February 14th creates mixed emotions for people: some celebrate their love for their partner, while others celebrate being single with friends, some enjoy the day alone with wine and ice cream and there are some don’t celebrate at all.
But what happens after Valentine’s Day? Where do we go from Cupid’s celebration?
Here are some suggestions to put a spring in your step:
Leading up to Valentine’s Day, we asked our fellow Plenty of Fish employees,
“When did you know your significant other was the one?”
Today, we are so happy to share their beautiful, funny and heart warming responses with all of you!
Continue reading ➞ How Did You Know Your Partner Was The One? From The Plenty of Fish Team
I think we can all agree that the most difficult part about a relationship isn’t the sacrifices, or anxiety, or cohabitating. It’s deciding what to watch on TV, obviously. Picture it, the idyllic night in, involving all the staples: a cozy blanket, your University hoodie, a glass bottle of wine, a bowl of popcorn with melted butter on top (because YO-freakin’-LO), and your partner in comfy town. The only thing this coveted situation is in need of is something to watch. Familiar classics like Friends or The Office will satiate you for a time but before long one of you will be scrolling through Instagram or asleep before Ross even finds out about Monica and Chandler. This is a slippery slope indeed, a choose your own adventure of sorts.
Continue reading ➞ Top 5 Netflix Shows to Bond With Your Partner Over
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. If you used up all your gift ideas for Christmas, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! While a cute card and flowers can go a long way, we want to give you some out-of-the-box ideas to consider. From inexpensive, sentimental gifts to pricier items to surprise your sweetie, here are 10 Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your significant other.
Continue reading ➞ A Valentine’s Day to Remember – The Best Gifts for Your Valentine
Do people really still give gifts for Valentine’s Day? Apparently the answer is yes, and according to 55% of women, tacky jewelry, was the worst gift they’d ever received from their significant other. To avoid another year of necklaces that read “sexy b*tch” in rhinestones; PlentyOfFish has created the ultimate gift guide for you and yours, using survey data from over 20,000 single men and women from the site.
The Activity Date – Survey says; 34% of single men and 30% of single women claimed the best gift they’d received from a significant other was a fun outing or activity they did together. Whether it be a sports game, dance lessons, or bungee jumping, plan your Valentine’s day around a fun activity you know your partner will love! For those of you in a long term relationship, take a trip down memory lane and recreate the very first date you and your partner shared.
Gift Ideas – Concert Tickets, Broadway Show, Sports Game, Salsa Lessons, Drive-in movie night
Romantic Weekend Away – Listen up gentlemen; 28% of women said the best gift they’d ever received was a romantic getaway. Plan a weekend away where the two of you can spend some quality time together. If this gift is a little out of your price range, book a one night stay-cation at a hotel in your own city and embrace your inner tourist.
Gift Ideas – Mountain/Lake Resort and Spa, Boutique hotel in your own city, Old fashion road trip
Cologne for Him – Every woman loves a man who smells amazing! Evidently men agree, with 24% of men claiming the best gift they received from a significant other was cologne. Head to your nearest department store, ladies, and pick out a winning scent for him.
Gift Ideas – Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille Eau De Parfum, Brickell Organic Beard Oil, Kiehl’s luxury body products
Turntable & Vintage Vinyls – Whether it’s The Best Of Sinatra, The Bee Gees Live, or Daft Punk’s latest collab, there’s a vinyl that will make any music lover swoon! Turntables made an epic come back over the last couple of years; consider buying your SO their very own. Audio-Technica produces a fantastic product that won’t break the bank.
Craft Brews – No one really understands craft beer more than the millennial generation; because, god forbid they’re caught drinking name brand. Grab a growler of your friend’s absolute favorite craft brew and make a night of it. For those of you looking for a double date idea; hop into your local brewery and ask for a tour.
Cookware from Le Creuset – Romantic dinner for two anyone? Le Creuset is the finest French Cookware and a perfect gift for the ultimate foodie! Take a page out of Julia Child’s cookbook and remember, “The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give.” – Julia Child
Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – Nothing screams romance more than Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones! In all seriousness, if your friend or partner is a techy, you have just made their days of coding a whole lot easier.
Frank & Oak Carry On Cocktail Set – If your partner is a Globetrotter – this Frank & Oak cocktail set will have them buzzing from take-off to landing!
Spa Night at Home – Transform your home into your very own spa; set the mood with relaxing music, cucumber infused cocktails, aromatherapy bath and massage essentials! Wrap each other in housecoats and cheers with a nightcap.
Do you have a stellar gift idea you want to share with us?! Comment below!
♥ Happy Valentine’s Day ♥
If you are looking for love, chances are you’re hoping it will be a short process and you can find your partner asap. Just because last year may have been rough, doesn’t mean that it will repeat itself. So, with Valentine’s Day upon us, let’s look at 5 ways to break through the dating blues!
When we are motivated, purpose driven and flourishing in life, we give ourselves the chance to find happiness outside of a relationship. Becoming the best version of ourselves allows opportunities to invite the best person for us into our life. It’s time to stop putting all your energy into searching for love, and start dating yourself first. Work out what you really want this year, then set about achieving it.
After you have learnt to love yourself properly and have established your purpose, it’s now time to get active about finding love. This means getting outside your comfort zone and expanding your social circles. Online dating is all about creating opportunities to meet people who are in the same boat. Very rarely does love just turn up on your doorstep, you need to put the effort in to get the results.
Communication break-down is one of the top 3 reasons why relationships fail. It’s time to start talking and listening more. When we are open and honest about our intentions and feelings we are able to gain clearer responses from the person we are dating. Don’t be scared to address issues or discuss things that are close to your heart. Being able to talk freely with the person you love is integral to the health of the relationship.
If you are constantly finding yourself in the wrong relationship or patterns, then it’s time to change your habits. What are you doing wrong? Where could you improve? Remember you are the common denominator. If you want change then you need to initiate it. Get educated on how to have healthy and fulfilling relationships.
Whether it’s a fear of missing out or a fear of failure, you need to remember that being committed to someone doesn’t signify something scary. Relationships are hard work, they require constant effort from both parties. Just because there are more options out there, doesn’t mean that you should give up straight away on what you have. Try to have a mindset that is committed to your promises and decisions when in a relationship. Likewise, sometimes you will have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince, so if finding your special someone is the goal, stay consistent and committed to making it happen.
We usually focus on offering Valentines Day advice to singles, but we know that this Hallmark Holiday can be rough for couples, too. That’s why we’re doling out the advice to those who happened to be attached this February 14th.
Will you be one of the 6 million couples who get in engaged (if you’re not already engaged or married) on Valentines Day? Will you be the recipient of one of the 36 million heart shaped boxes containing some of the 58 million pounds of chocolate sold? Or will you toast the special occasion with some of the 174,000 gallons of bubbly consumed? Are you going to be doing…absolutely nothing? However you plan to spend this special day of love here are some tips to insure a more pleasant experience:
1. Don’t expect your partner to read your mind and fulfill your unspoken fantasies for Valentine’s Day. If you have very specific desires then communicate them to your partner. Which brings us to the next tip…
2. Engage in clear need expression to avoid misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Make sure that what you are asking for is reasonable given the duration and depth of your relationship.
3. Be open to accepting expressions of love from your partner that might not match up with yours. Stay in the moment and appreciate any meaningful or thoughtful effort even if it falls short of your expectations.
4. Maintain reasonable expectations. If your partner isn’t the romantic type then your shouldn’t expect a trail of rose petals leading from the front door to your bedroom where you find a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and a heart made out of rose petals on the bed.
5. Identify and focus on your partner’s strengths and what you love and appreciate about them. Keep those in mind if your lover falls short of your expectations on Valentine’s Day. And, remember that those are the gifts that keep on giving throughout the year.
Michelle Skeen, PsyD is a therapist and the author of LOVE ME, DON’T LEAVE ME: Overcoming Fear of Abandonment & Building Lasting, Loving Relationships (New Harbinger, 2014). For more information, go to www.lovemedontleaveme.com.
Ugh. Time for yet another “Hallmark”, cookie-cutter Valentine’s Day… Overpriced and overbooked restaurants, unwelcome pressure to purchase the best gifts, and let’s face it… the in-your-face advertising that makes all the singles cringe. We’ve become so obsessed about celebrating love on this ONE day yet, isn’t love really about celebrating every day? And why do singles feel awful about their relationship status on V-Day?
Being single on Valentine’s Day isn’t something that you should feel ashamed about. Instead, use this day to celebrate your singledom! The way I see it is that this is a holiday where you can really take time to be grateful for your relationship status, reconnect with you, and show yourself some real love. So many of us wait around for the ‘right’ person to live our lives with… what if you were to start living your life for you instead?
One of the biggest relationship fails that I see often, is that people jump into them without first having a real relationship with themselves. This is the perfect formula for creating dependency issues within a relationship. When one partner can’t fill themselves up with love, they depend on the other partner to do so. That’s not what real love is about. Real love is building upon the love that each partner already has within themselves. This creates a stronger bond that will lead to a healthier relationship.
Don’t spend this Valentine’s Day feeling sorry for yourself. Take this day to reconnect to that love within you. Celebrate what it truly means to be single! Check out these awesome perks of being single on Valentine’s Day:
No need to buy an overpriced gift for a partner that doesn’t exist Buy yourself a gift instead! Perhaps something that you’ve wanted for a while but didn’t want to indulge in… That new Tiffany’s necklace, or Nixxon watch. Why should you have to wait for someone to treat you? Now is that time to indulge! Go ahead… you’re worth it.
With no one else in the equation, you have the freedom to do whatever it is that you truly want to do! Spend your day watching old 80’s romance flicks, eating at your favorite restaurants, walking aimlessly around the city taking in the sights, or head to the theatre to watch the latest new release. It’s silly to think that we need someone to do these things with and by holding onto this attitude, you’ll never truly take that time to show yourself some love. So get out there and take yourself on a date!
Why do we obsess over looking good for others? Instead, look good for you! Treat yourself this Valentine’s Day with a manicure/pedicure combo, a spa treatment (or two), a new haircut/color/style, a rockin’ new outfit, sexy lingerie, or a fresh barbershop shave (for the guys out there). When you treat yourself, you’re showing the world that you’re worthy. Self-love is the best love… and it’s damn sexy.
Being single isn’t a curse, it’s a choice. Take pride in that choice! You’re choosing not to settle by waiting for a partner that’s just right for you. Or perhaps you’re taking a much-needed break from the dating world to reconnect with yourself. Whatever it is, the ultimate reason behind your relationship status is that you chose it. Celebrate that choice!
Stop waiting around for someone to treat you the way you want to be treated. Stop waiting for a partner to do the things you want to do. Instead, celebrate your single status! Treat yourself the way you truly deserve to be treated and live your life for you. Self-love is sexy, and it shows the world that you are confident in your own skin.
This Valentine’s Day, take the time to show yourself some love.
Ruby Fremon is a Self-Love Coach determined to help others create positive life transformations through the power of self-love. From living a life of self-destruction to a life of love and positivity, Ruby has created those massive shifts by learning to harness the power of self-love.
Join Ruby for a very special pre-Valentine’s Day Google+ Hangout on Thursday February 12th! She’ll be discussing self-love, relationships, and will be answering all your questions live. RSVP here:
https://plus.google.com/events/c19qtrjjdtbrjv8md9gfv55k3jc
