{"id":149,"date":"2015-02-13T22:13:34","date_gmt":"2015-02-13T22:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/?p=149"},"modified":"2018-11-13T22:11:44","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T22:11:44","slug":"valentines-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/?p=149","title":{"rendered":"Valentine&#8217;s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For some, Valentine&#8217;s Day is a day is greeted with enthusiasm. For others, angst might be a better description. For the latter, take a deep breath. We&#8217;ve been helping people choose that perfect gift for 55 years. In that time, we&#8217;ve picked up a few tips that may help rid the day of anxiety and replace it with anticipation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110928.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-156 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110928-1022x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110928-1022x1024.jpg 1022w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110928-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110928-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Valentine&#8217;s day is an opportunity to tell our sweethearts and loved ones just how much they are loved. Gifts and cards are merely tokens of our affection for one another. Chances are, your sweetie would be thrilled just to have your undivided attention for awhile. After all, the best part about Valentine&#8217;s Day is the also the simplest, sharing your love.<\/p>\n<p>First things, first. The easiest way to enjoy the day is to plan ahead. Most of the anxiety occurs when we procrastinate. Make a list of those you wish to celebrate on Valentine&#8217;s Day. My list includes parents, sisters, brother, children and some family members I don&#8217;t often get to visit, and my sweetheart, too.<\/p>\n<p>Second, decide how you are going to honor these people on this special day. For my siblings, parents and out of town family members, I like to make a point of calling and actually talking with them. No texts. No e-mails. No tweets or online messages. A real conversation, about what&#8217;s happening in their lives is as much a gift to me as it is thoughtful to them.<\/p>\n<p>Gifts for your sweetheart should be thoughtful, with care to what you know they will enjoy. For instance, giving flowers and plants is traditional. A little thought about favorite flowers or colors makes it extra special. My mother, for instance, prefers plants over cut flowers because she can enjoy them for a long period of time. Her favorite color is blue, so a blue pot or blue bow tailors the gift to her tastes. Have fun with your gift giving. Perhaps a cactus planter with a note that says &#8220;I&#8217;m stuck on you&#8221; would make your sweetheart smile.\u00a0 With that in mind, here are a few ideas.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_163\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-163\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131160.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-163 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131160-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131160-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131160-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-163\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">front: cyclamen, fragrant fairy primrose, kalanchoe, purple shamrock, narcissus, shamrock\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 rear: campanula, cineraria, tulips, Stargazer lily<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_159\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-159\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131156.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-159 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131156-1024x823.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131156-1024x823.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131156-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2131156.jpg 1376w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-159\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assorted succulents<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_157\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-157\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110935.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-157 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110935-1024x725.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110935-1024x725.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110935-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boxed mugs, insert a Starbuck&#8217;s gift card and\/ or a gift card for her favorite shoe store.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_155\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-155\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110926.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-155 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110926-1024x662.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110926-1024x662.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110926-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Light up the night for the light of your life. (yes, I know it&#8217;s corny) These glass butterfly night lights come in several colors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_153\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-153\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110917.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-153 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110917-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110917-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110917-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-153\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Floral cuff bracelets, each flower represents a birthday month and is engraved on the back.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_154\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-154\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110923.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-154 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110923-1024x798.jpg\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" width=\"474\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110923-1024x798.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/P2110923-300x233.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-154\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Encourage a little relaxation with specially designed, aromatherapy bath salts. Add a few candles and a note that you&#8217;ll take care of the kids.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For some, Valentine&#8217;s Day is a day is greeted with enthusiasm. For others, angst might be a better description. For the latter, take a deep breath. We&#8217;ve been helping people choose that perfect gift for 55 years. In that time, we&#8217;ve picked up a few tips that may help rid the day of anxiety and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/?p=149\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Valentine&#8217;s Day<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-misc-topics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=149"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":165,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149\/revisions\/165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echters.com\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}