Hi everyone, it’s Jan, the face behind Jan On The Blog. I’ve taken over Growing With Spawn for a collab post today – thanks Shelly for having me over. I’m a millennial working mom and lifestyle blogger from the land down under in Melbourne, Australia. Jan On The Blog is a mixed bag with a little bit of everything – like wellness, blog hacks, things to ponder – because variety is the spice of life! I teamed up with my blog-twin Shelly, today to share our take on Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner.
As Anne from Green Gables would say, Shelly and I are ‘kindred spirits’ who are not fans of Valentine’s. In her post on Jan On The Blog, Shelly will open up to share why she doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s. In this post, I will share some ideas that I think are meaningful ways to celebrate Valentine’s that aren’t just about buying expensive gifts. Thanks for joining us today and hope you enjoy our posts

Meaningful ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day
Can’t help instinctively rolling your eyes at just the thought of Valentine’s Day? Trust me, I’m right there with you. Don’t get me wrong, I love when my husband or a loved one gets me flowers or a gift any day of the year. What annoys me is the ridiculous notion that the love between two people is quantified by the amount of money they spend on this one day. Outrageous, right? That said, I’m not dead-set against the concept behind Valentine’s Day. Love is worthy of celebration and that appeals to the romantic in me. I just believe that there are more meaningful ways to celebrate it, rather than obsessing about buying the most expensive or extravagant gift – here are 5 examples of what I mean. If Valentine’s just isn’t your cup of tea, maybe I can interest you in a post about ‘going-green’.
Give them a day off
If someone asks me what’s the best gift they can give me, in all honesty, I’d probably say a day off! As a toddler mom who works full time, and in a few months will also be doing some post-graduate study (trying to have it all, I know!), I simply do not have enough hours in a day. Having time to snuggle up with a book or enjoy a relaxed brunch with my husband are mostly distant memories now.
In some shape or form, I think this is the story of all our lives, as we juggle different aspects of life. That’s why I think giving someone a day off by taking some chores off them is such a thoughtful way of expressing your love for them (hope my husband reads this 😊). It might cost nothing but we all know that you can’t put a price on a day off!
Experience something new together
As they say, ‘couples who sky-dive together, stay together’. Ok, so I just made that up, but making new memories is a great way to celebrate love. We all have things we’ve been yearning to do whether you want to call them bucket lists or wish lists. Valentine’s could be a great opportunity to get on to one of them and spend some quality time with your better half. It doesn’t need to cost a fortune – you can pick something that fits your budget and schedule. Even if it’s a simple drive to a beach you’ve been wanting to check out, the important thing is that you take the time to do it together.
Do something for the community
Isn’t there something about helping someone that makes you feel great? It brings joy. That’s why I think giving back to the community is a beautiful way to celebrate love. You don’t need to build a house. Go with something you’re both comfortable doing. It might be volunteering at a soup kitchen/ local library/ community centre, mentoring, donating or helping run a fundraiser. Make a date out of it and have fun with it. It’ll leave you both in a beautiful state of mind and give you a memory to cherish for life. After all, what better way is there to celebrate love than to spread more of it?
Celebrate throughout the year
One of the top reasons that most people can’t stand Valentine’s – myself included – is because it gives the impression that love only needs to be celebrated one day of the year. That’s just wrong. You should show your love for someone each and every day. The more sensible way to get on board with Valentine’s, is to celebrate it throughout the year. Not just on February 14th. It might be expressing love through your actions – helping and supporting them, appreciating the things they do or taking something off their plate. It could be getting them a bouquet of flowers ‘just because’. Or simply taking the time to look in their eyes and say ‘I love you’. Life is short, so celebrate the good things every chance you get!
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with parents/ family/ friends
Valentine’s tend to be associated mainly with the love between partners in a romantic relationship. I always thought that it needs to be more than that. Love comes in different shapes and forms. We love our parents, siblings and friends just as much as we do our partners. Calling up your mom to simply say ‘I love you’ is Valentine’s done right. Randomly sending flowers or doing a lunch date with a friend who’s going through a tough time, is a real celebration of love. As we rightly say, ‘love is love’ and therefore is worth celebrating with all the loved ones in our lives.
I hope you find these ideas useful to bring meaning to your Valentine’s celebrations this year. It should be a celebration of love, not things – like extravagant gifts or overpriced red roses. What matters is taking the time to express your love to the other person whether it’s your partner, parent, sibling, or friend. Instead of a day, it should be an ongoing celebration. It doesn’t need to cost a thing – simply make the time and effort. That, in my humble opinion, is what Valentine’s should be about.
What to you is a meaningful way to celebrate Valentine’s?
Thank you for reading! Head over to Jan On The Blog as Shelly gets up close and personal to reveal why she doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.
© Jan Perera 2021. All rights reserved.
Loving all the ideas in this post.
And points out it’s not about money or how much you spend on that day
Indeed! Thanks for sharing 💖
Thanks glad it was handy and to hear that I’m not alone in my view of Valentine’s ☺️
Great post!! I agree that Valentine’s day is overly commercialized to the point that it has almost lost its meaning. do we really need a day to remind us to love someone? That should be a given. That should be something that we already do each and every day. BUt I guess that is human nature for ya! 😉
Thanks for reading Helen. You’re right, we shouldn’t need the reminder, but apparently we still get it 🤦🏾♀️
Well said! We should express our love every day
I love this Jan. It really speaks to my minimalist side. There are so many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day and other holidays that don’t involve stuff! Personally, I’m all about experiences and charitable giving. No better way to celebrate in my opinion. Unfortunately, we’re in lockdown so that will have to wait for another year.
Thanks for reading Michelle! Your lockdown is giving me anxiety 😅
Hear hear. I’m right there with you. Hopefully you’ll get a chance for belated celebrations soon post the lockdown
Lovely post. I am not a fan of Valentine’s day particularly but one year my husband and I both bought each other the same CD (our car is ancient) and wow! The synchronisity felt the most magical thing ever. This year he’s promised to finish a book in time so he can “regift” it to me for my valentine’s gift! Thoughtfulness is what counts the most, I think.
That is so cute! You are lucky to have someone who is thoughtful enough to not just spend on expensive gifts because it’s the “in thing”, but gives from the heart 💖
That’s lovely! Also true. It’s the little things that really shows our love for people.
Very thoughtful ideas here. You definitely don’t need to give expensive or extravagant gifts to show your love. Love is love, so share it with everyone. I enjoyed this post.
Thanks for reading snd sharing Adana! Love is love indeed!
Glad you enjoyed it. It really should be about spreading love
Great post! Spending time with people I love is enough for me.
I love this! Thankfully my mom has always been my Valentine regardless of whether or not I have a partner for Valentine that year. I look forward to her little gifts and trinkets every year. I plan to do the same for my kids in the future 🙂
That’s really nice! I love that. We can’t love our Moms enough. Thanks for sharing that
That’s so cute!!! You really should carry on that tradition 😊