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Crystal Soil

Movie Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene

Brief Summary:
A young woman tries to reconnect with her sister while being plagued by memories of her recent experience in an abusive cult.
Cast - Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson
Genre - Drama, Thriller
Runtime - 102 min

Woah, yes the Olsen Twin's have a little sister and boy, can she act! Maybe I shouldn't seem so down on the twins as I secretly loved them (Who didn't love "It Takes Two"?). But whereas the Olsen twins really only seem to play themselves in my mind, the younger sister, Elizabeth Olsen, is totally fresh and unbranded. Which is why she is completely, and almost terrifyingly, believable as the young Martha Marcy May Marlene.

I had absolutely no idea what this film was about. I'd seen it had gotten pretty decent reviews and had heard the buzzword "cult" associated with it. But other then that, I had zero conceptions about it. I was a little worried that my boyfriend would find it completely boring, and I was about 99% sure I was right when half an hour into the movie, he still hadn't said a word. I was sure he was asleep. When I glanced over and saw that he was only silent because he seemed to be fully taken in by the movie thus far, I was impressed.

It's not exactly a thriller in the traditional sense, but the entire movie fills you with unease. There's not often actually much going on from scene to scene, but something always just feels wrong. There's something bad coming, you can sense it the whole time ("why can't she see it coming?" you think) and you feel nervous and uncomfortable. And it's not just when she flashes back to her experiences with the cult that are uneasy, it's everything, even when you think it's going to be better for her.

The flashbacks to the cult and the scenes from reality blur together dizzily. Every new scene you are unsure whether she's back in the cult or if she's in her present with her older sister. At first, I found it a bit annoying. I continuously felt confused and lost, but that's exactly the point. Martha is having a hard time assimilating to her free life outside the cult. She was abused, brainwashed, and maybe most painfully, accepted. Now she isn't always sure what's real. And she has certainly lost track of what's considered appropriate in our society.

This movie is compelling on so many levels. Nothing really happens, and yet for 102 minutes you sit there, knots in your stomach, scared, uncomfortable, and mesmerised. As a young woman I feel like I could connect with her on some level. You do sit there wondering "how does anyone get sucked into something like that?". But if you were ever a teenage girl just needing a place to fit in, then you know how she could get pulled into a cult (we just called them cliques).

Overall rating: 8/10

Watch the Martha Marcy May Marlene trailer here, then give the movie a chance. It will steal your breath away.

Reactine Over

The free Reactine sample give-away is now over on Living Well.ca. But if you missed it, you can still go on over and get a $2.00 off Coupon!

Last Chance for FREE Reactine

If you didn't get your free Reactine sample from Living Well yesterday, then hurry up because it is still active!! Less than 400 Freebies left! Head over to Living Well.ca create an account (if you don't have one) and nab your freebie now! Good Luck!

Movie Review: The Innkeepers (2011)

Brief Summary :
 It's the last weekend The Yankee Pedlar Inn will be open ever, as such, there are only 2 innkeepers on staff and a measly handful of guests. The Pedlar Inn has a long told ghost story about a woman who died years and years ago and now haunts its halls. The innkeepers think that maybe this last weekend they will get the chance to find proof of her spirit in the hotel.
Cast - Sara Paxton, Pat Healy & Kelly McGillis
Genre - Horror, Thriller
Runtime - 100 min

 I didn't hate it. I also didn't love it. It's not memorable but it's enjoyable to watch. It's another ghost story movie set in an old creepy hotel (although the lobby is quite cute :P). What I found to be refreshing about it was that all the characters, for the most part, actually believed in the ghost story.

The Yankee Pedlar Inn has had a notorious ghost story for the ages (doesn't every old hotel have one?). It's about a woman who died there in the late 1800s and who was left to rot in the basement for three days before the staff could smuggle her out (they thought it would be bad press). Most people say it's just an old ghost story, something to scare the children, however Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) not only believe the story but are determined to prove it using and an EVP sound recorder. They want firm proof to put on Luke's web site that he has created based solely on the paranormal activity found at The Yankee Pedlar Inn.

I think both main actors were cast perfectly. Luke comes across almost effortlessly as the nerdy, techie-dork with a paranormal ghost website. We have no problems believing why he might think the ghost is real. Claire, they really had to cast well. Sara Paxton made us all believe that she was the naive girl, who might believe anything anyone told her. And Luke told her to believe in ghosts, so she does. It was refreshing to not have all the characters running around stating firmly that "they do not believe in ghosts" and that "nothing will happen" until of course inevitably it does.

In this film the tension builds slowly, offering us a few standard pop-out scares, while maintaining the building mystery surrounding the aforementioned dead woman of the Pedlar Inn. I thought the filmography and score complimented the mounting apprehension perfectly. It definitely made my nerves a little raw.

The Pedlar Inn receives some other guests that weekend, a retired actress turned healer (Kelly McGillis) and an old, strange, creepy man requesting the same room in which he spent his honeymoon many many years ago (George Riddle). Both new players change the game at the hotel in their own ways, adding to the dread that the Innkeepers have been feeling.

There is a perfect target audience for this movie, teenage girl slumber parties will just eat this right up. It's not very gory, relying mainly on slowly building tension, unlike most slice-em-up teen horror flicks. I'd feel fairly comfortable giving this to a group of girl about 13+. Sure they won't sleep that night, but there's nothing really bad in it (or I didn't think so anyways).


My peeves for the movie are:

1) Uhhh...so were they ever going to explain what happened to Madeline O'Malley? They seemed to be building this big mystery up around 2 other spirits who were present and what happened to Madeline and why her soul was trapped in the hotel. They just never finished the story, which really disappointed me.

2) I HATED the "chapter" breaks. They really broke the film up. And the last one was a complete cop out. "OH IT'S GETTING INTENSE --- must be time for a break! " Really? C'mon! Let's just end it.

My first thoughts about the ending were a) they ran out over budget and had to finish the movie quickly with no explanation of...well ANYTHING! Or b) Hey, did M. Night Shayamalan write this? His films are always fantastic right up until the end (except Lady in the Water, which was just bad all around).

Overall, I loved the dramatic tension that the film had. I was hooked, my heart was pumping, and I was a little anxious at times. I loved the casting specially Sara Paxton who played her naive, young, curiosity-killed-the-cat character perfectly. But the complete lack of a finished storyline, made it a movie I would never watch again (but I'm not upset I watched it once).

Overall : 6.5/10

Watch the trailer for The Innkeepers here!

What did you think overall? I see it's getting very very mixed reviews. Either love or hate? Which side did you land on?

My Couponing/Saving Success!!

Last night my boyfriend and I prepared a task. We gave ourselves $100 cash. That was how much we were allowed to spend. Not a penny more. Our goal: to maximize the outcome and stretch the cash as far as it would go. By keeping on top of the flyers, I knew I wanted to hit Safeway and Walmart (not that there is a whole lot of options in Swift Current anyways).

 So here's our haul!

Safeway

Catelli Spagetti Sauce - Buy One Get One (B1G1) Free = 3 @ $1.85 + 3 @ $0.00 = $5.55 (saved = $5.55)
CheeCha Snacks - FREE with Cheecha gram coupon = $0.00 (saved = $3.19)
Gillette Satin Shave Gel - $1.99-$1.00 Coupon = $0.99 (saved = $1.00)
Pine Sol Cleaner (1.77L) - B1G1 FREE = 1 @ 4.72-$1.00 Coupon + 1 @ $0.00 = $3.72 (saved = $5.72)
Herbal Essences - B1G1 FREE = Shampoo @ $3.69-$0.50 Coupon + Conditioner @ $0.00 = $3.19 (saved = $4.19)
Chicken - $10.86 - Clubcard savings = $8.85 (saved = $2.01)
Bananas = $3.17

Total Before Coupons/Savings = 48.33
Total OOP (Out Of Pocket) = 26.67

Walmart

Unfortunately, I don't have the before sale prices, Silly me, should have written them down. Many items were on insane deals, and some I also doubled up with coupons. Where ever I used a coupon I'll be able to show the savings, but everywhere else I can't find the before price, so I only have the sale. Still check it out there's some great deals.

Great Value Beans - 4 @ $0.87 = $3.48
Honey Nut Cheerios - 3 @ $2.97 = $8.91
Thinsations Bits and Bites - 1 @ $2.00-$0.75 Coupon = $1.25 (saved = $0.75)
Healthy Choice Steamers - B1G1 FREE = 1 @ $2.97 + 1 @ $0.00 = $2.97 (saved = $2.97)
Milk = $5.05
Canned Peas - 2 @ $0.87 = $1.74
Canned Peas & Carrots - 2 @ $0.87 = $1.74
10 Tortillas = $3.87
Macaroni & Beef Frozen Meal - 2 @ $1.00 = $2.00
Lasangna Frozen Meal - 2 @ $1.00 = $2.00
Steamers Vegatbles (Varied kinds) - 4 @ $1.00 = $4.00
Valentines Chocolates - 2 @ $2.50 = $5.00 (Marked down, saved = $5.00)
Thick Bacon = $3.48
Becel 4lb Margarine = $10.47
Exel Gum 4pk = $1.98
Pringles Original & Sour Cream - 2 @ $1.00 = $2.00
Sour Cream = $1.78
Crest Vivd White Toothpaste - 1 @ $3.00-$1.00 Coupon = $2.00 (saved = $1.00)
Crest Rinse - Travel Size @ $1.00-$1.00 Coupon = FREE (saved = $1.00)
Glide Floss - Free WUB Rinse = FREE (saved = $3.69)
Covergirl Lipgloss - 1 @ $3.97-$4.00 Coupon = FREE (saved = $3.97)

Total Before Coupons = $76.50
OOP = $63.11

So in total on our shopping spree by choosing your brands carefully where you can and pairing with coupons we only paid $91.56 for all this and stayed under our $100 budget. I'm very happy with this!! Here's the Tipster himself examining our haul! I'm new to this, so how do you think I did?!?!?

Reactine Free Sample

Do you have allergies? Go to Living Well right now to get a free sample of Reactine. There are limited quantities and you will have to create an account so go NOW. Best of luck!!

UPDATE: The site appears to be having a glitch at the moment. GRRRRR! When I was last able to get on there were still MANY available samples, so keeping trying if you want one!!

Book Review: A Storm of Swords

The third instalment of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire picks up the intense drama of Westeros right where we left off after A Clash of Kings and maintains the calibre of excitement we've come to expect through another 900+ pages.

Part of what I love about George R. R. Martin's fantasy saga is his direction. Even though the series spans across several continents and many important parallel plotlines, he manages to make each novel focused. While A Clash of Kings focused strongly on the 5 powers struggling for dominion of the realm, A Storm of Swords more strongly brings in the battle taking place on and beyond The Wall. I personally love the story taking place beyond The Wall and found myself enthralled by the terrors that the wights and White Walkers pose to Westeros.

Much of my thoughts on the third novel echo those of the second. I almost feel like they were written as one novel and simply split due to length. A Storm of Swords has the same beguiling ability to keep you interested and excited. Every chapter left you itching for more and flipping pages to see when that character would be back and to find out what happens to them.

Pathetically, and I know this is completely awful, but for all of the first novel and much of the second I was under the impression that the Daenerys Targaryen storyline was occurring on Tarth. I bought these beautiful, hardcover versions of the books with illustrated maps. The maps, however, only include the continent of Westeros and I just assumed that everything took place within Westeros. Once my brain finally caught up with me I felt completely stupid. Nonetheless I found this gorgeously drawn map of the entire Song of Ice and Fire world which helped me put everything in perspective.

Click Here to Enlarge

Overall, the third novel is an amazing addition and only serves to highten my anticipation for the rest of the series.

(Sidenote: What happened to the comet from book two? It seems to just have faded out of both the sky and plot without any notice.)

Book Review: A Clash of Kings

 Book 2 of A Song of Ice & Fire takes the ambitious first novel of the series and completely takes off. While I did end up enjoying A Game of Thrones, I had trouble getting into it after watching HBO's adaptation first. So maybe I am a little biased, but I think the first novel started off a little slow, introducing us to the plethora of characters and the world of Westeros. It was necessary, yes, but not overly alluring. A Clash of Kings takes all of the characters we grew to know and love and throws them into a tumultuous battle for the Iron Throne.

 At the beginning of the second novel a red comet appears over the skies of Westeros. It is interpreted by the different camps of combatants as the heraldic symbol which foretells of their ascension to the throne. Each character believes it is a sign from the Gods sent only for them, but only one can be right. Who is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne?

George R. R. Martin's grasp on fantasy is so strong that you can become completely lost in his world. He has the ability to create villains and heroes like no other. His villains are so vile that you find yourself screaming out that justice must be done. He makes you want to put Joffrey's head on a pike and to protect Sansa from his childlike tantrums and cruel punishments. You wanted Arya to find her way home to Winterfell and for Catelyn to be reunited with all her children. You want exactly what George R. R. Martin wants you to want. I really began to care for the downtrodden and hate the evil.

Every chapter furthers the plot and the understanding of all the tenuous alliances hidden just under the surface. This book is fast paced and every chapter ends with you craving to know more. After almost every segment I found myself flipping through the pages to find out when that character reappears; when I can find out what happens to them.

A Clash of Kings continues the epic battle for control of the realm. The frenzy is heightened by the mysterious comet and a set of new characters that could change the outcome of everything.

I posted the trailer for Season 2 of HBO's Game of Thrones with my review of book one and season one, but here it is again. It starts April 1, 2012. I'm hoping it's just as faithful to the source material as season one. What do you hope to see in the second season? Did you think the second novel lived up to the first?

Movie Review: Red State

I'm sure this movie meant to have a message. I'm sure it meant to speak deeply on acts of religious terrorism. I'm sure it meant to say alot of things.

Unfortunately, it said too many things. By the end of the movie I didn't feel there was any main character, nor any character that I cared at all about. When the film started, I thought it was going to be about the horror of the sinner boys who've been mislead into a spiderweb of religious extremism. But the movie quickly forgets about the boys, sets them aside, and moves onto it's next contrived plotline.

I expected to be overwhelmed with hatred for the fervent sermon of the homophobic pastor and his congregation, but I was really just lulled into boredom. Maybe that was supposed to be part of the horror? That he didn't get overly crazed, and seemed relatively calm even while planning to murder the poor young boys? The juxtaposition of the extreme terror the boys were feeling and the relaxed, easy going religious leader was probably one of the moments when the movie was trying to make one of it's statements. But for me that message just got lost, as well as much of my interest in the film.

The movie partly follows the sinner boys, partly follows the preacher and his believers, partly follows the one and only believer who wants to save the children, and partly follows the main ATF agent played by John Goodman. The movie had many good/great actors including Melissa Leo who recently won and Academy Award for her performance in The Fighter.  But none of them managed to be memorable or engaging.

This was a movie that could have been something. A movie that could have gone somewhere. A movie that could have made a statement. Instead it was a confused film that tried to say too many things, and ended up saying nothing at all.

Overall 3/10.

Watch the trailer for Red State. What did you think of the film? Did it convey a message to you? Was it what you expected?

A Game of Thrones: Season 1 vs Book 1

Usually I like to read the books first if I am truly interested in a story. I wasn't sure going into the HBO series A Game of Thrones that I was going to be completely enveloped and want to spend the time reading the series. But after a few episodes I was completely hooked. Perhaps even a little obsessed. Still I finished the first season of the series before embarking on a quest to conquer the books.

A Song of Ice and Fire is the name for the whole book series, with the first book being a Game of Thrones.
George R. R. Martin has created one of the most creative, complete, expansive worlds I've ever had the pleasure of encountering. It allows you to become fully invoved in his fantasy. Although I quick fell head over heels for the HBO series, it didn't happen as quick for me with the novels. The TV series was so faithful that it in part worked against getting into the first novel. His vision is so detailed that after watching the TV series it felt almost tedious to read the first book.

I've heard many people, including close friends, advise against reading the first book if you've already seen the series. "Just start on book two.", they say. "You won't be lost and you won't waste your time reading something that you've already experienced." I 100% disagree with them. I admit when I started the novel, I was bored. It was so detailed that it just seemed long-winded and slow. It wasn't until about 3/4 of the way through A Game of Thrones that it actually began to sweep me away.

 If you are going to continue reading the whole series, I think it's essential to read the first novel. Sure, plot wise you could get away with only watching the TV show and starting on the second book, but I think you lose out on much of the subtleties of the characters.  The books are written from the perspective of many of the main characters such as Tyrion Lannister, Eddard Stark and Daenerys Targaryen. The show does as well as it can, but it can never replace the intimacy with the characters that you experience from being inside their heads.

Generally, I feel that the novels are almost always better then the TV or movie adaptations, but I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of HBO's A Game of Thrones. It was almost (ALMOST) scene for scene, line for line, with the first novel, which is fantastic if you've read and loved the novels. It's rare to find a screen adaption that feels as dedicated to the source material.

It's hard to be objective about the casting as I saw the series first and fell in love with all the actors/characters. But, for me, after getting into the novels there is no one in the show who could have been cast better. Peter Dinklage, who won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance, is spellbinding as the cunning Tyrion Lannister.

And Emilia Clarke is mesmerising as the beautiful Daenerys Targaryen. These are just two of the amazing standout performers in the Game of Thrones TV series.

For me the benefit to watching the TV series first was that it helped me put a face to some of the characters. Especially, the secondary characters like Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger) and Maester Aemon of the Night's Watch. Because George R. R. Martin's epic series is so well constructed it relies on many characters and subplots to fully realise the world of Westeros, and I found myself slightly lost in the first novel trying to get a handle on all the characters and locations. Having watched the TV series I was helped immensely by actively putting the faces and places they gave us on TV to the names in the books. It helped me keep all the characters straight.

Watch a trailer for Season 1 and a sneak preview for Season 2 of HBO's A Game of Thrones (which starts April 1, 2012). What did you think of the TV adaptation of A Game of Thrones? Will you be watching the next season?

 

 

Recycle your Roses

Did you get roses yesterday for Valentine's? I've always loved getting flowers and I have always tried to immortalise them, especially on special occasions. For the last 5 years with my boyfriend, I've been keeping and drying out a rose from each special bouquet I've gotten (anniversaries, valentine's, etc).

I hang the roses upside down to dry for a few days, then place them in this glass vase filled with polished rocks. I really wish looking back that I had added a little tag to each flower with the date and occasion. But C'est La Vie.

Now the vase has gotten a little full and I wanted something new to do with my flowers. So I've started making potpourri out of them! This is great for several reasons, again, I can keep the flowers that mean so much to me (you can also take a fine tipped pen and put the date on one of the petals), and it's also completely functional. They make a beautiful decoration and have a nice scent.

To make potpourri:

1) Pluck petals from roses before they start to wilt and lay them out on a flat surface to dry.
2) Once dry (they will be brittle) place them in a glass jar. For every 1 litre of petals add 1 tablespoon of fixative. Fixatives stop the roses from losing their essential oils. The fixative can be things like dried lavender, orris root, and sandalwood.
3) Then you can add any spices that you feel compliment the scent you are trying to acheive. Things like nutmeg, cinnamon, citrus peel, rosemary. Really anything you want.
4) Finally add some essential oil or perfume. Again anything you feel compliments the scent. Vanilla, more lavender, or even extra rose oil to really bring out their scent. I put several sprays of my own perfume + some vanilla oil and they smell delicious. You can find many of these ingrediants at health food stores or craft stores. I personally had the most luck at Michael's.
5) Cover the glass jar and let the creation mellow for 10 days. Stir or shake the jar every day to ensure that everything is well mixed.

My one bouquet of a dozen roses made enough potpourri to fill about 5 of these bowls. What I also think is great is that you can add special petals to this for years to come. Big anniversaries, special occasions, or even your wedding bouquet. It's a great, fun, functional way to keep the memories of those flowers and occasions alive.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Woke up to a great start to my day! Got my first package of P&G Brandsaver coupons. While they are all fantastic coupons, for things I love, it is definitely annoying that it took about 3 weeks for them to arrive. Websaver coupons come much faster (about 1.5 weeks).

Which ones am I most excited for? Definitely the free Oral-B floss when you buy a Crest Pro-Health rinse, BECAUSE there is also a 1$ off coupon for the rinse and no stipulated size requirement. Meaning I can buy the travel size which usually cost about 1$ - 1$ off coupon + Free Oral B = 2 free products!!

To help make your Valentine's a little better, here are some new active Websaver portal coupons!

- Kelloggs
- Bisquick
- Dempsters Bagels
- Jamieson
- Maybelline

And remember to open them all up in different tabs, and click each one off but don't click "continue shopping" or "get my coupons" until you've checked them all off!

Also go to SkinnyCowCanada and "like" their page to get a 1$ printable coupon for their delicious Frozen Desserts!

Cheers and Happy Valentine's Day

Freebie Tips

 I absolutely LOVE getting freebies. Who doesn't? However, they can get frustrating. There are tons of free samples and freebies out there and available. I spent a solid weekend going through Freebie Forums trying to get my hands on everything available.

I do not recommend you do that. Sure I'm going to be receiving like 30 samples in the mail in 4-6 weeks. WOOP. But was in worth it? I say not. At the end of that weekend, I realised that I completely wasted a weekend hunting down freebies, which were mostly tiny, one application type packages of moisturiser or perfume. The reality is that while, yes, they were free, I'm most likely going to get absolutely nothing out of them.

If you are going to go freebie crazy I suggest making a throw-away email/facebook account. Every time you sign up for a freebie you will have to give your email. I got a ton of junk mail after I went on my freebie spree. I just toss it all into my junk mail folder, but still it was annoying. And same with facebook, if it's a facebook freebie you will have to "like" their product, and then you end up with a ton of junk in your news feed. Again, you can customise your settings and get rid of most of the annoying posts,or you can create a throw-away email/facebook page. Either way be prepared to get a lot of junk and have to deal with it.

There are lots of freebie forums out there. The one I like to use is:

 Smart Canuck Freebie Forum

What I find a little annoying about it, is that often you click through the links only to find that that freebie is actually from October 2011 and is closed, but someone just posted a new comment about it.

From now on when I find new active freebies, I will post them here. I definitely recommend taking a second to think about whether it's something you actually want or want to try. Most of the samples are tiny and it can take some serious time if you go for every single freebie. Filling out all your information over and over again. But if it's something you want to try, then it is totally worth it!!

Happy Freebying!

Biore Freebie

Here's another new hot facebook freebie. Click on the link and then "like" their page and sign up for your free sample!

 Biore Freebie

Valentine's on a Budget

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching. Doesn't matter if I'm single or taken I've always liked Valentine's Day. While sure, it can be lonely if your single, I think it's nice to have a "holiday" devoted to your significant other. Here's my hunny:

 

That being said, I think Valentine's Day can get way out of hand. Lots of people will agree that it's a Hallmark holiday created solely for the purpose of cashing in on all the lovers and saps out there. And absolutely, there is that aspect to it. But I'm a firm believer that you can show your partner how much you love them, and have a nice romantic evening without completely emptying your bank account!

I'm not going to lie, I was once a huge offender of the "must pony up the big bucks on Valentine's" club. My first Valentine's Day with my boyfriend he took me to Carver's, which was an easy $150, plus bought me a lavish bouquet of roses.  I in turn, bought him tickets to the Foo Fighters. Needless to say we were both broke for months after since we were both students on a very tight budget. But, hey, if you have the cash by all means!

However, if you want to save a few bucks and still sweep your sweetie off his/her feet, then I've got some ideas for you!

Tip 1 - This probably goes without saying, but stay in for dinner. I honestly hate going out on the actual day of Valentine's. Everything is so busy. I would rather have a night in-lou-of Valentine's day some other day than the 14th. As a result we usually stay in for dinner on Valentine's. I am a big fan of making special dinners on occasions like this, but not everyone has the time or motivation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with ordering in, or buying something simple at the grocery store. You can make up for the lack of creativity in the kitchen in other ways!

Tip 2 - Candles! Candles always make everything seem romantic. My boyfriend works long hours, outside in the cold. So I think a great way to give him a nice romantic night is by having a nice, hot, bubbly bath with candles prepared for him when he gets home. Maybe not every guy will like this. A fairly sure fire way to make sure he likes it is to hop in with him. He won't be complaining! And men, your ladies will love this. If she works hard, whether at home or out in the world, show her you appreciate her effort by helping her relax at the end of a long day.

Tip 3 - I picked up some fake rose petals years ago at Michael's. They weren't really a cheap buy at the time, but I reuse them enough to make it worth while (also, Michael's almost always has a 40% off one item coupon on their website). Probably ladies will appreciate this more than men. Scattering rose petals around, to me, always makes a romantic statement.

Tip 4 - Instead of buying a gift, make one. Who doesn't love coupons? Make a book of coupons for your loved one. Men: if you are making one for your lady, include things like free foot massage, or will vacuum the house, or do dishes, free cuddles, etc. Ladies: making one for men include things like free oil massage, or good for one free home cooked dinner, etc. Or you can go a little more risque. Really whatever you want. It allows you to personalise and add items that you know your significant other will appreciate.

Tip 5 - Getting a little more risque here. Sometimes we don't have the money to go out and buy fancy lingerie or other sexy things. So here are some ways to improvise. Everyone has probably heard of "dirty dice" or "snuggle dice" as the Simpsons call them. And while it's nice to have the real thing, you can easily make your own. Simply grab two dice and make a list of what each number means. One die is an action, and the other a body part. So on a piece of paper write down, for example, 1 = Neck, and for the other die, 1 = Kiss. If you wanna go hardcore you can even make little labels and tape them on the dice.

Another great romantic little trick is to take icing powder and just brush it on a few places of your body and he has to find those places. Wanna be extra devilish? Only put it four places, but tell him you put it on five!

It all comes down to what you and your partner like to do. Go out and do it all up. Get crazy and play strip poker. Or stay in, rent a movie, and snuggle up on the couch. It's all up to you!

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Go out? Stay in? Any other money saving romance ideas? Hope you all have a great Valentine's day!