Next to Christmas, is there a holiday as emotionally loaded as Valentine’s Day? It’s kind of a “can’t win for losing” day. You either have that special someone and feel this immense pressure to get your love life dialed in Hallmark perfect or you’re alone, wishing you felt that kind of immense romantic pressure at all.

Here are a few suggestions to simplify your Valentine’s Day:

1. Start the day off with the bang. (And yes, you can interpret that any way you’d like.) If you have a special someone, sprinkle rose petals on her bed. Put balloons in his car with “I love you” written on them. And send a funny Valentine’s Day ecard the night before, so it’s the first thing your honey sees when checking the email.
2. Cook at Home, together. Something about restaurants seems so impersonal on Valentine’s Day. There you are, sitting in a room with dozens of other couples trying to have that same perfectly romantic leg of lamb. Cooking together at home is infinitely more bonding, fun and intimate.
3. Put Pen to Paper! Listen, we’re an ecard company. We love expressing emotions online. But we know there’s a time and place for actual, “in the flesh” love letters. It doesn’t matter what you write. Just the mere act of inscribing your thought and feelings onto paper is one of the best gifts anyone can get on Valentine’s Day. (But if you’re too lazy for that, then feel free to send one of our romantic Valentine’s Day ecards instead.)

Bottom line, a good Valentine’s Day does not have to include expensive presents and packed restaurants. As a matter of fact, the simple acts often send the most powerful messages.