Flowers, Chocolate, and Dating Advice

We at Evergreen LOVE holidays, and is there anything better than a holiday all about sharing love?

Valentine’s Day is a day where you can relax and spend time with your family and loved ones, but sometimes you may need a little bit of help figuring out something to do for the big day.

To get you in the mood and give you some ideas, here are a bunch of podcasts and blogs that are all about love, romance, and Valentine’s Day itself!

The History

If you want to learn more about the history of Valentine’s day, head over to this blog post! it goes over how it got started, and the different myths surrounding it.

Here’s a little sneak peek…

“The tradition of giving valentines on February 14th might come from the life of St. Valentine, rather than the poem by Chaucer...

Custom tells us that he was a bishop who was imprisoned during the Roman persecutions of Christians. While he was in prison, little children would come to visit him, bringing little notes and drawings as encouragement to him during his last days of life on earth. Another variation of the legend is that he miraculously cured his jailer's daughter of blindness and sent her a letter before his execution, signing it: “your Valentine.” Today, we carry on this tradition, giving “valentines” as encouragement and signs of affection for our loved ones.”

Prepping

It can be hard preparing for Valentine’s Day. High expectations, gift prepping, reservations, all of these pesky details can make it way more stressful than it needs to be.

Valentine’s day doesn’t need to be about these little things or big gifts. It can just be about showing your loved ones how much you care about them.

If you need some help expressing yourself, we at Evergreen have the perfect advice letter for you.

“Dear Tongue-Tied Lover,

Do you struggle with how to tell that special someone in your life how you really feel about them on Valentine’s Day? February 14th is the one day every year where it is practically obligatory to give your loved one a card full of sweet sentiments and nice nostalgia. Whether you enjoy participating in this tradition or not, you definitely do not want to forget to give your partner a card this year--or, even worse, write the wrong things in it.”

Read the full blog post here!

Romantic Ideas

There are plenty of resources to help you come up with some ideas. Here are just a couple of the best of the best!

If you need a movie recommendation, why not a movie literally all about Valentine’s Day?

“In this series of interconnected stories, different couples and singles in Los Angeles break up and make up due to the varying expectations of Valentine's Day.”

Head over to green light, a podcast full of movie reviews. Besides Valentine’s Day, they also review Blue Valentine which Lee describes as "absolutely heartbreaking."

If you need some music for your special day, or just like some fascinating music facts, Riffs on Riffs has an episode for you. The Way to a Little Bit of Love is full of some fantastic songs.

With some more music, I’ve Heard That Song Before has an episode that “discuss a timeless classic from the 1937 musical Babes in Arms that went on to become one the most beloved jazz standards of the Great American Songbook. The popularity of “My Funny Valentine” has been covered by over 600 artists and has landed an unforgettable spot in American culture. From the emotional rendition by Sarah Vaughan to the elegant instrumental version by the Chico Hamilton Quintet, you’ll enjoy this episode in all it’s melodies.”

If you want something lighthearted and fun, or if your partner likes comedies, then What's So Funny is what you are looking for. There are tons of episodes to choose from.

Try out The Six Degrees of The Goon Show, where hosts talk about

“a comedy trio that is so absurd and so hilarious that it could only be The Goon Show! Starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, and Harry Secombe these three created characters, made their own sound effects, and concocted elaborate stories on their British radio show named after a character on Popeye.”

Babysitting Solutions

If you have kids, it can be hard to find time to go out on dates. Storytime Anytime is the perfect solution.

Whether it’s Grandpa or a babysitter watching the young ones, this podcast can help give kids something to look forward to while you are out on a date.

Not Just for Couples

For those of you out there who haven’t found their perfect match (or for those of you who prefer pets to kids and gal nights vs date nights), we have the perfect episode for you.

Professional Book Nerds has an episode that covers “more than just your typical "bodice rippers," discussing some young adult titles and Amish romances, but also titles perfect for Galentine's Day and those single on this particular holiday. Of course, we can't discuss the Romance genre without mentioning some of our favorite punny titles as well.

Evergreen Special

Since we love holiday's so much at Evergreen, we release special podcasts about them.

Cheer has episodes for every special occasion, and a new one was just released just in time for Valentine's Day!

"Leah Longbrake, the producer and host of Weddings Unveiled, has interviewed real brides and couples about their journey to the big day. Their story of course starts with the proposal! In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are a few of those romantic personal experiences of how they said ‘I Do!’"

Listen here!