I’ve never been one of those girls who makes a big fuss about Valentine’s Day. I joke around with Dave that I expect diamonds and puppy, but he treated me to dinner and got me some chocolates and that was mooooore than enough to make me a very happy girl.

A way to my heart is definitely through my stomach. Proof that I was raised in a boy’s world.

In light of Valentine’s Day, please enjoy this little 30 Rock clip:

I just love it.

Let’s talk love.

In line with the fact that I’m not head over heels in love with Valentine’s Day, it may not surprise you that I do not like girly chick flicks or sappy novels. Comedy and adventure: that’s what I like. Further proof that I was raised in a boy’s world.

But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t read a good romantic book, or watched a love-story on the big screen that I have actually enjoyed. In fact, some of them touch me deeply. So I wanted to share these things with you in light of the holiday.

Book: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

You can read all the reasons why I love this book here. But it is such a moving story about love and relationships. I read this the first year that Dave and I dated (we were both still in high school, but I knew really early on that I was going to marry him). I remember calling him one night after I finished it crying and just apologizing for how much I take him for granted. I think I need to read it again.

Movie: The Rocket

Further proof that I was raised with boys. This movie is about Maurice “The Rocket” Richard—yup, that’s right, a hockey player. The love story between him and his wife is really touching. I think it just gets to me when I see a really tough guy—heck, a hockey player, do you get tougher than that?—really, genuinely loving his wife and his family. To me a real man is measured by the way he loves and provides for his family. And I don’t necessarily mean “making money” when I say “provides”. I think that a man can provide so much more to his family by being an example of integrity and character than by only providing a paycheck.

But it is really a movie about his hockey career, but I took away the story of he and his wife. I’m weird like that.

Who knows, you might read this book and watch the movie and think “what on earth is she talking about,” but for whatever reason, perhaps where I was in life when I read/saw them, they really touched me. I hope that you can enjoy them too!

What’s your favorite romantic book or movie?

I’m off to watch The Fellowship of the Ring with my Valentine—one of my favorite books and movies!!

These are dangerously delicious.

I’m not really a cereal person. My breakfast is usually a piece of toast with generous amounts of nut butter. Cereal tends to rip the roof of my mouth—it’s same reason why I never get my subs toasted.

But these are so good: peanut buttery and not too sweet (that justifies them as “not junk” for this challenge) . I’ll eat a bowl or two, regardless by the shredding that the flesh in my mouth undergoes.

My husband is a cereal junkie. Every morning he wakes up, showers and eats his cereal while catching up on the latest sports news. This daily routine allows him to go through 2-3 boxes of cereal—preferably Crispix—a week!

Needless to say, I sleep with my PB Puffins underneath my pillow and Dave knows better than to mess with me in the morning.

What’s your favorite cereal?