Valentine’s Day is often associated with celebrations of love and open hearts. However, for those dealing with loss, loneliness and feeling down, the messages surrounding Cupid’s holiday can cause more heartache. Others believe it is a “made-up” holiday to boost retail sales and pressure couples to spend money unnecessarily after the December holidays.
Personally, I belong to the group that likes to spread a little Valentine’s Day cheer. My mother is in a nursing home and it is a special treat (for me) to buy a box of relatively cheap cards at the supermarket and pass them on to the staff and residents.
Fortunately, Valentine’s Day is not dependent on relationship status. The day can serve as an opportunity to spread joy among your friends, neighbors and community. Here are a few gift ideas to embrace a spirit of love and thoughtfulness while bringing joy this Valentine’s Day:
Heartfelt ways to create joy on Valentine’s Day
For the loyal and true
This year I’m starting with my old, dear friend and professional ‘right arm’, who has worked alongside me for the past 13 years. We’ve experienced childhood colds, deaths of family members, new puppies, funny tweets, experiments that went well, and ideas that sounded good at the time, all while working from different cities and time zones. Thank you, Laura, for always making lemonade from lemons.
I’m sending her a bottle of lemon honey to go with her favorite cup of tea!
Silver and gold are treasures
Whether you have a friend for life (Laurie M!) or just for a short season, sharing a small gift of love is a wonderful way to build on what has already been established. It’s not about the money, and your budget may be lean, but sending an old-fashioned Valentine’s Day card in the mail is a special gift of friendship. You can buy them for one dollar at a local dollar store, or you can make them yourself and deliver them with a loaf of fresh-from-the-oven sourdough or a small bag of homemade granola. I’m including my favorite granola recipe below.
Find an old photo and frame it with a sweet note.
Find the perfect match
If you’re looking for a simple Valentine’s Day gift, find a match! People tend to use candles, but there are plenty of unique and decorative options without wax. A beautiful presentation of matches is a beautiful and functional gift. Add a candle to your gift, or not!
Gather and plan to volunteer
Plan an afternoon or evening to get together with your friends and ask them to come prepared with an idea to give back. Host a monthly event to volunteer in the community. There are always plenty of opportunities, such as working at an animal shelter or helping paint someone’s house. Start a window garden for a few lonely neighbors or volunteer regularly to help with learning to read or learning a language. Look for opportunities to strengthen your friendship while giving back to your community.
A few more gifts that won’t break the bank
- Something green: In lieu of flowers, give your friend or neighbor a sweet addition to his houseplant collection, a bundle of heirloom seed packets or low-maintenance annuals ready for porch planters. The presentation is part of the gift, so consider a satin bow or colorful gardening gloves.
- Friends doing crafts together: When was the last time you were part of a creative meeting? Make it easy by meeting at a pottery studio or bead shop, or gather your supplies and watch an online tutorial (YouTube has so many for free). Press pause to refill mocktails and catch up!
- Memories in a jar: For the special friend who could use a boost, write down a handful of your favorite memories together. Take your time and add small embellishments, folding them carefully. Place them in a mason jar with a string of Christmas lights. When she needs a laugh or a boost, she can reach into the jar and smile.
Favorite Granola Recipe
Brush the bottom of a large pan with coconut oil (approx. 3 tbsp.)
Add 3 cups of old-fashioned oats
1 cup pecans
½ cup coconut flakes (I enjoy sweetened, but you can use unsweetened)
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon. cinnamon
½ teaspoon. salty
½ cup of honey
1 teaspoon. vanilla
Stir everything together in the pan until it is moist and sticky
Preheat oven to 325. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
To enjoy!
To learn more about working with Diane, America’s “Go to” authority on social and vocational skills, visit The Protocol School of Texas.
See what Diane is up to by following her Instagram And Facebook. Find etiquette inspiration from her Pinterest take into account and keep track of her latest tweets. For more etiquette tips from Diane, check out her posts at Inc. And HuffPost.
