Hello,

I just joined earlier this week, and I've been reading without commenting (except on the War with Iraq thread).

I'm trying not to do the chocolate, champage & heavy foods for Valentine's Day, but I would like to celebrate the evening with my husband. Any non-fattening suggestions (yes, I already know the most obvious! -- but I mean any others?

I look forward to your comments. And Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Kimberelly

Hi and welcome Kimberelly!!

This is a great thread!

We are going to go to a healthy dinner out and either rent a movie or go see one. Not exactly the most original date ever. I'm looking forward to other members' suggestions.

Angi

david and i *never* go to the movies. so we're gonna check out one tomorrow night. nothing special for dinner, really.

it's our first v-day actually, but we're both poor and i'm watching the food so, you know... whatcha gonna do?

How about going ice skating or a concert or dancing or some kind of activity that doesn't involve food? I know I'm not secure enough to do the out-to-dinner thing yet.

Looked at your location--so do you live some of the time in Australia and some of the time in California??

How about hand-dipping chocolate covered strawberries and feeding them to eachother?

I love a hot oil massage. Spread a sheet on the floor and buy either a nice oil (if you have trouble finding oils, check an organic market, they usually have jojoba or almond oil). Stick the bottle of oil in hot tap water, and leave it there for a couple minutes. It will reach a fabulous tempature. Then, take turn rubbing those sore muscles.

Think about what you guys did in the beginning of your relationship. Did you play scrabble together? Dance? Read poetry to eachother? It's sounds silly but nothing brings back smiles and cute kisses is a good game of cribbage (where I kick his butt).

There are my suggestions!

I've enjoyed reading everyone's suggestions. Thank you for some great ideas.

I think we're going to take a nice long walk along the beach, and I like the idea of some kind of board game -- or a movie (I think we're the only people in the world who still haven't seen "Titanic"!). We used to do a lot of bookstore lurking, but don't do that quite as often these days -- I could never come out of the store empty-handed!

In response to Sheila53, we usually live about 8 - 9 months of the year in California and about 3 - 4 months of the year in Australia. However, this last year we were mostly in the US, only in Australia for 6 weeks.

Kimberelly - what part of NSW?

Angi (I'm American but lived in Sydney for 10 years when I was a kid)

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!

Angi,

Where in Sydney did you live? We were in Wollstonecraft (North Sydney near Crows Nest and St. Leonards) for about 2 years.

When in Oz, we live about 3 hours drive (6 hours train) north of Sydney near the coast -- the biggest town nearby is Taree. The area's called the mid-North Coast. It's rural and beautiful and peaceful...well, for the most part. There've been a lot of fires (nothing too close, although when we were there last year we couldn't get to Sydney because the rail lines and all roads to the city were closed due to bushfires) and a lot of the farmers and ranchers in the area are having to kill their cows this season because the drought is so bad.

Not too cheery there, either -- I guess everyone's having one of those kind of years!

We lived in Ryde. Have you heard of it? I'm not sure where it is, North South East or West (!) because I was 12 when we left. But maybe you've heard of it?

Angi

What a *small* world! My husband grew up in Ryde and Eastwood (the next suburb east). It's north/northwest of Sydney.

Have you ever been back?

Did you decide what movie you're going to see? It's raining here (it *does* rain in Southern California!), so we decided that we'll stay home and rent something in the romantic comedy section -- any suggestions?

One suggestion from me: I have seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and really thought it was a sweet movie.

I haven't ever been back. Where did your husband go to Primary and High School? I went to Denistone East Primary and Ryde High for just a year before returning to the States.

That is funny because I've talked to lots of people from Sydney and they haven't heard of Ryde. I remember Eastwood, because we used to go shopping there.

I don't know what movie we see - _Ten Things to do to Lose a Guy_ (It's called something like that, anyway!) if I can talk DH into it. We rented _Happy Accidents_ last weekend - It's a very QUIRKY independent film - but a romantic comedy that I highly recommend. It has Vincent D'Onofrio (guy from Law and Order: Criminal Intent) and Marisa Tomei in it. I love D'Onofrio. He's an excellent actor.

D'Onofrio rocks!!! I love him in Mystic Pizza.

so, david is funny. he got me vitamins intsead of candy. ha ha ha. cuz he knows i want to be more healthy. =)

Love that - vitamins! Were they heart-shaped?

(A friend of mine takes Flintstones vitamins just because it's fun and helps her to remember.)

I'm going to have to rent _Mystic Pizza_: It's been so long since I've seen it, I can't figure out who D'Onofrio was. Turns out he's been all over the place but I didn't recognize him (mark of a good actor!) until he was on TV every week.

Angi

Yes, I would rather see an actor in all kinds of films, that way I can't compartmentalize them in my head. You will love him in Mystic Pizza. There's also a pre-Pretty Woman Julia Roberts, and Almanzo from Little House. I can't think of his real name.

I have no suggestions for you, Kimberelly. My S/O is in a different city & my treats here @ work I've planned in. So the most obvious calorie-free way to celebrate is the one I would choose.