5 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s (Collab)

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 14^th. 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. 

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