15 Simple Ways to Show Love this Valentine's Day

Ah , February - America’s favorite romatic. Valentine’s Day has crowned the month of February with red roses and boxes of chocolates for as long as anyone can remember. For some, it’s a holiday to celebrate being in a relationship. For others, perhaps the month is more of a “single awareness” month. However you toss the heart-shaped sugar cookie, this month is a great reminder that love is a verb AND a noun. You have to actively pursue it.

I remember staying with a friend at her flat in Paris. She kept affirmations written on colorful sticky notes on her mirror. One note in particular has stuck with me for almost 10 years: “How am I actively showing *insert your significant other’s name here* love?” This question encourages you to think about HOW you’re showing love and not lean on the fact that you’re just passively FEELING it. And this gentle reminder can apply to all sorts of relationships in our lives … parents, friends, coworkers, spouces, children, etc.

Here are 15 ways for you to actively show love this red and pink holiday season.

1. Be affectionate. Hold hands, give butterfly kisses, and wrap your person up in a big bear hug.

2. Craft a homemade Valentine’s card. Pinterest has plenty of cute, cheeky, punny and fun card ideas, if you need inspiration! Gifting cards is one of my favorite ways to show love.

3. Write a poem. Everybody remembers how to write a haiku, right? The old 5-7-5 syllable model would be a great way to get the creative love-bug juices flowing.

4. Breakfast in bed! Or just wake up early to cook breakfast. Putting in extra effort to make someone feel cared for goes a long way.

5. Go on a walk together. For valentines AND galentines! Getting outside gets the blood pumpin’ and is good for the heart. I’ve shared many a good conversation with a gal pal over a walk.

6. Bake! Would it even be Valentine’s Day without a major sugar overload? This is a great project for everyone - especially icing the sugar cookies! This recipe features minis!

7. Verbalize. Tell your Valentine (or Galentine!) how much you appreciate them. Think of all the memories you have shared this past year and chat about some of your favorites. Words of affirmation are a great way to show appreciate, gratitude and love.

8. Pray. Offer to pray for a specific intention or petition. Everyone needs a prayer warrior in their life. Be the warrior.

9. Write a sticky note. Place the sticky with a sweet note on the bathroom mirror! That way, your Valentine is reminded throughout the day of your love!

10. Buy flowers. To keep costs down, I’d suggest paying a visit to your local grocery store and shopping around. Roses will be more expensive, but all flowers are appreciated. Even a single rose would be romantic.

11. Write tiny notes. I used to leave little notes tucked away in secret spots for my grandmother to find after a visit. I would hide them in the kitchen cabinets, TV armoir, her closet, the cookie jar. I hoped she would find them one at a time and smile!

12. Venmo your Valentine (or Galentine) $5 in the middle of the work day for a coffee (or tea). Specifically for a “‘PRECIATE YOU” pick-me-up!

13. Create a question jar. We found a list of (creative) 100 questions to ask each other on a date night and loved it! We took turns pulling questions out of our pile and loved trying to take the conversation deeper.

14. Show love on social media. Who doesn’t love a little shoutout on Insta? Post some of your fave photos, stick a cheesy (or checky!!) caption on it and DONE.

15. Book a stay-cation. We recently spent an evening at a local B&B and loved every second. Both George and I would highly recommend. OR, create your own “stay-cation” at home! Chocolates on pillows, turndown service, order takeout and pop some bubbly!

I hope that your February is filled with happy and simple moments. For more date ideas, check out my quarantine-friendly date night blog! Happy Valentines Day, my loves!