By the time Valentine’s Day comes round, the parties are over, your year’s well underway and you’re caught up in the full flow of life again. Without realising, you’re about to miss out on a good excuse for romance. Here are our top 10 last-minute V Day ideas to get you out of trouble and into some good luvin’!
Valentine’s Day is always one of those dates that sneaks up on me. I think it’s partly to do with the way January dissolves as fast as that New Year’s Day Berocca, and February doesn’t give you any warning about how busy it always gets.
You look around and it’s mid-Feb and you’re completely unprepared for romance!
Here are some of our tried and tested winners (and others we might try this year!) that ensure romance stays around but require minimal planning.
1. Backyard camping
Set up your tent just outside – you don’t have to go anywhere, you’ve got proper toilets nearby and you’ll still have WiFi! If you don’t have a garden, set up in the living room. No camp fires though.
2. Go on a picnic
Buy a hamper or put together your favourite bits and pieces, and find a spot in the shade. If it’s raining, set up at home – but try to sit somewhere you don’t usually eat.
3. Saturday Valentine’s brunch
Forget going out to dinner – it’ll be murder this year. Take your Valentine out for a nice brunch instead. This leaves the rest of the day free to do whatever you feel like together.
4. Day trip somewhere different
Take a drive out to a beach you haven’t been before or into the countryside. Get lost with your loved one and enjoy the day away.
5. Dinner might still be an option
If you’re intent on dinner reservations, look out for specials at your local favourite restaurants. Places often have fun set menus or activities you can go on. In Sydney, for example, the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel’s 50 Shades of Bay extravaganza or The Morrison has a 2-course meal and romantic cocktail deal.
6. Movie night
Pick some of your favourite movies – make sure there’s something there for everyone – and set up on the lounge floor with a blanket and cushions for a snuggle. After some inspiration? Here are some ideas you can download straight from iTunes: Warm Bodies, This Means War, Adoration.
7. A day halved is a day shared
You each pick your favourite activity and drag your other half along to do it with you. When you’ve finished whatever you want to do, your partner takes you on their activity.
8. Recreate your first date
Mrs Romance and I did this a while back. It’s a lot of fun, and a real trip down memory lane.
9. Cook a fancy dinner at home
Cook your loved one a 3-course meal and crack that bottle of wine you’ve been holding onto. Cook their favourite food or find inspiration from one of these cool apps from the Apple store: Foodie Recipes, Shari’s Berries, Raw Desserts.
Mrs R always makes my favourite dessert – her magical chocolate mousse.
10. His and hers spa treatment
This might take a bit more organising, but it could be fun. Or even better, treat each other to a massage at home.
A couple of extras:
– Head to your local cinema.
Try going during the day rather than at night – or later around 7pm when everyone’s having dinner.
– Go to the dark side
If you’re over V Day and whole Feb 14 hype, turn Valentine’s into Valenstein’s and create a monster. Get like-minded friends round, order in the pizzas and watch something like Fatal Attraction or The Hangover or Derailed. Not romantic, but a lot of fun!
What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Do you get involved with Feb 14 or do you do your best to ignore it? Do you have any tips for a poorly-organised V Day? Tell us in the comments!
Nicole
Haha, love the Valenstein’s idea!
As a single lady, I ususally use Valentine’s Day as an extra day to appreciate my friends – single, taken, whatever! When I was in High School I’d get some gorgeous flowers from my favourite florist and spend the night writing each of my close friends a small note saying how much I appreciated them. It was just something small from a friend but made some of my friends – even the guys – smile on a day when people often got so bogged down in a negative mind frame. 🙂
Mr Romance
That’s a great idea, Nicole. Yes, why limit sharing your love to just your partner? It should be a time for friends and family too. The Valenstein’s idea came from Parks and Recreation when they have a Galentine’s night – just the girls going out for a big one.
You’re also right about everyone being so bogged down with the whole concept of Valentine’s Day. I think people feel like they’re being scammed – by card and flower companies, by restaurants, by everyone. Some of my friends, I’m sure, feel like they’re being scammed by their wives and girlfriends too! I think as long as you keep things in perspective and boil it down to what it’s really about, Feb 14 can be a really lovely day.
Cheers Nicole.
Jxx
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages
These are some really beautiful and simple ideas, maybe I should make an effort and do something romantic this year.
Mr Romance
Thank you, Malinda. I think keeping it simple is the best way for things like this. When you start making plans too complicated, so many things can go wrong and the emphasis moves from just being together and enjoying each other’s company to being more about the event itself. I suppose the hardest part is like you say, putting in the effort. Can be tricky stumping up the enthusiasm sometimes, can’t it?
Jxx
By the way, definitely going to check out your choc tofu mousse recipe! 🙂
Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid
Awesome ideas! We’re a bit over the hype and getting ripped off and crammed in like sardines in restaurants. These days we like option number 9, although maybe less of the fancy and more of our favourite! Enjoy the loveness!
Mr Romance
Cheers, Sammie! Yes, can’t go wrong with a good feed! Paul and Sharon have a tradition of going all out – cooking a big 4-course meal, dressing up in nice clothes and making it an indoor date night. They take it in turns each year. I think that’s a great tradition – though they might find it trickier when kid #2 comes along!
Jxx
Kat - The Organised Housewife
I am liking the sound of tip # 4. A nice day trip somewhere different sounds lovely followed by that Chocolate Mousse Hehe!
Mr Romance
Yes, it’s always good to go somewhere different, isn’t, Kat? I think it’s something about exploring somewhere new that gives you both neutral ground just spend quality time together. And as for that chocolate mousse… seriously addictive. We once smuggled some into the cinema for a snack. Wasn’t until the film had finished and the lights went up that we realised how messy eating chocolate mousse in the dark can be! Got some funny looks that night.
Jxx
Sonia from Sonia Styling
Love all of these ideas! Though I’m not sure I’d like to recreate our actual first date (if you can class it as that), seeing as his best mate came along “just in case”…! We are off to Brisbane for the weekend to catch up with friends and hit up the Chet Faker concert. Should be lots of fun!
Mr Romance
That’s weird, Sonia – our first date consisted of Mrs R’s best mate inviting herself along too! In fact it was Leonie from our How did you meet? post. We all three went to this little Thai place in Paddington and had a pretty good time really. Not sure if Leonie knew it was our first date or if she just fancied Thai for dinner.
Anyway we actually went back to the Thai place for our anniversary a couple of years ago – sans Leonie this time. To be honest I was just impressed it was still there some 13 years later.
Have a great weekend up in Brissie. Love the new small bar life that’s developed up there now. And enjoy the concert too of course!
Jxx
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me
Mine got some lollies tonight, and the offer of some early ‘action’ but considering it’s 9.37pm it’s safe to say he chose the lollies – MEH!
Mr Romance
Ha ha! Ah well, maybe you can take advantage of the ensuing sugar rush, Emily! Good luck and have fun this weekend.
Jxx
Jess
Great list, I love the idea of backyard camping-so cute!
Mr Romance
Thanks Jess! Really glad you liked our list!
Jxx
Jess - A Little Part of the World
What a terrific list!! We don’t tend to celebrate the day but some of these are too good to pass up. I love the idea of a day halved but a little tricky with 2 little ones. Happy Valentines day!! Jx
Mr Romance
Hi Jess. Yes, kiddies do make indulging one another a little more complicated. We also sometimes put Valentine’s Day off a couple of days until it’s more convenient! Not sure if that’s more or less romantic! Lol.
Have a great day too. Cheers
Jxx
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Sonia Life Love Hiccups
Or you could weed the entire garden and clean out kids bedrooms like we did… same same haha xx
Bele @ BlahBlah
Awesome ideas. I love the idea of recreating the first date – that would be hysterical x
Mr Romance
It’s so much fun, Bele! We did it a couple of years back – it’s so strange being back kind of where it all started!
Jxx
Trish MLDB
Fab ideas. We drove past the site of our first blind date – no longer the restaurant and hubby pointed it out. It was day after V day.
I can’t wait to try that Choc mousse recipe.
Mr Romance
You met on a blind date, Trish? That’s amazing! Must have been a pretty wild time for you guys?
It’s funny seeing the place where you first met, isn’t it? Where Mrs R and I first met isn’t the shop it used to be, but the location still brings back memories.
Hope the mousse turns out well for you. 🙂
Jxx