By Lisa Chin Quee
Valentines Day: the most romantic day of the year – “most” in the sense of thousands of couples showing their adoration for each other on the official day of love. But as we all know, celebrating your love can happen any day of the year! Romance is more romantic when it’s unexpected.
Roses, chocolates, special dinners are all traditional ways of honoring your special person – but don’t get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Do what has become special in your relationship, do what signifies your unique bond. Don’t succumb to peer pressure and feel you must deliver by way of society’s expectations.
On that note, you should probably plan to do something, no matter how tiny on that day if you do not want to get the cold shoulder. We’ve gathered some ideas on ways to plan an evening of bonding, appreciation and to help remind you of why you are falling or have fallen in love.
1. Games (board games, card games)
Spend an evening playing your favorite board game…with a Valentines twist – winner gets whatever they want. Up the stakes with a little strip poker.
2. Couples massage
3. Bowling
4. Music
Spend an evening listening to your favorite love songs together. Go through your play lists (this works well if you both have your own playlists) and compete by going back and forth, each time trying to outdo the other on the best love songs. This is particularly fun for those in their late 30’s plus, you can go back to the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. (After dinner)
5. Rollerskating
6. Ice Skating
Who can forget Sara Thomas (played by Kate Beckinsale) and John Trager’s (played by John Cusack) romantic encounter on the ice in the movie Serendipity.
7. Cooking together
- Prepare your Valentines meal together, preferably something neither of you have cooked before.
- Plan your menu, each choosing what they will be responsible for making.
- Get out your CD’s, playlist of slow songs – your favorites.
- Bottle of wine or libation of choice.
- Set the table or picnic by the fireplace, or in the middle of the living room floor.
8. Valentine Lovepons aka coupons
Create special love coupons that are only valid for Feb. 14. Use your photoshop, word or other software to create your own personal coupons. Make sure to include the fine print (stipulations), valid/expiration date and exactly what they will receive with their coupon
9. The Silent Treatment
A new twist – this one is for parents with small kids.
- Order in, or go out for dinner so that mom or dad doesn’t have to cook.
- Watch a family movie.
- Create family poem on love – what love means to them and the family.
After the children have gone to bed, the new twist on silent treatment comes into play. Since having kids it’s difficult to have those wild loud lovemaking sessions you once did. Here is an opportunity to have some fun with it. Whatever you do to make your toes curl, the banging of the bed post against the wall and the wailing scream of satisfaction – do it. But the challenge is that you cannot respond in any of those ways, you must remain silent, but your partner has to try their hardest (no pun intended) to make you respond in your loudest most wild ways.
10. Staycation
Try a mini vacation, new location could be a night at a hotel downtown, after dinner or no dinner at all.
Enjoy your love day!
