St. Louis is known for a lot of things. The arch, the Cardinals, toasted ravioli, Mardi Gras... but we're not typically known for our sushi. To be fair, I'm sure any non-coastal city can easily maintain a seafood industry. But for those of us St. Louisans who just can't wait for a summer trip to find fresh, delicious sushi, we've scoured the city for the best options. And thanks to some brave sampling and input from my true sushi-loving friends, I've arguably found the best spot in the Midwest. 

This Valentine's Day, I'm reminded of how incredibly lucky I am. Not only do I have love in my life, but I've been blessed enough to have had a happy relationship for more than three years with an amazing man. I'm no expert on relationships; I'm on this crazy ride called love, and I'm still experiencing the ups and downs like anyone else. But over the years, I've learned a few things about myself and about my relationship. 

While Valentine's Day is a nice excuse for date night and flowers, it shouldn't actually mean anything significant to you if you are already in a long-term, committed relationship. Valentine's Day is just another one of the 365 days a year when you get to express your love. With that in mind, below are my 8 tips for maintaining a happy and healthy relationship all year round. 

Maybe it's because I'm a girl, but I always struggle with finding the perfect gift for the men in my life. Are men in general just difficult to shop for? 

When I found myself stumped as to what to get my boyfriend recently, I didn't know of anything he necessarily wanted at the time, but plenty of things that he likes. So, I created a personalized, thoughtful "man bouquet" full of all his favorite things. It turned out to be a pretty simple gift to put together, and of course he loved it! With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is definitely a gift type that I will be exploring for my dad, brother and uncles as well! 

We all have that friend who speaks every line of a movie word-for-word, pause-for-pause. Well I'm sorry to say I am that friend, and no movie moreso than Dirty Dancing. I know the classic film forward and backward, and I was elated to hear that it would be coming to a live performance at none other than the St. Louis Fox theater, presented by Dance St. Louis. Knowing my preconceived love for the Dirty Dancing movie, I planned to attend the live performance with an open mind. After all, who can top Patrick Swayze? Those are pretty big shoes to fill. 

Shoes, I would soon find, would not be filled at all. I attended the evening performance on Thursday (October 23, 2014) buzzing with excitement. It only took a few scenes to see that I would be let down... By the cast, the set, and the script...