You do not have to get those reservations for Valentine's day this year! Is it just me or does dinner and date night out on February 14th feel more obligatory than anything else? At restaurants, the books are filled up and you are literally seated shoulder to shoulder.
While I am all about celebrating my love and our love together, this year for this hallmark holiday, my husband and I are likely going to opt for a special date-night-in to make it more intimate and less stressful. Here are some of our favorites you can try for this Valentine's Day or any other day of the year:
Spa Day
Turn your bathroom into your favorite spa. Take some time to prepare by either making or buying scrubs and masks. You can turn up the heat in the shower and create an in-home sauna. It is nice to have a lush pair of robes and socks or slippers to indulge in the experience. Do not be afraid to bring some chairs and a couple of glasses of wine or sparkling water into the bathroom while you breathe in the humid, warm air. I recommend you use eucalyptus and hang it from the shower head to create a minty fresh aroma. Alternatively, you can use drops of the essential oil as well if you cannot get your hands on the actual plant. Cut coins of cucumbers to drape over each others' eyes. If you have a soaker tub, draw a bath for both of you to finish off the spa date time as you melt into intimacy. If you have a single tub, take turns bathing one another.
Game Night
This could be a one-on-one date or a double, triple, even quadruple date night idea. It is fun to grab some specific snacks and drinks to share at the gaming table. There are so many board games out there so pick one you already have or order a new one for this particular night. Jenga is always a favorite in our home because it is very easy to start and stop. There is not much commitment behind it so if a kid wakes up and needs one of us, we are not in the midst of a monopoly battle. I also enjoy the intimacy of conversation cards; you can easily learn new insights you may have never known and would have never asked of your partner without the ideas on each card. Make it fun. Friendly competition is okay. Remember though, you both have already won- because you have ONE ANOTHER! (creates a heart with my hands)
Food tasting
I think this one might win out for us because this sounds delicious. Collectively, you will pick a category or each of you can pick one, too. The opportunities are endless, here: ice creams, cakes or desserts, chicken wings, cheeses, popcorn, cookies. Any food that has 4-5 varietals will work perfectly fine. Purchase a couple of different types, set up a line, labeling what each is. If you want to get very real about it, print off tasting cards with different highlights to note. You can go down the line, tasting each one at a time together. Some talking points you can bring about are the notes, the flavor profiles, the basic tastes (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami). Compare what each of you notes, what similarities you hold and what contrasts.
Turn your bedroom into a lux hotel
Start buying small samples of nice lotions and soaps to try. Ensure you have a pair of robes and slippers, which could be an awesome Valentine's Day gift to one another. Place newly washed, warm sheets on the bed. Spritz them with some lavender and vanilla essential oils. set up a couple of candles to light. You can even fill up an ice bucket to place a bottle of wine or sparkling juice with wine glasses or flutes that make it feel exceptionally special. Spend your time mostly in the bed. Perhaps you order your favorite take out and call it "room service" as you snuggle up and watch a movie from your bed. To keep the vibes going, you can take time in the morning to slowly wake. Have a simple breakfast on a tray together to share a breakfast-in-bed experience.
Travel-themed dinner
Getting in the kitchen with your honey may be a nice change in scenery. For this date-night-in, you will pick a country. You can discuss which countries you aspire to travel to, write them down on paper and draw one piece from the pile. From there, curate an entire dining experience from that one country. For instance, if you choose Italy, you may make a pasta dish or hand-tossed pizzas, paired with a bottle of Chardonnay. For Spain, you may prepare a seafood paella; for the UK, authentic fish and chip or for Japan, you can learn how to roll sushi together. The options are endless. For a smooth evening, ensure there is a predetermined recipe you will both enjoy for each location; draw a couple of days prior to the experience to grab the groceries needed or grab groceries for two recipes and draw one of two countries the night of. If you need more guidance, turn to instagram, tiktok or youtube to follow a cooking class or video while you learn the nuances of preparing your international meal.
Movie night
This is pretty self explanatory, but movie nights can be regular or elevated. For your date-night-in, we encourage you to elevate! So much of making a date night special and setting it apart from a usual night spent together comes from intentional and purposeful touches. For your next movie night, lay out blankets and pillows on the floor to make a pad or you can opt for the couch if it is more comfortable. Grab some big box candy that you would normally purchase at a theater. At the store, find decadent, buttery popcorn or...get the supplies to make your own! You can also opt for grabbing a few bags of different flavored popcorns to make a trail mix or medley. Dollar tree usually has fun, inexpensive cups and containers you can purchase to put your snacks and drinks into. If you want to go all out, you can even design and print a ticket to give to your partner as a special reminder of the upcoming date night coupled with a sweet note asking them to go on a movie date with you.
S'mores in the fireplace
If you have a traditional fireplace with an open front and room for logs, this date may just be for you and your lover. Category is 'camp out in the living room'. Set some pillows and blankets down or bring lawn chairs beside the fire place. After the wood starts to burn, you can get the supplies ready- marshmallows, candy bars and grahams. We love to vary the candy; in addition to traditional chocolate bars, we have enjoyed peanut buttercups and cookies n' creme candy on our s'mores as well! You can play some music; if someone knows how to play the guitar, they can do that. Sing some songs, hold hands, have a cup of hot chocolate (perhaps, with a floater of whiskey) and enjoy the simplicity of time by the fire talking.
Build a fort and snuggle
Do you remember building pillow and blanket forts when you were a child? Rejuvenate that sense of playfulness and wonder with your partner. Grab the sheets, pillows and blankets to use; stack them up and drape them over the couches and the chairs. Work together and enjoy the process of seeing it come together. Once your fort is built, you can string any holiday or fairy lights over it to make it extra special. In the fort, play some slow jams, snuggle up and talk. It may be romantic to each have a note prepared for one another to read out loud. You can also read a romance novel back and forth to one another.
Wine tasting
Cheers! We talked about food tasting, but what about vino? From the store, grab anywhere from 5-10 bottles of wine. Pour up- drank! This is a great opportunity to host friends for a double or triple date. With papers directing people to tasting notes, have each person try wines side by side, comparing and contrasting. Traditionally, a person will have two glasses- one for red and one for white. You can place cheese, sausage, fruits and nuts for a snack while tasting.
Massage on a beach
Yes! A massage on the beach. But, what if you are like us, miles and miles away from the nearest ocean, knee-deep in the Michigan snow? Play wave sounds over a speaker or surround sound to get the full effect. Set up a station on the bed or a pallet on the floor with oils, lotions, pillows, sheets and towels. You can use therapeutic massage stones or crystals for balancing energy and chakras. Also, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne or sparkling cider is an awesome addition to introduce more sensations. Ask one another what the other enjoys, which parts of the body are tense or in need of attention. Massages are a great way to forage platonic moments of intimacy within your relationship; it helps practice communication while relaxing with one another. Also, for people who are not as sexual, the touch of massage can act as an aphrodisiac to lean into foreplay with your partner.
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