How to Survive Valentine's Day

Every year, people celebrate Valentine's Day. This holiday is the most important day of the year to tell the person you love, just how much you really love them. This of course, like anything else, can be screwed up very badly. If it seems you are a natural at screwing things up, you may want to avoid this day altogether. If that is impossible due to currently being in a relationship, you may just want to keep it really simple. The best Valentine's Day ideas are always simple.

First of all, the only type of relationship I've been in is the kind where I (the guy) am responsible for this holiday. If you are also a guy and somehow manage to forget Valentine's Day or expect your girlfriend to do something for you instead, you may want to go ahead and move back in with your parents or stay if you haven't moved out yet. However, the old "I forgot Valentine's Day ruse" is a good one to use if you have planned something very special or bought something really nice. Usually, this will not work, as your girlfriend will probably remind you of the upcoming event a day or two in advance.

She may even give you something first if she is really nice, so you might want to wait and see if she does. You can always employ a decoy gift to give her before your real gift. Choose a really inexpensive yet cute gift for the decoy, like a little heart shaped pillow or box of candy. It's fun to see how she reacts to the decoy. Let her react genuinely before you give her your real gift. Whether she is upset or only slightly disappointed, let it sink in that the decoy is your real gift to her. The longer you play it off the better. Just don't be stupid and wait all night, although this might be good in certain cases. Make it fun.

Don't buy expensive stuff for people you hardly know. Even if you are super rich, you will just freak people out if you buy something really expensive for someone you have only been going out with for a few days or even weeks. You will either come off as being possessive or highly unstable. Chicks dig stability. Stick to the basics, the things that are romantic no matter how long you've known each other. Roses and chocolate are a safe bet for anytime during a relationship. It doesn't matter how expensive these two are either. Just don't send a bunch of roses to her work where they will do nothing but get in the way. Find out what kind of roses and chocolates she likes. Do this way in advance. Be nonchalant about it, don't bring up the two things in the same sentence. Wait till you both see some roses or chocolate somewhere, like in a movie or on television. Say mmm that looks good or WOW those are pretty, and just get her talking about it. "My aunt Judy just loves pink roses, what do you think about them?" As far as chocolate goes, try to get some quality and variety. Those little specialty shops like Godiva or something similar are the way to go.

Finally, try not to do anything stupid. If you are prone to being an idiot like I am sometimes, try to act like an idiot earlier in the day so that you will be as serious as possible when it comes time to follow through on your Valentine's Day plans. If you are just clumsy, don't worry about this as it will probably just come off as cute. Nerves and pressure are good for you, just don't let them get your best. Have a whole evening planned but be flexible. No matter what, DO NOT call, or otherwise try to reach an ex-girlfriend on Valentine's Day. I tried this
one time when I was lonely on Valentine's day and it blew up like a hot radiator in my face. Any other day of the year is fine for reaching people from past relationships. Even with the purest of intentions it's not feasible. So, avoid this one at all cost. Also, it is important to mention the fact that you may be disappointed or even heartbroken on this day, if you're significant other does not happen to share your feelings of love. OMG! I've never heard of anyone breaking up on Valentine's Day but I'm sure it probably happens. So, keep your chin up no matter what. Now that you're armed with some solid advice from a recovering Valentine, get out there, do your homework now and make this the best Valentine's Day ever!!!