The Sap's Guide to Valentine's Day

I must confess that deep down inside I am a complete and other sap. That shouldn't be surprising since:

A) I'm a girl

B) Everyone should embrace their inner sap.

However, I digress. While it is okay to be a sap on Valentine's Day, it's not okay to let the rest of the year be the same for you. It's a card shop's dream holiday, it really has no bearing on our political, cultural, or religious history in the way that other holidays and celebration do. But as the saying goes, "When in Rome." So let this one day be your Rome and do as the Romans do.

In this hub I will discuss ways to get completely ooey and gooey for the single, abandoned, or the just plain lovestruck. Enjoy!

There's nothing more enjoyable than a great love song if you ask me. I don't care if you're single, wishing you weren't single, crazy in love, or crazy over an ex: there's some mythical power that love songs have over us. And with that in mind, I present some of my all time favorite love songs for Valentine's Day.

1. Another Sad Love Song Toni Braxton- Now she's living it up on reality television alongside her sisters as the do-a-little more than the Kardashians but back in the day Toni Braxton was a girl who could sang and sang well. This is the best song to sing if you can't stand how much you love ballads.
2. Love Story Taylor Swift- Our dear Taylor has picked up where many songstresses have left off in writing and releasing some lovelorn ballads. This is among the more upbeat of her releases and she makes it quite easy to get caught up in the romance of it all.
3. Let's Stay Together Al Green- Even if you aren't dating anyone, you can still appreciate the smooth balladeer stylings of one of the elite masters of southern soul.
4. Too Much Heaven Bee Gees- This song makes me swoon like nothing else. Even though the Brothers Gibb are known for blazing the disco trail, this song makes you appreciate their magical way of harmonizing.
5. All You Need is Love The Beatles- This is pretty much self explanatory for two reasons: A) it's the Beatles and B) it never stops being awesome.
6. Kissin' You Total- If you don't know this song, take this opportunity to get to know it. That's all I have to say about that :)
7. Just Like Heaven The Cure- I can't ever get enough of this song. It's happy and it's 80s. Not to mention this is how everyone wants to feel when they're crazy in love.
8. This Kiss Faith Hill- I love Faith Hill's voice and the power she conveys. Even though she's known for her more introspective ballads, this was a great departure.
9. My Love Justin Timberlake featuring TI- Only JT can sing about true love over a rap solo and funky futuristic beats and still make us swoon. It's the romantic's version of SexyBack :).
10. Lovin' You Minnie Ripperton- This song reminds us what is so great about love in all of its purity and splendor. Not to mention how the la-la-la transports you to a magical space and time.

This is only a sampling of some great love songs, but you get the picture. Stay tuned for further sap playlists for Valentine's Day. But this should be enough to get you started.

One of the most romantic parts of Valentine's Day is the actual sharing of dinner with someone. And whether that someone is yourself, your mate, or your mom- it can be totally sapalicious in it's own right with a few short steps.

• Candlelight is Key- Everyone knows things get romantic when the lights are dimmed, so a scented candle can go a long way. And if you can't swing that, at least get a dimmer or a colored bulb to change the ambiance of your location.
• Decorations- I'm not saying you have to raid Party City for those ridiculously cliche decorations they have available but you can at least get a nice colored table cloth like red, purple, or even a neat teal.
• Music- I'm sure you could have figured that out but it most certainly it beats watching the news or fiddling your blackberry.
• Food- Whether or not you cook your meal is entirely up to you, but at least make it memorable if you are going to order out. And if you do cook, don't go overboard.

This should get you through dinner but up next is probably the most important part of any sap's V-Day celebration.

If you are like me and enjoy romance in the cinema, you know a good romantic flick. That being said, there are some that are especially made for the sappiest day of the year. And so I present a few of my favorites to enjoy on Valentine's Day.

1. When Harry Met Sally- This movie answered the age old question quite wistfully and quite deeply. While it is a work of fiction, you almost hope that you could live this movie out yourself at times. What I enjoy most about it is the chemistry and timing of both Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. And while I do love it, thank goodness there's no sequel.
2. Say Anything- I'm not stuck in the 80s but I do quite enjoy this movie. There's nothing better than a wrong side of the tracks guy meets good girl story done right. And there's no way you can ever deny the power of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" no matter how many times you hear it.
3. Pretty Woman- What sap movie list isn't complete without a little Julia Roberts? And far and away this takes the cake. This is the fairy tale you want to happen but just not to you.
4. Love Actually- I know this is a Christmas movie but it's still very sweet. Who doesn't love the way the stories fold into each other so sweetly?
5. 10 Things I Hate About You- Even though it's so 90s and so cliche it has two things any sap cannot argue with: a big sing-along in the middle of the film and Shakespearean adaptations.

This is just a small start, but you can see where I'm going with this. Also, if you don't have Netflix or have a steady DVD collection, there's always the old standby of Lifetime Movies. But caution, Lifetime is for real saps.

I hope you enjoyed this sap guide and well, have a very Happy Sappy Time on Valentine's Day.