Show Some Love This Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is upon us! A day to show all your love and appreciation for everyone you love and deeply care about. Spouse, kids, grandparents, best friends, some one that may be having a tough year, or maybe some one that has suddenly become ill. Today is the perfect day to tell and show them what they mean to you, hug them, write them a little note, show up with some flowers to brighten their day, even something sweet and chocolately always makes us feel better.For those of us that don't really care for this holiday too much or don't have someone to share it with, there is still tons of ways to show some love today. Valentine's day can also be heart breaking and gut wrenching for some of us. It can often leave a lot of people feeling even more alone and sad. So for all of us in the spirit of love or not so much this year. Here's a few ways to show even more love or to help you climb out from under the covers and make someone else feel better about this lovey-dovey holiday. It's guaranteed to make you feel better too!5 Things To Do Locally:

1. Visit your Local Nursing Home or Hospital- Drop off some fresh -cut tulips, a box of chocolates, have lunch with someone who may not get many visitors, or just stop in and say happy Valentine's with a cup of coffee. Even strangers love a sweet gesture from someone unknown.
2. Adopt or Visit an Animal Shelter- These poor animals have usually been abused and neglected. Just getting some attention, hugs and kisses, or even just a simple walk is enough to make their day. It will also boost your endorphins and happy meter too. Just be careful on how many you end up bringing home! :)
3. Go Through Your Closet- Most of us have overflowing closets, go through your dresser, closets, linens, towels, and cabinets. Fill up everything you haven't worn or used in over a year and take it to a local shelter or somewhere that takes donations. This one actually helps you too! Clean out the clutter and feel better knowing someone else is getting to stay warm with that sweater that's just collecting dust on the top shelf.
4. Donate Blood- Find your local blood bank and donate blood. You could actually save someone's life and never even know it. And you never know if that someone could be you or one of your loved ones someday.
5. Become a Mentor- There are so many kids these days that are looking for a little more love in their life. They have hopes and dreams but sometimes they seem to far out of reach. You can be that person to help them prove to the world that they have more than what it takes to make it.

5 Incredible Places to Show Some Extra Love:

1. Feeding America- Feeding America does just that: It provides food to Americans living with hunger, and runs public outreach campaigns to raise awareness of domestic hunger. Each year, the Feeding America network provides food to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors.
2. Doctors Without Borders- They are a volunteer organization of doctors and nurses who provide urgent medical care to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics. They work in close to 60 countries whose people are caught in crises of armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion fromhealthcare, or natural disasters. You can give a one-time donation, set up a monthly contribution, or host a fundraiser. (I know doctors that are apart of this and they absolutely love being able to give back)
3. Homes for Heroes- This organization provides financial assistance and housing help to military personnel, police and peace officers, firefighters, and first responders who are in need. They help with both upfront discounts on real estate and also tax rebates, kind of like a modern-day GI Bill. You can donate money, construction or remodeling supplies, or you can pick up a hammer and help with building houses.
4. Donors Choose- Donors Choose provides students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. Teachers ask for classroom materials, you decide which project to fund, and then the students send pictures and notes to you. Projects range from buying dry erase markers for a classroom, providing more "boy friendly" books in a library, or a class trip to the Statue of Liberty.
5. Global Music Project- Purchase songs donated by artists all over the world, and proceeds go to international charities such as UNICEF, Mercy Corps, and the Sierra Club. You can listen to the  all around the world for FREE, then click to download for purchase. Our proceeds go toward our music programs and music preservation efforts.

See the Ladies Home Journal's List of Top 21 Charities to Donate to for Valentine's Day. These were just my 5 favorites from their list!  Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it's filled with lots of love no matter how big of package is comes in or how much you expel out to others!