Local Shops Ready To Simplify Valentine’s Day Celebrations

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

There is no need to bore your valentine with a long road trip to Las Vegas or elsewhere to show them you love them. Instead, capitalize on your time together by taking advantage of one or more of the many great Valentine’s specials that Moapa Valley merchants have to offer. Local businesses can help customers navigate Valentine’s Day celebrating in such a way that it actually seems like…well, a real holiday.

Way More Than Just Flowers!
A great place to start out Valentine’s Day shopping is at the Front Porch Flower Shop in downtown Overton. Front Porch owner Charlene Udall said, “We have flowers of all kinds and can do any custom design to fit your budget. We also have potted live plants and succulents, which are really popular right now.”
While flowers can get your evening off to a great start, adding one of the many other gifts or home decor items that the Front Porch offers can make it even that much better. In addition to flowers, you can pick up chocolates, stuffed animals, aprons, themed gifts, home décor, and Willow Tree statues. If you decide that giving flowers is overdone, one of their candy bar arrangements may be a perfect, and welcome, substitute.

If you are a Pinterest fan or just crafty and are looking to hand-make that special Valentine, the Front Porch selfie wall is the perfect place to take a picture with a Valentine-themed backdrop. The business welcomes people to come take pictures in front of their decorated wall which is updated seasonally.

Either way, the employees at the Front Porch are there to help you so that your holiday doesn’t go horribly wrong. “The best thing about the Front Porch is that every lady here is ready to be your personal shopper to help you find exactly what you want for your true love and for your budget,” Udall said.

Orders placed before Feb 10 get a $5 discount, and there is a coupon in their ad in this edition of the PROGRESS for $5 off of any $25 purchase to make your shopping easier on your pocketbook.

If you are one of those last-second kind of person, Lins Marketplace has your back. They will have a florist on site Feb 12-14 for custom creations, or you can just pick up one of their many ready-made bouquets for your sweetheart. They also have stuffed animals and many other themed treats in honor of the holiday. They will have chocolate-dipped strawberries for the true romantics, as well as holiday cakes, cookies, and other baked goods.

For those who want to eat at home they will even have dinner specials available that include a lobster/steak combination, or a double lobster combination.

On To A Special Dinner
After picking up the requisite beginning gifts, it may be time to move on to dinner. There are two places in Moapa Valley that are providing a special Valentines dinner experience.

Sugar’s Homeplate has two dinner specials to choose from, as well as some breakfast specials, all served in a romantic restaurant atmosphere. In honor of the holiday they are offering a prime rib special and a shrimp scampi and steak special. Their breakfast specials are a Valentine’s-themed strawberry pancake special or Eggs Benedict. If you are again channeling your inner creative demons, Sugar’s owner Judy Metz said they are more than happy to work with you to make your dinner setting perfect.
“We are always happy to cater to the special requests of our customers,” Metz said. “Let us know what you’d like and we’ll help you make things perfect.”

The Muddy River Grill also is serving up some great Valentines Day dishes. On Tuesday night, starting at 5 pm, the Moapa eatery will be offering Surf & Turf including a 6 oz New York Strip steak and two 4 oz. lobster tails. The restaurant will also be serving up at Prime Rib Feast. Both meals come with choice of potato, vegetable, soup or salad and a decadent 4-layer chocolate cake dessert. The Muddy River will also be serving up Valentine’s Day breakfast specials with strawberry french toast and strawberry pancakes.

If you are looking for dinner with dancing, the Overton Senior Center may have the perfect activity for you. Don’t let the word “senior” evoke images of a quiet night, the dinner and dance is for all ages and DJ Danny Mendoza is known to play songs that appeal across generations. The event will be held on Valentine’s Day beginning at 5:30 pm and run until around 9pm. Tickets are $10 a person and can be purchased at the door.

The dinner will feature the cooking of renowned Senior Center chef Reagan Whited and will include Romantic Roast Chicken, Valentine Veggies, Tender Taters, Layers-of-Love Salad, Cupid’s Cupcakes, and Cup-of-Love Punch.
“We’re going to have the best food in town made by the best cooks, the best music, and the best dancing,” said Senior Center Director Chris Trombley.” Why go anywhere else?”

Outside the Box Gifting
Once you are full from dinner and tired from dancing, it may be time to present your gifts from Sage Health. Owner Deborah Henrie said they carry a full line of essential oil diffusers along with several different types of oils depending on the mood you want to set. They also carry a line of massage oils if your feet are tired from all the dancing you did.
And if you are looking to just cuddle up and rest in front of the TV at the end of the evening, you might as well be as comfortable as possible. Nothing is more comfortable than a new loveseat in your living room. Sage has loveseats just perfect for two, at 10% off between now and Valentine’s day to help you be prepared for a great ending to your great day.