13 Fun Valentine’s Day Ideas

Here’s the thing: Valentine’s Day may be a commercialized holiday to some, blah, blah, blah, but, truly, it’s just another day to show, not just our special someone, but all of our loved ones, that we love and appreciate them all year long. (FYI: We should always be and never stop doing this.) In little ways, like those little candy bars (thanks for making my ass jiggle, Mr. Fiancé) from the gas station just because, running her a bath, or even scraping the ice from his windows in the morning while he’s in the shower. Just those little ways to show each other our Love Languages, the quiz is part of one of the things to do, by the way. (Devised by Gary Chapman). These little things get lost along the way, don’t let them because you don’t get that time back.

Example: I show affection by gift giving, but many men appreciate physical touch and affection more. Many people have two that are close in numbers and . I appreciate acts of service, but it’s almost tied with physical touch in numerical value.

The pressure for significant others to make the night special grows until it plateaus. But it shouldn’t. It shouldn’t have to be some grand gesture every year. What SHOULD happen every year is just something different. Without a global pandemic and off the top of my head would be a country night under the stars, the next year, a bar crawl that leads home, a ten dollar challenge at The Dollar Tree to see who gets the best stuff, cooking class together, etc. Mix it up. This year, however, we are in the midst of a global pandemic and, since rates of risk have risen due to the holiday get-togethers, I’m going to give you some little ways to make Valentine’s Day special this year. At home.

All My Lovin’, I Will Give to You

The reason I’m writing this for 13 days is, well, because it’s always been a lucky number for me and I have black cats, but, no, I’m not a witch. Well, I’ve been called much worse. The whole point of this holiday is to draw us closer to one another, right? Then, let’s focus on the experiential part of the holiday and not the gift part. I mean, um, there has to be some gift(s), but that’s not what I’m pushing for here. The idea is to be thoughtful and personal. Chocolates and roses aren’t for everyone. Some people are allergic to chocolate and some women want white roses with red food coloring in the water so that the veins of the roses are stained pink (yes, that really works and it’s the tiniest thoughtful thing to turn something impersonal, such as roses, into something personal with their favorite color). See what I mean? Aren’t those beautiful? So, it’s time to get a little personal, onto the ideas, notes, and tips for you and your fun Valentine:

1. Each take the Love Languages Quiz (listed above) and make a list of 5 things that would satisfy YOUR need and trade with your partner. Let them pick the one they want that night: You can save the others for other nights. Or use them all up at once, dealer’s choice. For example: Physical touch (rated most highly for men) can be holding hands or finding some way to be close all night.
2. Bring them flowers (or plants) and cook them dinner. (Their favorites!): See roses from above or bring them something that won’t die, not to sound sinister, lol, but I always press a flower from each bouquet I get from my fiancé. I also like plants that will flourish into something new, although, I have a black thumb. I can plant. I can grow. I just can’t keep anything alive. That’s not saying much about me, is it? Flowers aside, cooking them dinner might be a switch in your house or maybe you both share every chore. Ours is more a divided, “I’ll clean this, if you take out the trash” situation. 
3. Try to Recreate Your First Date Night (or Second or Third): While this one is similar to Number 4, it’s a little different. I want you to really recreate the date. You could even improve it based on what you now know about your partner. For example: If you live together, still go to the door and pick them up, walk them to the car and open the door (I personally see that as a sign of respect), literally drive around the block and back to your home together before you begin the date. If you didn’t open the door then, and that’s something that they like, do it now. Think about it. You get a redo, in a way.
   • You can pick a playlist of meaningful songs that you’ve accumulated in your relationship. We all have “our song”, but there are others too.
   • You can order takeout from the same restaurant and (try) to get the same meals, unless something has changed. (The COVID delivery menus don’t always have the same things anymore.)
   • You can end the date doing something that either, you did that same night, or has become a newer tradition for you, like watching a marathon of trash TV, 90 Day Fiancé. (Not that we would ever do that.) 
   • You can also end the date by walking them to the door and reliving that first kiss (possibly improving on that too). 
4. Recreate Your First Movie Date Night: This one might be challenging, depending on the movie you saw. Likely though, you will be able to find it on YouTube if you absolutely can’t find it anywhere else. Here’s how to make it special.
   • The exact candies, popcorn with extra butter, or salted pretzel even, to show your special someone that, you really were paying attention. Speaking as a woman in a heterosexual relationship to men, women really aren’t that complex.
   • We generally want three things: attention, affection, and appreciation. This date truly expresses at least two of those needs. It really doesn’t take much, honestly, but these small gestures count. Put in a little effort and it will make your partner feel so special. Just don’t mistake her for another date with a different woman! 
5. Picnic Under the Stars (In or Outdoors): Lay out a blanket on the floor (or ground), bring a basket or a cooler with some champagne or wine (little bottles are kind of fun too). I will say this, if you’re out in public, alcohol might not be acceptable so, Big Gulp cups work. (; Not that I’ve ever done it. Look up at the stars for some constellations. (If you live in a cold state like I do, Amazon offers an alternative to freezing your ass off with star and sky machines. They’re actually really cool and most have Bluetooth.)
6. Run Them a Hot Bath with Champagne, Candles, and Music: You can also throwin some rose petals, bubble bath, bath salts, or bath bombs. Now get in. It’s a nice way to spend an evening. Wash each other’s hair (I read somewhere once that there are something like 10,000 nerve endings that can be stimulated by rubbing someone’s scalp). Who doesn’t want to be stimulated? I don’t need to answer that, nor remind you what else you can naked in the bath tub. My suggestion for music is a group called “Cigarettes After Sex“. They have a very smoky, sexy sound. Just ask Alexa to play them and there you go. You’re welcome.
7. Karaoke night! Play Your Song and Go From There! This one is a simple one. Get out some hairbrushes and sing or you can use silly microphones that echo from the Dollar Store like children use. OR you can upgrade all of the way to microphone sets from Amazon. (It was a couple’s gift I got my sister and brother-in-law last year for Christmas. Rather than a “Man Cave” or a “She-Shed”, they have a “Music Room” where they just belt out whatever they want.) If you’re with the one you love, you should be able to be yourself, right? Happy singing!
8. A Photography Scavenger Hunt Outside: This one is pretty self-explanatory, but here are some ideas for what to look for in a scavenger hunt and where to go. You can also use a point system and whoever loses has to make dinner too! 
   • Use the ABC’s, try to find letters wherever you are, organic or man-made. If you can make a word (not one already made, you have to use different fonts if they’re man-made and, in this case, like a strip-mall, it would be a timed photo contest to make a word). 
   • Use shapes like swirls or stars or unicorns, lol. Be creative. 
   • You can also hunt to (photo) shoot animals. 
9. Have a Wine/Whiskey Tasting: You can buy tiny bottles of everything, including moonshine. Make sure to rinse your glasses in between to find the ones you like. You can also buy tiny bottles of champagne. And don’t forget to eat with this. I’m giving you the option to 1) stay at home and be all cozy, 2) forget about COVID, and 3) forget about wasting money on an Uber if you get completely drunk. You can still dress up and play some music, turn the lights down low, and make it an intimate affair, but be close to your bedroom when foreplay starts in the kitchen. Whoo-hoo!
10. Have a dance party, fast, slow, and in the middle: Being close and intimate doesn’t just mean sex, and dancing is very intimate. Don’t give the excuse that you can’t dance. The point of being in an intimate relationship is letting go of your inhibitions and being close with the one you love the most.
    • This is also one of many of those dates that you can lock yourself away in the bedroom to do after the kids go to sleep for the slow-dancing part, if you want. I’m going to again recommend the group “Cigarettes After Sex”. You will literally want a cigarette after sex if you listen to this music. It’s very sexy.
    • Get dressed for each other, so you can dress each other down. Undressing each other sometimes goes to the wayside if you are one of those “Wednesday-is-our-sex-night” type of couples or you’re just trying to squeeze it in busy schedules.
11. Painting Party! Rocks, Canvases, or Each Other! Yes, body paint exists, never used it myself, but they also make edible sprinkle-type products. (Just a warning, be careful where you put it!) Canvas painting with your partner is also fun, even if you are both beginners. This is one of those things that you can either use a YouTube video tutorial, sketch something out, splatter, abstract, using painter’s tape for something geometric, or just let your imagination move with your brush hits the canvas. Here are some ideas. Just have fun with it. Some tips:
    • Don’t look at each other’s canvases until you are done and no laughing at the other one unless they laugh first. Anytime someone does something creative, they’re taking a chance at showing a bit of their soul and you are their partner so no laughing unless they laugh first. 
    • You can paint monsters or ladybugs or little fairy/gnome doors on rocks. You can literally grab a handful of gravel from somewhere and just let it guide you, like a collection of mountains or sunrise, anything that inspires.
    • Each keep your favorite rock that you did and then take them and spread them back to where you found them. (If you live in an apartment complex, just go for a walk and decide where to leave each one.
    • Or on people’s doorstep’s like little Valentine’s Day presents for someone else.) Making other people smile isn’t such a horrible thing. Or get a kit from the Amazon, they come pretty cheap and pretty fast in case you are reading this blog too late. 😉 
    • You can get canvases, brushes, and paint at your local Dollar Tree, most of them carry them now in their craft section. I’m a bargain hunter, remember? Also, kits available on Amazon…
    • If you want to spread your rocks around outside to leave randomly for others to find, you might want to pick up a can of lacquer to protect them from the elements. 
12. Workout Date! Don’t forget to hit the showers! If your both into physical fitness (or even if not), then you can push each other to go faster, harder, and further. Um…In the physical fitness way, get your mind out of the gutter (and save it for the showers)! 
    • When you do hit the showers (if it’s big enough for two people), again, wash each other’s hair, stimulate the hair follicles, trace the water as it moves down their body, make it an experience.
    • Don’t just jump in like you’re getting ready in the morning. Make it fun and sexy. Show your love.
13. Sexy lingerie night! Give Each Other Massages with Some Oils and Sexy Music! The 13th and final recommendation can be an addition to any of the other experiences. Sometimes, it’s nice to dress-up for an occasion, right? This is really no different than that. You can even pretend that you’re meeting for the first time in a bar or something (if you’re into that kind of thing). 
    • Put on some sexy make-up, shave your legs above the knee (lol), or even get something waxed, go for it. And wear something that you feel sexy in. This one is meant more to be a surprise than anything else. You want the look on their face to be wowed (and the feeling you have when you look in the mirror, too).
    • The point, even more for them to be wowed, is for you to feel sexy. How are you going to get turned on if you feel like a sausage casing? Don’t bother with that. I have a full-length see-through light blue lace piece with slits up to the hip that makes me feel sexy. It basically covers everything, but still makes me feel very sexy. 
    • Some ideas of other things to wear:
      • One of his jerseys with some buttons undone
      • A chunky cardigan with the same idea
      • A pair of fishnets, garter belt, and sexy dress
      • A teddy, bodysuit, bra and panties, it’s all up to you!
    • Don’t forget the wine and the massage oils. My recommendation would be something in the realm of KY warming oil, especially if things get a little, um…dirty…ME.OW.

Valentine’s During COVID

The entire point of Valentine’s Day is to have an experience together. I think COVID has truly shone a light on family relationships and, if you’re miserable and need to reconnect, a “romantic” dinner in a “romantic” restaurant isn’t going to cut it. These ideas can be used anytime, for couples with and without kids and, frankly, they should be. Being stuck inside forces you to be a little creative about how to share intimate moments, but you shouldn’t be waiting for 1) a global pandemic or 2) your relationship to be rocky.

Sex keeps relationships healthy and, when it stops, the other parts and pieces of intimacy go away. You don’t need a bar or a concert or a restaurant to keep your relationship going. You need to cook together, meet each other’s needs for attention, affection, and appreciation, and don’t let the kids come  between the two of you. I’m serious. If you’re parents, love comes first, then comes marriage, and THEN comes the baby in the baby carriage.

**All pics come from Adobe Stock, FreePik, and Title pic was created using Canva. As a note, I am not running endorsements for any of the aforementioned companies and receive no compensation for promoting them, just because I like using them.