Valentine's by the Numbers

A new spending survey from the National Retail Federation reports that Americans who celebrate Valentine's Day are planning to spend $116.21, an 11% jump from last year's $103. And the Washington, D.C.-based trade group says it anticipates total spending for the Feb. 14 holiday to reach $15.7 billion.

Get Out

Research shows that having children can decrease marital happiness and the quality of a couple’s relationship. According to an eight-year study at the University of Denver and Texas A&M, 90 percent of 218 couples experienced a decrease in marital satisfaction once the first child was born.

Terry Real, a Boston-based marriage and family therapist, and author of The New Rules of Marriage: What You Need to Know to Make Love Work, suggests dating your spouse.

Apparently it's good for children to see parents go off for the weekend and leave them at home, orjust go out on a Friday night. It's a tremendous inoculation against marriage failure down the pike to put a little time and energy into marriage all the way through.

That's a great reason to get a babysitter and make a date.

Valentine's Is For Lovers

We've been hard at work selecting this year's Valentine's Surprise. With so many new products to choose from, and feedback from our members, we think we've done good!

Three years after the first Valentine's Surprise launched, we never tire of trying to make sure our members are delighted when they open their packages, and never more so than when it comes to a holiday that's made for lovers.

Better Than Hair Plugs

Hormones not only control our sex drives but also the condition of our hair. Research has shown that a satisfying sex life results in healthy, lush hair due to the body's increased ability to receive and metabolize nutrients efficiently.