Top Ten Thursdays - Valentines Day

This weeks top ten is all about Valentines Day - that day of the year that you either love, hate, or think is ridiculous. I've done one previous post about Valentines Day, in 2014 which I've included the history of the day - click HERE to visit.

I remember that feeling when I was young and single and wishing that someone would send me a valentines card - the only ones I got were from girlfriends (see how I'm going for the heartstrings before we even get started).

My top ten is a mixture of good and bad things about this romantic day.

1. I really hate the pressure that the media puts on people - if you believed the ads then valentines always goes perfectly and men give women hundreds of red roses, champagne, perfect chocolates, and jewellery.

This is the first valentines flowers that Ken ever gave me - no roses and yet to me they were the most beautiful flowers ever.

2. I love that my beloved, despite me always telling him not to spend money on me, buys me a bunch of gorgeous flowers - usually with gerberas which I had in my wedding bouquet. This is my lovely bouquet from this valentines day.

3. I really don't like how lots of restaurants, especially in London, put their prices up on valentines day and therefore make it even harder for the normal person not to stress about money when all they should be thinking about is love.

4. I love how some years we totally don't get our act together and often end up eating at home as most restaurants are booked up for ages. This year my beloved was particularly organised and booked us a table at the Bandstand and we had a scrummy meal of monkfish followed by wonderful sticky toffee pudding.

5. I hate how valentine's things arrive in the shops within days of Christmas being over - that's way too early. As it gets closer to valentines day I actually do like the way that the shops decorate for valentine's day, especially the little local shops.

6. I love the chance to get my beloved a really special card to celebrate our love (we do buy each other cards throughout the year for no particular reason, but I like making this day special). I also love how my beloved often writes extra little bits in the cards - he really is my funny valentine.

My card to Ken

Ken's card to me

7. I really don't like how some people use buying flowers on valentine's day as an excuse not to buy flowers for their partner at any other time in the year. Though we were quite amused when we called into the supermarket at 10pm on valentine's day and there were frantic looking men buying the remaining flowers and chocolates - Ken thought some of them may have been sent out to get something before they were allowed back into a shared bedroom.

8. I love that my beloved always gets me something special (special doesn't mean expensive) and this year he gave me a lovely purple enameled heart shaped trinket box - I love it and it is sitting on my bedside table with semiprecious stones in it.

9. I love that I get to spend everyday of the year with the man who is my forever valentine (come on, surely you knew that I'd get soppier as the post went on).

10. I love the concept of valentine's day - celebrating love and making sure that the most important person in the world to you really understands that. (Brace yourself, extra soppy statement coming up) that person to me is my Kenneth, my beloved, and my best friend.

So there you have it, my top ten for valentine's day. Before you go, why don't you pop over to Tamara's blog, Confessions of a part-time working mom, to see what my fellow bloggers have come up = click HERE to visit. Until next time, be good, stay safe, and I hope you have a great day.

Pamela & Ken

xxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S: Final photo is my sad photo of the day - two lovely soft toys that had been left on the shelf at the end of valentines day, with no home to go to. I was very tempted and did pick up the white dog and give him a very big hug (just for a moment, you'd forgotten how strange I am, hadn't you).