Valentine's Day/Romantic Ideas?

[Haudlady]

Hello Ladies,

I'm hoping for a little help... DH and I have been married 8 years, and we are working on a 'rejuvination period.' So, along those lines, I would like to surprise him by doing something nice for Valentine's Day. (We aren't very romantic, as a rule, but we would both like to change that! Anyway, we really haven't celebrated Valentine's Day in the past. But - one year I went outside in the snow and stomped down the shape of a heart outside the window! That was fun.)

Anyway... I'm looking for ideas from you. What have you done in the past?

My hope is that it can be relatively inexpensive... we're on a budget (aren't we all?).

Thanks for anything you can offer!!!

[SadieKate]

Oh no! The diamond commercials are back! Gaaaagggggg!

We had a funny and thoughtful thread going last year. Don't know if you'll find any ideas. Of course, slinke's homemade fudge would be good.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=valentine

[Haudlady]

Hmmm... maybe I should rethink my question, given the thread from a year ago?

How about this... an emphasis on the "Romantic" ideas, rather than specific to Valentine's Day?

We had a very good talk this weekend, and this is very important to me. We are best friends, but are both looking to feel 'closer' again. Most of the people I know are divorced; I'm looking for ideas that work!

What are the little things you do? What are the big special things? (Um, no... that's not what I meant!)

[spokewench]

I've been married for oh my gosh, almost 19 years. Anyway, things can get a little boring after a while compared to the crush of love types of feelings that you have early on in your relationship. Also, you begin to take your partner for granted.

What I try to do at least annually with my hubby is to declare some very important things:

1. That we will treat each other as we would our best friends.
2. That we will remember that we are lovers and not only best friends.
3. That we will always treat each other with respect and love.

spoke

[Veronica]

We celebrated our 20th anniversary this year.

I think we're still together because we talk. How that man can put with me sometimes is beyond me...

Neither of us is very romantic in the big gesture sort of way. But there are zillions of little things we do for each other, some daily, some spur of the moment.

I'll write more later. The class is getting restless...

V.

[Blueberry]

We've been married for 5 and together for 10.

We have a V-day tradition of going out and buying really nice stuff for dinner (still *way* cheaper than eating out) and cooking a very simple and very light dinner. Then we have strawberries and single serving (delicious!) desserts from Whole Foods. We'll also crack open a nice bottle of wine. We've gotten past the going out to restaurants - too many people Don't know if that helps or not...

[Eden]

Oh no! The diamond commercials are back! Gaaaagggggg!

We had a funny and thoughtful thread going last year. Don't know if you'll find any ideas. Of course, slinke's homemade fudge would be good.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=valentine

Nooooo -save me from the Benny Bears! Who ever thought up the idea that disemboweling a teddy bear was romantic deserves to never have a relationship.

(For those who do not have Ben Bridge jewlery stores in their area- the "Benny Bear" is a nice little teddy with a zipper up his tummy. To get your lovely gift one must unzip the bear and plunge ones hand into his little teddy innards thereby ripping out the nice daiamondy prize that he has been forced to swallow - I think its down right macabe)

[Meaux]

For our 1st anniversary, DH and I went and stayed in a nice hotel in Austin and rode bikes all weekend. It was great fun! We ordered room service and just spent time with each other. Why not take a long weekend and stay in? You could cook tasty food for each other and just spend time together.

[colby]

Maybe a candlelit picnic at home of your favorite homemade foods? Even if it's the same food you usually eat, the setting can make it special. Have dessert, eat picnic-style on the floor, make it different than a "normal" night. Give him a handmade card instead of a store-bought one, like we did for our parents back when we were in elementary school

[light_sabe_r]

I know I'm inexperienced in the matters of "love" here... But I know what I'm doing this year for Valentines day...

Since it's summer during valentine's here, I'm gonna suprise BF with a formal dinner on our balcony. I got the idea from seeing some latern outdoor string lights covered in hearts at a gift shop on Sunday... as soon as I saw them a plan formulated in my head and I bought them!

He knows that we're having dinner at home that night, but the suprise will be the setting and the food! We'll have his favourite food: freshly cooked prawns! Hopefully I'll get a mango to make mango salad and a rich dairy free chocolate cake with soy icecream for desert! It'll be little effort on the day itself.

I'm stealing his bike this morning and taking it outside with mine and posing them together for a photo. From that I'll make a card. Way more personal than a hallmark... (unless you design cards for hallmark in which case your SO gets one of them right??)

Plus I've put in my request. BF in his high school days was a violinist. He bought me to tears with a serenade a few months ago. I want him to play for me again. That's all I really want for Valentines.

I'd like it if we could ride the river loop in the morning as well. ^_^ Just the two of us!

Anyway It's our second Valentines day together as well as our first anniversary! (which was two days before that)

I agree with CA in NC that resturants are too overcrowded... Plus you can't really celebrate with a bottle of wine cause you have to taxi it home.

Anyway Haudlady, Think back to what you guys did together when you first started going out. Drag out some photos of the two of you doing fun things together sharing the love and make him laugh...

Or if all that is too much effort, Hire an action packed DVD and make some popcorn and some choc top icecreams and plant yourselves in front of the TV for the evening.

Who said Valentines had to be extravagent???

[Bikingmomof3]

We have been married almost 16 years and do not usually buy each other gifts. We are each other's best friend and do little things for each other every day. The man is a saint for putting up with me, in all honesty. Anyway, we buy the boys little treats for Valentine's Day and that is about it.

[Bikingmomof3]

Nooooo -save me from the Benny Bears! Who ever thought up the idea that disemboweling a teddy bear was romantic deserves to never have a relationship.

(For those who do not have Ben Bridge jewlery stores in their area- the "Benny Bear" is a nice little teddy with a zipper up his tummy. To get your lovely gift one must unzip the bear and plunge ones hand into his little teddy innards thereby ripping out the nice daiamondy prize that he has been forced to swallow - I think its down right macabe)

I am very glad I do not have those commercials around here. Augh.

[makbike]

How about a helium balloon for each year you have been together. Attach a brief note to each one explaining why you love him so and to the final balloon a long love letter.

Or, how about a trail of Hersey Kisses from the door he typicaly enters when he arrives home to a distant room in your house where you have set up a nice picnic dinner or pitched a tent for some fun time indoors if the weather is not cooperating.

Or how about recreating your first date - return to the spot you met and do the date all over again and have fun!

[KnottedYet]

All I want for Valentine's is to see my honey. She's flying up here for a long weekend. Sigh.

Long-distance is tough. You want to buy them gifts, but frankly the money is better spent on airline tickets!

[salsabike]

Eden is right. The Benny Bear thing is totally disgusting.

One year I wrote Mr. Salsa a card with all the things about him that make me still think he's the coolest guy I know. (sorry about that sentence structure, but you get the idea)