My parents are longtime emptynesters. They have had a group of friends they have known for 35 to 40 years.
Each year one couple organizers a valentines day party for all the couples to attend. They all look forward to it. They have dinner, dance, a rose for each lady, take lots of pictures and have lots of fun. It is just a reason to get together and have some fun. They do a lot of themed events together. Sometimes I feel they have more a social life than I do.
My ex-H always made homemade pizza, with the crust in the shape of a heart. He also cut each pepperoni into a heart. Current H will buy candy (kind he likes) because he thinks it’s a societal obligation. I’m alright with it, as I don’t want the hassle of eating out that day or overpriced flowers. The pizza thing though…bonus points!!
A colleague told me that he thinks at many popular restaurants, it may be already too late to make a reservation. I do not know if it is true though.
You know…you don’t have to go out ON Valentine’s Day! You can go out another time. That’s what we do. To be honest, some ofthe places around here are just too crowded on Valentine’s Day weekend. We just plan to go another time…and have a quiet dinner at home on Valentine’s Day.
Time to think like an optimist. Plenty of restaurants, plenty of time slots. We made New Year’s Eve reservations just a few days before the holiday. There’s always a nice place to eat with a seating available!
We’re going to the big city for dinner and staying in a fancy hotel. That way hubby can have a few cocktails and not worry about driving. I’m also on a mission to try out every club lounge my marriott card will allow.
Now we’re empty nesters we like going out more. Something we didn’t do enough of when the kids were younger. It’s not that we’re so mushy and romantic, it’s an excuse to go out instead of spending another night in my jammies and slippers.
We usually make dinner reservations for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day way ahead of time–almost a month, just to be safe. I’m sure there are plenty of last minute spots open, but I like to have choices.
I like the dinner and fancy hotel plan, @eyemamom. We’ll have to try that some year, though our newfound “empty nester” status is complicated by our beloved dogs.
I’m not sure if you are thinking about your plans with your own wife, mcat, or if you are obsessing about what your son might be doing, but if you are looking for suggestions of what to do with your wife – why don’t you take advantage of the extraordinary natural beauty of the region you live in and take your wife on a nice day trip?
You could take a beautiful drive to Point Lobos, and then go for some stunning walks on the trails there, for example, and then take the 17-mile-drive on the way back and take in the views of the gorgeous houses and coastline. Maybe stop for a late afternoon picnic. Have you been to the Point Lobos area (just south of Carmel)? Why not plan a nice outing for your wife?
We could come up with a million more suggestions if that is the point of this thread.
Yes mcat, restaurants can get busy but I am sure you can find something that both you and your wife would enjoy.
You can have a meal at home or anywhere. It is more about the company and making time for each other. It doesn’t even have to be on the 14th. You can make any day a special time for just the two of you. Each day is a gift. Wake up each day choosing to make it a good day. I can’t even begin to tell you how many things I have that I need to worry about but I make a choice each day when I wake up that I am only going to be optimistic. I think your spouse would be pleasantly surprised if you make some plan that both of you would enjoy.
D and her 2 best friends decided yesterday that they would take themselves out to dinner for VD and were able to get reservations at a pretty nice place. I wonder if they had space because it’s in the middle of a colossal screw up of a construction project? In any case, one mom will drive them and pick them up AND let them all sleep over, where the other girl will give them all facials (her mom is a beautician and has taught her how). Then the next day the mom will drop D off at her internship, which is just up the road. H and I will get to spend the night alone, just like that first one we spent together. Hope we can stay up late enough to make it worthwhile!
Thanks.
The reason why this thread was started is just to remind that this day in around the corner, and to provide a thread for anyone who is interested in this topic to talk about anything related to this topic.
I won’t buy any gift, neither will my wife. We are totally unromantic. LOL.
Hmmm… your thread title says valentines gifts. Not “talk about anything related to this topic” (though you did ask what people’s plans were). Nottelling’s suggestions in post #47 were excellent, IMO.
For those who fret about finding an affordable restaurant, they can always order in/have dinner delivered.
Put me on the list of not celebrating Valentine’s Day. I think it is fine for a little school party as long as no children get slighted. It is not a day where my husband and I need to declare our love. It began as a retailers way of generating sales post Christmas. I am fine with others celebrating , but it’s just not for us 
It began as became a retailers way of generating sales post Christmas.
We aren’t big celebrants here either, but we always love fresh flowers in the house. The price gets ridiculous at this time 
But he buys them anyway 
Jym, Costco does not jack up their bunch flower prices for Valentine’s Day; they do put out a few fancy arrangements for $30-50 for those folks who feel the need to splurge.
I forgot about that, BB. But I have a vague, probably inaccurate memory that at VD, their prices are the same, but you get only 1 dozen, not 2.
We go for tulips. At our Costco, rose bunches were the same 2-dozen deals. There was a basket with long-stemmed roses offered for $50 last year in addition to the utilitarian 2-doz bunch.
@bunsenburner. I saw beautiful tulips at Trader Joes today. Under $10. You can spend as much as want for flowers but you can get a nice bunch anywhere. I don’t think one even needs to think only roses.
Costco tulips are $9. 2 dozens of gorgeous roses is under $20 (forgot the price because we don’t buy them). Yup, TJ has flowers, reasonably priced for folks on budget. I like their $5 gladioli dozens.