Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Hello Lovelies! I hope everyone has had an awesome week! It's been pretty mellow over here at the Shakespeare house. Although even chill weeks can be exhausting. It's currently 3 AM and i am wide awake because I crashed after putting Ella to bed and slept for 4 hours! Gotta love that #momlife.

I can't believe it is already February. I feel like we just rang in the New Year yesterday and now Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Valentine's Day has never been a huge deal for us, usually due to the fact that I worked in the restaurant biz for most of our dating / married life and V-day is the busiest day of the year.

I do remember our first Valentine's Day after we got married I was waiting tables at this fancy restaurant and I had worked a 14 hour shift. I was absolutely exhausted when Joe picked me up. As we pulled into the parking lot of our apartment all I wanted to do was go inside and collapse but Joe asked me if I would take the dog for a quick walk. I went from exhausted to irrationally ticked off in a matter of seconds. I may have actually started crying ( I tend to be over emotional when I'm tired). He just took my hand and looked me in the eyes and said "Please Tabby". I was still pretty annoyed but I obliged and walked the pup around the complex. When I walked inside there were candles lit everywhere and my handsome man had changed into a suit. He had made me dinner and gotten me flowers and a teddy bear (this was a huge deal because we were broke as a joke you guys) and laid out a dress for me to change into. I know, he's the sweetest.

Anyways, the moral of my story is that you don't have to go all out and spend a ton of money to make this day special. That night will always be one of my most romantic memories. All it takes is a simple gesture.

I've put together a collection of sweet gifts that would work for any relationship, whether you just started dating or are engaged or married and I've tried to include something for every price point as well! Remember it's the thought that counts but as someone whose love language is gifts I would highly recommend not showing up empty handed. Ladies, feel free to share this blog post with your man so he can have a frame of reference for you. There's no shame in a little "hint hint".

Now for your viewing pleasure I've included some horrible quality but very sweet throwback photos of that first Valentine's Day. Try to to make too much fun of us. We were just kids.

Dinner was a can of chicken noodle soup because Joe didn't actually know how to cook anything else and that's a bottle of sparkling cider because we weren't even old enough to buy champagne.