Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. From grocery stores and restaurants, to windows I pass on my evening walks through my neighborhood, there seem to be hearts everywhere I look. For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I include a photo of a heart in each week’s post. You would think this would be the perfect opportunity for me to snap enough pictures to last throughout the year. While it is true there are many hearts out there, I don’t want fifty-two photos of various sized heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and cutout paper heart decorations. I want something different.
Last week, as I stood waiting at the post office, I found just the thing: mailers. Large red envelopes decorated with white hearts, offered for sale on a rack of shipping supplies. After I retrieved my phone from my purse and snapped a quick photo, I thought about how perfect these envelopes would be, not just for Valentine’s Day, but for presenting tokens of love throughout the year. They would work quite well on anniversaries or any time someone wanted to give something romantic to their spouse in a heart-covered envelope. The best part was they were not limited to use on one day of the year, since there was no mention of “Valentine’s Day” on the envelopes.
Heart-covered envelope I found at the post office
Similarly, love and romance should not be restricted to February 14th. Instead of viewing Valentine’s Day as the sole time during which one is obligated to give their spouse roses, chocolates, a card, or a dinner, I would like to suggest it is the perfect time to stock up on all kinds of romantic items for use throughout the year.
Take the party store, for example. At this time of year, you can find all kinds of great stuff to use in planning romantic days and nights. There are paper plates and drink ware covered with hearts for future romantic picnics and dinners. Heart-shaped balloons and garlands and decorations that say “Be Mine” and “I Love You” can be purchased now and stored away for a surprise date at home with your spouse in the middle of summer. Red heart gift boxes, cookie cutters, cake pans, baking molds, and love-inspired baking cups to make special cupcakes for your special someone. Or go online and look for bright red paper honeycomb centerpieces with hearts and cupids for a romantic table any time of year.
This is also a great time to look for heart-shaped lockets, bowls, paperweights, pillows, and a number of other gifts that you can save for your anniversary or any time you’d like to add some romance. Of course, affectionate greeting cards are another item that can be found in abundance this month. Why not stock up? In this case, you don’t have to completely steer away from cards that have the words “Valentine’s Day” printed on them. You can always grab a pen and add a few words of your own, changing the card so that it says something like “Every day with you is like Valentine’s Day”.
Even if you live in an area where there are few stores with Valentine items, you can still find all of these things on the internet. Putting in a bit of effort now, will enable you to add a touch of Valentine’s Day throughout the year and to keep the fairy-tale romance in your real world marriage.
Please share your thoughts and “like” my posts here and at www.facebook.com/belleoftheballpoint . For more romantic tips and ideas, check out my boards at www.pinterest.com/nancyrose9 . You may also reach me at nancy.rose9@comcast.net .
Belle of the Ballpoint™ 