Valentine’s Day is less than a month away and the world says it's supposed to be about big, romantic gestures, but while lavish things are nice, they’re not what’s most appreciated. At least not by me. 

My husband could buy me enough diamonds that I’d be dripping in them, but that’s not what captures my heart. What makes me feel the most appreciated in our marriage is when Jay gives me small signs of affection regularly.

I was having a bad day a couple weeks ago- it was one of those days when I wanted to curl up under the covers and spend the day crying, but Jay wouldn’t let me. He told me to get dressed and in the car, refusing to tell me where we were going.  A little bit later we showed up at the house of a friend I hadn’t seen in over a year and missed terribly. Despite my protests that we couldn’t just drop in unannounced, Jay pushed me to ring the bell. And then there was my friend, and her smiling face turned my entire day around.

Jay left me there on my friend’s front porch, telling me to go in and have a cup of coffee and catch up while he waited in the car. Time flew by and before I realized it, we’d been chatting for over an hour. Jay didn’t complain, Not even one. Later on that night, he asked if I’d enjoyed my day. I did. That single, simple kind act from my husband was a bigger and better gift than anything money could buy.

If you want to keep your significant other feeling loved all year, not just on Valentine’s Day, Women's Day has come up with eight small and easy ways to say “I love you."

1.  Shovel off their car on a snowy morning.

2.  DVR their favorite show and even if it's not your type of show, offer to watch it while them while snuggled up on the couch.

3.  Sneak a little love note into their pocket.

4.  Save the last bite of dessert for them, even when you desperately want it for yourself.

5.  Brag about them when you know they’re listening and especially when they're not.

6.  Compliment them on something about them that you haven’t complimented them on before.

7.  Help out with a chore they hate like cleaning the bathroom or folding the laundry.

8.  Wake up a few minutes early so that you can slip out of bed and make a fresh pot of coffee and bring them a cup in bed.

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