Oh, the pressure! It’s hard to come up with ingenious Valentines Day ideas. This holiday (if you can call it that) ranks up there with New Years Eve in my books. There’s a lot of expectation, and when expectations run high, it’s easy to get disappointed. The solution, I discovered is to not hold any illusions that you’ll have a fabulous, romantic night. Since I stopped expecting to be delivered the sun and the moon, I’ve had nothing but sweet Valentines Days.
I learned a fantastic tip from a co-worker a few years back. She and her boyfriend always made a point of having a lovely dinner at home on Valentines. They made the meal together and always gave each other a card. I thought this was such a good idea, I mean what could be less romantic then being sandwiched beside other diners for a mass produced meal?
But there is a catch to this Valentines Day at home – each partner needs to deliver a date within a month of Valentines. That way those who like going out for romantic meals don’t miss out. Our Valentines usually look like this now:
Valentines Ideas for Couples
- We go for a pre-Valentines date sometime in January. This year we spent a weekend at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
- I usually forget about the card exchange until I’m presented with one. The Huz knows this, so he’s in the habit of tossing me a card before breakfast, giving me ample time during the day to whip something up for him.
- We have an indulgent dinner at home usually involving steak and seafood. Sometimes we pick up meals for two at Sunterra. There’s always a dessert – usually chocolate. For occasions like this, I turn to Nigella. Her Chocolate Cloud Cake and Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova are frequently featured in our house.
- And if we remember, we squeeze in another date before St. Patrick’s Day.
- Make an appointment a few weeks ahead of time to have a mobile massage therapist come into your home.
- Instead of a fancy dinner, consider doing a fun breakfast with your entire family.
One year Valentines Day fell on the same day as Death by Chocolate at the Fairmont Palliser. That was all the excuse I needed to take Eve and my nieces there for dinner. This year I plan on swapping desserts with my girlfriends the night before the big day. I’ll let you know how that turns out later this week.
By the way, have you heard of another couple’s day involving steak (and something else) on March 14? My husband thought I should be in the know. I can’t say I’m glad of this new found awareness. What do you make of this?
