By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
LOVE is in the air.
It’s that time of the year when you can smell the sweetness of a bouquet of fresh red roses, taste the richness of heart-shaped chocolate and treat your special someone to a love-filled day.
For all those in the Latrobe Valley who were struck by Cupid’s arrow, there are many ways you can today give your partner a lovely Valentine’s Day.
It’s not too late to show someone you really care, there is always something you can get or do for your partner to spread a bit of love on this day.
I know you may think your girlfriend, wife or partner might not be the Valentine’s Day type. Chances are they most definitely are a bit romantic, and this piece may be able to help you out in that department.
Local florists have you covered, with perfectly styled arrangements to make a certain someone swoon with excitement.
There are many florists across the Latrobe Valley, and this writer encourages you to shop local to spoil your partner this Valentine’s Day.
Dear Delilah Florist owner Donna Hicks told the Latrobe Valley Express that perhaps the traditional red roses were a thing of the past, as customers have tended to order different arrangements of flowers.
“A lot more people are doing other flowers now; it’s not just about red roses, which are probably a bit more traditional, so people are doing a lot more of a mixture because there are so many beautiful flowers this time of year,” the Morwell business owner said.
“I find so many people gravitate to other things or just Valentine’s Day colours.”
You might find that florists might be extra busy today, with Valentine’s Day being one of the biggest days of the year for the industry, as Ms Hick’s explained.
“Valentine’s is very busy for us. We are flat out the whole day. It’s just constant. We’re here from about 6-7 o’clock in the morning,” she said.
Ms Hicks said Valentine’s Day wasn’t just for the romantic lovers out there, but for all important relationships, with fathers coming in store to spoil their daughters.
“I love when men come in and buy something for their daughters, which we get a lot of,” she said.
Ms Hick has said she’s been extra busy with the rise of Valentine’s Day, a new celebration for those to appreciate platonic friendships.
For those with tighter budgets, supermarkets are often a good place to get some affordable flowers, with many selling individual roses for as cheap as $8.
If roses aren’t your partner’s thing, perhaps a bottle of rosé could do the trick.
Again, if flowers and or a nice wine are a no-go, you could simply go and throw together some of your partner’s favourite things in a hamper to show them how well you know them. Extra points if the colours match the Valentine’s Day theme.
And if all else fails, you’d be surprised how far a nice date could take you.
Though the Latrobe Valley might not be considered one of the most romantic spots, countless dinner destinations would get your partner’s tick of approval. A nice meal will never fail.
If you’re looking for something with a bit more action, perhaps bowling at Morwell Ten Pin or the Butter Factory might be more your pace.
If you’re looking for a night to unwind, a date at the movies could be quite special, with both Morwell and Traralgon now offering food services.
Looking for something cheaper?
Perhaps try a sunset picnic at many of the local picturesque places such as lookouts at Tyers, Trafalgar or Lake Narracan.
If your partner is more of a homebody, perhaps a candlelit home-cooked meal using local produce would do the trick to pull at the heartstrings.
At the end of the day, it’s a day designed to show your appreciation to the ones you love the most – you don’t have to spend big dollars or go all out – all you have to do is show your significant other just how much they mean to you.
Though Valentine’s Day is contemporarily recognised as a day of love, romance, kisses, candy, and cupids, it’s suspected to have a rather dark history.
Historians suspect the most common explanation for how Valentine’s Day came to be is the ancient festival of Lupercalia, a raucous, wine-fuelled and violent fertility rite in which Roman men and women paired off. Still, the Latrobe Valley Express definitely doesn’t recommend celebrating the day as in ancient times.
By KATRINA BRANDON
FEBRUARY is filled with chocolates, and flowers come the 14th, but this year, Grounded Paws Animal Rescue (GPAR) donation requests around the area are written on litter trays, sparking ‘Febpoorary’.
“We have wanted to do the Febpoorary Valentine’s fundraiser for years, and then at the last minute, (we used to change) the plans and went for sweets and ‘love’ instead,” said GPAR President, Shellie Chessum.
“Valentine’s Day isn’t always a day of roses for everyone. So, why not give it a whirl this year? Anyone from anywhere can pop the $5 donation into the rescue account and message us the ‘special name’ they wish to be written in the tray.”
When someone donates, GPAR writes on a disposable litter tray name and gives it off to their foster cats, and then it can be thrown out afterwards.
“We have more than enough kitties in care, so this has been a low-maintenance fundraiser for the carers,” Ms Chessum said.
“We’ve had an incredible response from the community, and we are sitting down 15-20 trays a night to be ‘valentined’.
“We send the ‘before video’ of the litter going into the named tray, and then once the job is complete, the donor receives the after shot!”
The fundraiser ends today (Wednesday, February 14) and goes towards the rescued animals. It’s for vet bills that can be up to $4000 at the rescue centre within the week.
For more information, go to the Grounded Paws Animal Rescue Facebook page.
