It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow and new research from Durex reckons that almost half of couples would rather do something out of the norm instead of buying stereotypical roses and clichéd cards; in fact, 65 per cent of couples don’t look forward to V-Day because it’s too commercial.
The pressure to find the perfect gift, make a grand gesture or go on the ideal date often pushes people in the opposite direction to do nothing at all, but I think that commercialised stuff aside, Valentine’s Day is actually a great opportunity to recognise and appreciate your significant other. And you don’t need to spend a lot of money to do it.
Here are some ideas to help you kickstart your Valentine’s Day planning if you haven’t sorted it already…
Bake up a romantic storm
Make a breakfast you can both enjoy and use heart-shaped egg rings or cookie cutters to make Valentinesy pancakes or omelettes. There’s nothing shameful in a cheesy yet practical breakfast!
If cooked breakfasts aren’t really your thing, you could make a chocolate brownie and cut heart shapes out of it, dust with icing sugar and serve them up as afternoon tea.
Get physical
Take your loved one out to do an activity you wouldn’t normally do together that will get your hearts racing, endorphins going and blood pumping.
Ice skating, standup paddleboarding, practice teeing off at the golf driving range, take a yoga class together, go for a run along the beach, or go mountain bike riding. You’ll get to spend time together, have fun and get in your daily dose of exercise at the same time.
Get playful with your partner
Durex offered the following unique ideas to help make your Valentine’s Day a (X-rated!) special one:
- Opt for a twist on the usual box of chocolates by giving a sealed box of condoms, gels and toys to help renew intimacy.
- Bake provocative notes into homemade fortune cookies.
- Nobody wants a ‘to do’ list on Valentine’s Day so turn it into a ‘what you’d like to do to each other’ list and leave it on the fridge for your partner to find (just don’t forget it’s there otherwise house visitors may have an interesting read if they’re ever standing around bored in your kitchen!).
No Valentine? No problem!
Host an orphan’s Valentine’s party and invite your single and non-Valentine’s-celebrating friends over for a potluck dinner with some decent wine.
Failing that, give back to those who give us unconditional love by volunteering at a pet shelter or dedicating the day to your dog or cat (if you don’t have one, borrow a friend’s or relative’s pet!). You’ll be guaranteed to feel the love and get warm fuzzies back!
Image / FreeDigitalPhotos.net – Theeradech Sanin