Do something different this Valentine’s Day

Here are some suggestions on how you can break the strangle-hold of consumerism on Valentine's Day and let your own heart do the talking.
• Instead of the prosaic red roses, why not be a little imaginative and get a potted plant with a pretty flower or some wild flowers collected from a meadow or a park?
• Words sound much better when they are heartfelt and come from within. Speaking out what you feel will be cherished by your loved one. However, if you are really keen on giving a card, fashion one yourself. All the love that you pour into it while making it is well worth the pain and is much more valuable than those false, over priced, mushy, readymade cards.
• A candlelit dinner in a restaurant, on every Valentine’s Day, sounds so cliché and boring. Here’s a tip you’ll never tire of thanking me for. Why not ‘cook’ up a storm at home? Put on your aprons, whip up a meal of the dishes both of you love, set a table for two with candles, romantic music, champagne n all and see how the magic unfolds. The fun and excitement of cooking together, the disasters in the process and the efforts at salvaging the meal, the laughter, the friendly banter and the ribbing will all add to the enchantment and make the day a memorable one.