Valentine's Day Quick Last-Minute Gifts

Bills do not take a vacation, neither do helping with the kids’ homework, or chauffeuring them from activity to activity. So when do you get time to just relax and have some adult fun? As a busy mom and entrepreneur, life gets hectic. But this Valentine’s Day, make it happen! Listed below are several ideas for gifts on the fly for Lover’s Day that will be romantic, yet won’t bust your budget.

 

Dinner for Two

Applebee’s is having Valentine’s Day meal special. Make plans to get two great meals in a relaxed atmosphere for under $20. And share appetizer over some much needed conversation time about everything except the kids and the bills. And don't forget they have a $5 off on your online orders if you'd like to chill at home with a little Applebee's www.applebees.com.

 

Love for the Weekend

Can’t seem to squeeze in the time on Tuesday? No worries! Check out Holly Johnson's "Seven Cheap Romantic Getaways." for a nice one-on-one quick trip this weekend. And don't worry if you can't reserve any quick trip on the list! Take a look around your town or city. Book a hotel room and enjoy the museum, picnic at the park, take in your fave movie together that you've both been dying to see, go skating, bowling, or if you both are kids-at-heart, hit the arcade.

Men’s Quick Valentine’s Day Gift Cheat Sheet

Guys has Valentine’s Day snuck on you like a thief in the night, causing you to scratch your head and sweat bullets on what to get for your leading love? Are you one of those guys who loves your girl, but you’re not all that interactive with the love-day idea? Below I’m sharing some cheat sheet gift ideas on how to save your bacon and put a smile on her face, while keeping your comfort of not having to sit through another chick flick at the movies this year.

 

• Candy and flowers are still great quick-n-easy gifts, but how about going a little wild this year! How about surprising her with a spa day package. It’s great, because she can use it when she needs it, and what girl doesn’t like to be pampered?

 

• What is her favorite place to shop, but you just don’t have the money to let her go swipe-card crazy throughout the year? Surprise her with a nice gift card of $50 to her favorite store.

• Tomorrow is one day and you want to still be able to pay the bills for the rest of the month. Stick with your budget and be creative. Come up with many ways to say 'I love you.' Singing telegrams (do people still do these?), have a photo album of your greatest memories created for little or nothing, or frame a picture of one of your greatest memories together. Simple, yet so valuable!

Don't make this day about going broke. Make it memorable. Show your special someone that you love them everyday, but on tomorrow - go the extra mile. Take a 365-day trip back to 'I love you.'

 

Food to Love

Okay, so I know I said in my last blog post that I was going to do a video cooking something. Welllll, this week has already kicked into high gear, and I haven't had time to do much of anything, much less cook and then video tape it.

So, for those anticipating readers, I'm going to post a Valentine's Day dish that is pretty easy to prepare. Valentine's Day is the day set aside to honor love and all that it encompasses, so you want to show your love something special, even if your budget isn't as special.

Here is a nice recipe that I've dreamed up in my head, and is pretty tasty. Hope you enjoy! Comment on the blog if you try it, and let me know what you think.


Hearty Brunch Pizza

1 can of pizza dough
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup provolone cheese, shredded
4 eggs
1 cup spinach
1 cup Roma stewed or roasted tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup of red onion, diced
1/4 cup of green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup of red bell pepper, diced
1 cup meat choice (I like turkey sausage crumbles)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley (optional)

How to cook it:

Roll out your dough into a 9x9 pan with the edges slightly up on the sides of the pan. Saute your onions, peppers, and meat in a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle evenly on top of dough. Whisk your eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper and pour carefully over your mixture (You can add a little milk if you want to stretch your eggs more). Mix your cheeses together (that's how I like it) and sprinkle 1/3 of it over the mixture.Next, add your tomatoes and spinach and top with the remainder of your cheese. Next, bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Once you've got the cheese all brown and bubbly, Let it cool for about 5 minutes and cut a V at the top and triangles on each corners to form the shape of a heart, sprinkle parsley and serve!

Nice brunch sides: Hashbrowns, fruit, or orange juice.

Gifts From the Heart

Our second holiday of 2016 is right around the corner, and the bottles of wine, champagne and sparkling juice are walking off the store shelves at a quick pace. Hearts, red candy bags, cupids, chocolates and perfume sales are not far behind in the race.

These are the norm in gift choices, but what about setting aside the "choice" gifts and giving a gift from the heart? One of my loves is cooking. A nice dinner and good conversation beats a box of chocolates for me any day. Cooking doesn't require a finesse of a chef when it is from the heart. I remember when I was growing up as a little girl, how those dishes that Mama called "thrown together" were some of the best meals to me. Why? Because of the love put into it. It was not just about getting kudos on her culinary skills, but it was about the point of her cooking - that she would do whatever she had to do to make sure we were fed, full, and nourished.

These types of meals are the ones that win hearts even on a holiday like Valentine's Day. Cook something that shows your significant other that you love them enough to give them your best. Put in a dash of understanding, a sprinkle of patience, a cup of hugs, fourth-cup of thank yous, a half cup of chivalry, a cup of laughter, and a cup of love. You will be surprised at how your meal turns out when you think on these things while you're cooking that special Valentine's Day meal.

So, don't stress about having the "perfect" meal of steak, potato, salad and fancy-schmancy dessert. Just put some plain ole love in what you cook, for it's the best gift that comes from the best place - your heart.

(Look out for next week's blog post on an easy-peasy Valentine's Day recipe)