THE PERFECT VALENTINE’S DAY
VALENTINE’S DAY bills itself as a celebration of romance but if you are a singleton there is no need to feel left out in the cold. Life isn’t always about lovey-dovey togetherness so if you haven’t got a date, why not celebrate the occasion on your own? As they say, you can’t love another without first loving yourself.
So treat the day as an excuse to give yourself an old-fashioned pampering session, while reminding yourself of the upsides of being on your tod.
Here is our helpful guide to indulging in an enjoyable day of romance for one. A perfect, leisurely start to the day. Load your tray with orange juice and freshly brewed coffee, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, toast and jam. Have the radio on in the background – for your favourite music if you want to relax, or the news if you must know the worst.
Breakfasting in the comfort of your bed is a rare treat and one you can easily provide for yourself.
While I agree that it’s good to have someone else make your breakfast and bring it to you, that comes at a price. At some point the someone else will get into the same bed and complain about the crumbs and soon you will be wishing they hadn’t bothered. During the morning call the three people who are closest to you for an impromptu chin wag. You don’t need an excuse. They can be your children, siblings, parents or best friends. And it doesn’t matter if they are down the street from you or on the other side of the world, or whether you discuss their recent visit to the dentist or your latest thoughts on the meaning of life.
The important thing is that you care deeply about these nearest and dearest and the feeling is mutual. A clear affirmation that you’re a loveable human being, despite being single and without a Valentine’s date. TREAT YOURSELF: Relax with a glass of white in a luxurious bath after enjoying a peaceful breakfast in bed Don’t let the everyday frustrations of modern life ruin the day. Your upbeat mood could be destroyed by any of the following: trying to park your car legally in an urban jungle plagued by incomprehensible parking signs and lurking traffic wardens, attempting to resolve a problem with your IT provider/fuel bill/bank statement/credit card by having a productive conversation with a human being at a call centre, endeavouring to book the most economical and convenient train ticket from A to B anywhere within the UK. So stay out of your car, avoid calling any company with an automated phone menu and put off planning for rail journeys. There is nothing more soothing than a lazy, luxurious soak in a warm bubble bath. Dim the lights in favour of scented candles, put on soft music, have to hand a glass of your favourite tipple – cup of tea or healthy homemade smoothie... who needs to spend a fortune at a posh spa hotel? And thus ensconced, you are ideally placed to reflect upon the next item on the agenda, namely... This isn’t a shopping list, to-do list or guest list for your next birthday party. No, this is the vital list of all the indignities you had to put up with while you were in your last relationship and from which you are now blissfully free.
Of course the list will look different for each of us as the nature of the injustices heaped upon a person in the name of coupledom can vary greatly. But relationships being what they are, the following entries are likely to appear on most such lists:
Spending way too much time with individuals you can’t stand among your ex’s friends and relatives.
Listening ad nauseam to your ex’s hackneyed anecdotes. Fighting over the thermostat. Pretending not to mind about your ex’s terrible taste in films/ TV shows/music/books, despite the cruel assault on your cultural sensibilities.
And last but not least, grudgingly tolerating your ex’s irritating habits, which individually can be brushed aside but when added up form a teetering pile of irritations which threatens to topple over and engulf you.
As all of the above is now history, this is truly a list to relish! most shamelessly exploitative aspect of this annual love fest. The occasion provides a cynical pretext for ramping up prices for the same dishes which on another day of the year would cost notably less, and for rip-off charges on Champagne. What a relief, then, to be spared this blatant fleecing by staying home.
Which doesn’t mean you should spend the evening cooking for yourself. There is a wide array of gourmet meals-for-one available from the classier supermarkets, as well as from posh home-delivery services, lovingly created with fresh ingredients and ready to be slipped into the oven. Beef bourguignon with potatoes dauphinoise and honey-glazed carrots, anyone?
Wash it down with a nice bottle of vino and you are laughing, especially when you consider that most couples paying through the nose to dine out on Valentine’s Day spend much of their time silently gazing into their mobile phones. Later on, pop out for a stroll through the neighbourhood. Believe me, it will be worth it for you will observe that the world has not been taken over by couples enjoying a night of glamorous romance. Most people are going about their daily business as normal. Sometimes even for the most self-sufficient of us it is nice to know you’ve got plenty of company.