Yes, as we all know, the arrival of February 1st, also brings the annoying realization that there are only 13 days left to conjure up something awesome for that special someone. Unless you’re one of those fanatics that starts planning for Valentines Day like a month and a half in advance (which is New Years Day FYI).

But I am not. I dread the coming of February because it makes me realize I need to start thinking about Valentine’s Day, and, on a sadder note, the fact that it is no longer acceptable to have my Christmas Decorations still up (Yes, I am one of those people. Give me a break, you know it’s sad when you have to put the tree away).

It’s also not one of my favorite holidays, because it is one of those that I always have to work, and I really hate that they start promoting it like the day after Christmas. I still like to celebrate it though, because it is a nice reminder that I am lucky to have someone to celebrate it with, and it gives AJ and I an excuse to do something fun and splurge a little.

But let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is can easily get expensive. This Valentine’s Day however, I’m going to do everything in my power to make it as awesome as possible day for AJ and I, while costing me as little as humanly possible. And it will be awesome, because I believe that with creativity, all things are possible.

So here are some of the creative ideas I’ve come up with so far:

1. Don’t buy chocolates, make them. I’ll show you within the next few days or so, but I have an awesome, super easy recipe for delicious truffles. I’m also going to be creative and by adding some Bailey’s or Kahlua to them, and seeing how awesome it makes them (I hope it turns out AWESOME).

2. Be cute and decorate. Seriously, it’s fun. I always have fun decorating because it gets me more in the spirit of whatever holiday/whoever’s birthday. Plus, things like  construction paper chains, or cute cut out hearts (try and say that one 5 times fast), are simple, cheap, and tends to make whoever you decorated for (whether it be a significant other, roommate, family, or any other special someone) feel that much more special.

3. Go on a picnic. Picnics are fun, special, and a super cheap alternative to a dinner date in a crowded restaurantaround V-Day. Plus, you could always fancy it up a bit more, by dressing up a little and making it a wine, cheese and crackers themed picnic (which is what AJ is enjoying in the picture). Sometimes it’s nice to skip the lines, and crowded restaurants, for a more peaceful, and less stressful, celebration with your important guy or gal.

4. Think hard. Seriously, think long and hard about everything and anything you heard your special someone say they wanted in the past few months. Maybe there was something they really wanted for Christmas that they never got. Maybe there is a rare collector’s edition of book or movie they’ve been searching for. Jewelry and watches are nice, but using them as default gift ideas for every occasion, takes the specialness out them.

5. Give creatively. I always love seeing the excited anticipation on a gift-recievers face while they open up a gift, even if it only lasts a few seconds while shredding some wrapping paper. So why not make that look last a little longer by creating a fun scavenger hunt to lead your lady or man-friend to their gift? It’s fun, cheap, and also illustrates that you put a lot of time into trying to make them feel special, which is good if you want them to know you care.

6. Breakfast, in bed. Which is especially special since V-Day is on a Monday this year, which probably means that you’d have to get up a good while before you normally do to make it happen. But this can work well to show how very much you car (especially if you’re not a morning person at all like me, or your loved one goes to work at 6:30 am, like AJ), because instead of sleeping like you could’ve been, you decided to put your loved one first, and do everything you could to start their day off right.

7. Take a trip down memory lane. Visit where you and your loved one first met, or went on a first day, or any other place full of memories to remind you both how much you appreciate each other. And if you cant actually visit these places, create a personalized photo album, or scrap book, and fill it with old movie tickets, cards, pictures, and other memory jogging keepsakes to achieve the same effect. You could even get super high tech and modern by making a video or photo montage in the same spirit.

This is about all I could think of for now, but I’m also operating on very little sleep, and a lot of stress. If I come across any other creative ideas, you’ll be the first to know.

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