This is part of a sponsored campaign with Hallmark®. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t grow-up saying I love you.  Although I know my family loves me, we did not say the actual words a lot.  But now that I have my own family, I like to say I love you several times a day.  I say it to my husband and I say it to my kids.  I really want those words to just flow from their lips without any apprehension.  But our middle daughter never liked to say the words “I Love You.” She says it makes her feel weird…mushy.  So, we actually came up with a code word that means “I Love You”.  Any time she wants to express that she loves me, she’ll hug me and whisper in my ear “Strawberry.”  It’s so cute, and it makes her feel comfortable and I love it.

Valentine’s Day is a day of love.  But why does it stress so many people out?  It used to stress me out before I learned to relax and understand that there is no way to mess up expressing love to your loved ones (as long as you are being thoughtful and considerate and it comes from the heart.) I had to throw that caveat out there because you don’t feel very loved when someone gives you something for Valentine’s Day out of a sense of obligation.  But when the gift comes from your heart, there is no way to go wrong.

So here are 3 ways that I’ve learned to relax and say what’s in my heart on Valentine’s Day.

1. Pick up a phone and call my loved ones.

 

Nothing says I love you more than “you.”  If you can’t actually visit all of your loved ones on Valentine’s Day, then give them a phone call and let them know you are thinking about them.  You don’t need an elaborate speech. Just let them know that you are thinking about them and they will feel the love.  So, don’t forget to call your mother, father, siblings, or best friends and wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day.

2. Nothing says I love you more than food!

You all know that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.  And when the food is actually prepared by you, then you are literally putting the icing on the cake (pun intended.)  Bake some cookies, cupcakes, or prepare your loved one’s favorite meal. This is how I express I love you to my kids, I bake them their favorite treats.

3. Put your heart to paper!

 

Sometimes it can be very difficult to say exactly how you are feeling when it comes to that special someone. If you’re good at expressing what’s in your heart, then put your feelings on paper.  But if you’re not, then there’s nothing wrong with finding that perfect Hallmark Card that expresses exactly what’s in your heart.  My husband is the best card “picker outer” there is …LOL.  When I read his cards, I feel like I’m getting exactly what’s in his heart.

Share your love this Valentine’s Day. Find Valentine’s Day cards to express your feelings to the love of your life, best friend, child and more.

Remember, expressing what’s in your heart isn’t about the money you spend or any grand gestures.  It’s more about your intent and being considerate.  That’s a lesson that our 8 year old daughter has taught me.  Her “Strawberry” is the sweetest thing to me because she is expressing that she loves me…but in her own way.

Check out the video below where the couple Bob and Kim (who’ve been together for over 56 years) express how they feel about each other without using the word love.

[youtube id=”Kut17MUKpi4″]

BMWK – what are all of the ways that you will put your hearts to paper this Valentine’s Day?

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post brought to you by Hallmark. I have partnered with them to spread the word about how you can #PutYourHeartToPaper. All opinions and stories are my own.