The Least Lame List of Affordable Valentines Day Ideas Ever Written

You can tell how romantic I am based on the title of this blog. I’m sick of all the articles about “rekindling the romance” and the ideas are like rent a tandem bicycle or eat strawberries dipped in chocolate. No one does that shit. Plus, it's like -40 in Canada so no one really wants to do anything let alone fall off a two person bicycle into a snowbank. Like many recently graduated twenty-somethings we're on a bit of a budget this valentines day but refuse to miss out on any of the spontaneity or romance of the day.

If you can afford this you're in the wrong place
Source: We Heart It

Although we don't stand for this bullshit either
Source: We Heart It

Here at WTD we've decided to find the perfect combination of thoughtful and affordable, cute and creative: we decided to have a date night on a dime brainstorming session for our own benefit as much as yours this Valentines Day. I’m sure some of these ideas will be lame but in my opinion it’s almost impossible to write about Valentine’s Day without being lame. The consensus here at WTD is that Valentine’s Day isn’t about buying marked up chocolate and Hallmark cards however if you have someone you love you should probably do something this v-day because NOT making an effort says a lot more than making one does… if you catch my drift. Ladies and gents take note: we all agree  a simple love letter would have us swooning this Friday. So remember, cute trumps corny and a little gesture can go a long way. Feel free to weigh in on our free and low budget V-Day ideas in the comments or on twitter @jemcolborne.

Sentimental Gifts 

• a framed photo of the two of you
• print the photos from a trip - no one makes photo albums anymore
• a scrapbook
• a love letter
• a poem/song/short story
• a copy of their favourite book with an inscription from you inside

DIY & Crafty Gifts 

•  make a set of homemade mugs with quotes from his/her favourite book/movie/song 
•  make a cookbook (paper in a simple binder works) with all of your fave recipes
• a jar full of pieces of paper, each with a reason why you love them or a memory and they can pick one out of the jar every day or whenever they need it
• a jar full of popsicle sticks, each one with a different date idea on them for future dates:
  i. white popsicle sticks = inexpensive date nights (i.e. rom-com night, hot chocolate date night, dance to our fave album in the kitchen date night)
  ii. pink popsicle sticks = moderately expensive date nights (go out for dessert, go to a local hockey game etc)
  iii. red sticks = expensive dates (go to fancy restaurant, river cruise, museum etc) 
• buy that movie they've been dying to see that isn't on netflix yet and watch it at home!     

Food Gifts

• a jar of his/her favourite candy corn or homemade chex mex
• can you say Valentines Day baking: cookies, cupcakes, cake, squares…. mmmm
• a "spluge" food item from a gourmet shop
• despite the fact that I made a dig at it, you can never go wrong with chocolate (good chocolate, that is) try to pick out your s/o's favourite kind

 Out & About Gifts

• if you can't afford to go out for dinner this year go out for a drink before heading home for dinner; you'll get the enjoyment of going "out" without the bill at the end of the night
•  go for a nighttime walk (if you can - I know, the snowbanks are high) there's nothing more romantic than unfiltered conversation under a starry winter sky
• find a public skating rink. I realize this verges into "tandem bike" territory but skating is fun and wintry and oftentimes free!
• go into a store of your choice together and set a price limit. Buy each other the best gift you can "under pressure": it might end up perfectly or hilariously but either way no one overspends.
• go for coffee at a nice coffee shop (skip Timmies on v-day)

Oh and if you don't get what you want, or you're single? We have absolutely nothing against:

Source: We Heart It

Book Review: To Whisper Her Name - Tamera Alexander

Source: Goodreads

To Whisper Her Name is a historical romance set in the South after the Civil War on a Thoroughbred breeding facility and plantation in Nashville, Tennessee. My cousin visited Belle Meade this summer while on vacation in Nashville and purchased the book as a Christmas gift for me. Her photos of the house and surrounding buildings are absolutely breathtaking and a total horse-lovers dream so I was curious to what a writer would do with a story about the place.

Before reading To Whisper Her Name I had a somewhat patchy understanding of the American Civil War. While I have studied Canadian-American history I have never had the opportunity to take any American history classes during my Academic career. The text is an excellent source for understanding the tension and the politics of the time and Alexander provides an insight into history that is reflective and thought provoking. She does an excellent job of representing the thoughts and opinions of all characters through description and dialogue. Topics including race, religion, gender roles, class status and history are all tackled effortlessly by the text.

The protagonist, Olivia Aberdeen, is the widow of a cruel and vastly disliked man who was brutally murdered by his his fellow townspeople after the war. With nothing left to her name Olivia is shunned from society and moves to Belle Meade where her Aunt and Uncle provide her with a safe place to stay. In exchange, Olivia is required to be the companion to her beloved Aunt who, as she learns upon her arrival, is dying.  Ridley Cooper, Olivia’s ruggedly handsome love interest, finds his way to Belle Meade in search of a former slave he met during the war. Cooper fought on the “wrong" side of the war (Union) and has to keep his identity a secret from the plantation owner and passionate Southerner Mr. Harding. Robert Green, the former slave, is perhaps the most intriguing character in the text. In the Afterword Alexander admits to falling slightly in love with Green while writing the text and I have to say so did I. Also known as Uncle Bob, the head-horse trainer and real-life horse-whisperer is still renowned for his amazing gift with horses today. As an equestrian, some of  my favourite passages were those that depicted Mr. Green’s philosophies and training techniques as he tries to teach impatient Cooper to work with horses.

Robert "Uncle Bob" Green
Source: Wikipedia

Despite a few cringe-worthy metaphors and never-ending descriptions, the book managed to capture my attention and I have to admit it was a nice change of pace from what I’ve been reading lately. Alexander’s characters are endearing and she manages to weave several captivating sub-plots and minor characters into what could have been a bland read as we wait for the romance between Olivia and Ridley to blossom. Despite their slow-starting, sometimes irritating romance, both hero and heroine have other (more interesting) adventures during their respective stays at Belle Meade. Olivia obtains a paid position at the plantation, teaches at a freedman school, fosters strong relationships with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins and learns about alternative medicine. Ridley desires to learn everything he can from Bob Green before moving West and devotes himself to working with horses. Ridley is well-liked by Mr. Harding for his strong spirit and is soon promoted to Foreman for his hard work and dedication.

Interestingly, Olivia is the only character in To Whisper Her Name that is hard to like; she has several character flaws which I thought would be overcome and resolved but they never are. These include a fear of horses which is mediated upon to a tiresome degree, an overly formal method of speaking and acting and a refusal to let the past go. Perhaps, hopefully, this character will experience some personal growth in the second book in the series.

At just over 430 pages, To Whisper Her Name is a long read and sometimes feels as though it simply won’t end. Luckily, I was on the beach in Cuba and so I was able to get through it quite quickly and with little distraction. I may not have enjoyed it as much otherwise but with the sun and ocean before me I was quite content with the storyline and grew fond of the characters and rich history. If historical romance is your favourite genre I highly recommend the text and if it’s not I would say it’s still a contender for a vacation read as it provides interesting insight into a very specific period of American history.

Alexander’s website has several videos that offer further insight into Belle Meade and the historical characters including the romantic hero and heroine, head hostler and the role Belle Meade had in the development of Thoroughbred history. There is also a .pdf excerpt from the book for you to browse through if you’re not sure whether or not To Whisper Her Name is for you.. I have to admit I'm looking forward to book two which is due to come out in early 2014!

Belle Meade
Source: Architecture

Tamera Alexander's website: http://www.tameraalexander.com/bellemeadeplantationnovels.html

Belle Meade Plantation website: http://bellemeadeplantation.com/