You don't have to go out for Valentine's Day to make it a special event! Avoid the crowds in the restaurants and on the roads and try these ideas for a lovely evening in.
Wine tasting. Have a few bottles of wine sitting around, or a few half-full bottles? What about picking up a few five-or-six dollar bottles? Sample different types of wines with some cheese, crackers, and grapes! Do a bit of research beforehand (try here or here) and try to identify the complex flavors within your wine. Want to get the kids involved? Try a few different kinds of hot chocolate instead of wine. A few mugs of hot chocolate can be mixed with caramel sauce, mint, or even raspberry sauce for some different flavors. Pour some among a few glasses, and nibble marshmallows between sips.
Cook together. And not just your typical Tuesday night fare. Make something you’ve both wanted to try! Even if you splurge on a few special ingredients, it’ll still end up costing less than a typical Valentine’s dinner out.
Have a theme night. Going to make some pasta with your family's famous red sauce, or make a pizza from scratch? Rent an Italian movie together afterwards, and select an Italian wine to go with dinner. Trying your hand at a French dessert? Put on some French music and learn some French phrases together.
Play a video game together. Usually the kids have free rein with the video games, so challenge each other to a few games of bowling, tennis, or racing! Make sure you move anything out of the way that could be in the path of swinging arms or remotes.
Learn to dance! Aren't sure how to dance? Look up some video tutorials on YouTube and spend an hour or two getting the basics down for a dance like salsa, hip hop, the tango, ballroom dancing, or anything you like!
Plan out some volunteering together. Spend some time together looking at a site like idealist.org, where you and your significant other can find a local organization that could use some help. It’ll give you a great idea of the kinds of issues closest to your partner’s heart. Talk about the causes you care about! Set a date on the calendar in the near future to spread the love to places that really need it, and continue further bonding on your volunteer adventures. For more ideas, click here.
What about you? Do you and your significant other ever have date nights in? Share your ideas below!
Dress Up a Plain Suit
