February 14 is either one of the most loved or most loathed days of the year, depending on your relationship status. It is day when couples stress out over what to buy each other, versus single people who joke about it being “Singles Awareness Day.” 

Starting around mid-January, the stores fill up with an unnecessary amount of heart shaped stuff, sappy romantic movies are released in theaters and love songs seem to be playing way more than usual. Urban Dictionary defines Valentine's Day as “the reason so many babies are born in November.” All jokes aside, this holiday has become too materialistic and overrated in our culture.   

The marketing of this holiday has gone way too far because money does not buy love. So instead of spending an excessive amount of cash on material things, do something that actually creates a long lasting memory. Go on a spontaneous road trip, a picnic on the beach, a walk in the park, or maybe even ice-skating. Or, if you are more of the relaxing type, cook a nice meal at home and have a Disney movie marathon. And if you are feeling really crazy, rent a hot air balloon -- a.k.a. every girl's dream date.   

Valentine's Day should be about showing the ones you love how much they mean to you. This does not mean you have to be dating someone, and it also does not mean you have to blow tons of money on gifts. It is a holiday that gives us the chance to do a nice gesture for someone special in our lives, no matter who it may be. Pinterest has hundreds of do it yourself gift ideas that would be a lot more meaningful than a box of chocolates. One of my favorites is a decorated mason jar titled, “I love you because” and filled with hand written notes of reasons why you love somebody. There are also tons of cute and delicious looking recipes, and nothing shows love like homemade desserts, right?   

It is fairly common for people to feel lonely, especially within the craziness of college, so this Valentine's Day do something out of the ordinary and make someone feel loved. Be sure to tell the loved ones in your life how lucky you are to have them. Although Valentine's Day has turned into an unnecessary reason to go out and buy jewelry, flowers and teddy bears, it does not have to be! Don’t forget that there are 364 other days in a year in which love can be shown.