Loving Our Home | Home Tips, Advice, and Easy Recipes

Simple Home Tips and Solutions

valentine's day

Have a Meaningful Valentine’s Day for Under $200

By Leave a Comment

Here is a concept for a special and meaningful Valentine’s day with your love without breaking the bank. Everything suggested here will cost under $200 for both of you!

Step 1: Book a Hotel $100

This is the most expensive but most important part of your meaningful Valentine’s day by far: book one night in a hotel room. There’s something that’s just delightful about spending a night at a hotel instead of in your usual room or apartment.

There are now hotel booking apps that offer last minute deals, like Hotel Tonight. It’s so easy to find a room for $100 or less (even on V-Day). In fact, some sites offer special discounts for Valentine’s and other holidays at discreet but beautiful hotels.

With the Hotel Tonight app, you’ll receive $25 for signing up when you use the code NNONE9, so you just might find a hotel room for well under $100 including tax.

Step 2: The Decorations $25

Check in time for your hotel room will be around 3pm. Get there about an hour before that and try to check in early so that you’ll have more than enough time to decorate your room for your love. Keep it simple:

  • 4 red balloons (two tied to either side of the hotel bed)
  • A red comforter or satin sheet (if the hotel can’t provide, bring one of your own!)
  • A red table cloth or runner (you can find these at the Dollar store) for your champagne and goodies)
  • Rose petals shaped into a heart somewhere in the room (and some waiting by the bathtub)
  • A wall sticker with a message of love (these can easily be peeled back off in most cases)
  • A CD player or iPod playing soft and romantic, yet meaningful music (something like Beck’s Grammy award winning Morning Phase)
  • If you want to step it up a notch, install a portable bed canopy with a red or white sheer curtain.

Step 3: The Feast $40

There’s no need to order room service and rack up a large bill. Just bring a delicious feast that you can eat on ice or at room temperature. Here are some ideas for a Valentine’s feast in your hotel room:

  • Shrimp cocktail (find a large one at BJs Wholesale Club or Costco)
  • A hero sandwich shaped like a heart (also sometimes available at a wholesale club)
  • Deviled eggs
  • Sushi
  • Box or basket of candy / chocolates or cupcakes for you to share…

1 day shipping

Step 4: The Bath Together $20

One of the most meaningful and special moments you’ll have together on Valentine’s Day is a lovely, warm bubble bath together in your hotel tub. When you’re both fed and satisfied, run a hot bath with relaxing, romantic soap (if your love has sensitive skin, make sure it is the right formula) and sprinkle the rest of your petals on top. Light a fragrant candle on a safe place on the sink and enjoy. Take this time to tell each other something that will bring you even closer. For example:

  • What was the moment that you knew you loved this person?
  • What were you thinking about each other when you first met?
  • What is your favorite thing about your beloved?

Everything that happens after this point is up to you! Leave any and all negativity at the hotel desk. Have fun, be safe and love one another!

Posted by Jade

3 Great Valentine’s Day Deals On Amazon

By Leave a Comment

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I decided to peruse Amazon to find gift ideas for my loved ones this year. The selection of gifts for Valentine’s Day is pretty awesome. Here are just a few gift ideas that I would like to share.

First, is a product called Organic Seaweed Facial Kit. It’s made by Black Bird Botanics and distributed by Custom Global Product. It’s a perfect gift to give to any women who likes to pamper herself with organic products for the face. There’s a detailed list of all organic products used in the description. It comes with a seaweed toner, seaweed lotion, seaweed masque and a face wash. This is a nice gift if your love one likes to go to the spa!

The second find was a product called the St. Valentine’s Day Cupid with Arrow Large Cookie cutter, made by Fussy Pup. It measures 6×6, made in USA and is made from heavyweight copper. This cookie cutter is great because it allows you to make a HUGE cookie for your loved one.

Beautiful 14K Gold Locket
Beautiful 14K Gold Locket

Lastly, I found this really beautiful locket on Amazon. It is a 14k Yellow Gold-Filled Engraved Four-Picture Heart Locket with a 20″ chain. They also carry it in sterling silver. You can add up four special pictures of the people you love to this beautiful locket necklace — perfect gift idea for a mom.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Posted by Eve

Valentine’s Day Tip “Not Just Once A Year”

By Leave a Comment

Here’s a valuable Valentine’s Day tip that you can carry with you all year long.

Many of us wait for Valentine’s Day, to express our love and gratitude to our mates. I believe that the special attention that is paid to a mate on that day should be an everyday occurrence for the life of the relationship +/or marriage.

1043941_26514482My mate and I are fortunate enough to have actually been experiencing the added love that is generated on February 14th of every year on a daily basis, for over 19 years. From the day we met, all those years ago, we felt a connection that neither of us experienced in prior relationships. We felt mutually that we have experienced life together in a different era.

We honestly feel we are soul mates. Having that emotional connection helps us to appreciate the fact that we found each other again while living this life. That is why we feel that many couples are making a mistake by following society’s mores on when and how to show love and appreciation. For example, does a mate really need cupid’s day to arrive to have a date, buy them a gift or to make a romantic gesture? We say no you don’t!!! We firmly believe that couples in a successful and committed relationship show and give love on a daily basis with words and actions. It begins in the morning with both mates awakening and saying “I love you” and ends at night with those same words of affection.

As far as giving or receiving gifts, we give one another gifts everyday. Our gifts sometimes consists of making a hot cup of coffee every morning, just the way I like it. Or while my mate is preparing for work, I prepare and pack lunch with something special in the bag every time. To us, it shows that we are a team and shows love in actions other than purchasing expensive gifts.

Life is made so much more pleasant when in love. We are thankful everyday to “Mother Nature” for bringing us back together. So we say to all who have the great fortune of being in a loving and committed relationship to show that love everyday, not just on February 14th of every year.

Happy Valentine’s Day all year long!

Posted by Eve

How to Enjoy a Romantic Valentine’s Day At Home

By Leave a Comment

Tips for celebrating Valentine’s Day at home

Growing up, my mother always said, ” Your home should always be your oyster. ” I never understood that phrase and its full meaning until I was an adult.

Now, my home is my oyster and I take full advantage of it. In the past, me and my love would spend Valentine’s Day at a upscale restaurant or at a luxurious hotel, complete with room service. When we calculated how much money we spent over the years, we were astonished. It added up to be thousands of dollars. That money could have been better spent making home improvements or investing in our businesses.

With Valentine’s Day soon approaching, we are choosing to exchange gifts from the heart and have a romantic evening at home. Here are some of my ideas for having a great Valentines Day at home.

1. Make a dinner that consists of your partner’s favorite snacks, food and drink. For example, my spouse is an avid pizza eater and enjoys a ton of added toppings. So last year, when I called to order the pizza, I asked if they could make the pizza into a heart shape. To my surprise they did! My spouse was so appreciative of that simple gesture.

2. Next tip: adjust the ambiance in a room in your house. This could be the bedroom, living room, dining room or even the back yard (weather permitting). All that is required is to dim the lights and play nice easy listening music, whilst enjoying a meal, drinks and/ or appetizers.

3. If you happen to live in a warm weather climate, transform your yard into a Valentine’s Day oasis. You can do this by covering the patio table with a red table cloth and add candles and flowers. Also, you can string some outdoor lights to shrubbery, poles and awnings for an added effect.

4. Last tip: run a romantic bubble bath with rose petals added to the water, surrounded by lit candles and champagne for both of you to enjoy.

These tips for celebrating Valentine’s Day at home have yet to fail me. My spouse actually looks forward to them every year.

 

Tips for a Special Valentine’s Day on a Budget

By Leave a Comment

Many Americans are living on such a tight budget that spending $100-$300 or more on Valentine’s Day is just not feasible.

My spouse and I were affected, like many Americans by the economic downfall. So for the past 6 years my love and I have agreed that Valentine’s Day is not a day to spend our hard earned money on an expensive dinner, flowers, chocolates and gifts. We instead came up with an alternative method to spend quality time together and not break the bank. Here are three tips for a special Valentine’s Day on a budget.

Free Events

One thing that we do for a special Valentine’s Day on a budget is to separately research online any free events held in our local area that are happening before, on or after Valentines Day. For instance, last year my love (knowing that I enjoy wine) found a free wine tasting venue in our area.

Picnic in the Park

With just a little creativity you can have a memorable Valentine’s Day outdoors. For example, you can plan and have a picnic in the park on a nice sunny day. Bring hot chocolate in a thermos, homemade brownies and finger foods. You can then give your mate a heartfelt card, that is handwritten telling how much you love, adore and treasure their companionship.

In-Home Spa

Another idea for a special Valentine’s Day on a budget is to prepare a room in your house for a spa-like adventure complete with candles, massaging oils and relaxing music. Invest in a portable foot spa and a back massager for a real spa-like experience–a total of about $75.

In my opinion, spending a lot of money on Valentine’s Day does not show your spouse that you love them. Yet, when you carefully prepare, plan and execute a romantic gesture, shows your spouse that they are worth the time and energy it took to devise a plan.

Posted by Lorraine