Valentine’s Day Ramblings

What are you planning for this Valentine’s Day?

As I expect you realise, I will be very, VERY busy making Valentine Bouquets for my loyal customers. I have one chap who has been back every year to buy a cupcake bouquet for his partner. He has secretly admitted to me that it’s a tad self-indulgent as he gets to share them so a double win for him.

But to me sharing is what Valentine’s Day is all about. I have been married for over 9 years but together with my partner for much longer. As with all couples we are not perfect. We have good times and not so good times. Sharing time, children and life is what keeps us together. It doesn’t have to be about big gestures or expensive gifts. To me, a bit of time and thoughtfulness counts so much more. My parents have been married for over 40 years and my Grandparents are celebrating their Platinum Wedding Anniversary (70 years) this month so we have a way to go. I can remember what my Mum said to me when I got married “Don’t expect being married to be easy. You have to be prepared to work at it.”

Relationships are a bit like a long journey. Sometimes the bus is delayed and we have to hang around waiting but eventually it arrives and we can continue our journey together. Okay sometimes the bus doesn’t arrive at all and we have to accept that too.

Valentine’s Day is an annual reminder to take stock of our relationship and to think of little ways to keep the candle burning.

So, after last year’s absolutely manic Valentine’s Day I decided to keep things more manageable this year.

• I have limited the variety of cupcake design to the classic rose and in two colours, plain red and a two-tone pink and cream. The classic rose is so popular and does not appear to have had a detrimental effect on the orders pouring in. I’m still offering it in a box or a bouquet.
• I also decided to have set collection slots. Collection times 10.30am to 11.30am. Sound good so far!!!! Well that’s where it all went so horribly wrong. Who would have thought a little typo can make so much difference. I wrote pm instead of am. So, my customers thought they could collect up until 11.30pm at night on the Friday. Ouch. My one-hour collection slot became 13 hours!!! I realised this a little too late in the day after so many people had agreed to said collection slot. I have managed to negotiate with people so at least they will not be collecting cakes after 8.00pm.

It is a constant learning curve as I am sure all you bakers out there will know. We have to learn from our mistakes and try not to make the same ones again. Maybe next year I’ll have cracked it!!

Anyway, there goes my romantic Valentine Day dinner with hubby on Friday night.

Happy Valentines and keep piping
Kerryx