What's new

Valentines - Lover or Hater? |Pad Patter 2.14.17

bestcee

bestcee

In love with places I've never been to
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
19,337
Well? Are you a lover or hater of Valentine's Day?
I think I've always been a hater, whether a closet one in school, or more active one in my teens (Called it Single Awareness Day!).

When I worked in restaurants, I was a lover of the tips! But a hater of the hard work, never ending busy, and annoying red and pink everywhere.

I spent a few hours making Valentines for my kid yesterday for our party today, and now I realize I have to help him make a Valentine "mailbox" today! Sigh. So, I'm leaning back to the hater side!

How about you? Lover? Hater? Not sure what the fuss is about?
 
I don't care abt Valentine's Day one way or the other. I buy my kids Valentine's shirts so I can take photos & use them to scrap all the Valentine's Day kits with, and I usually buy them some candy or cookies as a treat for after school. That's all.

My daughter is 7 and super into it. She did all of her Valentines over the weekend to pass out to her classmates today at their Valentine's Day party.

My husband hates it. He would never take me out for dinner on Valentine's Day in a million years -- too many people in too little of a space. It's just a couple weeks after my birthday, too, and I'd rather he focus on that!
 
Oh Valentine's Day. I made goodie bags for both boys' classrooms. I even sent some with my husband for his meeting today. I always get the heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's & give little candies to my boys.

But the date itself kinda sucks. **Morbid alert**
On 02/14/2003, my dad was found dead. He had committed suicide since his girlfriend left him. I got the call while standing in line at Disneyland with my husband. He wasn't a good dad, but my brother was only 3 & my sister really took it hard. I always take the day off work, my coworkers always save the day off for me. I'm no use that day anyway, sometimes emotions build up & I just cry. My sister usually ends up saying something that annoys me. It just sucks. I woke up with the worst stabbing headache & I'm just taking it easy today.
 
Hugs to you today @jesskab ! :happyhug That must be hard. I love that your co-workers take care of you!
It's my aunt's birthday, and she hates that she can't enjoy a dinner out, because everyone else is out too!
 
So I used to like it - more because it gave me a chance to give to the people I love (not just romantically) and I am a giver by nature. But for a time I came to dread it - I had my first miscarriage on V-day way back in 2006 - and then for like 8 years bad things happened on that day every single year - up until almost getting a divorce - BUT over the last 4 years my husband (we stayed together) and I have worked to make V-day a special day for our FAMILY - not about romance or gushy mushy stuff - but teaching out kids what LOVE actually means vs what culture says it is- love for each other, for friends, for family, and one day for a spouse. We do something different as a family each year, we are all going out for Ice Cream tonight (family decision) and have taken the time to make meaningful cards for each other. I think that has helped with the hater attitude I have - but it is still not a "I cant wait" attitude by any means.
 
I :beatLOVE:heartlub it- but not in the 'buy extravagant gifts' sort of way. I buy small meaningful things for the kids & the hubby & I usually exchange a card but nothing too crazy. To me- it's just a good reminder to tell everyone you love them! I try to do that everyday, but you know the extended family & friends that you don't see or talk to often- I always send everyone I love a text on Valentine's Day. Life is too short- tell people you love them today! :hehe

sorry for the mush! :grouphug
 
I think I'm on the side of "Hater," but I dislike it. :giggle We don't celebrate, but we do send in Valentines with the boys - well one boy this year. The other boy says they don't do that in 6th grade.

I always feel bad when I see other people have their kids all dressed up, special t shirts, heart shaped pancake and strawberry breakfasts and gifts. We aren't all that crazy into it, but I feel like then I'm not doing enough as a parent. Can't help it.

I will get the boys something small, and give them extra hugs and kisses... but I seriously hug and kiss them so often, that they just get annoyed. lol!

We always go to CVS or the like after Valentines Day to get some more yummy chocolate at half price though!
 
@jesskab a big hug from me to you, not one that makes you cry, cause I don't wanna make you cry...

and we don't do Valentine's day as a couple...it bothers me, that my hubby is supposed to do something on ONE day! just sticks in my craw. He is so amazing to me, and I can't deal with forcing him to do special things on ONE day, I love how he treats me on a daily basis. We are actually watching friends kids tonight, because her hubby used to work for 1800Flowers, and this is the first time in almost 10 years he has been home. She is delirious! I don't put a wet blanket on others, I just don't do it. My hubby does do something special for our girls. NOw only one home, usually he buys a ring for her, but today, he bought her 4 rings (kinda) tires for her car! lol

then I hate VD parties, the stress of making boxes, and I thought with homeschool, I got away with it, and noooooooooooooo, our kids children's church did a big party. But, my boys and I go two days after Valentines and buy a box of VD cards for the next year. 10 cents each! bhahhaha
 
amien1 said:
I :beatLOVE:heartlub it- but not in the 'buy extravagant gifts' sort of way. I buy small meaningful things for the kids & the hubby & I usually exchange a card but nothing too crazy. To me- it's just a good reminder to tell everyone you love them! I try to do that everyday, but you know the extended family & friends that you don't see or talk to often- I always send everyone I love a text on Valentine's Day. Life is too short- tell people you love them today! :hehe

sorry for the mush! :grouphug
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same here. I deck my house out in red and pink and I think I enjoy it because it gives me a little something to look forward to after the grey cold blob that is January.
 
And it gives me a reason to scrap lovey dovey layouts with pink in my albums which are usually all boy colors!
 
We are like Anne & her Hubby.. this is really a crazy holiday.. the Valentine's before we got married, he sent me roses as he was in TX and I was in NY... I told him I loved him but would rather in the future do something together. We are each other's soul mates 365 24/7 so one day a year is just to commercialize things. I think it is sweet.. my brother would always get my mother something and would give me something but to me I would rather quality time together. Now my hubby grows me roses in the garden and will surprise me when they are in bloom by bringing it in for me and putting it in a vase.. that to me means more than anything.
 
I used to be a Valentine's lover with the giving of something special. And enjoying it with our boys. This year I'm really struggling. Jim doesn't do holidays, birthdays etc -- never did. Now that things are in the mess they are in it's just a reminder of it all. I was going to put some effort in for me and make it a good day but just ran out of oomph. Concentrating more on my birthday and making it a day of celebration for me, without expecting anything from anyone else. This year I'm not feeling the urge to go away for a few days, so I'll spend some time fixing up my room and getting some things I need (new mattress pad PLEASE).
@jesskab sending a hug as well and you will be in my thoughts. That must be very difficult.
 
I forgot we did Valentine's on Friday as a family! lol, duh!!! This is our third year doing it, and it slipped my mind today so I was thinking I was a horrible parent/wife.

We have a Family Date Night... at the local boardwalk, Jenkinson's. We go to for dinner, get a treat, go to the Aquarium to check out the animals, and my favorite penguins... and then we head over to the arcade. They run a family special for 4 for $50 - Free HUGE pizza, pitcher of soda, 4 passes to the Aquarium, $10 arcade card, and some chocolate covered strawberries from The Sweet Shop. It's pretty good. If there are more people, you can add on for $10 a person. I do usually spend a little more at the arcade as we all LOVE to play the games and we usually play together, or next to one another rooting each other on. It's a perfect family night.
 
I always say to myself that it's just another day...that I don't expect my husband to do anything special...but it still makes me a little sad that he doesn't. I don't know why I think he would. He's not a romantic by nature so why would this day be any different? I still buy cards and a little treat for him and the kids. Maybe I would just like to be thought about...he's one of those guys that forgets about important holidays/birthdays/etc so I should just be used to it. I set myself up for the disappointment though...it's really not him.
 
I am a lover of any excuse to go over the top on something... Not really from the standpoint of between me and hubby. We got each other cards, and we're going to the Burbank Ikea later today for a romantic stroll and sharing of Swedish meatballs, lol.

But, for the kiddles, I like to make it special. So, I scrap them custom valentines, usually full sized candy bars of some sort, but for this year, we did a really cute fish game we got at Oriental Trading Co. It was designed to be a class pack, but I split it into packs for each kid to have 20 fish to count and practice colors. Then, I made Valentines with a pic of my son that say "Valentine, You are O-fish-ally awesome!" He is wearing a cute shirt that we picked out at the Walmart last month some time and his red jeans from the Christmas photo shoot. So, he looks all kinds of over the top, even though I am pretty sure he has no clue it's Valentine's day or what that means. Nor does he really care because autism. But, I have fun with it!

I also change the hand towels in the guest bath for every holiday and change the wreath on the door according to holidays as well. I do that all year round though so I am not a discriminator against any holiday in the wreath and towels department, lol... (I am feeling a little self conscious about it though, as one of my cousins informed me yesterday that I set an impossible birthday party standard to meet. I have been trying to do LESS for parties, but I guess they are not LESS enough... *sigh* can't please everybody...)

Love and hugs to you Jesskab on a tough day!!

Huggles!!
~Sarah~
 
I love Valentine's Day. It's just another opportunity to show my family that I love them. I baked a cake and cut it into the shape of a heart and I'll be making my husband his favorite meal tonight. One I don't often make because it's a pain in the butt. He'll also get chocolate and a card. I bought my kids some chocolate and cute plush animals to be paired with punny cards I made for them.

I like to make things and share them with my loved ones. I know it's not for everyone and I know that I won't get back as much as I give, but I like doing these things. I do these things at other times during the year too, when it makes sense and I can get away with it.
 
Courtney @bestcee, you need to celebrate Galentine's Day (it's on Feb 13)! That'd give you something to look forward to around now and you can focus on the Girl Power and friendship instead of the stores/restaurants puking up red and pink. *giggle*
c88dcb40-b325-0133-b381-0e438b3b98d1.png


As for the actual question in your OP, I don't hate or love it. The gender stereotyping and perpetuation of the whole "a woman needs a man" stereotype bothers me. But the day itself? Meh.
 
For years holidays were all about our girls. We didn't do birthday or Christmas gifts for each other and we never did Valentines Day. So the other day at Sam's Club they had cards up by the check out and he picked one up that said "You make me a better man" and handed it to me to read. I just laughed. But then yesterday he came home with a dozen roses and a cherry pie (I have been craving cherry pie but no one else likes it!!). Again I laughed. That's twice in 25 years that he has bought me roses for valentine's Day. Ha ha ha!! Usually I just enjoy the ones the girls get from their boyfriends and leave on the kitchen counter. :)

We are celebrating our Valentines Day watching our youngest play basketball. Dinner will probably be a concession stand hot dog and maybe popcorn. :giggle
 
Back
Top