Every weekend, and even every weekday night, it seems you can’t walk into a regular store without feeling a little claustrophobic. But going against the flow of the usual shopping season may be the way to go this year, especially for the person you love and care about the most. Well, Mommy Blogger and Techie lady, Deborah Cruz, has come up with a few ideas of how to show your love and appreciation this year without putting you in the hole for quite a bit of cash (and showing your heart)!

 

Create a handmade card.

It sounds cheesy and even though my husband picks out great cards from the store, my absolute favorite thing is when he makes homemade cards for me. They are sincere, authentic, and say exactly what he wants to say to me, and that is usually better than anything any card could ever say.

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Make a mix tape.

Again, cheesy and maybe it’s my inner 15-year-old, but the thought and time that it takes to put together a mix tape of songs really does impress me more than any store-bought gift.

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Leave them sticky notes that literally say how much you love them.

It takes two seconds, but waking up and finding a sweet sticky note (or message written in steam) on the bathroom mirror can give you the warm fuzzies that make your entire day rock.

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Bring them soup when they are sick.

A little thought goes a long way. The Big Guy and I have been together for so long, but it still melts my heart when I hear him tell the kids to leave me alone so I can rest when I am sick or when he brings me hot tea in bed for a sore throat.

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Write them a list of all the ways you love them.

When my daughter was 2, I asked her to tell me why she loved her daddy and she gave me a list of about 30 things: cuddles, playing on the swings, how he made her nightmares go away, and many more. When I gave it to him, he was touched, so I can only imagine that it would be equally as touching receiving the list from your significant other. Even if we know someone loves us, it’s nice to hear (or see it in writing) once in awhile.

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Cook them their favorite meal, get a sitter, and tell them that you just want to spend some time alone with them and see where the night goes.

It’s so easy after you’ve been together for a while to start taking things for granted. It makes you feel really loved when your partner goes the extra step and makes you feel wanted and special.

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Let them sleep in and take care of the children.

If you have children, this is a big way to show that you love someone. We both get up early every day, he for work and me with the children. We never get to sleep in anymore, and believe me, we were big fans of sleeping in before having kids. So, every once in awhile, one of us will just grab the kids and head downstairs so that the other parent can sleep in undisturbed. I know it sounds silly, but if you have kids, you can appreciate what a true act of love this is.

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Last but certainly not least, your unconditional love.

There is something priceless about knowing that someone loves you unconditionally no matter what you do, look like, or how badly you screw up.