Valentine’s Day for all!

The season of love is officially upon us.

The cycle inevitably occurs every year: The number of couples walking hand-in-hand throughout public settings begins to multiply radically, a quick glance through rose-colored glasses makes Provo transform into Paris, and the beginning stages of wedding announcements infiltrate mailboxes – just in time to plan a June wedding, of course. Isn’t it romantic?

To kick off this blissfully idyllic ritual of human behavior, we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although undoubtedly the tackiest holiday, Valentine’s presents itself as the perfect time to be swept up in twitterpated ecstasy and show that significant other just how significant they are.

From scraping by to high-rollin’, a few budget-based ideas to show your love on V-day:  

$ Can’t buy me love –

Creating some of the best memories can cost little or nothing. The thought and consideration put into planning a date or gift means much more than any amount of money:

* Go for a drive through Provo Canyon.

* Make your loved one’s favorite dinner.

* Watch a romantic movie – there are free rentals in the school library.

* Learn something together, like cooking or dancing. On Feb. 12, the Macey’s Pleasant Grove Little Theatre is offering a free cooking class at 7 p.m. at 931 W. State. Call (801) 796-6601.

* Make a handmade gift; write a poem, song, or just a list of all the things you love about that person.

* See a foreign film – BYU shows them for free at 250 SWKT. For show times, go to http://ic.byu.edu/now.php 

$$ Livin’ off love – 
If you don’t mind spending a little something…

* Send a singing Valentine – on Feb. 14, professional quartets from the Skyline Chorus will be available to sing to your sweetheart from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. anywhere within Utah County. Cost is $25 and includes one rose, one card, and two songs. Contact Owen Richardson at (801) 434-9228.

* Go to the opera – on Feb. 14-15 at 7:30 p.m., "Opera for Lovers," presented by the Utah Lyric Opera Society, will be at the SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 S. State, Orem. Cost is $10/$8 for children, seniors, students. Contact (801) 225-2569.

* See a play – Feb. 14-April 5 at 7:30 p.m. She Loves Me, shows at Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North. Contact (801) 226-8600.

* Become artists together – Color Me Mine in the Riverwoods Shopping Center lets you pick out a piece of pottery and paint it. They glaze and fire your work of art and you can take it home that night. Contact (801) 434-4848 to make a reservation.

* Go out to dinner – classic. Just don’t forget to make reservations now! Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants.

$$$ Hey big spender
What better day than Valentine’s to dive into that tax return and splurge on the one you love?

* Send a huge bouquet of classic pink roses in a vase – 3-dozen sell for $59.99, including delivery, at Costco.com

* Go to Thanksgiving Point’s Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Show Barn. The Joe Muscolino Band will provide the entertainment. Cost is $90 in advance, $100/day of. Contact (801) 768-2300.

* Enjoy the spa treatment – Remedez Spa in the University Mall offers his and hers spa packages including massages and pedicures. Cost is $185 per couple. Contact (801) 227-0011 for an appointment.

* Take a mini-vacation: Drive up to Salt Lake for dinner and a performance – The Melting Pot offers four-course fondue dinners for two, and Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. VocalPoint performs at the LDS Conference Center Theatre. Cost is $8. Follow it up with a carriage ride through Temple Square – contact Carriage for Hire at (801) 363-TOUR. Cost is about $80/hr.

* Spend the day in the snow – The Canyons Resort in Park City has a special offer up until Feb. 14th that includes a pair of adult day lift tickets, two cheeseburgers, and two beverages. The cost is $99.90.

For those less prone to romantic failure and a little more realistic in relationships, Valentine’s Day is just a day. It can be a fun and cheesy way to embarrass a girlfriend or boyfriend at work, an excuse for an exhausted husband and wife to get a babysitter and go out to dinner, or just a reason for a group of single girls to gush over chick-flicks and eat ice cream. Any way they spend it, Valentine’s Day should be for everyone, no matter what their status or income.