Valentine's Day Ideas

Let's get to the point. Most people go out for a romantic dinner on Valentine's Day. But to us, the romantic dinner that happens every year is tried and true and expected. So expected it can the romance out of the night. Plus, everyone goes out for dinner of Vday. The restaurants are crowded, the traffic is horrible, and the service is usually rushed because of the amount of customers. It's time to shake things up. Here are six ideas to do just that.

Couples Spa Treatments. Hey guys, you may not be into the whole spa thing but your girl will love you for it. This can even extend to a romantic weekend getaway. We - men and women - all need some pampering to take the stress of everyday living away. A spa treatment is a great way to relax and indulge together. Plus, there's not a whole lot of planning involved. The spa will set the mood for you, do the massaging for you, and may even serve you champagne. Just book early, like now. This can get expensive so look for deals (try Groupon or LivingSocial). If you can find spas in or adjacent to a hotel, you can book a dinner reservation at the same hotel's restaurant.

Date Night Classes. Taking a class together is downright fun. It is interactive, team building, and educational. Date night classes last for one night. The most common are: cooking, dance, and massage. The great thing about taking a date night class on Valentine's Day is the classes usually have a maximum number limit. So it wouldn't be crowded. Search online for what your city has to offer. Prices can vary greatly.

Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game where you use a GPS and a list of coordinates to find geocaches (hidden containers). This is a very interactive date with the lure of a hidden treasure as a prize. Since Vday is on February, you've got to set out on this date early because the days are short. Go to Geocaching.com to find out more about geocaching and to find where geocaches are located in your city. This date can also work up at appetite. Go for a hole in the wall food joints instead of nice restaurants since locating most geocaches can work up sweat and dirt.

At Home Wine Tasting. Wine tasting a popular date idea for Valentine's Day so wineries can get crowded. Plus some people just don't have wineries near them. So here's our twist: at home wine tasting. Most of us don't really know the difference between a merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, reisling, chardonnay, etc. etc. etc. There are so many choices, not to mention the mixed wines and flavored wines that are becoming popular. This is a fun date idea where you can figure out which type of wine you like best, and the next time you're out on a date, you know what to order.

Pick which type of wines you want to taste: red or white. Once you figure that out, here's your grocery list.
Red: a bottle of merlot, a bottle of pinot noir, salmon/lamb/chicken, and side dishes like asparagus or wild rice. If you want to go for a third bottle, get a bottle of mixed red wine or red dessert wine.
White: a bottle of reisling, a bottle of chardonnay, fish/chicken, and side dishes like crisp lettuce salad with vinaigrette. If you want to go for a third bottle, get a bottle of flavored white wine or white dessert wine. Also get some grapes, selection of cheeses (cubed or cut them yourself), prosciutto, and crackers.

Volunteer. You can share the love this Valentine's Day by volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Giving back to those less fortunate can help remind you of how fortunate you are, especially to have each other.




The I-really-want-to-have-dinner Dinner. Sigh. Fine. Since you really want to have that romantic dinner, here's what you can do. First, don't cook. Unless you're a really great cook according to your significant other, buy outside food from a good restaurant. Fine dining take-out. Then set up your place appropriately. Can your relationship handle cheesiness? Then decorate with a theme, like Rome or Venice if you buy Italian dinner. Or the Great Wall of China for Chinese dinner. Want to up the romance? Candles, yes. Dim lighting, okay. Live musician, oh yeah! Hire a violinist or a pianist or a guitarist to play for an hour or so. And they don't even have to be expensive. Ask a friend, a niece or nephew, or a friend's relative. There are very good young musicians that would be thrilled to get a paying gig. Just make sure they know how to keep a set going. Are you an idyllic couple? Set up an indoor picnic by the fireplace. Surround your picnic area with vases of her favorite plant or flower. Sentimental? Blow up pictures of your and your honey into poster sizes and plaster them around the walls of your dining area. You're surrounded with memories as you create a memory. Aww....

With these ideas, we hope you create more Valentine's Day memories. And if you do, please tell us about it! We'd love to hear from you.