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What NOT to do on Valentine’s Day

By Catherine Toth Fox • February 14, 2013 • Musings, The Daily Dish

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Look, Valentine’s Day isn’t complicated. You get your partner a thoughtful gift, a sweet card and share a meal somewhere. (Even picnics on the back porch can be romantic.)

But somehow people still screw it up.

So instead of telling you what you should do — schedule a massage, pick up a bottle of moscato d’asti, turn off the Xbox — here’s a list of things you shouldn’t do today.

Please.

• Don’t say, “I don’t do Valentine’s Day.” Who cares if you think it’s a money-driven, arbitrarily contrived commercialized holiday celebrated with overpriced roses and expensive prix fixe menus? You may say Valentine’s Day is every day, but until we’re getting romanced on the other 364 days of the year, your line today is, “Valentine’s Day? Love it!”

• Don’t give cheap chocolate. We know the difference between Hershey’s and bean-to-bar artisan chocolate. (See yesterday’s blog.) If you’re going to get the cliched gift of chocolate, then you may as well splurge on it.

• Don’t go to see “A Good Day to Die Hard.” I don’t care if you’re a die hard “Die Hard” fan, this isn’t a date movie.

• Don’t buy a puppy. Unless you’re serious about dog ownership — and it requires a ton of commitment, trust me — getting a dog for Valentine’s Day isn’t going to score points in the long run.

• Don’t — surprise! — invite your friends on your Valentine’s date. This is one of those days you should spend with your significant other — alone. Unless you’ve planned this in advance — and with your partner’s approval — don’t invite your pals over for a night of beer and Netflix.

• Don’t get matching tattoos. You’ll likely regret it.

• Don’t get teddy bears or stuffed animals unless she specifically wants them (or she’s 10 years old). Some women dig the stuffed animals and that’s cool. But don’t assume we all do.

• Don’t call your ex. Even if you’re both single, it’s just not the right time. You’re caught up in the moment, swayed by the smell of overpriced roses and chocolate-covered strawberries. Don’t call, don’t text, don’t even think about it.

• Don’t be too practical. Save the Vitamix or window-tinting for the car for birthdays. Today, be romantic. Get the 800-thread-count Egyptian cotton bed sheets or the spa package that’s so long it includes lunch. It only comes around once a year!

• Don’t complain about it. Don’t buy a box of chocolate and pick up the tab at dinner — then complain about it. That cancels everything out.

• Don’t wait ’til the last minute. If you haven’t planned anything by now, you’re obviously too late. But don’t be late for next year. The best thing about Valentine’s Day is that it happens every year on the same day. So no excuses!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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10 Comments

  • Reply Makiki February 14, 2013 at 5:26 am

    Happy Valentine’s day Cat!

    Personally I would prefer to celebrate Japanese style where today the MEN get the Chocolate and we can reciprocate mext month on White Day!

    • Reply Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn March 3, 2013 at 8:18 am

      My husband told me about that this year. I should be buying him chocolate. LOL!

  • Reply Annoddah Dave February 14, 2013 at 6:26 am

    CAT: This is your first Valentine as a wife…it is more exciting than when you were single?

  • Reply M February 14, 2013 at 6:42 am

    Hello Cat!
    Happy Valintines Day!
    I gave my wife a card and roses yesterday to surprise her. We will celebrate Valentines Day this weekend as we have another commitment this evening. Anyway everything is inflated today, the flowers, candy, dinner and so on. The restaurants only have a set Valintines dinner menu too. When I go to a restaurant I want to order want I want to eat, not the mass produced dinner they have prepared for the evening.

  • Reply eddyo February 14, 2013 at 7:21 am

    Happy Valentine’s Day,

    The missus & I don’t do anything on V-day, but we have T-day. The day I met her on the high school Track in April a few years back, changed both our lives forever. Rather dine & enjoy on this day than in Feb.

    Last night, seen Sick, Crazy Love. A must for today, wouldn’t you say?

  • Reply rayboyjr February 14, 2013 at 8:47 am

    Hey Cat … Happy Valentines Day!!! …

    … if you love the one you are with … Valentines Day can be a done in three simple words … “I LOVE YOU” …

    … haha … with my budget, I hope that’s enough!!! …

    … but I don’t think I can keep up with those who send dozens of roses … jewelry … or extravagent evenings …

    … it’s just so much pressure … to come through …

    … can we just ask her what she wants??? … is that unromantic??? …

  • Reply WildeOscar February 14, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    Don’t have divorce papers served today. Yesterday and tomorrow are arguably much more appropriate.

  • Reply kalei February 14, 2013 at 1:38 pm

    Loved the first bullet point. I use this day as an excuse to get someone to watch the baby and get out for some one on one conversation, dinner and drinks. I don’t care how much it costs! Not that I need an excuse, it’s just easier.

  • Reply David Jackson February 14, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    I am a single dad… so I got myself a Valentine’s day present… that’s right… MYSELF. It is a Cleveland 60 degree 8 degree bounce wedge in the chrome 588 series. Excellent addition to the collection. Now if I did have a significant other I would have of course bought her one too…

    HVD everybody! Have a drink on somebody 🙂

  • Reply Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn March 3, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Good advice. I am lucky because our wedding anniversary is also on Valentine’s Day, so my husband usually goes big! This year though, he’s in Afghanistan, so we are pushing off celebration until he gets back….only 2 more weeks! ~Aloha

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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