Ways To Show Love

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! It's the day of love and all things pink and red. This holiday never really meant much to me, and honestly, I really cared less about it. My mom always made things fun for us as kids and I remember being really excited about it, what kid wouldn't enjoy getting some treats? Even being married neither Eric or I really make a big deal out of it. It's not for any real particular reason, it just isn't our thing.

Now that I have kids holidays have taken on a whole new meaning and they are some of the most special and exciting times. It's amazing how those little ones can do that. If you've been following me for awhile you know that I enjoy doing a special breakfast for them (I'm sure I'll be sharing some of that in my stories today). We like to get a heart pizza for dinner and keep it low-key at home watching movies. I'm pretty sure we'll be indulging in more treats than needed #holidayproblems. 

At first I thought about putting together a cute little setup to take pictures of the boys but my creativity just wasn't there and exhaustion was setting in. Then I felt kind of bad because it is baby C's first Valentine's Day (third child problems). I went down into my craft bin and found a bag of dollar store hearts and let the boys stick them to the wall. They were in such a silly mood, and being extra cute at the same time. so our pictures turned out like this.

On another note, have you ever taken that 5 love languages quiz? I took it about two years ago and recently took it again to see if it was consistent. I am definitely driven by acts of service. When Eric does things around the house or takes part of the load off of my plate, I am one happy girl. 

I saw that they also have a quiz you can take to learn your child's love language, so I will definitely be finding time to take that at some point. We're always looking for teachable moments to trying and instill in the boys to love one another. It got me thinking, regardless of being romantically involved with someone, focusing on a lost love, or searching for love, we can all show ways to love others. 

Here are some simple reminders that we can all reflect on to show love...

1. Do Someone A Favor: 

I know most of us like to try and keep it together and take on these supermom or super woman roles, but sometimes having a favor done for us can make such a difference. Maybe a friend needs some extra help with drop off or pickup, some soup when they aren't feeling well, or an extra loaf of bread when you forgot it for the second time at the grocery store (I might be talking from experience there).  Whatever it is, either big or small, doing someone a favor can go a long way. We usually feel better about ourselves after we do it, too. 

2. Be Positive: 

I shared last week 5 simple ways to be positive and I loved hearing from so many of you that you feel you are a positive person or it's something you could work towards. I do know one things for sure, when you surround yourself with positive people it can start to make a difference in you. 

3. Give a Genuine Compliment:

I used to be the type of person that when someone would compliment me I would somehow downplay it. I didn't even realize I did it until I was watching something on tv (I can't even really remember what it was) but I realized that was me. Someone would say, what a nice shirt. I would reply saying, oh this old thing? It's so old, blah blah. Or someone would say, your hair looks great. I would come back saying, oh really, I haven't washed it in days, it's getting so greasy, etc. If that's you, do yourself a favor and just say thank you. It has changed my perspective so much. When you learn to appreciate compliments you are also more inclined to give them. And when you give them, you end up feeling much better. 

4. Celebrate Others: 

This isn't always an easy one for some people, but we all know it's the right thing to do. Others will feel your love when you celebrate them and you'll feel better after doing it. It ends up being a win, win. 

5. Give Hugs: 

It's a proven fact that hugs can help reduce stress and have a positive impact. I'm not saying you have to be that odd person who goes around just hugging strangers (but hey, if that's you're thing more power to you). When you can tell a hug is appropriate, especially to a friend in need, it's an easy way to show love. 

6. Smile Often: 

Let's put aside that smiling can cause those nice little lines around your eyes. Let's focus on the positive affects of letting the sides of your mouth curl upwards. I think we underestimate the power of flashing a smile to others. I'm not saying we have to be walking around with a big grin on our face all the time, but sometimes a smile can really brighten someones day and we don't even have to say anything to them.

{above all, love each other deeply} 1 Peter 4:8

What are some ways you like to show love to others?