In case you haven’t noticed the increase in the number of Hallmark greeting card and Kay Jewelers commercials on television lately, there’s a holiday upon us. Think red and white doily hearts, boxes of chocolate and Cupid!

Once again, Valentine’s Day is here. The one day out of the year reserved for showing your sweetie how much you love and appreciate them. A day to make your special someone feel just that…special.

Now, gentlemen, I know there are a few Valentine “Scrooges” out there. You know who you are. I can practically hear you screaming, “Valentine’s Day isn’t a “real” holiday. It’s just a gimmick that the Hallmark and Russell Stover people came up with to try and force us to buy their products!”

But here’s a word of advice for you: Don’t fight it. It doesn’t matter if there really was a priest by the name of Valentine, who lived in the third century and was thrown into prison for marrying young couples against Emperor Claudius’s rule and was later sainted. When I open my calendar and look at Feb. 14, it clearly states “Valentine’s Day” in black-and-white print. Are you going to argue with the calendar makers, too?

Of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t the same caliber of holiday as Christmas or even a birthday, but it is a real holiday, and darn it, don’t blow it off! Doing something to make your significant other feel special shouldn’t be a chore. Everyone wants to feel loved and appreciated on Valentine’s Day. And what’s wrong with a little romance?

Don’t waste your time with a last minute, bottom-of-the-barrel card and mismatched envelope written in a foreign language you found at H-E-B, or a wilted rose from the corner Stop-N-Go you grabbed on your way home from work.

That’s not thoughtful; it’s thoughtless and is guaranteed to put you directly into the doghouse.

But it doesn’t mean you have spend a ton of money or plan something completely over-the-top, either. To be honest, a big night out in the middle of the week is really tough with school-aged kids and all that their lives entail. But a thoughtful card or gesture with the promise of a night out on the week-end can be just the ticket. Let her know how much you care. And it doesn’t have to be a boring repeat of last year…get creative!

Here are a few ideas I gleaned from my girlfriends and your wives, to let you know what I’m talking about!

• Wash her car and fill it up with gas.

• Pick up the kids from school and chauffer them to all their activities.

• Provide her with four or five magazines and order her to stay on the couch until all have been read cover to cover.

• Cook dinner together, set the dining room table, and dine by candlelight. Let the kids be the waiters.

• Pick up dinner from her favorite restaurant.

• Get a babysitter and surprise her with dinner out at her favorite restaurant. (That means you call the sitter!)

• Write her a love letter. Come on! You could do it if you put your mind to it!

• Uncork that “expensive” bottle of wine you’ve been saving and refusing to let her open.

• Watch a movie on the Hallmark Channel with her and don’t click around during commercials.

• Bring home her favorite dessert.

• Saying “I love you” in small ways, can make a big impact.

Now, I thought about including some suggestions suitable for men, however, my husband could only come up with one and it wasn’t printable in a family newspaper! However, following these simple guidelines will practically guarantee that ALL are happy this Valentine’s Day!