date of when we got together (not married, yet) but we're both really good at doing little things all the time to let the other know we care for one another. As such, we dont need a reminder to let one another how much the other cares....

We don't really have plans. Last year we went to Edinburgh for a few days with friends and my DF went completely overboard as he'd never had a romantic valentine before.  I'm trying to establish budgets for gift-giving occassions but he's not ready yet, so I got him an ice cream/sorbet/gelati cookerybook and he got me a kindle.  We're doing one of our favorite steak dinners and having a bottle of bubbly tonight and that'll be us done.