Valentine’s Day for me… (and some helpful advice for keeping yours sweet and simple)

Valentine’s Day for me…
My daughter, Alexandra, was born on February 13. Valentines Day for me is the gift of her in my life. It simply doesn’t get better than that. As for that perfect Valentine’s night, I love to have an intimate night at home with my sweetie. I’m a real sucker for candlelight’s, jazz music and finger food….

Some advice on keeping this holiday a sweet one and not a stressful one…
For people who look at Valentine’s Day as a day to gauge the depth of affection and strength of a relationship, surely Valentine’s Day takes on a heavy burden. The stress this expectation creates could be overwhelming.
Try planning your Valentine’s night together. It helps forestall missteps or assumptions that can prove to be embarrassing. Keep it simple – and maybe save the sexy stuff for dessert. We humans tend to be less inhibited after we’ve eaten and had a glass or two. There are many foods that are linked to romance – from the perspective of their actual chemical properties, or their physically stimulating appearance, or their fragrance. Food also has sentimental value, and is linked to the type of memories that are made in the brain from touch, taste and smell. Remember the words of the poet Virginia Woolf, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”