Fun and Budget-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is here again! Exciting, right? Ahhh….not really. You are single, without a significant other or a couple struggling to find a romantically engaging and fun way to enliven your relationship. Well, as the Beatles sing, “All You Need is Love.” Put your love into action and join me as we journey through enriching activity ideas for varying budget levels from relationship and family experts.

 

For Singles

Don’t be discouraged. Tom Corner, motivational speaker and author of Borrowed Eyes and Feet: Finding Enlightenment After Rage, inspires singles to not “fall for the illusion that the world was suddenly overtaken by loving, happy couples eating Valentine’s chocolates, sipping champagne behind a silhouette of dozens of roses on an exotic island in a faraway tropical paradise.”

Here are some of Corner’s tips for singles looking to make plans for Valentine’s Day:

  • Review Your Resolutions:Spend this time to think about where you want to be in a year, or 5 years, or 10 years. “How will your life look? Who will you be with? The more you visualize and write down how you see your life (love life) the more you will attract the love of your life. Ask yourself, ‘What will I be doing on Valentine’s Day next year?’ and then plan for it,” Corner said.
    • Refresh Yourself: Pamper yourself with a haircut, beauty treatment, or massage. Enjoy a renewing aromatic bath or a face mask.
    • Get Fit:For instance, Corner’s friend who recently broke up with her boyfriend is putting together a CrossFit Workout of the Day (WOD) for singles.
    • Babysit for Loved Ones: Corner suggests to “be the cool aunt or uncle: order pizza or make brownie sundaes. Being with children helps us connect with our inner child.”

 

For Couples

According to FamilyLife, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru), here are some creative ways to say “I love you” to your spouse:

  • Write down every kind of kiss you can imagine. It could be passionate, on the cheek, etc. Then pour your “kisses” into an inexpensive red felt bag and present it to your spouse. Ask your spouse to pull some pieces of paper from the felt bag, then give your darling whatever kind of kiss is written.
    • Take a vacation day from work and surprise your spouse. Enjoy a relaxing morning together on the porch, deck or patio. Go to one of your favorite restaurants for lunch.  

Ray Fagin, Pre-Marital and Marriage Ministry Pastor at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, also shared two nourishing and edifying acts from the ministry’s monthly date night challenges for couples:

  • Acts of Words: This challenge will help you express your love in writing. “That’s right, take a moment to write about how much you love your spouse. It could be about when you first saw them or maybe the beauty of their eyes and hair. Or it could be about something they said or a humorous comment they made and how you found it to be cute,” according to the Valentine’s date night challenge. For help, read the Song of Songs. The author wrote without abandon and expressed his unabashed passion and love for his beloved. “So, let your inner poet come out!”
  • Acts of Service: According to a recent study on couples who serve their communities together, these couples develop stronger bonds in their marriages. Acts of service give “couples opportunities to come together to bless others less fortunate than themselves and make meaningful memories together.” For instance, couples can volunteer with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, serve in a soup kitchen, or partake in a church work day. In their neighborhood, they can also help an elderly couple, widow, or single mom mow their lawn.

South Florida also provides activities for couples with varying tastes:

  • Enjoy an action-packed thrill at the largest indoor entertainment complex in Florida, Xtreme Action Park, Fort Lauderdale.
  • The Kravis Center in Palm Beach, Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami will present various performances around Valentine’s Day. These include but are not limited to “Les Miserables” at The Kravis Center, “Hooray for Love! A Celebration of Love in Song” at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, and an Andrea Bocelli performance at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

 

Lydia Hicks served as editorial assistant at the Good News and is a graduate of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University. She is also a freelance communications specialist and can be reached at [email protected].

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