Yet another Valentine’s Day is about to roll around and, for many couples, that means another bunch of flowers, perhaps a gift, maybe a sugary sweet, heart-laden Valentine’s Day card professing their love and an intimate dinner, followed by a flick – if you can get into one, that is.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with these things (and it can actually be very romantic and exciting) but if you’re at a stage in your relationship where you’re just going through the motions, why not forget the gimmicks and marketing this year and celebrate the true spirit of Valentine’s Day by spending time with your loved one and celebrating your relationship in a way that reflects you both as a couple?
Here are 10 awesome (and not-so-corny) ways to spend your Valentine’s Day – and you’ll probably have a lot of fun, too.
Cook your Valentine’s Day meal together
While there’s little more romantic than a candle-lit dinner at a swish restaurant, there’s something really heart-felt about a home-cooked meal. So, this year, why not find a recipe you both love (or have always wanted to try) and cook it yourselves together? Spend some time in the lead-up to the big day discussing what you’d like to try your hands-at and on Valentine’s Day go shopping for the ingredients together. Prepare and cook the meal together, then enjoy it – together! You never know what you might end up having for dessert…
Make each other a play list or mixed CD
The new millennium equivalent of the ’80s mix tape is a CD or a playlist on your MP3 player or smartphone. It isn’t nearly so romantic but it is pretty darn cute! Each partner can put together a CD or playlist of the songs they feel best express their feelings for the other and their relationship as a whole. Ok, this one is kinda corny but it’s cute too, no?
I love you because…
This is a simple and inexpensive way to share your love on Valentine’s Day. Find a deck of playing cards and write on each all the things you love about your partner. It’s a really heart-felt gesture that they’ll treasure for a lifetime! Here’s how to do it.:
http://www.easyweddings.co.uk/blogs/easy-weddings-blog/how-do-i-love-thee-let-me-count-the-ways/
Book in a dancing lesson
Anyone who has danced knows how intimate dancing can be, especially dances such as Rumba, known as the dance of love, and the fiery and erotic Argentine Tango. Whether you’re as smooth as Fred Astaire on the dancefloor or between the two of you, you have four left feet, book in for a dancing lesson, either a public one with lots of people or a private lesson with a dance teacher, and share the experience of learning to dance to music you love. The choices are endless from an elegant and loving waltz to a cheeky and very sexy salsa.
Go glamping
It’s camping without the discomfort! Glamping is glamourous camping. You don’t even have to leave home. Whack on one of those fake fireplace DVDs, pitch a tent in your living room and surround yourself with gorgeous pillows and cushions and eat your meal hot off the BBQ! If you want to actually leave the house and experience glamping (camping without roughing it), then look for a luxury tent or caravan hire supplier and spend the night under the stars in style. Don’t forget to pack a gourmet picnic basket, some strawberries and champagne. There are also a number of luxury camping providers across the country (and world if you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day while overseas) and they’ll pitch your tent, fill it with luxurious bed linen and even serve you up a gourmet meal – all by the light of a fire they’ll light for you. Now THAT’S how camping should be!
Write a letter
Yep, we know that using a pen and a piece of paper is radical, after all, a text or email is so much more sensible, but there’s something really lovely and romantic about a good old-fashioned love letter. Now, we’re not talking about penning a Shakespearean sonnet (unless you feel so inclined) but something that your loved one can keep and read from time to time as a token of your affection.
Re-enact your first date
Reliving your first date can be soooo much fun, especially now that you know each other so well and you’re both not nervous about what you might say or, perhaps, acting silly. Head back to where it all began and try to remember how excited you felt on that very special day. It will be even more special now that the two of you have nothing to be scared or shy about.
Go for a long walk
Plenty of couples walk together as part of a daily exercise routine but this time take a lovely long walk somewhere different, somewhere gorgeous and romantic, a beach perhaps?
That’s it, just walk, hand-in-hand for the sake of enjoying each other’s company and soak in the gorgeous surrounds. It’s even better if you can time it for around sunset!
Get dressed up and catch a flick – at home!
Even if you’re both just hanging at home, you can still enjoy a night out – inside! Get all dressed up, as though you’re going to a party. Do your hair and make-up and get him to whack on a suit. Have a nice dinner together (whip out the good cutlery and glasses), enjoy a nice glass of wine or champagne and end the night by snuggling on the sofa and making some popcorn before whacking on a soppy chick flick or a classic romance. You’ll be surprised how different (and romantic) you’ll feel even though you’re in your own home.
Try something new
What’s something you’ve both talked about doing together but never quite got around to? Perhaps it’s skydiving, a cooking class, taking in a drive-in movie or munching on a new type of cuisine you’ve never tasted. Whatever the new experience, book it in and do/try it together.
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