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10 Simple Ways To Show Love on Valentines Day

mindbeautysimplicity

Today, I’m excited to have Sejal of The Lazy Gal Blog for guest posting on Mind Beauty Simplicity. I hope you all enjoy her suggest simple ways to showcase love to the ones in your life this Valentines Day. If you enjoy this post, please be sure to check out her blog & follow her on social media. All of her links will be down below at the end of the post.

Valentine’s Day is a day for showing someone you cherish and appreciate them. Some people love going all out, and others like being more mellow. This post is for the latter. I know people who don’t like big commotion and being in front of others. Maybe because of social anxiety or other reasons. Here are some simple ways to show your special person why they’re special to you. Not only for Valentine’s day but every day

Cook for them Or Order their Favorite Food

A surprise breakfast(in bed), or just a meal that you know they love. Even a dessert they love, or a cultural dish. If you’re scared about something exploding, you can always order their favorite dish from their favorite restaurant. Or from a place where both of you have good memories.

Make them Something

No one said you have to splurge on a gift. Painting something, taking ceramics classes to make something, making paper roses, etc. A collage of memories, or something else handmade. Putting effort into something like this is appreciated. Especially if you make it of something they like. If they love roses or tulips, you can make a painting for that or make paper versions. There are so many ideas on Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Pinterest!

Buy them something special

If you saw them look at something they wanted but didn’t get, or something that’s been on their wishlist. You can think about getting that. This shows that you really care, and would be a cute surprise If you know they’re a reader, then this post is perfect for you! If you know they love music you can get them merch, concert tickets, records, and favorite singer/band-themed items. Get your partner something that truly shows you know their interests and what they want.

Get something matching for both of you

Matching necklaces, rings, bracelets, etc are all simple cute ways to show your partner you cherish them. I’m not talking about super expensive diamond jewelry, I mean handmaid items. Or matching crystals, designs, and colors. This way you can always have a cute reminder of them, and vice versa. You can also get matching hats or clothes. Whatever you think is best for you and your partner!

Book a hair, spa, or nail appointment

Some caution, if you know your partner wouldn’t like you booking appointments like this, please don’t do it. However, if you know they’ll love a little spa or self-care day, this is perfect! Check-in with their usual salon or nail area, and see what’s available. Both of you guys can even go! Everyone needs a little break, and this would be a sweet surprise.

Write them a love letter

Get them their favorite flowers, and write a handwritten letter for them. It’s such a simple way to express your adoration and love for someone. They can always reread this letter, when they have a bad day or just because. 

Love Jar

A love jar is just a little jar with sheets of paper. Now for a love jar, you can make sheets of compliments, inside jokes, memories of a good day, songs, movie or book recommendations, etc. This is such a simple and constant reminder of your love. Grab a paper after a tough day, or when you miss them, and you suddenly feel so much better. 

Romantic Picnic

If you want to take the food idea to the next level, then have a picnic! If your partner doesn’t like sitting on the grass, etc, you can always have it on the table at a park. You can go for a romantic walk after, and get coffee, etc. You can buy tea sandwiches and fancy little pastries. Have fun with it, it’s your day too!

write little love notes around the house

This is an expansive version of the love jar. It would be a cute surprise if you hid it around the apartment or house. Maybe even a scavenger hunt for a bigger gift, either way, it’s very simple and adorable. Just paper, pen/pencil, and that’s it!

send them a flower/chocolate delivery

I don’t know about you, but I would love it if someone surprised me with flower/chocolate deliveries. Maybe at work or when they go home, etc. This might be a bit pricey, but if you know your partner is a big romantic, this would be a nice and simple way. Especially if you both are busy, you can show you didn’t forget about Valentine’s day and them!

Conclusion

These are 10 simple ways to show your loved ones, that you love them on Valentine’s Day. Most of these are accessible and affordable to make, which makes great memories. Something heartfelt and really thoughtful is bound to make a great memory for Valentine’s day. I wish you all the best for Valentine’s day, and if you have a valentine or not, I hope you have a great time!


Hey, I’m Sejal! I help people on their journey to become the best versions of themselves. My blog the lazy gal is about self-improvement and has guides, tips, and much more. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t hesitate to say hi! Read my newest post and all my other links here!

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5 Intentional Gifts To Give Your Valentine

mindbeautysimplicity

Valentines Day is quickly approaching! Whether you have that special someone or you simply want to show your love to family & friends, I feel like we all tend to focus on the love language of gift giving this season. And although I find gifts to be one way to show love & appreciation, I also know there are more intentional ways to go about it. You don’t need to be spending tons of money trying to impress that special person in your life. And I think it’s important to not let consumerism dictate any holiday. Today, I wanted to share five intentional & more practical ways to shower that special someone with love.

You Might Also Like: How To Gift More Practically

The Gift of Time

One of the most underrated ways to show appreciation is the gift of time. We tend to forget how fast time flies & how priceless time can be. This time of year especially, place effort in making that phone call to a friend or family member. Plan a fun activity to do with someone you really care about. And prioritize your energy on the right ones too. Really ask yourself who truly adds brightness to your life & showcase that by carving out time for them. When you weed out the ones who don’t deserve it, you realize how much time you really have to give to those who do.

DIY Greeting Cards

The greeting card industry is a hot commodity. I swear there’s a card for pretty much any occasion. And I personally think cards are a great way to show someone you care or are thinking of them. What makes a card even better though, is putting little extra love & effort by letting those creative juices flow. Collect some construction paper, scissors, markers or even print out images or prints to really personalize it. I think when we make a card more personal, it holds a lot more meaning. Don’t forget to add a heartfelt message as well.

A Photo Jar or Album

I love reminiscing on specific memories or moments & photos are a great way to capture them. One of my favorite gifts my husband gave me when we were dating was a photo jar filled with rolled up prints. To this day, I love looking through them & thinking back on a few of our most memorable times. Scrapbooks or photo books are easy ways to showcase times that you enjoyed with a specific person & it lets that person know it meant something to you. Not only this, but it’s a great way to look back fondly on experiences that allows you to want to make more in the future.

Give The Gift of Adventure

Experiences are my favorite types of gifts because they are clutter free & allow a person to make new memories. You can either plan a day of activities to do together or you can surprise them with an event or activity for a future date. Some of my favorite experience gifts include hiking trips, movie dates, bookstore trips, weekend getaways, Topgolf or mani/pedis.

You Might Also Like: 50 Clutter Free Gift Ideas

Help Them Out With Something

Is there something they’ve needed help with? Or is there something that could make their life easier? In some instances, it could simply be accompanying them while they run errands or help them with a project. The love language of acts of service, when done right & with good intentions can be very meaningful to a person.

You Might Also Like: How To Truly Love Yourself

Conclusion

Regardless if Valentines is coming up or not – I believe thinking more intentionally with gift giving is a better mindset to practice. I also believe these acts of appreciation can be done any day of the year. It’s always nice to show someone you love & care about them. I hope this list of intentional gifts sparks inspiration for you. let me know some ways you are celebrating love this month / self care

sending so much love & appreciation to all my readers. you brighten my day with all your comments & am so grateful for all of you.

-B

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My First Monthly Reading Wrap Up Went Like… | January 2023

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We are starting the new year off with a bang! I swear this has been such a great reading month! I read six books this month with two being over 800 pages. I’d say it was a good range of amazing reads that will for sure be some of my favorites of the entire year; while others were – MID. But regardless if a book met my expectations or left me disappointed, I rarely regret reading it because at least I’m “in the know”. And I’m slowly but surely knocking off more & more from my physical TBR. That way, I feel less guilty when I finally break my book buying ban. Which feels a lot sooner than later. *jumps for joy*. My hope for this year is to read a wide range of genres & get out of my comfort zone & read more longer series [ possibly – Wheel of Time?]. And I think this month, we are definitely headed in the right direction.

Bunny by Mona Awad

Talk about the weirdest book I’ve ever read. Bunny is definitely not for the faint of heart. And I personally, went in rather blind. So, when I realized this was considered in the horror genre – I was quite surprised. Especially when the book cover is rather vibrant. I would describe the plot as Mean Girls, if they created a darker version with murderous cults & animal cruelty. And I seriously thought I was going to absolutely despise this book. But as I kept reading & ignored the gruesome scenes, I started to question different parts & it became more of a psychological unraveling – which I personally love. If you’ve seen the movie, Shutter Island, I think you could appreciate the concepts of this story. What really sold me was the final sentence. It literally caused me to go down the Reddit rabbit hole [ pun intended] & look up all the theories. And for that reason alone, I give this book a solid 3.5 stars [ almost 4].

Crescent City: House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Starting this series is one of my highly anticipated reads of the year & I knew I wanted to start it right away after receiving them for Christmas. But if you’ve seen the thickness of the books, you know what a commitment it is. This is a urban fantasy written by the queen, SJM. So, basically it’s your typical fantasy story with Fae & other mythical creatures – but they have cellphones, watch sports, play beer pong & go to clubs. I read someone describe it as a fantasy frat house & honestly – that’s rather spot on. But of course like any fantasy, the plot slowly thickens. I would say, this first book was a rather slow burn & getting through the initial world building took some time. But again, SJM can do no wrong in my eyes & the character development, slow burn forced proximity romance, countless subplots & redemption story really made it a wild ride. Especially the final 200 characters that immediately made me want to go to the next one. And for my readers who love a good murder mystery & want to dip their toes into the fantasy genre, I highly recommend this series. A solid 5 stars for me.

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

This is where things went slightly down hill. And I kind of regret taking a slight break from such an amazing fantasy series to this mediocre novella, but you win some & you lose some. I mainly read this one because it was free on the Apple Books app & although I was going to swear off CoHo books this year, my curiosity got me once again. Now, I’m not saying Colleen Hoover is a horrible author. I will always have a place in my heart for Verity & will always recommend it. But lately I find her to be someone who is letting the fame get to your head & a lot of her books are almost too “realistic” & borderline “the glorification of trauma”. Basically, I don’t get the wanted escapism from her books & like this one – some feel rather mid tier fan fiction for my adult taste. This particular novella is a part of the Hopeless series [ which received 2 stars after I read it last year ]. Check out my mini review on Hopeless in my October reading wrap up. This tells the story of Sky’s bestfriend named Six [ what kind of name is that? btw] & her teenage sexual escapades. She has never been in love before until she meets this mystery man in a dark high school’s janitor closet. His identity is kept mysterious. A year later, Six meets a boy named Daniel & attraction instantly forms. You can kind of see where is this going… I personally give this book 2 stars for it’s immature plot & predictability. I feel like if I was a teenager, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. But as an adult, I just cringe.

Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This book is the perfect example of reading something out of your comfort zone & not fully grasping the writing style & even concept of what the author was trying to persuade. Or it was simply the overall mood of the book just didn’t gel with me. Who knows. But I found this writing style rather difficult to read because I felt like it was a translated version so the English was rather broken. Not only this, but it felt like I was reading a play or musical of sorts which really made me uninterested. The concept of the book which are an array of short stories all taking place in a coffee shop that allows people to return to the past to replay but [ plot twist ] CAN’T change the future. I feel like it’s a story of acceptance & that even if we can’t change the past, we have to sometimes simply live with it & move forward. But the stories were rather sad & depressing & I just couldn’t appreciate it like some others seem to do. Rating: 2.5 stars

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

When I say I devoured this book – I literally couldn’t put it down. If you are looking for a fast paced thriller with short chapters, this book is for you. It gave me Verity vibes from the first chapter. This tells the story of a woman who gets hired to be a housemaid for a wealthy family. I will say, I really enjoyed the beginning of this book a lot more & the twist although surprised me at first – was a rather predicable one that is seen in many thrillers. I also was a little bothered by some of the character’s actions. I understand it’s a thriller so psychopaths is a common trope, but some of the scenes left me thinking WTF?! And once I discovered the main twist, the ending kind of fell flat for me. And I was just rushing to get it done. I still enjoyed it because the beginning really made me hate the wife alongside the housemaid & all the miscommunication etc. Overall, I give this a solid 3.5 stars & could have gotten 4 stars if the ending had not been so predicable.

Crescent City: House of Sky & Breath by Sarah J. Maas

We are finally redeeming ourselves with this final read of the month. I finally decided to continue the Crescent City series. Again, this book was quite the read to get through & once again the beginning really seemed to drag on & to grasp the new characters & plot that is introduced. I’ll be completely honest, I feel like there are parts of this book that really drag on & there were times where I just wanted to get to the meat & potatoes. I also felt like it was rather hard to picture some of these scenes. I’ve read my fair share of fantasy & so this was the first time where I was reading scenes & asking myself “what is happening right now?” But although the plot seemed to thicken continuously with countless subplots, I was hear for it. And once I got to the middle of Part 2, things really started to flow. For me, I can appreciate a complex fantasy series because it really reels me in & provides that proper escapism. There got to a point where I was finally just breezing through the characters & wanting to see what happens next. So much emotion & beautiful moments. And of course, I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but that ending was MINDBLOWING!!! IYKYK. I completely understand why so many people are anxiously waiting for Crescent City 3 to release. I’m eagerly waiting & will be down the SJM theories rabbit hole for the time being. Rating: 5 stars [ a million stars if i could ].

Wow, I’m so happy I decided to read the Crescent City series this month. But now that I’ve read all of SJM’s series – I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. Do I re-read ACOTAR this year? Please let me know book series I should add to my TBR. I do hope to possibly start the famous Wheel of Time Series soon [ but that is a 14 book series…so yea ].

In the comments, let me know your favorite book you read this month…

-B