Clearly I should have had this idea sooner but I JUST DIDN’T, and I think this is a situation where it’s better late than never: if you have a crummy Valentine’s Day, you can at least be LOOKING FORWARD to something arriving soon (or, since I’m going to use Target, like eight separately-boxed somethings).
I don’t want to oversell this. When I write the care package posts, I list EVERYTHING I might CHOOSE FROM, and I think it gives the idea that I would send ALL those things! To manage your expectations (TM Texxie’s…former?…manager?…I think?), I would be planning to spend $25-35 of the Blog Ads Fund, and you know how easy that is to spend at Target. And it probably won’t be very hearts/valentines-y, since almost everything of that sort isn’t available for shipping, and I’m going to ship directly.
Well, I don’t want to UNDERsell it, either! I am going to have fun choosing things, and I don’t know yet what I’ll choose but probably one or two of the sorts of things I buy impulsively, along with a few of the things I’ve listed as care package ideas in the past (I will ask the winner about food allergies, scent sensitivities, etc.). Probably some soap and/or cleaning supplies because that’s apparently my love language now. I’ll go through my old Target orders and find things I ordered for myself and liked. Maybe a book! Maybe I’ll buy us matching note cards, or matching mugs! Maybe you are doing the keto diet too, so I will send you all keto treats, or maybe you are absolutely not doing the keto diet so I will send you all the things I eat on my days off! WHO KNOWS!
The entry rules are NOT THE TYPICAL, so pay attention. This is open to U.S. mailing addresses only, AND it has to be:
• people who are not going to have a good Valentine’s Day, for whatever reason. Telling the reason won’t improve your chances in MY drawing (THOUGH SEE NEXT BULLET POINT), but it makes for a good and interesting comments section full of commiseration and empathy [edited to add: there are some comments about feeling selfish to enter oneself when there is another option—please PERISH THE THOUGHT, this is the PRIMARY option, this is supposed to be a giveaway FOR YOU; the other option is so that people who are going to have a good Valentine’s Day, through no fault of their own, still get to enter if they want to!]
OR
• people who are going to have a perfectly nice Valentine’s Day, but want to win the package on someone else’s behalf. THIS CAN INCLUDE OTHER COMMENTERS. So for example, let’s say you are going to spend Valentine’s Day exactly how you like to (happily celebrating or ignoring), but you have a friend or family member you want me to send the package to instead, I can do that; OR if you want to win so that YOU can choose a commenter from the comments section for me to send it to, you can enter. You don’t have to choose ahead of time! You can enter, and then choose a friend/commenter AFTER you win!
Because I thought of this so late, we’re going to do this fast, and I will do the drawing tomorrow (Friday) morning sometime.
UPDATE: Commenter Jen has offered to sponsor an additional $25 Swistle-chosen Belated Galentine’s Day care package, so there will now be TWO winners!
UPDATE: Another commenter has offered to sponsor two additional $25 Swistle-chosen Belated Galentine’s Day care packages, so there will now be FOUR winners!
UPDATE: Another commenter has offered to sponsor another package, so there will now be FIVE winners!
UPDATE: Commenter Maggie has offered to sponsor another one, so now there will be SIX winners!
UPDATE: Another commenter!! SEVEN WINNERS!!
UPDATE: Kathleenicanrah has offered to sponsor another, so now there will be EIGHT winners!!
UPDATE: Commenter Julia is sponsoring two more packages, so now there will be TEN winners!!
UPDATE: Commenter Kristen is sponsoring another package, so now there will be ELEVEN winners!!
UPDATE: Another commenter sponsored A DOZEN packages, so now there will be TWENTY-THREE winners!!
UPDATE: Commenter Susan sponsored another package, so now there will be TWENTY-FOUR winners!!
UPDATE: Commenter Suzanne sponsored another package, so now we are at TWENTY-FIVE!!
UPDATE: Commenter Alyson makes number TWENTY-SIX!!
UPDATE: Another! TWENTY-SEVEN!!
UPDATE: THIRTY!!
FINAL update! Okay! It took me a little longer to choose winners than expected, BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY! I am going to put the list here, but keep in mind there are SEVERAL SETS OF DUPLICATE NAMES! So there is still potential for people to see what they first think is their own name, then realize isn’t. I was going to put the time/date of each comment so people could look to see if the name was theirs or not, but urrrrrrrrggggg. But I have EMAILED everyone on this list, EXCEPT FOR the people who specifically mentioned other commenters, in which case I emailed the-commenter-they-mentioned instead. So for example, I am emailing Bsharp on the list below, to get the info about her friend Laura; but since Simone mentioned giving her entry to Marcy, I am emailing Marcy and not Simone. I have a rather exhaustive spreadsheet, so I think I will find out fairly soon if I have messed any of this up, but it was a bit of a muddley process of counting comments and looking back and forth between comments section and spreadsheet, so please do let me know if you see something amiss! (There ARE supposed to be two Marys and two Sarahs and two Kathleens on the list!)
Bsharp, for her friend Laura
Simone, for commenter Marcy
Carolyn, for her friend Suz
Mary
Michelle
Nicole MacPherson, for commenter Melanie
Kat, who will choose someone
Heather
Sara L
Kerri
Another Sue
Bld424
Rose, for her friend Natalie
Linda
Kathleen
Rebecca C
Bitts, for commenter Lisa Ann
Vanessa
Melody
Sylvia
Naomi
Marion
Sarah
Kathy Potvin, for her daughter
Brittany, for commenter Kathleen
Anna, for a friend
Karen, for a friend
Mary
Sarah
Amanda
IT TURNS OUT THAT WAS NOT THE FINAL UPDATE, NOT BY A LONG SHOT. Here are the NEXT fourteen winners, and there will likely be more, but fourteen for now so I don’t get ahead of myself:
Christa Lamb, for her friend Suzy
Samantha
Melissa T
Chrissy, for her friend L
Jennifer in Canada, will choose a commenter
RubyTheBee
Stephanie, for her friend Jen
Alyce, for her mom
Clara
Beth (Feb 12 6:33p)
Anni
Kalendi, for a friend
Erin, for her mama
Bree
Okay NOW it is REALLY the final update! After sending to all the above, I tallied up how much had been spent so far, compared it to the amount of money that had been donated, and found I had $70.04 left over, which is PRETTY TIDY at $35ish per package. Then I scanned through my list of sent packages one more time to be sure, and found I had MISSED SOMEONE, which is like my bad dream, but at least I DID notice it, and maybe that is the only one, so that meant I only needed to choose ONE more winner rather than two. But also I still needed to do my ORIGINAL package that I was going to spend blog-ad money on, so that brought us back to two. And then I found one more donation I’d missed, so yet again we are accessing my stress dreams, but I had put it somewhere I WOULD remember it, and I DID find it, so that’s okay, and it brings us up to three. So here are the final three winners, and I love that all of them are sending to their sisters:
GG, for her sister
Elizabeth, for her sister
D in Texas, for her sister
I have covid! I’ve rounded the corner and I am getting better BUT my husband just came in to tell me he has a fever. Which means my Valentines day will be spent dealing with the man flu on steroids ❤️.
Oh nooooo! Melanie, I’m entering for you.
Oh! I love this idea. I’d like to enter on the part of my friend Laura, who is beginning divorce proceedings right now and whose taste is Swistley.
More details on Laura: she’s a nurse during a pandemic, she has 2 small kids, and she has a soft spot for romance. All of which contribute to this Valentine’s day being Hard.
Either my son is going to be out of state at a friend’s house which will make me worry about COVID and what a group of 18 year old boys are doing and how much supervision there really is from the father who is probably there, or he won’t be and he will be moping in his bed staring at his phone and saying that he is “FINE!” as he looks daggers at me for asking and interrupting his moping. My husband will be worried in the first case about things that I am not worried about (much) and in the second case will be oblivious. Both have expressed surprise at my interest in celebrating Valentine’s Day.
I love your care package ideas and your blog and I’ll definitely appreciate reading the comments whether I am selected or not. Thanks!
Lovely idea. I don’t really go in for Valentines Day, but if I won, I would like the package sent to my friend Suzy. She’s trying to teach in these trying times and is suffering from anxiety right now (it is manifesting itself physically).
My kid’s birthday is Valentine’s Day. Which is…cute and fun for her but doesn’t exactly mean a fun adult Valentine’s day for the parents. It’s not terrible because I get to do fun birthday stuff for kiddo but this year she’s obsessed with dinosaurs so I don’t even get to do the cute red/pink/hearts stuff.
Why is there no dinosaur / heart combo? Chocolate dinosaurs?
“RAWR means I love you in dinosaur”
What fun! I started a new job on Monday and it’s going great but it is so damned busy I fall into bed every night, exhausted. I also work in a restaurant and I keep getting shifts added so this week I am working M-F, 7-3:30 and then Thursday Friday and Saturday nights and I WAS working Sunday morning but I said to my husband at least I’ll be home Sunday night and we can have some kind of dinner and be able to spend some time together but then late last night I found out I have to work Sunday night too so I am feeling VERY sorry for myself! I am grateful for the work but what can I say, I’m a big baby!
My Valentine’s Day will not be Unbearably Bad, but it will be Uneventfully Lonely. My husband is taking the kids up north to his parents for a long weekend while I’ll be running a 48-hour charity livestream for work. I’m kiiiiinda looking forward to the alone time, but as I packed their valentines presents and cards into the car, my husband looked at me guiltily and said he had forgotten about the holiday. No card for me, no candy or even a hug and kiss on the day. I don’t place a ton of stock in this Hallmark holiday but we usually exchange cards and do some kind of date-y activity, so I’m bummed about that.
I’m planning to treat myself to some DoorDash sushi though, so all is not lost! <3
If selected, I would like to send the Galentine’s Day Swistle package to my best Galentine ever, Allison. This year will be our fortieth friendiversary and she is just the best, always coming through for me with great advice and the ability to make me laugh. She’s also a teacher and a mom so she has been Handling It All in this pandemic. She has also kept me afloat in These Times with our daily video messages to each other. We haven’t seen each other in person since Nov 2019 which is terrible and must be remedied as soon as it is safe to do so. She is a devoted Swistle reader and Target lover so I know she would FULLY appreciate the care package!!
My fiancé is in the hospital so while Valentine’s Day is usually uneventful anyway(I usually have to work) this one is hitting pretty hard.
I nominate Marcy. Admittedly I would love to win because this is so cheerful but having your fiance in the hospital takes the sucky cake.
Hoping for a full recovery for them and in the meantime some bright spots for you.
I am entering on behalf of my friend Suz, who loves love, is an eternal optimist, and who sends Valentines out like Christmas cards, but has just been unlucky in partners.
I have taken over our divorce paperwork since after three years of separation it is clear my ex isn’t going to deal with what he said he would deal with. We started dating on Valentine’s Day in 2007. Blech. I just committed to keeping the children fully virtual for the rest of the year. Also my kids are puking, I just got more responsibility at work, and I’m just…tired.
I would like to enter on your behalf, Samantha, because I also just confirmed my kids in full remote for the rest of the school year, and I feel so beaten down at this point, and I’m so sorry you have so much more to deal with on top of the pandemic.
Sending you a big hug, and hopefully you get a care package to go with it!
Oh Samantha that is a lot. I would like to enter on your behalf, too.
I am entering on behalf of myself. My DH struggles when it comes to presents and holidays so this would be a nice treat.
I’m entering on behalf of myself, as I have my first divorced Valentines Day. :/ Kids will have a nice one though!
I nominate the first commenter, Melanie!
This is such a great idea. I am not entering bc it will suck, but, it’s ok. However, a friend’s husband committed suicide recently, her day WILL suck. And I’ve now been inspired to send her something like this. Or Sees. I’ve solicited ideas from her BF and her sister. I’m excited! Thank you.
This is such a hard year. I would love to pick where to send the happy joyfulness, if this comment gets drawn!
I’m entering for my friend Iza, who ended a relationship shortly before the pandemic started, and has just started online dating DURING a pandemic, which I find just wonderful and brave, but who will be alone on Valentine’s Day.
(I’m having a nice one myself, having ordered some frozen lobster tail for my husband and I.)
I have no valentine’s day expectations (and therefore no disappointment or complaints), but I’m entering to give it away to someone! I don’t know who! But I will know who if I win!
Entering because my boyfriend lives an hour away but also across state lines and with covid restrictions we can’t hang out unless we quarantine, which isn’t feasible when I’m also still working full time – no Valentine’s Day for me!
I’m entering to open and share with my son. He’s 26 years old, nearly 18 months out of grad school and STUCK.AT.HOME. He went to school overseas. He moved home in November of 2019 with the thought of taking 2-3 months off and then looking for work. That put him right at the end of February 2020 to start a job search. So you know how that goes!
Anyway, he’s been a saint and amazing company to me. But I know he dreads waking every morning in this social-interaction-less world with only his Mommy for company.
I’m entering on behalf of myself… is that too pitiful?
I’ve endured this entire pandemic with only myself for company. It’s been a long, lonely year… Currently haven’t seen friends/family in person in about 3 months (since I refuse to step foot in their homes). My big excitement comes when I get a package (or, in Target’s case, multiple packages). Did I mention that I lost my job last year (covid-related)? If that isn’t a sad enough song, Feb. 14 is the anniversary of my mom’s death.
Wow, I need a drink and a good sob.
Not pitiful. Holding you tight.
I’d like to enter on your behalf, Lisa Ann, if the drawing is sitll open. Hugs to you!
Oh what fun – I would love to win a Target Valentine surprise. I am pretty sure I am married to Paul’s brother (if he has a brother). Inevitably, it will be Valentine’s eve and he will look at me and say, “oh, is Valentine’s tomorrow?” I purchased the kiddos some small treats and hubby some too. Last year I was so annoyed that I ate the candy I purchased for him but never actually gave him. It was delicious. After 15 years married, I feel like he should do something, really anything. I am a simple girl. I’m not asking for diamond sunbursts or marbled halls (thank you Anne Shirley for that treasured quote)….but really, just something.
It’s so nice of you to do this. I live alone with my Labrador, Truman. My son is away at college and right now he and his roommate have Covid. They’re both feeling okay now – each had one or two bad days – just waiting out quarantine.
Truman has cancer and kidney disease. A couple months ago my water heater went out. A couple weeks ago I had a water leak in an upstairs bathroom. I haven’t seen anyone in my family since Christmas 2019.
Most days I’m fine – I know others have it much worse – but some days the ‘woe is me’ hits pretty hard! Thanks for letting me vent it out. =)
I’m getting my 2nd covid shot the day before valentine’s day. I am THRILLED to be getting vaccinated, but … I’ve heard of some pretty bad side effects from the 2nd shot. So I fully expect to be laid up in bed on valentine’s day, with a migraine and chills and nausea. And my husband works all day. And I’ll be home with my 2 young sons, trying to keep them from killing each other.
Quarantining from Covid exposure so Valentine’s Day will look like every other single day for the last year (Groundhogs’ Day anyone?). I had hopes of going to a restaurant (ours finally re-opened) and maybe an hour or two at a museum, but no. Oh well. Things could always be worse.
My husband is the Paul sort (in fact, his name is also Paull!). Every year, he woefully tells me how sad he is that he didn’t think of anything because I. am. just. so. difficult. to. buy. for! Guess what my favorite candy is – Brach’s conversation hearts. They are literally at the cash register of every store he goes to and cost $.99. My second favorite are Lindt truffles (any kind!).
I will order heart shaped pizzas and I have cute valentine shirts and candy for the girls. I even have a Reese’s heart from Target for Paul (his fav). Too bad I am so mysterious and difficult (eye roll)i.
Thanks, Swistle, what a sweet idea! I would like to enter on behalf of my sister, Nina, who is currently undergoing radiation treatment. Happy Valentines Day!
My friend absolutely deserves one. She will bend over backwards to help her friends and is one of the most caring people I know. I don’t want to tell too much of her life, but her boyfriend (not boyfriend anymore?) Just blew up her life because he is a giant jerk and all the while he made her feel like everything was her fault. She needs some love!
In addition to valentines day, this weekend also marks 11 months of zero human touch for me. I say I am okay, I have lived a hermit-like lifestyle for a number of years so no one thinks that I would be bothered by this. But it’s becoming a burden. I tear up easily for no apparent reason, and what few social skills I once was able to practice, are slipping. For example, I owe an apology to Badger Reader from the comment section a few days ago. I latched onto one thing I wanted to respond to from her comment and completely blew past an opportunity to acknowledge her grief over the loss of her family member. Please know that I am so sorry for your loss, and for my own clumsy insensitivity. I hope that all of us can find ways to self soothe and to continue our plodding way forward. As always, thanks to Swistle and to this community for all you mean to me.
I enter for Another Sue. (((((hugs)))))
Entering on behalf of my 85-year-old MIL… Her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last Summer, so that + pandemic stress has made for some long and lonely months.
What a great idea for a giveaway! I’m bummed at the idea of vday this year. Not for any particular reason, it’s just one more disappointment in a year’s worth of disappointments. My husband does not believe in “hallmark holidays” but usually sends flowers to my office the week of Vday. No office, no flowers. I am just so tired of being cooped up in our tiny box house with two cyber schooling kids. And the snow every 3 days! Nothing tragic, it’s just all Getting To Me.
I would like to enter for my friend L who is going through a divorce AND lost her brother unexpectedly last week. And she just moved in to care for elderly mother, which is an entirely different kind of challenge.
Swistle! Im happy to sponsor another one, if you’re still open to sponsorships.
I’d like to enter on behalf of my mom, who has been amazing at staying away from other people for the past 11 months, but is so, so lonely!
My sister has moved home to care for our 93 year old mother. Mom is mostly blind, and has Alzheimer’s. And there’s a pandemic, so I can’t go help. I would love to share the love with them. Thanks, Swistle. You brighten all our days.
I’m entering.
But comment I guess really is more/ it’s proof my story will be heard and maybe I get a virtual hug.
I have post partum depression, 5 kids at home, my husband will avoid sex because he’s too nervous to get me pregnant again (even though I crave sex and would enjoy another baby).
Somehow I gotta do our traditional Scavenger Hunt for the kids, but I’m so exhausted and in the past there have been 4 rhyming riddles per kid!!! Mentally healthy Me is a rock star but PPD Pandemic Me struggles to be kind and get out of bed.
Hey, been there, friend. Please be very kind to yourself. Can you teach one of the bigger kids to plan the scavenger hunt? Or, can you list out the locations and have Swistle readers write you some couplets?
Postpartum is such a sacred, vulnerable time. Hang in there, darlin.
I would be so happy to write your riddles if you give some context!
We can do this! It’s an old-fashioned couplet raising! It’s rescue doggerel!
Thank you!!!!
I love the idea of my kids making the clues!
For my kids I make the clues incrementally harder based on age.
So the oldest kids are riddles, the younger one gets his as a fill in the blank rhyme or a map.
Like : page 1200 divided by 600 in the book where Harry meets Hermoine is where your next clue is.
And usually we have oven and lovin’ rhyming and at least once someone’s chocolates have gotten melted in the oven! And that’s as hilarious as it is sad!
I love your offer.
This year I will email myself the clues so I can reuse them in future years with future kids.
Enter for Melanie.
I have the same feelings as Beth above – one more disappointment in a year of disappointments. Though my partner actively rebels against VDay (saying it’s a made up Hallmark holiday) so I don’t have high expectations for it anyway. I do a few things to try to make it special for the kids. Though the oldest is in the throes of 14yo angst and I’m pretty sure hates me. UGH
I am entering on behalf of my friend Natalie who will be tickled pink to receive something like this!
I would like to enter to give it away to someone in the comments, since I live in Canada.
I love this idea! Valentine’s Day can be such a poignant reminder of special days long gone (widowed 17 years ago). But, I try to put my enjoyment of this holiday into buying little surprises (books, crafts, etc.) for my grandkids. They bring me great joy all year long! Great idea, Swistle.
I usually go out with friends to celebrate but that’s not happening, and my dad had surgery so maybe I will give it to my mo or share it with her if I were to win. This is such a fun and nice idea! Thanks for doing things like this!
Would it be too selfish to enter for myself? Married 19 years, the last three have been….hard. Started seeing a new counselor this month. Have taken up with endocrinologists, therapists and anyone else who can sort out my shit with me. But he is home with kids because pandemic. He is never going to change. Covid has made this one long long long long year and you can’t just end 20+ years of a habit in the midst of a pandemic. Nor can you do in person marriage counseling. Nor can you stay home with the kids yourself because you have to work. And the kids are teens now so they care for nothing but their ipads. Pity party over. I will gleefully share my winnings with both savage teenagers and my mom.
I hear the loneliness and the struggle In your post and I also note the honesty and the hopeful tone. You re strong and brave. It’s hard to do what you are doing and I hope it will only go uphill from this point on.
I feel selfish, but I’m entering myself. I’m a caregiver for my 92 year old father in law, whose health is failing. Ill be alone on Valentines Day, as my husband passed away and my sons are grown. I usually stay busy to keep my mind off things, but sometimes it is just hard to do.
Kathleen, your life choices show that you AREN’T selfish. I admire the ways you show love for others on days besides Vday.
I am entering for Lisa Ann (upthread). Strength, peace, and good luck to you, girl!
Is it out of bounds to nominate my brother? For, like, a palentine’s day gift? He’s an awesome stay-at-home dad to two little girls (age 3 and 1) and his wife initiated a separation this past Monday. I won’t get into details but let’s say there’s an extremely overbearing mother-in-law in the equation. So his Valentine’s day is going to blow.
i am living through this pandemic alone and am super lonely and just coming off of a crippling depression that led to two hospitalizations and a round of electroshock therapy, during which my heart stopped. it’s been a challenging few months. i havent gotten to see my family the whole pandemic except for when my ssiter came briefly for ect. so it’s been hard and i would love a surprise ;)
I’m entering on behalf of myself, because I have somehow managed to make it to 36 years old without being romantically involved on Valentine’s Day, so it’s always up to me to spoil myself.
Ooooh pick me! This would be the first package in my new mailbox. My sad story condensed: It’s been a rough couple years getting through everything a midlife crisis/empty nest has thrown at me. So alone in every way, celebrating galentine’s sounds awesome :)
Ohhh I’m gonna enter for a friend, I love this idea! ❤️
If you’re still open to sponsorships – maybe this is all getting out of hand – I would love to sponsor one too!
IT IS ONLY GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. Email me (swistle at gmail.com)!!
Emailed! Excited to sponsor!
I certainly won’t have the worst Valentine’s Day but I doubt it will be the best. I’m a single mom (and lone parent) to two young kids with significant needs that have been overwhelming at times over the past year. One of them is currently sick with some mild COVID symptoms but I can’t get her tested because an ice storm has made driving unsafe. I am exhausted with the effort of trying to salvage my career. Last weekend, one of my kids got overly excited because she saw me smile. She whispered to her sister, “She smiled!!! She smiled!!” Because evidently I don’t do that very often right now.
I am missing the most important person in the world’s 12th birthday because of COVID restrictions on international travel. The day itself is the 13th. I am going to be a weeping lump of ooze all day.
I’d love to enter and for selfish reasons. You seez the husband’s birthday is 2/15. Yep the day after Valentine’s Day. So every year, we end up hosting his parents for dinner. Dinner that I make or arrange (sending menus, pestering people for orders, ordering dealing with sundry complaints). With wine and beer that I get. I spend the days leading up cleaning the house for visitors. The birthday eats Valentine’s Day entirely. I usually get a card. One year (in 20) I got flowers.
I’d like to enter for Kathleen (upthread) who is a caregiver to her 92 year old father and whose husband passed away.
You are all so lovely and I’ve teared up reading your stories. xoxox
I would like to enter! I am not going to have a good Valentine’s Day for reasons I’d rather not share on the internet. (Long story short, a whole host of mental health issues that mean NOTHING IS FUN RIGHT NOW.)
I would like to enter for myself. I am just so tired (11 months of remote learning while working full time, with a spouse who works outside our house all the time) that this Valentine’s Day is going to suck. Blech.
Having been there with the shitty Valentine’s day, I would love to sponsor another winner (if it’s not an annoying amount of work for you!)
It is not AT ALL annoying, it is 100% thrilling and fun!!
Not remotely tech-savvy and unsure of how best to respond; I think I emailed you?
Welp, I’m entering as one of many who’ve never had a Valentine’s Day with sweetness directed my way. (Even while I was married for over 20 years.) I’ll make the day sweet for my two sons and make sure they know they’re loved, but otherwise I won’t acknowledge the day a whole lot.
This is my first Valentine’s Day post divorce… I spent December/January/February last year counting down to March 2020 and my fresh new start (while selling a house, buying a house, negotiating a divorce, working full time, doing school at night and parenting two kids). Whelp… March didn’t turn out like I hoped. Anyway, I’m mostly great now, or pandemic great, as my friend says. But… a package for me that is not from me would be a nice bonus.
I love this. I’d like to enter on behalf of my dear friend, Jen, who has been going through some Tough Medical Crap (not COVID, but certainly makes her more at risk) and I can’t go visit her until this is all over and it just SUCKS. This would brighten her day.
I’d like to enter myself. Reading about all the people who have agreed to sponsor has been a bright spot in my day.
I would love to win for a friend who recently lost a very close friend unexpectedly (and the wife of the couple died from cancer this summer).
I am entering for my mom. She lives in a motorhome in Olympia, WA. She doesn’t have a significant other and hasn’t for a dozen years or more. To say she’s lonely is an understatement. I’ve been trying to send her notes and small things to brighten her days, but with J out of work the special mail funds have dried up.
My holiday will be the same as every other day. Quiet except when it’s not. RoommateHubby and I will tag-team parenting. I’ll try to sneak in a nap.
If it’s not too late, and it’s not too much ordering for you, I’d love to sponsor one as well. I already bought myself See’s Candies at your suggestion, just sitting waiting for me to surprise myself on Valentine’s Day. So I’d love for you to be able to gift someone else in the comments. I will email you as well.
I love this!
“Why, self, how did you know?!”
Forecast is for a high of 4F on 2/14 here. Ugh.
I have been married nearly 18 years, but we never celebrate the dreaded 14th as it is also my sister-in-laws birthday. It is so very covid-y here that we couldn’t go out even if we wanted to. Which I just realized means we won’t be celebrating our anniversary for the second year in a row, thanks to covid hitting Los Angeles so very hard. Oy, I’m a barrel of laughs.
Thank you for being such a bright spot for so many years. Many covid-friendly distance hugs!
I enter myself. Besides enduring bone chilling cold here, I have to get stitches removed from my head on Valentine’s Day after being tripped ( accidentally) by my son while rollerblading last week and getting stitches.
I’m entering myself, which makes me feel selfish, which is stupid and I know it.
The only time I’ve had away from my children in literally over a year is to go to the grocery store. And I could really use a pick me up on the horizon!
I am driving my oldest daughter back to college today. I am about three weeks into concussion recovery. My other daughter continues to have suicidal thoughts and this makes my own anxiety spiral out of control. Basically, my life since 2017 is a soap opera and the current season is a tough one. I’d love to win and share with my husband, who is also struggling but refuses to acknowledge it.
I’d like to enter my sister – she has had a hell of a go of it since 2019 when her daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor (she’s doing so much better! Surgery and radiation were 2019 problems, 2020 was supposed to be the year when we celebrated her good health, and … you know how 2020 went). In November she found out her husband of nearly 20 years decided, DURING COVID NO LESS, to sleep with a co-worker (this information was doled out, in bits and pieces and feats of strengths by my sister to overcome his gaslighting attempts. He’s leaving today so they can separate and decide how they want to move forward as a family. Due to Covid, we aren’t seeing each other in person right now and it’s just killing me that she’s going to have to go through this, especially in this time when everyone will be talking about love. She works in an in-home daycare with my mom, and has five children – I think a small care package from Target would be such a lovely surprise for her this year!
Is there still time to enter? I could use a pick me up.
YES! It is going to take me awhile to go through and figure out how many giveaways we are doing, so there is still time!
I would love a care package! My husband has many many strengths but he does not do gifts at all but does do that thing where he talks about how bad he is a gifts and how little time he has for picking something nice and how overworked he is and next thing you know I don’t have a gift but I am comforting him about it and also feeling guilty for wanting one. Fun times!
I just got divorced! While I’m mostly doing okay, I’m thinking I may feel a bit down on Valentine’s Day – just wanting someone to do something nice for me.
For my daughter. Special Ed teacher of autistic kids, in school learning. BF moves out in 2 weeks, dog just diagnosed with cancer.
I would like to enter for someone else. Life is hard and this last year especially has been YIKES and brutal. I’m sure any one of us could use our day brightened by little surprises picked and provided by someone else. I’m so touched by all of your stories, and all the sponsorships!
And no one is selfish for entering yourself. It’s honest and brave to be able to say you need some love and brightness and I hope everyone of you get it.
I’d like to enter for my friend. She lost her job almost a year ago, her kid is struggling with isolation and has taken to rage, and her husband is a tool and doesn’t think to do anything nice for her. She’s the most kind and bubbly person and she’s just lost her spirit. I’d love for this to brighten her day.
I would like to enter for my friend, who is going to be feeling very alone on Valentine’s Day. She lives alone, and while that makes her holidays sometimes a little bit lonely, this year, with Covid keeping people from visiting each other, it’s been extra lonely. And we live in Michigan, so getting together to hang out outside in February is just not an option. So something to brighten her day would be awesome.
Great idea! I’d like to enter – I’m perennially single, and being single and isolated is particularly hard during the pandemic; I can’t even see friends and family like I normally would.
Last year my husband and I went out to dinner on Valentines – little did we know what was around the corner…
Like so many this year has been a challenge to say the least. We will not be doing dinner out this year – i love care packages so this sounds so fun! Thank you to your blog and the brightness it adds to my day with each new post and I love the baby names blog too.
This is just the coolest. I’d love to enter for myself because I’m barely surviving these days of working, having a baby, remote schooling the first grader, and managing my new health issues…but truly I’d send it to my sister, who is an amazing 2nd grade teacher, has 3 kids under 5, and just moved (among other things I won’t post on the internet, but trust me when I say she needs extra cheer❤️)
I’d like to enter for my mom. She has been alone since the shutdown and is high risk. I think this would brighten her day so much! Thank you and all of the generous sponsors.
I would like to enter. My husband has gotten me nothing ever for Valentine’s Day and I don’t expect he will this year either. Plus I have plans to go visit my grandfather who is violent and riddled with dementia and doesn’t even recognize me.
I would like to enter for my friend how is a teacher who is teaching remote and in person and as a result is avoiding seeing family and friends. She will not be having a great day this year.
I would like to enter. 3/4 of my kids are COVID +, and while feeling fine, have been trapped in the basement together for the last week. Nerves are fraying. There is much screaming. The only negative kid is the youngest, an extroverted 5 year old who is used to always having someone to play with and is now permanently glued to my side. I have evidently gotten used to being able to pee without being followed into the bathroom, and am finding the reversal stressful.
This is such a lovely idea. I’ll enter for myself since while I’m not miserable, I will spend the day alone. My ex-husband once gave me a Valentine’s Day card that said “You’ll do.”
NO! That is awful and I’m so sorry. The bar is SO low and yet….
Be gentle with your worthy, lovely self.
I would like to enter for my friend if there is still time. She has been a widow for several years, and right now is struggling with some health issues. She probably doesn’t think much about Valentines Day, but she could definitely use a pick-me-up.
I’m going to enter for myself because I just found out I might lose my job in the next month or two (not a sure thing yet but enough to certainly put a damper on my weekend).
Ahhhhh what good hearts you all have!!!! It makes me feel so mushy!!!! If I am selected, the recipient will be my precious mama. Gift giving was once my dad’s love language, but his health is poor and he doesn’t get out much, and internet shopping is Hit or Miss, heavy on the misses, for parents of a certain age :)
I dunno if this is too late, but I would like to enter. We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s day in my family. I think I’m going to make brownies and write a mushy letter to my husband. That’s not a *bad* day but everything is a lot right now and that makes my usual stoic-ness make me sad.
My Valentine’s situation isn’t as bad as some of the entries, just a bit bleak. I’m turning 35 next week, living with my ex (great person, we’re just not quite right for each other, also totally sucks at Valentine’s Day), floundering in a career training program I should be good at, facing the sad reality that kids don’t seem likely in my life.
Yay! You rule Swistle!!
Hurrah! Thanks for organizing all this, I hope it’s a blast to shop for everyone and that you put together a box for yourself too.
Eeeeeeeee!!!!!
So I think I’m too late on the extra winners too. I check your blog pretty often but totally didn’t check on the right days for this. :( I will post now, just in case. I have a friend who I would nominate. She’s a single Mom and posted recently about how she’d been having anxiety, so it would be super fun for her to have random surprise parcels!
I have a good friend that lives by herself, is extremely kind and caring, and would be thrilled and surprised to receive your care package.
If it’s not too late. Only thing I got were the flowers and chocolates I bought myself