There are many ways to tell someone how much you think of them. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or business associate, making a good impression is important to continuing or expanding your relationship. One great way of making an impression is to send flowers or a plant. This is especially useful in the business world since flowers can be appropriate for co-workers, your boss, or an acquaintance you don’t know well.
Of course, you don’t want to make the wrong impression with your flowers. You do have to put a bit of thought into what flowers or plant you want to send. Roses to a family member or close friend, especially a significant other, can make a great impression, but they might be a bit too personal for a co-worker. For business associates, a nice neutral bouquet of mixed flowers or a green plant to say thank you or welcome will make a good impression without being too much.
Should you ever send a plant over flowers? In some cases, yes. Sending plants to men is sometimes the better way to go because men, on the whole, are more appreciative of green plants than of flowers. A plant is also often seen as a gift that conveys fewer emotions. With flowers, especially flowers like roses, you have to be careful about saying more than you intend, but a green plant can be used to say welcome to the team, thank you, etc., without conveying more.
Making an impression with flowers or plants is very easy as long as you put a little thought into it. Once you’ve selected the perfect gift, you’ll make the perfect impression with your flowers.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
The History of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is here! Maybe you’re celebrating with a loved one, beginning a new relationship, or just treating it like another Monday, you can’t ignore the fact that today is a holiday celebrated by many. But where did Valentine’s Day come from? Here’s a look at the history of the day devoted to love.
Much of the story surrounding Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine himself is lost, but we do know that the day combines both Christian and old Roman traditions. Getting to the heart (pardon the pun) of the Christian story of St. Valentine, however, is made difficult by the fact that there are three St. Valentine’s on the official list of martyred saints.
One of these stories follows a priest who lived in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II, the ruler at the time, decided that single men would make better soldiers than married men because they would have no families to return to. Thus, he thought it would be a great idea to outlaw marriage for men under a certain age. Valentine, however, saw the injustice of this and went ahead and married young couples in secret. When this was discovered, Claudius had him executed.
Another legend concerns Valentine (perhaps not a priest?) and a young girl. Valentine was serving a prison sentence when he met a young girl, perhaps the daughter of his jailor. He fell in love with her, and before his death, he sent her a short letter signed “from your Valentine.” This means that St. Valentine might have sent the very first valentine card himself.
On the pagan, Roman side of things, the middle of February was celebrated as a festival called Lupercalia. This fertility festival was decided to Faunus, the god of agriculture, and to Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. It involved greeting the coming spring by ritually cleaning houses and performing a number of purification rituals. One part of the ritual involved slapping women with strips made from a goat’s hide in an effort to make them more fertile!
However, another part of the festival is closer to our traditional Valentine’s Day. The young women of the town would all place their names in a giant urn, and then the young men would draw out a name (kind of like getting a mystery Valentine). The two were then paired up for a year, and many times, these pairing led to marriage. Pope Gelasius later declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day as a way of Christianizing these rituals. Shortly thereafter, the church outlawed the lottery system of pairing up, although that didn’t stop couples from getting together on Valentine’s Day.
It wasn’t until the Middle Ages, though, that people really started spreading the romance on Valentine’s Day. Many say that it was Charles, the Duke of Orleans, who sent the first valentine to his wife in 1415. Following the Battle of Agincourt, the duke was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and wanted to reassure his wife that he was still alive. A few years later, King Henry V send a valentine to Catherine of Valois, although the king hired someone to write it for him (probably not a good idea!).
In the U.K., people continued to exchange gifts or notes on Valentine’s Day, and towards the end of the eighteenth century, printed cards began to appear. These Valentine’s Day traditions came to the U.S. in the 1700s, where they were virtually unchanged. During the 1840s, a woman named Esther A. Howland created the first mass-produced valentines, cementing the holiday in place. Today, more than a billion cards are sent on Valentine’s Day. Will you send a valentine this year?
Much of the story surrounding Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine himself is lost, but we do know that the day combines both Christian and old Roman traditions. Getting to the heart (pardon the pun) of the Christian story of St. Valentine, however, is made difficult by the fact that there are three St. Valentine’s on the official list of martyred saints.
One of these stories follows a priest who lived in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II, the ruler at the time, decided that single men would make better soldiers than married men because they would have no families to return to. Thus, he thought it would be a great idea to outlaw marriage for men under a certain age. Valentine, however, saw the injustice of this and went ahead and married young couples in secret. When this was discovered, Claudius had him executed.
Another legend concerns Valentine (perhaps not a priest?) and a young girl. Valentine was serving a prison sentence when he met a young girl, perhaps the daughter of his jailor. He fell in love with her, and before his death, he sent her a short letter signed “from your Valentine.” This means that St. Valentine might have sent the very first valentine card himself.
On the pagan, Roman side of things, the middle of February was celebrated as a festival called Lupercalia. This fertility festival was decided to Faunus, the god of agriculture, and to Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. It involved greeting the coming spring by ritually cleaning houses and performing a number of purification rituals. One part of the ritual involved slapping women with strips made from a goat’s hide in an effort to make them more fertile!
However, another part of the festival is closer to our traditional Valentine’s Day. The young women of the town would all place their names in a giant urn, and then the young men would draw out a name (kind of like getting a mystery Valentine). The two were then paired up for a year, and many times, these pairing led to marriage. Pope Gelasius later declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day as a way of Christianizing these rituals. Shortly thereafter, the church outlawed the lottery system of pairing up, although that didn’t stop couples from getting together on Valentine’s Day.
It wasn’t until the Middle Ages, though, that people really started spreading the romance on Valentine’s Day. Many say that it was Charles, the Duke of Orleans, who sent the first valentine to his wife in 1415. Following the Battle of Agincourt, the duke was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and wanted to reassure his wife that he was still alive. A few years later, King Henry V send a valentine to Catherine of Valois, although the king hired someone to write it for him (probably not a good idea!).
In the U.K., people continued to exchange gifts or notes on Valentine’s Day, and towards the end of the eighteenth century, printed cards began to appear. These Valentine’s Day traditions came to the U.S. in the 1700s, where they were virtually unchanged. During the 1840s, a woman named Esther A. Howland created the first mass-produced valentines, cementing the holiday in place. Today, more than a billion cards are sent on Valentine’s Day. Will you send a valentine this year?
The History of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is here! Maybe you’re celebrating with a loved one, beginning a new relationship, or just treating it like another Monday, you can’t ignore the fact that today is a holiday celebrated by many. But where did Valentine’s Day come from? Here’s a look at the history of the day devoted to love.
Much of the story surrounding Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine himself is lost, but we do know that the day combines both Christian and old Roman traditions. Getting to the heart (pardon the pun) of the Christian story of St. Valentine, however, is made difficult by the fact that there are three St. Valentine’s on the official list of martyred saints.
One of these stories follows a priest who lived in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II, the ruler at the time, decided that single men would make better soldiers than married men because they would have no families to return to. Thus, he thought it would be a great idea to outlaw marriage for men under a certain age. Valentine, however, saw the injustice of this and went ahead and married young couples in secret. When this was discovered, Claudius had him executed.
Another legend concerns Valentine (perhaps not a priest?) and a young girl. Valentine was serving a prison sentence when he met a young girl, perhaps the daughter of his jailor. He fell in love with her, and before his death, he sent her a short letter signed “from your Valentine.” This means that St. Valentine might have sent the very first valentine card himself.
On the pagan, Roman side of things, the middle of February was celebrated as a festival called Lupercalia. This fertility festival was decided to Faunus, the god of agriculture, and to Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. It involved greeting the coming spring by ritually cleaning houses and performing a number of purification rituals. One part of the ritual involved slapping women with strips made from a goat’s hide in an effort to make them more fertile!
However, another part of the festival is closer to our traditional Valentine’s Day. The young women of the town would all place their names in a giant urn, and then the young men would draw out a name (kind of like getting a mystery Valentine). The two were then paired up for a year, and many times, these pairing led to marriage. Pope Gelasius later declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day as a way of Christianizing these rituals. Shortly thereafter, the church outlawed the lottery system of pairing up, although that didn’t stop couples from getting together on Valentine’s Day.
It wasn’t until the Middle Ages, though, that people really started spreading the romance on Valentine’s Day. Many say that it was Charles, the Duke of Orleans, who sent the first valentine to his wife in 1415. Following the Battle of Agincourt, the duke was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and wanted to reassure his wife that he was still alive. A few years later, King Henry V send a valentine to Catherine of Valois, although the king hired someone to write it for him (probably not a good idea!).
In the U.K., people continued to exchange gifts or notes on Valentine’s Day, and towards the end of the eighteenth century, printed cards began to appear. These Valentine’s Day traditions came to the U.S. in the 1700s, where they were virtually unchanged. During the 1840s, a woman named Esther A. Howland created the first mass-produced valentines, cementing the holiday in place. Today, more than a billion cards are sent on Valentine’s Day. Will you send a valentine this year?
Much of the story surrounding Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine himself is lost, but we do know that the day combines both Christian and old Roman traditions. Getting to the heart (pardon the pun) of the Christian story of St. Valentine, however, is made difficult by the fact that there are three St. Valentine’s on the official list of martyred saints.
One of these stories follows a priest who lived in Rome during the third century. Emperor Claudius II, the ruler at the time, decided that single men would make better soldiers than married men because they would have no families to return to. Thus, he thought it would be a great idea to outlaw marriage for men under a certain age. Valentine, however, saw the injustice of this and went ahead and married young couples in secret. When this was discovered, Claudius had him executed.
Another legend concerns Valentine (perhaps not a priest?) and a young girl. Valentine was serving a prison sentence when he met a young girl, perhaps the daughter of his jailor. He fell in love with her, and before his death, he sent her a short letter signed “from your Valentine.” This means that St. Valentine might have sent the very first valentine card himself.
On the pagan, Roman side of things, the middle of February was celebrated as a festival called Lupercalia. This fertility festival was decided to Faunus, the god of agriculture, and to Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. It involved greeting the coming spring by ritually cleaning houses and performing a number of purification rituals. One part of the ritual involved slapping women with strips made from a goat’s hide in an effort to make them more fertile!
However, another part of the festival is closer to our traditional Valentine’s Day. The young women of the town would all place their names in a giant urn, and then the young men would draw out a name (kind of like getting a mystery Valentine). The two were then paired up for a year, and many times, these pairing led to marriage. Pope Gelasius later declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day as a way of Christianizing these rituals. Shortly thereafter, the church outlawed the lottery system of pairing up, although that didn’t stop couples from getting together on Valentine’s Day.
It wasn’t until the Middle Ages, though, that people really started spreading the romance on Valentine’s Day. Many say that it was Charles, the Duke of Orleans, who sent the first valentine to his wife in 1415. Following the Battle of Agincourt, the duke was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and wanted to reassure his wife that he was still alive. A few years later, King Henry V send a valentine to Catherine of Valois, although the king hired someone to write it for him (probably not a good idea!).
In the U.K., people continued to exchange gifts or notes on Valentine’s Day, and towards the end of the eighteenth century, printed cards began to appear. These Valentine’s Day traditions came to the U.S. in the 1700s, where they were virtually unchanged. During the 1840s, a woman named Esther A. Howland created the first mass-produced valentines, cementing the holiday in place. Today, more than a billion cards are sent on Valentine’s Day. Will you send a valentine this year?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Say I Love You With Flowers
There are many different ways to tell someone you love them, but one of the most popular is to say it with flowers. From a single red rose to a full bouquet of two or three dozen, flowers convey a powerful message.
One of the most important aspects of saying that you love her with flowers is to use the right flowers. One factor to consider here is how long you’ve been dating. If this is your first date or one of your first, don’t go overboard. A single red rose is appropriate here. If you’ve been dating for a year or more, a bouquet of a dozen is probably the better route.
Another question is whether you give her the flowers in person or have them delivered. Since Valentine’s Day is on Monday this year, having them delivered is a great way of showing her co-workers how much you love her. Hearing a knock on the door and opening it to find a deliveryman holding a bouquet is also nice. However, if you’re giving her a single rose or a small bouquet, giving it to her in person may be the better way to go.
Any flowers will convey your love, but to really show her how much you care, make sure the flowers you send her are very personal to her. For example, if she hates roses, don’t give her roses. If you know she loves the color purple, see if you can get purple flowers (there are purple roses, for example). Whatever you do, go with something that you know she will like. Doing so shows her that you know her preferences.
One of the most important aspects of saying that you love her with flowers is to use the right flowers. One factor to consider here is how long you’ve been dating. If this is your first date or one of your first, don’t go overboard. A single red rose is appropriate here. If you’ve been dating for a year or more, a bouquet of a dozen is probably the better route.
Another question is whether you give her the flowers in person or have them delivered. Since Valentine’s Day is on Monday this year, having them delivered is a great way of showing her co-workers how much you love her. Hearing a knock on the door and opening it to find a deliveryman holding a bouquet is also nice. However, if you’re giving her a single rose or a small bouquet, giving it to her in person may be the better way to go.
Any flowers will convey your love, but to really show her how much you care, make sure the flowers you send her are very personal to her. For example, if she hates roses, don’t give her roses. If you know she loves the color purple, see if you can get purple flowers (there are purple roses, for example). Whatever you do, go with something that you know she will like. Doing so shows her that you know her preferences.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
How Do You Say I Love You?
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and people everywhere are gearing up for the most romantic day of the year. One thing you’ll be hearing a lot this weekend and on Monday the 14th is “I love you.” Many people will be saying it, but there’s more to it than just speaking those three words. How do you say “I love you” in a way that really conveys your feelings?
Naturally, one way to say it is with flowers. A single red rose, a bouquet of a dozen roses, or even a huge arrangement of two dozen roses is a great way of telling someone how special they are to you. Red roses mean love, but you can always mix in some white roses or even give her pink or purple roses if that’s her favorite color.
A gift is another way of saying “I love you.” This can be something small for a new relationship—a stuffed animal or a box of chocolates is acceptable. If you’re married or in a long-term, serious relationship, you might want to think about jewelry. Rings aren’t usually given on Valentine’s Day unless it’s an engagement ring. Instead, go with a bracelet, necklace, or earrings. All three make for great gifts that tell her you truly love her.
These two suggestions—flowers and gifts—all involve giving something. But you don’t have to give something to show your special someone how much you love them. Cooking them dinner is one way of doing it. Another is putting a lot of planning into the evening. Go somewhere really special, such as the restaurant where you had your first date. Or do something extravagant, such as taking her to a bed and breakfast or going out of town. You can also do something really fun that also expresses your love, such as putting together a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt.
No matter what you do or give, as long as it’s something special that has meaning between the two of you, it will convey how much you love your partner.
Naturally, one way to say it is with flowers. A single red rose, a bouquet of a dozen roses, or even a huge arrangement of two dozen roses is a great way of telling someone how special they are to you. Red roses mean love, but you can always mix in some white roses or even give her pink or purple roses if that’s her favorite color.
A gift is another way of saying “I love you.” This can be something small for a new relationship—a stuffed animal or a box of chocolates is acceptable. If you’re married or in a long-term, serious relationship, you might want to think about jewelry. Rings aren’t usually given on Valentine’s Day unless it’s an engagement ring. Instead, go with a bracelet, necklace, or earrings. All three make for great gifts that tell her you truly love her.
These two suggestions—flowers and gifts—all involve giving something. But you don’t have to give something to show your special someone how much you love them. Cooking them dinner is one way of doing it. Another is putting a lot of planning into the evening. Go somewhere really special, such as the restaurant where you had your first date. Or do something extravagant, such as taking her to a bed and breakfast or going out of town. You can also do something really fun that also expresses your love, such as putting together a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt.
No matter what you do or give, as long as it’s something special that has meaning between the two of you, it will convey how much you love your partner.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ideas to Make Valentine Magic
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and it’s time to start making your romantic plans. Everyone wants to have the perfect Valentine’s Day, and to do that, you need to capture the magic surrounding the day. But how to you make Valentine magic? Here are a few ideas.
Stay in and cook dinner. Many people go out on Valentine’s Day, but there are always crowds. No matter where you eat, it’s sure to be packed. So why not avoid all of that? Stay home, cook a nice meal (either for your special someone or with them—make it an activity), and enjoy having the evening all to yourself.
If you do go out, have everything planned in advance so nothing goes wrong. Have your reservations made, your tickets bought, and everything else ready. Also, be sure to leave on time or a bit early to make dinner. Sometimes, making Valentine’s magic is all about everything going off as planned.
Finally, make sure to take care of all the little details. Buy new candles to light. Make sure the house is cleaned up. Scatter rose petals on the bed. Take care of all of these little things to guarantee you have a little extra magic in your romantic evening.
Stay in and cook dinner. Many people go out on Valentine’s Day, but there are always crowds. No matter where you eat, it’s sure to be packed. So why not avoid all of that? Stay home, cook a nice meal (either for your special someone or with them—make it an activity), and enjoy having the evening all to yourself.
If you do go out, have everything planned in advance so nothing goes wrong. Have your reservations made, your tickets bought, and everything else ready. Also, be sure to leave on time or a bit early to make dinner. Sometimes, making Valentine’s magic is all about everything going off as planned.
Finally, make sure to take care of all the little details. Buy new candles to light. Make sure the house is cleaned up. Scatter rose petals on the bed. Take care of all of these little things to guarantee you have a little extra magic in your romantic evening.
Ideas to Make Valentine Magic
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and it’s time to start making your romantic plans. Everyone wants to have the perfect Valentine’s Day, and to do that, you need to capture the magic surrounding the day. But how to you make Valentine magic? Here are a few ideas.
Stay in and cook dinner. Many people go out on Valentine’s Day, but there are always crowds. No matter where you eat, it’s sure to be packed. So why not avoid all of that? Stay home, cook a nice meal (either for your special someone or with them—make it an activity), and enjoy having the evening all to yourself.
If you do go out, have everything planned in advance so nothing goes wrong. Have your reservations made, your tickets bought, and everything else ready. Also, be sure to leave on time or a bit early to make dinner. Sometimes, making Valentine’s magic is all about everything going off as planned.
Finally, make sure to take care of all the little details. Buy new candles to light. Make sure the house is cleaned up. Scatter rose petals on the bed. Take care of all of these little things to guarantee you have a little extra magic in your romantic evening.
Stay in and cook dinner. Many people go out on Valentine’s Day, but there are always crowds. No matter where you eat, it’s sure to be packed. So why not avoid all of that? Stay home, cook a nice meal (either for your special someone or with them—make it an activity), and enjoy having the evening all to yourself.
If you do go out, have everything planned in advance so nothing goes wrong. Have your reservations made, your tickets bought, and everything else ready. Also, be sure to leave on time or a bit early to make dinner. Sometimes, making Valentine’s magic is all about everything going off as planned.
Finally, make sure to take care of all the little details. Buy new candles to light. Make sure the house is cleaned up. Scatter rose petals on the bed. Take care of all of these little things to guarantee you have a little extra magic in your romantic evening.
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