No, my sweet and I will not exchange gifts or go out to dinner. We’re not doing a long weekend out of town. We both believe that the holiday, like New Years’ Eve, brings inflated expectations that are almost impossible to meet. Overpriced flowers and expensive dinners in crowded restaurants? How can these things ever deliver what a couple truly wants – quality time together, gestures that speak volumes of love and the feeling of being loved?

As the aphrodisiac queen, I believe in celebrating romance all year. Yes, my busy season is over but my job is not done. If you want to show someone that you love them, don’t waste your money on overpriced flowers. Massage their feet, draw them a bath, steal a bouquet from your neighbor’s flourishing garden under cover of the night, invite your lover for a walk in the moonlight or, best of all in my book, make them a meal. Most importantly, spend time with them.

I would write more, but there’s someone with whom I need to spend a few moments alone. xo