I read an article yesterday noting that the average person spends about $100 on Valentine's Day (up from $97 last year). Ridiculous. Michelle and I a few years ago set a rule that we'd allow ourselves to spend no more than $5 on each other.
Of course, it helps that our anniversary comes 4 days later (the 18th), a date well within sight of the 14th, yet still after the price of flowers has fallen from the stratosphere back to normal levels.
The $5 limit has lead to creative gift giving. For instance, three years ago I gave Michelle a laminated card entitling her to a massage a week for a year (with the proper disclaimers on back). Last year I upped the ante and gave a similar card entitling her to a massage a week for the rest of her life (or mine--whichever ends first). For some reason, that wasn't an easy thing to do. Michelle in turn has given me a cookie of the month coupon book, and a miscellaneous good deeds coupon book.
Last year she outdid herself making me a wish jar with wish money. Essentially she gave me $4 in wish money, every penny representing a 5 minute wish (the money could be combined for BIG wishes). I haven't had the heart to do many BIG wishes, though I did try wishing for more wish money (the fine print didn't say I couldn't). I also tried wishing for lengthy tasks to only take five minutes (or to only count for five minutes). For some reason, she never takes those wishes seriously (always alluding to some mysterious "reasonableness" requirement). I think I still have $3 of wishes left. The money was supposed to expire today, but apparently I've been granted an extension since her pregnancy rendered her entirely incapable of granting wishes for three months. I'm thinking of blowing it all on One BIG wish. Any ideas?
At any rate, we both mentioned to each this week that we can't possibly top last year's gifts, and what's more--we don't really want to. We'd have nothing left to give in 2-3 years time. So this year we opted for baser pleasures--chocolate. I got Michelle some Double Chocolate Milano cookies and a Hershey's EXTRA Dark chocolate bar with a poem attached:
These presents are dark.
Like my heart.
Without you.
She got me a Whitman's sampler, as well as a "Time Out!" card that entitles me to, up to twice a day, exclaim "Time Out!" and have five minutes of her undivided attention. Jared got chocolates too. All under $5 a piece.
Tonight Michelle went all out, cooking a meal that could not have tasted any better had it been cooked by the finest restaurants. Chicken Parmesan, Ceaser Salad, Cheese Sticks (absolutely irresistible), Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries for Dessert.
I'm not sure I've ever eaten a finer meal--seriously.
Jared was obviously pleased too (that's mostly chocolate on his face--and he's got a sugar cookies in his hand!).
Hopefully your Valentine's Day went as well as mine did. If not, I'm happy to share some of my chocolates with you.
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