7 Valentine's Day Tips for Guys from a Guy

Is your girl expecting something this Sunday? She just might be.

Hold on now, there's some key words in there. Might and expecting are the two I'm thinking of. It really depends on your girl. Now, up here in the mountains the girls tend to be a little more laid back, than say, your urban female.

But, should you happen to forget, you better hope or better yet, KNOW your girl doesn't care two craps about Valentine's Day and all its hype. But, for the girls THAT DO care and expect something, here's a few tips I thought of that might help out.

1. PLAN AHEAD. Seriously, go buy a card at least a few days in advance, so you get "one of the good ones" and aren't stuck getting the kiddie ones that let you slip in a lollipop. Better yet, call your local flower shop ahead of time to know whether to deliver your gift or you'll be picking it up in person. That way, you get first pick of the best flowers and not getting what's leftover at the end of the night. I've seen too many guys knocking on our glass doors, with sad looks of desperation on their face as we give them what we have left.

2. UPHOLD TRADITION. Yes, Roses are the tried and true Valentine's Day Gift, but there's a reason for that. Yes, there's all those other commercials telling you why their gift is better than the classic dozen roses, but if you show up with anything else, you're gonna get looks, trust me. I've delivered flowers for years now, and it DOES make everyone in the office look at our flowers and then wondering who's the lucky girl.

Open the door for your girl for once and prove to her that chivalry isn't dead. Besides, then you can say you were the romantic guy at least once, by giving the girl the gift of roses or flowers. Out here in the mountains we climb mountains for the sublime alpine experience, but also for the bragging rights to say to others that we climbed the mountain.

You can't say you've been the classic romantic guy without at least upholding the one classic flower-oriented commercialized holiday (As a flower shop, we'd love for all the business to be more spread out, but the powers may be organized the festivities to fall all on one day).

3. KNOW WHAT SHE EXPECTS AND DOESN'T. Like I said before, some girls make a big deal about certain stuff, others don't. So know which one is yours. If you have a princess, then do your best to treat her like one the way she would like to be treated and recognized. If she's a low-key mountain girl, then perhaps a quiet ski in the woods with a toast of hot chocolate is all you need.

4. BE CREATIVE. Now here is where it gets fun. Think for a few minutes and do something that will help her remember the night or experience you have created together. Cook her something that you've never tried before or do something that SHE would've picked for you two to do together. I don't know, just put a little bit of effort, and trust me, they notice that you've put some time and energy into the deal.

5. DON'T BE TOO CREATIVE. Ok, so don't go overboard. If you're not already the crafty type, showing up with the latest homemade lotion is not what she might be expecting, when in fact a nice bunch of simple Tulips would've done the job. Saving you time, and in the end, money. Done deal. Support your local florist and let the pros do the work.

6. HAVE FUN. Yes, there's a lot of hype about getting flowers, or being all romantic, but iin the end, you should just go and have fun together doing something that reminds of why you two got together in the first place.

It doesn't have to be a half-day scavenger hunt through Breckenridge (even getting a flower in our shop was one of the stops by this clever fella) or an expensive dinner out. Just a few quiet moments of acknowledging the special person with you and reminding eachother that you WANT to be together..

7. GIVE THANKS. Say thanks to your woman for putting up with you, cooking you dinner and that you couldn't survive without her, which is basically true. Yes, we can get by a few days on frozen pizza and leftovers, but it's nice to have some experience in the kitchen. This lets her know that you NEED her.

Say I love you because it tells her that she is LOVED. Yes, she wants to hear those words more often than we think.

And make sure long after Valentine's Day has come and gone, that you stop back at your local florist to pick up a quick bouquet on a weekday night for no reason other than to say you've done it.