One of the flower-candy-greeting card-industry holidays is almost upon us. Aside from lining their coffers with millions of dollars, your lover practically relies on it for getting attention, romance and sentimental gifts. But should we, as consumers, even bother?

Absolutely. The beauty of the holiday is that it presents wonderful opportunities to send love messages to all those people who bless your life.

Traditional Valentine's messages were simply that: simple messages. Chocolate, flowers, expensive dinners out, and extravagant gifts have evolved over time with loads of encouragement by the marketing giants in the hospitality and confectionary industries more interested in making a strong bottom line than preserving heartfelt and time-honored traditions.

That said, Rocket Mom's Valentine's Day recommendations:

. Do coffee in bed. A favorite love act--or at least one of them--of connoisseurs and regular folks alike.

. Send handmade love messages--from silly to sincere--to every member of your family. All artistic levels will be welcomed.

. Create heart-shaped food of any kind: pancakes, muffins, French toast, waffles, cookies, brownies....they all work.

. Treat family and friends to small treats. From handmade heart stationery to a heart-shaped box stuffed with money to a care package for your favorite college student: anything that reads: "I love you" will be treasured.

. Do something unexpected. Anyone can order flowers for special delivery. Can you stir up those creative juices? How about treating your love to a special book, accessory for his favorite hobby. Does he fly-fish? Ski? Is he a gourmet cook? Can you tryst at an out-of-town country inn? Or splurge on a new piece of furniture? Or new window treatments? How about surprising her with a bathroom remodel?

. Scatter love notes throughout the house, with family member's names written on envelopes and marked "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL FEBRUARY 14."

. Hide lunchbox--or wallet--love notes all week long.

. Cook your lover's favorite dinner. Don't forget the candles, cloth napkins, silver, and china. Drink only red wine. Plan it such that the kids have long ago been sent to bed.

. Take a long soak with your honey. Or give him a massage. Use your favorite oils, light the candles and give yourself plenty of time...or all night long.

. Compose a love poem. Love poems are a Valentine's Day tradition!

. Roses remain the Valentine flower of choice. Rose re-spelled spells Eros. Give one or give a dozen. Red.

. Chocolate. Very dark. And plenty of it.

In the end, being a faithful Valentine means looking out for the needs and affections of those you love-and the willingness to show it. See what small acts of kindness you can do today--and all week long--to celebrate the tradition of Valentine's Day. The tradition of expressing your love.

Carolina Fernandez

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. before working at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch. She left the corporate world to work as a full-time wife, mother, and homemaker.

Coming home to longer hours, harder work, and more demanding relationships left her feeling totally overwhelmed. Granted, she traded one investment field for another which has yielded immeasurable returns heretofore unimagined. Nonetheless, her frustration at her lack of ability in tackling all of motherhood?s inherently difficult challenges pushed her into a nearly twenty year labor of love. Her research in child development, child psychology, social psychology, nutrition, and exercise physiology, along with indispensable insights and experiences gained along the way, finally evolved into ROCKET MOM!

She re-invented herself in the process. She has dabbled in the domestic, performing, and visual arts, undertaking projects ranging from painting in oils to hooking rugs to singing onstage in Carnegie Hall. She has developed strong convictions about the role of the arts in child development; these convictions have shaped the specific strategies played out in the book.

She has a passion for inspiring creativity in people of all ages, from pre-schoolers to rocket grandmoms! Indeed, she receives particular joy in helping moms on the front line as they engage in what is arguably the most creative challenge ever invented: motherhood. To this end, she writes and speaks extensively, and is constantly developing teaching materials in her effort to share the crucial intervention of creative nurturing in developing children. She shares her message via radio and TV interviews; print media; and in speaking platforms via seminars and workshops, lectures and keynotes for pre-schools, women?s groups, retreats, civic organizations and adult education classes. Her soon-to-be-launched cable TV program, ROCKET MOM! will reach thousands of households in the Fairfield County area of Connecticut.

Her newly-formed Rocket Mom Society attempts to meet her mission head-on as she ?encourages, equips and empowers moms for excellence.?

She lives with her husband and their four children in Ridgefield, Connecticut.