Love it or leave it, Valentines Day is upon us once again.
If you are in a relationship, you surely know how hard it is to keep the love-spark of your relationship alive. Do you still say “I love you” every now and then and give flowers and chocolates at birthdays, your wedding anniversary, or at Valentine’s Day? Let’s face it – this is simply not enough and you might admit that you could do better.
Although men are sometimes blamed for not having a flair for romance, many women fail to show their love in just the same way. Juggling with career responsibilities, household errands and children, some women simply don’t find the time to demonstrate the love and appreciation they have for their partners.
Romantic ideas to keep the love-spark alive?
Luckily, there are plenty of great ways to show your significant other (and the world!) that you still love them, more than ever!
Of course, one of the best ways to keep your love strong is to spend quality time together as often as possible. Don’t wait for special occasions – Valentine’s Day may be the perfect time to remind your dearest of your affection and admiration but it is only once a year. Every single day presents an opportunity to show your loved ones just how much you cherish them.
Try to make the most of the time you spend with each other. Knowing what your partner likes and dislikes can help you think of various amusing activities that you both enjoy. Even if at times something may seem ridiculous to one of you, but you know your partner likes it – go ahead and do it.
There are plenty of simple (and inexpensive) ways to show your significant other how much you love them. Here are some ideas for Valentine’s Day (and any other day) to help you revive the magic of love and find true romance.
For Her: 5 Valentine’s Day Ideas for boyfriend
Taking your partner’s love for granted will surely lead to disaster. Being busy and tired is not an excuse to push your love and affection to the bottom of your to-do list. In fact, making a man feel loved is not that hard at all. You will not need expensive gifts or a long list of complicated Valentine’s Day ideas. All you need is a little time and imagination.
The easiest way to remind him of your love and devotion is by doing something you know he really enjoys – get him tickets for his favorite football team game and let him go with his friends; change the car oil instead of him; prepare his favorite meal, take him to an action movie (even if you don’t like the genre) and so on.
Come up with some creative ideas for Valentine’s Day, his birthday or whenever you would like to spruce up your relationship. Here are some suggestions that can help you fire the flame of your love again.
- A boy’s night in. After all, there is nothing better than expressing your dedication and affection by showing your loved one you acknowledge his idea of “having a great time!” Make a heart shape pizza and stock the fridge with his favorite beer; search the TV program for his favorite sport events and TiVO them. Although it doesn’t look like the perfect romantic setting, it will mean much more to your partner than you can imagine. Jazz things up by inventing your own game rules – for example, to take a piece of clothing every time the team you support scores, or a lap dance for the supporter of the winning team and so on. And here is a quick pizza-preparation tip – you can use ready-made pizza dough, cut a cute heart shape out of it and top it with your partner’s favorite ingredients.
- Picnic in bed. Surely this one has been lurking in your mind for quite some time! Create a romantic atmosphere is the bedroom by lighting several scented candles and placing fresh flowers on the bedside table. Prepare a lavish love-food platter – you can select any gourmet foods your partner and you enjoy eating. Certain foods have proven aphrodisiac effect – asparagus, broccoli, bananas, oysters, truffles, strawberries and raspberries to name a few, so don’t forget to include some of them too. Jazz it up by labeling each food group in a funny way. For example, place all spicy foods on one side of the serving platter under the label “Love explosion”, the mild-tasting ones – on the other side under the name “Tender kisses”, the sweets – on a separate dish under the name “Sweet love” and so on. Complete the romantic setting with a bottle of wine or champagne accompanied by two wine glasses on a serving tray beside the bed and a CD with your favorite love songs.
- Create a men’s cave. It may require a little bit planning, extra space and help but if you really want to win the heart of your partner, this is the Valentine’s Day idea to go for! Find an arcade game vendor and hire your man’s favorite games for a couple of days. If this is out of your budget, call your friends and ask them to lend you any men’s games they might have – things like darts, mini football or mini golf, playing cards and dice will do just fine. If you don’t have a free room in your home to place all that stuff, free some space in one of the rooms you have by removing the furniture or rearranging it. Make sure your partner’s favorite drinks and snacks are ready and get yourself in a set of sexy lingerie. Once your loved one is back from work, simply call him to the room and announce that you will be his game partner for the night. This will surely be a Valentine’s Day he will never forget!
- Adventurous romance. If your partner loves sports and outdoor activities, this might be the best Valentine’s Day idea. Plan a sightseeing route featuring all tourist attractions you can think of (you can make a quick online search to find information about places you have never even considered before) and hire a bicycle for two. Dress like tourists, take your camera and spend the whole day out cycling between the places you would like to visit. This is an inexpensive and a fun way to spend the day together and to create lots of new memories.
- A sweet surprise. The universal truth is that every man’s love goes through his stomach and you wouldn’t believe just how accurate this is. There wouldn’t be anything better than making your significant other think of you while indulging a sweet bite. Prepare some sugary treats, such as Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bars. Cut a piece of waxed paper, handwrite a love note on it and wrap several of the sweets in it. Use a red or pink ribbon to tie the upper corners of the paper forming a cute little parcel. Hide the Valentine’s Day surprise in his pocket or business bag.
For Him: 5 Great Valentine’s Day Ideas to Show Her Your Appreciation and Love
While many men seem to know everything that there is to know about being romantic, many find it difficult to express their true feelings. Since long, elaborate love letters or sophisticated love strategies are typically not men’s forte, many often leave their loved ones with the impression they don’t care enough.
You need to figure out that sometimes the simplest things, like helping her with the laundry, washing the dishes after dinner, getting the kids ready for school, or starting her car in a cold winter morning are better signs of devotion and appreciation than any expensive gift.
The quest of making her heart tremble starts with understanding that your loved one is a girl. She is a girl regardless of her age, regardless if you are still dating, if you are engaged or have been married for just one or for 50 years, regardless if you have children or not. And every girl, deep inside, feels like a princess and secretly hopes for a romantic gesture from her prince. The following ideas for Valentine’s Day are perfect to do just that.
- 14 days of love. Make the first two weeks of February special by sending your partner a love text or email every day until Valentine’s Day. This simple yet effective Valentine’s Day idea is perfect for expressing your feelings any other day of the year too. If you cannot think of anything original to write, choose a romantic quote, a poem or a love letter written by a famous historical person that best describes your true feelings.
- Breakfast in bed. Yes, this is an old trick but women still adore it. Pamper your significant other by bringing her breakfast in bed. If cooking is not your strongest skill, stick to a simpler menu – a toast and a cup of tea or coffee, beautifully arranged on a tray and accompanied by a vase with fresh flowers are just fine. An inexpensive way to spruce it up a little is to prepare a “love-tattooed” toast and add a handwritten love note. If you feel you have an inclination for writing, compose a poem or even a short love story, with your partner and you being the main characters of course.
- A romantic date. If you have been married, and especially if you have children, dating surely is out of your daily-life routine. Well, there is nothing more romantic than reviving the precious moments of the early days of your relationship by arranging a romantic date out. Choose an activity that you both enjoy or even something you don’t particularly like but your partner does. You can book a table for two in the restaurant where your first date was, watch a romantic movie in the cinema, go ice-skating or simply grab hotdogs and walk in the park.
- Traditional evening with a twist. If you are looking for a simple yet effective romantic evening and you are running out of Valentine’s Day ideas, go back to the basics. Make a special music CD with all the songs that are meaningful in your relationship as well as some all-time love classic pieces, light several scented candles and make sure you have a lavish flower bouquet ready for your lady. Instead of the traditional bottle of red wine or champagne and prepare her favorite cocktail.
- Dinner for two. Women seem to think that men who cook are adoring and sexy and this is why preparing a dinner for two is a great Valentine’s Day idea. Don’t worry if cooking is not really your thing. Pick some easy yet spectacular food recipes instead of an elaborate dinner dish – this way you will not only cut down cooking time but increase your chance of preparing a delicious meal. Go for light and tasty ingredients such as sea food, vegetables and fruits and make sure chocolate is on the menu too. A Mediterranean Sea-food Salad followed by a Lime-Buttered Salmon would make a perfect romantic dinner menu. Finish the meal with Fresh Chocolate Strawberries or Chocolate Mousse.
Creative Ideas for Valentine’s Day Gifts
Gifts play an important role in any celebration and especially on Valentine’s Day. Many men and women believe that the perfect gift should be expensive and this is the reason why special occasions and gift buying tend to bring more stress than pleasure.
While there is nothing wrong with spending money on a Valentine’s Day gift, you need to realize that the actual value of the gift has nothing to do with its cost. You can impress your loved one with virtually any present as long as you make it meaningful and personal. Here are some suggestions for inexpensive yet extraordinary gifts.
- Buy a lottery ticket, place it in an envelope and enclose a note saying “I know you’ve already won my heart and winning the lottery twice is extremely rare, but I thought it is worth a try!”
- The most incredible token of love a man ever gave a woman is the Taj Mahal in India. We do not suggest buying it and giving it to your lady though; get her a 3D Taj Mahal puzzle instead! It is definitely a Valentine’s Day idea that will make her smile and you will be able to spend some fun time together assembling the pieces.
- If she is a bookworm, the perfect Valentine’s Day gift would be a classic romantic novel, love letters or poetry collection. A luxury edition of any of the all-time classics such as Thorn Birds, Gone with the Wind or The Letters of Napoleon to Josephine will surely melt the heart of your partner.
- Men often forget important dates and this is why a personalized calendar would be a great present. You can order a custom calendar, featuring all your favorite photos, to be printed for him. Moreover, you can mark all the dates you wish him to remember and even include a short love dedication for each month.
Do you have some great ideas to spice up the romance in your life? Let us know in the comment section.
No related posts.
