Valentine's Day Tips: How To Romance Without Finance

No Romance Without Finance?

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering candies, and sending greeting cards.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine’s Day History

Some say the day is named after a bishop named Valentine, who was stationed in the Roman Empire. Claudius II was the Emperor at that time. He thought that unmarried men made better soldiers, so he decided to make it a law that young men could not marry. Around 270 A.D., Valentine took pity on the ostracized soldiers who were not permitted to marry or see their sweethearts.

He became an advocate of these young lovers and began to perform secret marriages. He was soon found out and jailed. Emperor Claudius II attempted to convert Valentine to begin worshipping the Roman gods, but Valentine refused. Instead, he tried to convert Claudius to Christianity and Valentine sentenced to be executed on February 24, 270.

Another version of the history of Valentine’s Day tells that Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. Just before his death, he sent her a note and signed it “from your Valentine.” An aura of romance surrounded his demise and those who knew about it spread the tale. Bishop Valentine became Saint Valentine with his fame extending to England and France.

After his death, Valentine then became what is known as a “Patron Saint.” Some considered him the spiritual overseer of an annual festival in which young Romans would distribute cards of affection to those they wished to formally see. This festival was held each February 14. There are Valentine cards in museums worldwide that date back to 1415.

Making Valentine’s Day Special on A Budget

The best experience on Valentine’s Day is to have your loved one come away feeling loved, special, and wanted. Here are some tips to save money and still make the day special.

• Make your own. Cards and gifts that are handmade are more likely to be remembered because they are personally made by you for “your valentine”. You can add many special and personalized touches. Tell the story of how you came to be or tell the story of the dreams you share.
• Think of something special you can do for your love. Use vouchers. Example: This voucher is good for the night of your wildest dreams. To be redeemed when you're in the mood. Give a loving foot massage or full body massage. You would be amazed at the amount of gratitude your partner will have.
• Say "I love you". It doesn't cost anything but it says and means a great deal. Don't be shy; say it a lot during the day. Tell your love how you really feel. He or she will appreciate your honesty and it will mean more than any gift could.
• Be spontaneous.  Watch the sun rise, see the sun set, watch a movie, listen to a visiting band, memorize his favorite poem and recite it after dinner, or whatever else you think is most appropriate.
• Create a music CD. Create a CD filled with love songs and make it better by creating a CD cover with a photo of both of you. Add in a couple of songs that have great titles that you can connect them together to create a short love note.
• Record a video. Record a video of you showing your gratitude to them and just remind them again just how much you love them. Pick a moment to play the video, such as the moment when you are having your home made Valentine’s Day dinner.
• Create a scrap book. Love notes, photos of both of you and other mementos can be collected to help create a scrap book.
• Breakfast in bed. Nothing beats waking up in the morning to see your Valentine had already prepared a delicious looking breakfast that is just right beside your bed. Pay attention to the little details and prepare something your Valentine would like to eat and decorate it with some small gifts or flowers.

When all is said and done, Valentine's Day is really all about the love. Enjoy!

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"Soul Train" Host Don Cornelius Found Dead

The pioneering media mogul, Don Cornelius,75, was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home Wednesday morning. He was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 4:56 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

As host of Soul Train, Don Cornelius invited the world to a multicultural dance party and introduced his audience to new talent that would become legendary R&B stars e.g.,  Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Jerry Butler, and Marvin Gaye,.

As a teen in Chicago, I watched Dick Clark's American Bandstand from Philadelphia every afternoon when I came home from school.  I knew the names of all the young white couples, e.g., Arlene and Kenny or Justine and Bob. I even got the chance to appear on the local Chicago version hosted by Jim Lonsberry. But, nothing prepared the public for the gyrations and fashion style of the Soul Train dancers that Don Cornelius presented. Even in 2011, my family has watched tapes from old "Soul Train" episodes, enjoying the dancing and chuckling a bit at the fashion.

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February Awareness Activities

Black History Month

Established as Negro History Week in the 1920's by Carter G. Woodson, February was chosen for the celebration because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in this month. Extended to a month-long celebration in 1976, Black History Month is an opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans. Let’s take the time to remember, to reunite, and to rededicate ourselves to our history!

National Heart Disease Awareness Month 

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women today. I am sure we are all familiar with signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Here are some additional facts:
 

• Extreme fatigue or loss of sleep
• Chest problems such as difficulty breathing, aches, heaviness, tightness or burning feeling 
• Pain between the shoulders and above the navel 
• Chest pains or tightness that extends to other areas like the jaw, neck, shoulders, ear, or the inside of the arms

Steps for prevention:

1. Lose weight - Obesity is one of the most significant risk factors in developing cardiovascular disease.
2. Get active - Men and women alike need to exercise often. And a key to consistent physical activity is finding something you enjoy doing that gives your heart a good workout and fits into your everyday life.
3. Prevent diabetes - Diabetes is dangerous as a disease by itself but it has also been medically linked to an increase risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Preventing or treating diabetes is one of the smartest, heart-healthiest decisions you can make.
4. Relax - More studies show that stress really does harm your mind and your health. And heart disease is no exception. While high levels of stress are hard on everyone, they are particularly dangerous to women.

More info @ www.heart.org

AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year. More info @http://www.preventblindness.org/ 

International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

Group B strep (GBS) is a big deal! Approximately 1 in 4 pregnant women carry GBS, the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborns according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). GBS can also infect babies during pregnancy and the first few months of life. Not all babies exposed to GBS become infected, but, for those who do, the results can be devastating. GBS can cause babies to be miscarried, stillborn, born prematurely, become very sick, have lifelong handicaps, or die. Learn more @http://www.groupbstrepinternational.org

National Children’s Dental Health Month

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. NCDHM messages and materials have reached millions of people in communities across the country. Find more info @ ada.org

National Wear Red Day

Celebrate National Wear Red Day® on Friday, February 3, 2012 when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart health. Show off your favorite red dress, red shirt, red tie, or Red Dress Pin to raise awareness that heart disease—the #1 killer of women—is largely preventable. Learn more @http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov 

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

CHC is observed Feb 7-14, 2012. Congenital Heart Disease is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide. Despite the fact that CHD affects approximately 1.8 million families in the U.S., a relatively small amount of funding is currently available for parent/patient educational services, research, and support. By sharing experiences and providing information, the organization hopes to raise public awareness about conditions that affect approximately 40,000 babies each year in the United States alone. More info @http://tchin.org

National Donor Day

Celebrate National Donor Day on Feb. 14, 2012, which is focused on five points of life: organs, tissues, marrow, platelets, and blood. Many nonprofit health organizations sponsor blood and marrow drives and organ/tissue sign-ups across the nation. National Donor Day was started in 1998 by the Saturn Corporation and its United Auto Workers partners with the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and many nonprofit health organizations. More info @http://www.organdonor.gov/

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Major Breast Cancer Charity Dumps Planned Parenthood

National Journal’s Meghan McCarthy reports that Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, a major breast-cancer charity, has cut off support for Planned Parenthood because of controversy over abortion and the group’s standing as a provider of generalized women’s health services. Planned Parenthood accused Susan G. Komen for the Cure of giving in to political pressure.

“We are alarmed and saddened that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure. Our greatest desire is for Komen to reconsider this policy and recommit to the partnership on which so many women count,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement.

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Grammar Tidbits: Using The Right Word

"Silverlady"

If I confess that I graduated from high school fifty-one years ago, will anyone understand that I have trouble remembering all the rules of grammar and spelling that I learned back then?

I attended an all girl catholic high school and the good nuns made sure we learned English, grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and all those good things.  We diagrammed sentences and had spelling bees...anything to make sure we were knowledgeable. However, today I find myself totally in a fog about many of the things I knew long ago.

My mother’s favorite phrase was “look it up” and I remember saying the same thing to my children and grandchildren on numerous occasions. Today, I decided why not share the information from some of my trips to grammar references and other resources. Hopefully, these tidbits will refresh your memory and save you the time of “looking it up”. Breeze through it.  It'll be painless, I promise.

·         To or Too
Use the preposition “to” beginning a prepositional phrase.
Use “too” if you are saying also or referring to an extra or excessive amount.
“I ate too much cake at the party.”
“There were just too many cooks in the kitchen.”
“I’d love to pay fewer taxes, too.”
“I was too tired to cook dinner last night.”

·         Your or You’re
“Your” is used when talking about something that belongs to someone.
“You’re” is a contraction for you are.
“Is this your purse?”
“You’re going in the wrong direction.”

·         There or Their or They’re
“There” is used to describe a place.
“The books are on the top shelf over there.

“Their” is used to indicate possession.
My friends lost their plane tickets.

“They’re” is a contraction for they are.
They’re coming down the stairs now.

·         Farther or Further
“Farther” denotes physical distance.
My house is farther from school than yours.

“Further” relates to distance or depth. It is a time, degree or quantity.  It is another way of saying “additional”.
The board wanted to have further discussion on the issue.
If gas prices drop further before summer, we can take a road trip this summer.
I need to look further into your complaint before I make a decision.

·         Less or Fewer
Use “fewer” with countable, individual things.
I should drink fewer soft drinks.

Use “less” with uncountable amounts, volumes, etc.
I should drink less coffee.

Also use “less” when describing a quantity considered as a single bulk amount.
It happened less than five years ago.
He stole less than $1,000 from him.
The recipe calls for less than two cups of sugar.

I hope these grammar tidbits refresh your memory, save you time, and give you confidence in your ability to choose the proper wording.

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