Valentine’s Day is right around the proverbial corner and you might be thinking, ‘again!?’ or ‘It’s already that time of year?’ Don’t stress about spending a fortune or making a big drama out of the holiday. You don’t need to wait in long lines, book expensive reservations, or try to impress your love with busy destinations that are already overrun.
Make it a chance to slow down and rejuvenate with your valentine, all from the comfort of home!
This is where you can truly enjoy each other’s company without the distraction of crowds, lines, or the inevitable waiting-times that will find you through expensive dinners out on Valentine's Day.
The 10 best (and most affordable) ways to make this Valentine’s-at-home your best one yet are:
- Surprise your lover with a homecooked dinner over candlelight. You can make your partner the sous chef and cook it together or trust the kitchen to yourself (whatever you prefer). It might be fun to have a theme like tropical nights or ‘a night in Paris,’ with French cuisine. Be open to trying a new dish or cuisine that neither of you is familiar with. Bring that adventure right onto your plate to set a tone of trying new things for the entire night.
- Make it a picnic dinner or just have dessert by the fireplace. Set up cozy blankets and pillows, equipped with a smores set to toast marshmallows together by the fireplace. It’s like camping without the bugs!
- Watch a romantic movie like the Notebook, Sleepless in Seattle or any classic that makes you think of your own love story.
- Make it a Spa night and pamper one another. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a bubble bath, massage each other’s back, or rub mud masks all over each other’s bodies.
- Play games! Bring out your inner child and include board games or drinking games that will have the two of you rolling around and laughing like hooligans together. You can get sporty and set up a mini putt-putt course in your backyard, get the Nerf guns out to play ‘war,’ or play H.O.R.S.E. in the driveway. No one’s ever had a bad time playing strip poker. Make it your own!
- Make a scavenger hunt to hide your valentine’s gifts from each other creatively. Have them circling the house and use clues or pictures from when the two of you started dating. Make it a literal trip down memory lane, but in the home, you’ve created together.
- Make a bucket list of all the places you want to go. Slow down to savor your present moment, reflect on your past, and daydream about your future together. Ask yourselves where your next vacation will be, what your goals are as a couple, and just share this moment to dream a bit with one another.
- Play 50 questions – You may think you know everything about your partner but a simple game like this can have you learning things about one another that you never thought to ask.
- Stargaze and whip out the telescope to enjoy a night under the stars. Your backyard is your private oasis which you can decorate with cozy blankets, candles, and twinkle-lights to set the mood.
- Dance together! You can move aside the furniture or do this on the back porch. There are so many YouTube clips and online methods to learn anything. You don’t need to rush through this night and can do something to savor your time together. Learn a new hobby together that you both can feel ‘new’ and unafraid to fail. This could be dancing, painting, or anything new you’ve wanted to experience with your valentine. Most of these ideas are incredibly cheap and range to everyone’s favorite price – Free!
Avoid the crowds and get that romantic moment that you both deserve. It will result in a more creative Valentine’s Day than you may have ever experienced before, which could make it the most special holiday you’ve ever spent together.
Happy Valentine’s Day, from all of us at Energy To Go!