Yes, roses are red, but soon they’ll be dead.  I know—that doesn’t sound very romantic.  I’m just trying to get you to think outside of the box a little.  I see you sitting in your little cubicle getting jittery with hopeful anticipation of a long-stemmed delivery landing on your desk not realizing that your last date was in the 20th century.  I can practically feel your heart quivering as you smell bouquet after bouquet passing your cubicle headed for the desks of your snarky colleagues.  The good news is that Valentine’s Day falls on Sunday this year so perhaps you won’t have to call in sick again.  So you know—you’re not fooling anyone.  

If you find yourself woefully single on the most-overrated holiday of the year besides New Year’s Eve, take a pro-active stance.  And no—I don’t mean planning to hunker down with a quart of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.  I mean making a plan to do something fun that doesn’t add inches to your thighs.  If you’re struggling with ideas, call some friends and discuss your options.  Here are a few ideas that will hopefully launch you off of the couch and ensure that you have a fun Valentine’s Day!

See Leap Year starring Amy Adams.  It may inspire you to either propose to your crush or book a trip to Ireland.  I vote for the trip to Ireland.  

Spruce up your After-Hours Wardrobe.  To be sexy, you have to feel sexy.  Invoke your inner sex god or goddess by taking a stroll through Le Tache at 210 King Street or Lotus Blooms at 1017 King Street in Alexandria, Virginia. Remember the theme of Field of Dreams? …”Build it and they will come.”  

Plan a sexy lingerie party.  If you’re nervous about your Mom seeing you leaving Le Tache with an armful of shopping bags, host a party in the privacy of your own living room.  Giggle with your girlfriends while you learn about the latest and greatest toys from a knowledgeable sales rep.  www.temptationsparties.com.

Crank up Alicia Keys’ latest CD, The Element of Freedom.  Dance around the house and celebrate the fact that you’re:  a) free from a bad relationship; b) free from pining away over “him” FINALLY;  c) FREE from stalking “him” on Facebook; and d) FREE to fall in love with someone new and fabulous.

Host a Meet ‘n Greet Party.  Call your single friends and invite them to a party.  Instead of asking them to bring an appetizer, ask them to bring a single friend of the opposite sex.  Throw everyone in a room with some martinis and see what happens.

Make a List and Check it Twice.  Write down everything you’re looking for in a partner from his/her eye color to where he/she likes to vacation.  This could be fun to do with a group and then share your lists.  Who knows?  Maybe when your neighbor reads your list she screams out, “OMG!  This sounds just like my cousin Frank!”  

See it to Believe It.  Grab all those magazines piled up on your nightstand, invoke your inner-Oprah, and create a vision board of all the things you’d like to invite into your life this year.  It may sound hokey, but it’s a lot of fun.  You may be surprised at what ends up on your board and you may be even more surprised at what manifests into your life.

Join Match.com or e-Harmony.  If you’ve got your coat on headed to 7-11 for your 3rd quart of Chunky Monkey this week, maybe it’s time to bite the bullet and join the world of online dating.  It doesn’t mean you’re a loser.  It means that you’re widening your dating pool.  How else would you ever meet that dishy contractor in Ashburn if you’re spending all your time standing in line at convenience stores in Alexandria?

Join the Gym and Go!  So what if you’re single?  You’re fit and fabulous!  Winter is a great time for being good to yourself—which means working out and eating things other than mac ‘n cheese.  Hibernate in a healthy way and count the days until you get to unveil your healthy Springtime glow.

Embrace an Attitude of Gratitude.  It really isn’t fair that Valentine’s Day falls on the heels of Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  The way the stores throw those red hearts up on the shelves, it’s enough to make you want to rent a room from your therapist.  But really—what are you so sad about?  You have your health.  Spring is on the way.  Your entire life didn’t get swept away in a nano-second by an earthquake.  Life is good.

Spread the Love.  You’ve got a lot of love to unleash on someone…why not divvy it up to some really deserving people?  Go spread your love out to a homeless shelter or plan a fundraiser for the folks in Haiti.  Everyone needs a little love—not just that cute redhead.

Personally, my favorite Valentine’s Day memories are those from my childhood.  There’s just something about walking home from school clutching that little brown bag brimming over with those tiny little white envelopes adorned with your classmates’ smeared pencil scrawling and doodles. If you were really on their “A” list they included a few of those cute little sugar hearts.   Of course, they spent hours huddled over the pastel pile trying to decide whether to go with a simple statement like “You’re Cute,” or something a little riskier like, “Be Mine.”  Glad to see some things never change.

Lori Welch is the owner of JCL Services, Ltd., the area’s premier personal concierge and professional organizing service.  JCL has been making its clients’ lives easier in the DC/MD/VA area since 2001 and was recently named “Best Concierge” and “Best Closet Organizer” by Northern Virginia magazine.  www.jclservicesltd.com.

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