Valentine's Day has returned and with it, so has the notion of pleasing your significant other or seeking a new one. Before spending $40 on roses and $20 on cheap chocolate, peruse some other ideas to celebrate the holiday. However, heed the warnings; not all Valentine's Day ideas are meant for everyone.
Do:
Surprise your significant others (or potential significant others) by standing outside their door/window holding a stereo playing their favorite song. Even if they don't get the John Cusack reference from "Say Anything," they'll appreciate that you went through the trouble to dig up double-D batteries, an old boom box and CDs rather than reaching for an iPod.
Don't:
Do this if the person doesn't know you. Stalkers don't get kudos for performing romantic acts — they are just plain creepy. Plus, then people start to wonder, "How did you figure out what my favorite song is?" And yes, Facebooking excessively can be stalkerish.
Do:
Write a love rap. Hallmark cards are expensive, and their generic messages are same-old, same-old. Traditional "Roses are Red" poems phased out in sixth grade when insults about butts and chests were added to the last two lines. Mix up your own memories and feelings into a sequence, which, if you are brave enough, you can perform for your lady or fella.
Don't:
Stand on a table in a public place to perform this number. There's a difference between being sweet and thoughtful and attempting to become the next teenage movie-star wannabe.
Do:
Eat chocolate with every meal. Mix some chocolate chips into your pancakes or waffles. Eat a peanut butter and chocolate sandwich for lunch. Go for two desserts rather than dinner. This is your once-a-year chance to do this without feeling guilty or getting scolded, so don't miss out.
Don't:
Eat any chocolate if you are allergic to it, training for a sport or still finishing your Christmas-stocking candy from two years ago.
Do:
Learn to make origami flowers. They last longer, are less expensive and take way more time and effort than ordering roses. You can even write on the petals to make it more personalized.
Don't:
Continue with this project if it takes you more than an hour and you have accumulated more than two paper cuts. Seriously, it's a paper flower. If you cannot figure it out, your valentine will just have to cope with the fact that you were not an apt paper-airplane engineer in middle school.
