My Dream Boy – 14 Day Countdown to Serenade Your Valentine!

“…I had seen the princess and let her lie there unawakened, because the happily ever after was so damnably much work”….- Orson Scott Card.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this infamously famous quote doesn’t hold true for most of the guys. Every girl’s Secret Dream- ‘her husband should wake up his queen with a loving morning kiss; boys this is the EASIEST thing you can do’- ATLEAST! Needless to say every girl loves to be pampered and spoilt. Most men would agree that on every Valentine’s Day, they have to delightfully prepare for the extravagant expectations and supposedly unreasonable but adorable whims of their wives or girlfriends.

To simplify things for you, here’s a countdown of all things crazy, cracked and cuddly to serenade your Valentine in this magical season of love. Let’s unfold the round-up to a grand finale of everything romantic.

Image Credits: Tatsuya Ishida

1^st Feb- Spa @ Home

This spells magic! Treat your girl with a basket of rejuvenating and relaxing spa products. Send her a hamper of everything calming from bath salts and bathing oils to feet scrubbers and loofahs, aromatic candles and premium body lotions to sweet-smelling mist for creating a spa at home experience at the comfort of her home.

2^nd Feb- Trendy jewellery

Think shiny, glittery, sparkling and chic! Give a break to old fashioned diamonds (hey, they are no more a girl’s best friend), gift her maybe Swarovski crystals instead.

3^rd Feb- Because girls love pictures…

Capture your memories! Book a candid photographer for a couple photo-shoot and seize your special moments in an exotic getaway. Gift her an album of your pictures together….girls love getting themselves clicked!

4^th Feb-Personal shopper- Most recommended!

Book her a personal shopper! A personal shopper would take your sweetheart on a guided day to advice on her wardrobe essentials. Help her plan and buy a perfect attire for the V-Day.

5^th Feb-But First, Champagne!

Send her a bottle of champagne with a small note that says- ‘You make my heart bubble!’

6^th Feb- Take coffee to her work

Love is in the air and it smells coffee… surprise your girl by taking her ‘favourite coffee’ from her ‘favourite’ coffee brand to work!

7^th Feb- Roses for you

Love planted a rose and the world turned sweet….serenade your love with a bunch of roses sent to her all day or maybe a bunch of roses every day till 14^th Feb. Make her fall in love with you again!

8^th Feb- Let’s share my last name

Send her a box full of delicious nuts with a proposal message- ‘I am nuts for you!’ …Will you marry me? I am sure this will sweep her off her feet.

9^th Feb- Reaffirm your love- It is super important!

Plan and leave small love notes in her favourite book, in the kitchen, on her dressing table, etc leading her to a box of assorted gourmet chocolates that says- ‘It’s a treat to be your valentine!’

10^th Feb- Love is in the air

Send a balloon bouquet- maybe halogen balloons with personalized messages printed on it.

11^th Feb- Say it with flowers

This is such a cute thing to do…A lot of brands offer this service of sending a guitarist along with flowers who can play your favourite music at the time of delivery. Maybe he can entertain her with a serenade!

12^th Feb- A warm hug!

Your beloved will adore a life size huggable teddy!

13^th Feb – If she is a movie buff

If your girlfriend is a movie buff, send her a collection of most romantic movies- The Notebook, When Harry Met Sally, Love Actually, Titanic, Gone With The wind, A Walk to Remember……

14^th Feb- Send A-Z romantic gifts

It is the Grand Finale….the day should be extra special, the surprise should be unusual and pampering should be extraordinary. Send her A-Z gifts of love…A-accessories, B- books, C-cupcakes, D- donuts, E- earrings, F- flowers etc. The Valentine gifts don’t have to be very expensive and splendid, after all it’s the thought that counts.

15^th Feb- You are Broke!!!
Pay your credit card bills because you will be completely broke by now!! 😉

P.S– If you want to do something ultimately wild and insanely funny or you want to lovingly beat each other…participate in the San Francisco Pillow Fight Festival!! Yes, you read it right. Every year San Francisco holds a group pillow fight on 14^th February on Justin Herman Plaza wherein thousands of people participate. Started as an anti-valentine campaign, now has couples, singles, families and kids joining in. Serenade your valentines in the symphony of silliness and gift of craziness!

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Absolutely Unconditional… Or Nothing At All!

Love is over rated! Yes it is! You might think what am I talking? Read on, you’ll get it. Love is a feeling lesser people blessed with. It is an emotion that needs courage to carry on with. When you talk about love, it has to be unconditional. And if it is not unconditional, it is mere a transaction. A convenient transaction or a good arrangement that people set up according to their ease and standards. Some might make excellent arrangements in life but that does not equals to the blissful feeling.

On the other hand, love holds your hand tenderly and pulls you out of your comfort zone and takes you to a completely different dimension of life, also leaves you vulnerable sometimes. It consumes you and if you truly are in love, you find happiness there too. Know that you are in love when it becomes tough to keep holding on and equally hard to let go at the same time. It brings a strange confusion and dilemma in your life and if you still make it till the end, congratulation! You won! But hey, wait! There is no end in the case of genuine feelings. The journey of love might have bends but it never ends anywhere. Your determination helps you walk past the extreme conditions and you emerge as the man of your words. Your struggle and strength not only draws you closer to the love of your life but also earns you respect.

Your conviction defines your relationship with your beloved. No matter how harsh situations turn, your will is the only thing that helps you. Expectations from the world always fall apart so better not rely on things or people other than your own self. It is your effort that counts in the end.

I’ll call love being over rated all over again because most of the people confuse the emotion with some plot of a movie or a novel. The flowery feeling which brings joy to their hearts and the moment it demands a little effort, it is cleansed with gallons of water.

So, if you say you are in love, make sure you are all set to amaze yourself by pushing all limits and end up being together, hand in hand, forever!

 

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Valentine’s Day: Rekindling Your Love

Valentine’s Day, undoubtedly being one of the most romantic days of the year gives opportunity for most lovers to get all mushy and romantic. Couples who are in love often wait for Valentine’s Day as perfect excuse to celebrate their relationship and make it a day to cherish ever. After all every relationships needs a vigorous dose of fun every now and then and, what better day to geek out than on Valentine’s Day.

This day is hard to plan for, where you want to show the person you care for, how much you love them. But, it is really a cumbersome task to decide what romantic activity is really the best choice. If you too wish your Valentine’s Day with your beloved to be truly remarkable, it definitely requires some thoughtful and careful planning. Often, obligation is on the men, but women too could expend some effort in this direction.

Start The Day With

Start her day with a special delivery in the form of long stemmed red roses, a box of delectable chocolates or a call to tell her how much she is special for you. Surprise him with an email or greeting card by saying him just how special he makes you feel and the moment he opens his mail at the office, a big smile hatches on his face.

As The Day Progresses

You can surprise her by appearing at her workplace and taking her out for lunch. Half the fun lies in the surprise element. It’s not necessary that you have to take her out to a fancy restaurant, rather you could make things more romantic by planning a picnic for two. You might even decide to organize something unique by sending keepsake gifts or a dress that she can wear for special date with you.

For A More Extravagance

You could book yourselves on a dinner voyage and enjoy a quiet meal for two with soothing music. What could be the most romantic way to spend a Valentine’s Day than dancing as well as holding your loved one in your arms and swaggering cheek to cheek?
If you’re in the mood to be extravagant, plan a romantic dinner at a stylish restaurant. As you definitely won’t like to kill the romantic mood by spending most of your evening waiting for a table, ensure that you make bookings in advance.

Finally, with the presence of your loved one’s on Valentine’s Day, you may wonderfully become speechless. So, it’s wise to plan ahead. Where there is great love, there is great fancy, and, Valentine Day is the perfect date to let her know that you believe that.

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Why should you gift chocolates?

What is chocolate? A delicious treat that uplifts your mood the moment you see it. Chocolates boosts brain serotonin and hence it is known as the joy stimulant. They have always been the backup plan to any kind of gifting complication. You forgot to buy anniversary present, what about chocolates? They will save you from the wrath of your partner. If this wasn’t a reason enough to believe that chocolates are the perfect gift, here are some more reasons to convince you:

They are everyone’s favorite!

There is no person who will say no to chocolate. Chocolate is your partner when you recently went through a breakup! Chocolate just soothes our heart. What more, dark chocolate helps you lose weight!

A luxury that can’t be replaced!

Gone are the days when people preferred mithai boxes! Whether it is lohri or some other occasion, chocolates have conveniently replaced the mithai boxes! Why? Because they are far more luxurious than those big boxes of mithais. Also the shelf life of chocolates is greater than the mithai boxes.

They are healthy!

Chocolates are loaded with flavanols that fight free radicals in your body that are responsible for pre-mature ageing and cell damage. Eat chocolate and look young!
Also, eating dark chocolate benefits your cardiovascular health in long run. A dark chocolate a day keeps heart doctor away?

Do we really need a reason to love chocolate? I guess not but now you have a motive to gorge on chocolates and gift them to your loved ones!

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With Love, From a Frugal Lover…

You will soon be busy in painting the world red, pink, cuddly, sweet, fragrant, lacy and sugary for your beloved. This untamed wilderness will soon take away the oasis of sanity! Be prepared to do the talk-of-the-town and the most clichéd sweet nothings for your baby (read- girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife). None of you can blissfully ignore the most anticipated day in this universe since 5th century- Valentine’s Day! (*_* really!).

Your well-wishers will develop the skills of an agony aunt to give expert advises on how to impress that ultimate damsel in distress, the gold digger wife, the compulsive flirt husband and commitment phobic lover. Following is an exhaustive list of things from here, there and everywhere that you should not be doing and few things that can make your partner go woooof!

 

 

Nothing can beat a cup of hot chocolate and toast served in the bed to keep your love warm and cozy. Don’t forget to keep a cute little love note in the tray or maybe leave a secret message in a bottle!

 

It is about astonishment- people simply adore the tiniest of surprises….if you have given something in past don’t repeat….if you haven’t given chocolates for long, gift may be 100 boxes of this sinful gift.

 

 

Vacation, vacation, vacation….I scream go on an exciting vacation people!

 

 

Don’t make everything heart like– heart shaped cake, heart shaped bouquet, heart shaped jewellery, heart shape chocolates, heart shaped soft toys…it is like you are giving Santa Claus motive wrap on Christmas. After some time it might look just a little melodramatic.

 

 

 

 

Don’t always gift ‘I Own You Gifts’ like personalized ‘I love my Boyfriend’ cushions or mugs! Ok sometimes they are really really cute, (only if you haven’t gifted them ever) but not on every lovey-dovey occasion
Blueberry Cheesecake is an immortal treat that speaks the silent language of ‘You are Mine forever…’

 

 

 

Think tailor-made, think experience, every Valentine’s Day think you are going to give your first proposal gift! You got to be a pro! Don’t get yourself punched in the face!

 

Don’t give bunch of flowers- give a HUGE BUNCH of scarlet or blush pink 100 roses.

Believe me- a quiet romantic dinner (*blushing smiley*) at her favourite restaurant (read-elite/expensive/exotic/exclusive) works the best! It is like the perfect formula of not to do soul-crushing disasters.

Its cheeky but…..Try lust-worthy loungewear! Period.

Gift your precious time-‘365 days’, it is more important than hole-digging materialistic gifts

In case…just in case you don’t have money, simply saying “I love you baby” (awwww) doesn’t cost too much 😉

Valentine’s Day is a world full of over-the-top expectations- Do like Americans, they spent staggering $18.9 billion dollars in 2015 on this mushy lovey day, don’t do like Uzbekistan! For online gifting portals, Valentine’s Day is like white chocolate dipped strawberries filled with gooey Belgian chocolate. Utilise these Godly havens to guide you for not taking a wrong turn between fairytale romance and heart wrenching disappointment!

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What would you choose CHANGE or MONOTONY?

People say: ‘Variety is the spice of life’,
Well, I say monotony is….

Just imagine yourself going to the monotonous job and then suddenly losing it, yearning for change in the home cooked food but craving for the same when your wife goes out for a week, getting a disturbing call from someone at odd hours and suddenly finding yourself checking the phone every minute for the same. Getting into fights with your besties and then missing them terribly. We keep cribbing, how mundane life has become but we somehow miss the same mundane things when we run out of them.

No matter, what we say, but accepting change becomes a little too spicy. The moment monotony breaks in, a tussle between the head and the heart commences where your heart still yearns for the monotony, but your head keeps you away from it by giving you reasons which to you seems completely unacceptable. The fight lingers on for quite some time, but neither the heart nor the head wins, but ‘TIME’ turns out to be unexpected winner. Some great philosophers and poets have thus said, that time can heal great pains, mend broken relationships and give a new direction to your thought process. So when life gets too hard on you, just take out time for yourself sit and relax and I am sure you will find some amazing answers which your frustrating mind could never think of. Time has always been a perfect remedy to bail you out from such tough situations. So the next time something like this happens to you, you know where the answer lies.

Such is life, so don’t just walk mechanically -try swirling in the wind every day , don’t manage relations diplomatically -try cherishing them, don’t just let each day pass by- try living it’, don’t think people ordinary make them feel extraordinary with a spectacular gift because you keep yearning for that walk, that relation, that day and those extraordinary people. But monotony has the unique habit of coming with time and going along with it before a new monotony sets in.

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Opening a box of happiness

lohri

As I pick up the packet of popcorn, I am reminded of the beautiful memories I had until I moved away from home. The early morning walk across the neighbourhood to gather any sort of wood that would be the main constituent of the evening bonfire. I still remember how every house had a perfectly arranged bonfire with kids surrounding it, to win the chance of being the one who lights the bonfire. The fire was lit and the ritual of eating more popcorn and throwing less into the bonfire began. Like every kid, Lohri was a favourite, just because you had yet another excuse to eat popcorn.

I still remember how my grandmother would chide all us children to behave properly if we wanted to get her token of love. The ritual was broken by the noise of dhol coming towards us. Unable to wait for it to come to us, we would run and break into a dance every now and then. Delicious food cooked by grandmother awaited us. Every Punjabi household’s favourite dahi bhalla was always on the menu but everything else was different every year.

All these memories remained embedded in my mind but every year the Lohri gift sent by my mother sent me whooshing back to the days when I was still a little child who danced to the tunes of the dhol waiting for the delicious Barfi made by my grandmother. The importance of receiving was always undermined until now..

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Nothing Matters But Love!

The season of love approaches and it won’t be an over statement if I say that the storm of feelings is all set to engulf rest of all the senses. It’s exactly thirty days that the day of love will knock our doors. For every distinct one of us, there is a different Valentine’s Day or shall I say every one of us choose to celebrate it in their own unique style. As we say and get well familiar with the fact that each one of us defines happiness the way we prefer to! Similarly, it is not obvious that all of us celebrate the Valentine’s Day just like shown in movies.

There is an equal proportion of people who want to make it big, shouting out loud on the roof-tops and the other ones who don’t mind spending quality time with their love birds at home or going for a simple romantic long drive. If you ask me the perfect idea of celebrating the special day, I would take it as a gesture of love if he takes out time for me from his busy work schedules. But some might disagree with this regular and low profile idea for valentine.

For them, love is a feeling that needs to be expressed and expressed in a way that it brings joy to the other one’s life. They would not mind going off the edge to make their beloved feel valued. For example, a sedan full of red roses, hot air balloon ride, painting wall with a sweet message or a large collage of beautiful pictures of both or a big box full of chocolates would make a perfect valentine gift for such romance enthusiasts. For them, all that matters is to make their better halves feel special.

Whoever we talk about, the sober or the fancy ones, all that matters is love, the very essence of life. And Valentine’s Day, is the day when every couple make every possible effort to turn it into a memory and that’s what add all the beauty to the occasion!

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I see my Flower in You…

We often hear that when this universe was created there were only planets, stars, and nebula. The Almighty was quite impressed with the presence and contour of this Earth so he focused on introducing life here. The moment he thought of tenants for this huge apartment, he first invented plants and trees. He was in a jolly good mood and therefore painted some colorful and vibrant matter that culminated in the shape of flowers in Cretaceous period at least 180 million years ago. Just imagine the whole look of the Earth then: flowing waters, growing trees, lofty mountains, blooming flowers, and a few species of animals. But he seemed to be quite bored as there were no animated action for entertainment. This time he became anxious and thought that something is still missing which in Salman Khan’s language can be summed up as: Kick nehi hai. That’s most probably because an artist can ripen or become satiated only when there is appreciation for his work – this was the missing link. Therefore, the grand entry of first humans on the Earth happened whom we know in the name of Mr. Adam and Miss. Eve. With the advent of humans on this Earth, God was more than satisfied as this tenant not only lives on Earth’s soil and appreciates it but also knows to take care of it, make full use of all other inventions of God. Humans were busy hunting, fishing, rubbing stones, digging earth for metals, etc. With lots of efforts at a time they were really lucky and wrote history with the invention of fire. Flowing time saw some more inventions which made this planet a better place to live in. But while differentiating the creations of God and humans, obviously God wins as he introduced those beautiful flowers, mountains, and greenery which falls short in comparison with our material needs.

I just wonder how many inspirations and boosts for authors, poets, and artists would have not been there if there were no flowers. Wordsworth wouldn’t have written a Daffodils neither would Tagore have written a The Champa Flowers. Bollywood wouldn’t have mesmerized us with its singing and dancing in flower gardens. Leave all that, your first date wouldn’t have remained a vivid memory without flowers.
I asked some people about the very first word that comes in their mind imagining a flower. The answers were: freshness, meadow, tenderness, joy, love, smile, freedom, peace, beauty. But I was not expecting these two answers: friendship and worship. Suddenly I realized that flowers are not only our companions on Earth, they are also our carrier of message between human-human and human-God. Let’s see how these two ships (friendship and worship) sail generally:

The misunderstanding due to some harmful people had eaten up the friendship between Kanchan and Binny. After a gap of 3 years, when Kanchan saw Binny with her kid in a shopping mall from a distance, she didn’t find the courage to walk up to her and greet. But later, she sent flowers to Bangalore at her residence with a sorry note. Binny found her long lost friendship flourishing again.

Sunny wakes up early in the morning and collects flowers from his garden. After bath, offers those lovely flowers to his God in his Mandir and prays for happiness and peace to prevail in his life. Happiness and peace are two very silent and continuous concepts just like the presence of God. If you believe in the existence of God, it is always with you, no matter in which form you prefer to worship. Likewise, peace and happiness also won’t say Sunny “Present Sir!” Sunny has to understand and feel their presence with his wit.

If I ask you all, who is your flower, what would be the answer? Don’t get confused with the question! What I intend to mean here is, who is that one person who resembles all these above mentioned nouns that are easily connected with the view of a flower? Who makes you feel fresh? Who is the tender one you know? Who always brings joy to you? Who puts an everlasting smile on your face? Who sets you free? Who shows you peace? Who brings love to you? And who is the most beautiful one you know?

Whoever they all are: aren’t each of these people equivalent to a flower in your life? Of course they are. When these flowers are there in your life, you should not worry about your life’s state, instead be grateful to them for their contribution to your being.

May be there are faces, who are not your friends, neither relatives, nor colleagues; may be places where you have never been; things which were never yours – still fill your small world with joy, peace, smile, and freshness. Count all those names: It can be Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Kapil Sharma, Osho, Kashmir Valley, I-Phone, the local tea stall, the girl next door, etc. Thank them for being your flower for whom you are the butterfly sucking honey from its nectar. Happiness and love resides where your mind is still. When you are disposed to all these mentioned names, you yourself bloom like a smiling flower. Isn’t it so?

Flowers are not only examples of beauty, peace, freshness, friendship, etc. Absorbing every situation, standing up again to welcome tomorrow is what a flower demonstrates us. A flower sustains scorching sun, merciless rain, and shivering cold, then eventually dies to be born again. And within its small span of life, fills our vacant life with what we need, thus, dedicating the whole life in happiness of others but also maintaining the beauty of the self.

Obviously, perfection is the only word that reigns my mind while thinking of a flower. Hope you all now know the flowers of your garden – keep watering your garden with love so that these flowers never leave you.

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Grandma’s Roserella

My love affair with roses began long before I was a teenager and guys started noticing me. More than the bouquets given by my friends, the roses grown in the backyard have always grabbed my attention. I spent most of my childhood at my grandma’s place. She was fond of gardening and that’s where this love for flowers finds its source. It’s been more than two decades and I remember those days like no time has passed at all.

The days when I used to help grandma in her favourite part of her garden; the ‘Roserella’, that’s what she called it. The area which had most of the colourful and fragrant roses. We used to spend our mornings there and I used to watch her cutting plants, watering them and trimming stems for hours.

Now whenever I think of those times, I can only imagine how many bouquets could have been created out of those large bushes. I was totally enchanted then and continue to be enchanted now by the beauty and the fragrance of a rose.

Last week I visited grandma again. Since she is in her 80’s, taking care of the garden has become a little tough. So I took charge of the cleaning and making it the way it used to be once upon a time. It was more than half a day that passed and I was almost done with decking up the entire lawn.

The hours that I spent in there, were the most beautiful ones in a very long time. I placed her chair near her favourite rose plants and brought her outside with her eyes closed. I made her sit there and asked to open her eyes and as soon as she did, there were hundreds of emotions visible on her face. As if someone took her back to youth and left her free.

That was the magic of nature, the place where she spent the beautiful time of her life, her garden, where she fell in love all over again and again and every time with the same person; grandpa. Her face was glowing with the memories she made in her lovely garden.

It was then, that I thanked God I visited her and also felt a little bad about how could I not think of this rejuvenation before!

 

 

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Love travels across the ocean!

Since she was a young girl, all she knew was that she wanted to live in California. The fast paced city had always motivated her to work harder in life. Whether it was school or for graduation, or even when she was preparing for her LSATs.

But the day she received email of her acceptance in the prestigious university, she knew she had to endure the heartbreak of moving away from her parents. Standing at the entrance of airport, Ayesha tried her best to not cry. With a wave every now and then, she convinced herself she would be back soon.

Settling down in a new city had taken out the fun of planning her birthday. It was her 21st birthday and it had to be special. While looking at the clock, she realized it was her first birthday without her parents or friends. With a sigh, she went out for a quite dinner with her friends. She didn’t know that having to celebrate her birthday without her parents would leave her feeling alone. Ayesha decided to call her parents, but the time difference had contributed to the misery. Her birthday had just started but she still missed her mom’s voice wishing her a happy birthday.

With a heavy heart, she went back to her apartment only to find her a box that shouted love. She quickly opened it and found an engraved photo frame of her and her parents. She was surprised to find the gift knowing how her parents weren’t tech-savvy. Every time they had to send gifts to USA to their relatives or wish them by sending birthday gifts to USA, they had always relied on Ayesha.

But this had left her with a new-found confidence knowing she could now rest easy as her parents were now independent. Every time there would be some important occasion to be celebrated, she knew that she wouldn’t truly be alone because her parents would always send her a memory or other all the way from India.

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