Valentine's Day Date Ideas
by Dave & Kat

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Man in bear suit giving out free hugs on Valentine's Day

Celebrating your love is a great idea for a holiday, but we’re not convinced that packed restaurants and overpriced meals are the best way to create new memories. Instead, celebrate this Valentine’s Day by trying one of following ideas. You’ll get all the romance without the hassles:

Romantic Getaway
Spend the night away from home at a nice hotel in the city or a quaint cottage with a fireplace in the country. Bring candles, massage oil, some festive bedroom wear, and stay in for the night. Order room service and spend the entire evening relaxing in the hot tub, talking, dancing, playing games and just enjoying each other’s company in your sumptuous hotel bathrobes.

Romantic Theme Night
Give our theme date a romantic twist for Valentine’s Day by transforming your place into a fantasy setting for the night. Surprise your girlfriend with dinner in Paris, complete with a cardboard Eiffel Tower, French music, berets, and a great French meal followed by a foreign film (a French maid's outfit might be fun too). For him, go crazy with a Heaven and Hell theme. Decorate one room with white balloons and gauzy fabric and some harp music playing in the background for ambiance. Create a total contrast in the bedroom with red lights and… well… you know. Use your imagination!

Secret Art
Turn your ceiling into a romantic night sky or write a secret love letter to your sweetheart on the wall of his or her bedroom with a can of white, glow-in-the-dark paint. Your masterpiece will be invisible during the day when other people are around, but your secret will shine brightly at night! One popular idea is to paint stars, constellations, or even an entire galaxy on the ceiling above your bed so that you can enjoy the open sky from the comfort of your bedroom each night. A big heart with an "I Love You" is a nice touch too. To "charge" the paint so that it shines at its brightest, hit it with a light beforehand the unveiling or use a black light.

Romantic Games
In the mood to relax and enjoy each other's company in the privacy of your own home? Try some of these games to spice up your night together!
Bowl of Wishes
Along with your partner, write down a handful of things you’d like on individual pieces of paper such as a five-minute foot massage, your kind of kissing, or a backrub. Fold each paper in half and place them into a bowl. Open a bottle of wine and start playing your favorite board or card games. You can even try a round of Twister or pool. Whoever wins gets to a draw a wish from the bowl and cash it in!
Strip Fantasy
Once again, you'll be playing your favorite games but this time we recommend quick ones like poker, cribbage or backgammon. Whenever one of you wins a round, the loser must remove an article of clothing. The first person to wind up naked has to give the winner a full body massage (or whatever else he or she desires).
Body Pictionary
If you don't have Pictionary cards, just think up different items as you go. Get some homemade edible body paint (melted chocolate, warm pudding or whipped cream work well) and take turns drawing things on each other. The person guessing chooses where they want the picture drawn, then closes their eyes and tries to figure it out. If they get it right, the painter has to do whatever they want to the body part in question. For example face: kiss, earlobe: nibble; back: massage. Whoever guesses the most out of ten rounds is king or queen for the rest of the night!
Rolled in Oil
Write down a numbered list of twelve body parts on a piece of paper, (i.e. 1: feet, 2: chest, 3: back, and so on). Set the mood with candles and soft music, and take turns rolling a pair of dice. When the dice land, check your list to find the corresponding body part then invite your partner to rub it with warm massage oil in the exact way that you’d like them to do so. (Hint: the numbers six, seven and eight will occur the most often so make those the fun body parts!)
Truth or Dare – Valentine's Style
We all know how to play Truth or Dare, right? You take turns choosing Truth and your partner asks a question you have to answer, or Dare and you must do whatever they say. In a normal game someone might dare you to lick a bug or confess how many times you've stolen things. But that's not very romantic. For this game all truths and dares must be about romance, sex, love, or any other Valentine’s Day topics. You still might end up licking things but they won’t be bugs…
Make Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
After enjoying a romantic Valentine's dinner, have fun creating dessert together: chocolate-dipped strawberries! All you need is the chocolate of your choice (chocolate chips, your favorite bar broken into bits or your own homemade chocolate) and strawberries. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or by filling a medium saucepan with water, bringing it to a boil, and placing a small saucepan in the medium one (using water keeps the chocolate from burning). If you’re careful, you can also use your microwave and a ceramic bowl. When the chocolate is melted, dip your clean, dry berries and place them on a plate covered with a sheet of wax paper to prevent them from sticking. Or, go right to the source and feed each other your fresh-dipped strawberries right out of the bowl.

Picnic in the Country
Celebrate the day by taking a scenic drive to the country and enjoying a picnic at a romantic lake, meadow, or beach. Put together a mix of your favorite sappy love songs for the drive out and pack a meal using some of our picnic ideas. When you're finished soaking up the view, head home for dessert, wine, and a candlelit bath.

Couple's Massage
Pamper yourselves by scheduling a pair of massage therapists to come over for a surprise treat or take your date to a day spa for a couple's massage, champagne, and relaxation. For bonus points, add a facial or manicure.

Valentine's at the Zoo
Many zoos, aquariums and museums have special events for Valentine's Day. Some even offer sleepovers during which you can hear the animals celebrating their love too. Check your local zoo, aquarium or museum for events after hours events.

Romantic Dinner at Home
Preparing a simple, unhurried meal with the one you love can make for a great night by itself. Light candles, play some soft music and make something fun like homemade sushi or a heart-shaped pizza. After dinner do a little slow dancing, enjoy dessert in bed, or share a candlelit bubble bath.

Her Favorite Scene
If you’re game from some dramatic flair, recreate a romantic scene from your sweetheart’s favorite movie with yourselves in the lead roles. Focus on the details and dress the part! For the Titanic fans, try a harbor cruise, or rent a rowboat and bring along a loaf of bread to feed the birds like in The Notebook, and don’t forget about the soundtrack!