|
|
SETTING THE MOOD:
This is the "PICK UP YOUR DIRTY CLOTHES!" section. Yes, you should do that. Throw away that beloved pile of empty pizza boxes and clean any room you think your dinner guest might visit during the evening (night, next morning). Once you've got this done, and all your ingredients gathered, there are only two other things to worry about:
THE TABLE:
We don't expect your table to look like the front cover of "Martha Stewarts Living." This night is about good food and good company, but there are two important things to remember about your table. One word - candlelight. Maybe some people find the fluorescent tubing at fast-food joints conducive to seduction, but most pagan folk prefer a dim, romantic setting of camouflaging light. Picking the right candles is important. Choose high candlesticks so that both you and your dinner partner are lit from above. You can get some pretty scary results from short candles beaming onto the underside and reflecting your nostrils (chuckles). This is effective if you plan to tell ghost stories all evening or mimics the Blair Witch Prophecies.
Now lets talk about decoration. You can plan ahead and decorate your table with flowers, or hope your date brings some. What you dont want is to ruin your view of each other by plopping a huge funeral wreath down in the middle of the table. Set the flowers off to the side where you can appreciate both them and your date. A beautiful bouquet of fragrant of vibrant colored flowers is a great choice. Get a bouquet of his/her favorite type. Roses are traditional and considered the most romantic of flowers, but make sure you know what you're saying with them. Most novice romantics know that red roses mean love, while white mean friendship, but flower connoisseurs assign even deeper meaning to flowers. A deep red rose can mean "bashful shame" whereas a burgundy rose can signify "unconscious beauty." Quite nerve-wrecking for someone racing to the florist's shop at the last minute. If you are worried about offending your date with some unknown flower insult, Ask your florist. Better safe than sorry. Now lets move on.
THE SCENT:
Shaik Al-Nefzawi, author of The Perfumed Garden (Tunisia's own "Kama Sutra") offers this advice about scenting a room:
"When she inhales the perfumes all her bones will be relaxed in a soft repose and finally she will be swooning. When you see her thus far gone, ask her to grant you her favours; she will not hesitate to accord them."
Whoo-hoo! Now you can see the importance of aromatherapy at your meal. When your beloved enters the place, he/she will be overwhelmed with the wonderful scents coming from your kitchen. After the meal, though, you might want to change the tone from eating to, well, another activity of your choice. An excellent way to do this is through scent. Some scents that have arousing effects are vanilla, lavender, jasmine, mandarin and rosewood. Hey, don't take it from us. Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found that certain scents caused an increase in hormones and blood flow! There's a reason to pick up some potpourri or scented candles!
COOKING THE MEAL:
We don't expect you to be a gourmet chef (thank the Goddess). No fancy dishes here. Assuming you have the basics of flatware and cutlery (you do have dishes, don't you?), the only other tools you'll need are:
large frying pan
large saucepan
large salad bowl and tongs
large serving plate
wooden mixing spoons
measuring cups
measuring spoons
two small serving bowls
microwave
a boyfriend or girlfriend (or both)
When preparing an appetizer, prepare yourself with the appropriate kitchen appliance. This can get pretty tricky (e.g. Cuisinart, Braun Handblender). So if you don't have them, you might want to buy some pre-made stuff to make your life simpler.
THE NIGHT BEFORE....
The night before has always been the most exciting. Waiting, wondering... what does he or she/he have planned? If you've been waiting all year for this one night of romance... you don't have to wait any longer!! Make the night before a great foreshadow of what's to come. Remember be excited!!
Won't you be mine?
Ready to let your love know that you've got a big Valentine's Day surprise waiting for him? Here is a list of a few things you can do to let them know!!
Give your love a taste of Valentine's Day with a small but quite elaborate gift. Make it something that gives a clue of what is in store for the next day - maybe a small indoor picnic if your valentine's date includes a meal.
Mail or give them an invitation to whatever you have planned. Include the specifics, like how to dress, what time he or she should be there or be available, etc.
Send a rose to your love with a note attached letting them know you haven't forgotten about the big day.
About a week or so before Valentine's Day, write in a journal every day about the reasons why you love your mate and why this Valentine's Day is so special to you. The night before, give it to them.
With each meal, try to incorporate hearts in as many ways as you can!
Kidnap your partner the day before and take them to your romantic destination a day early!
Create a scavenger hunt with clues on what you'll be doing! For ex. the first card could lead them to a new outfit for them to wear the next night. The second card could lead them to wine & cheese symbolizing dinner, the next card could lead them to a ticket to a movie or theater event. The fourth card could lead them to a piece of sexy lingerie, etc.
Give them love coupons to be redeemed at anytime till midnight on Valentine's Day!
Let the celebration begin...
A little pre-celebration never hurt anyone!! It's kind of like opening that one gift on Christmas Eve... just enough to hold you over until the big day.
Candlelit bath and massage - get your love ready and relaxed for the big date with a nice relaxing candlelit bath. Follow with a relaxing massage.
Plan a fun pre-valentine night together. Rent a movie, order pizza and just play with each other like you would have when you were younger.
Stay the night at a hotel that offers a late morning check-out and has room service for breakfast.
Prepare a night of romance... Set the mood with candles, music and wine, champagne, or sparkling cider. Order take out and shower each other with love!
Before you go to bed, place a little chocolate cupid on his or her pillow with a little love note.
Have fun and unwind - visit a local arcade or take in a game of pool.
Play games - cards, chess, monopoly, video games - order take out.
Play some romantic music or just cuddle up in a warm blanket and watch your favorite movie together.
Go for a hike, build a snowman, fly a kite, have a snowball fight, go for a skate, etc.
Go out to a coffee house or "theme" restaurant. Many bigger cities have restaurants that create an interactive experience, like being part of a murder mystery or medieval event. Check your local city guide!
The most important thing to remember is to make it special. You and your love have found each other and are celebrating that perfect union of hearts. Never forget why you fell in love, and why you keep falling in love with them over and over again.
A PERFECT VALENTINE'S DAY
Use one of these guides to help you plan your perfect Valentine's Day romance.
Cupids checklist
the week before
the night before
if you're staying in
if you're going out
long distance valentine
an online valentine
valentine's day for one
first date tips
Make sure this Valentine's Day goes off with a blast! Below is a general checklist of things you should consider when planning your Valentine's Day! Good luck, and have a most romantic holiday with your sweetheart!
1. Your Schedules
Before you can decide on anything, you need to find out what both of your schedules are like. Do one or both of you have to work? If so, find out what hours. Does your date have something else planned during any part of this particular day? Make sure to find out all the details necessary, then tell your date AS SOON AS POSSIBLE what time to reserve for your interlude.
2. Consider Your Date's Interests
Is your date a "flowers and romance, dance all night" type, or a "stay at home in whispering sweet nothings in front of the fire and sip wine" type of person? This is important in determining what you are planning to do. If you're not sure, ask your date what sort of things they prefer.
3. Plan Your Date
By now you should know what time frame you have to work with and what your partner's interests are. With this information it should be much easier deciding what to do. While you're planning, if going out, make sure to check if reservations are needed, any tipping requirements, transportation you might need, any possible dress code, time frame of any events, and if there are any restrictions on any mood enhancers you might want to bring, like candles. Don't forget to let your date know about any information they need to know, like dress codes, etc.! Be subtle about it but none the less, it is important to make sure they know what they should be wearing. If you are staying home, make sure that you have the menu and ambiance planned accordingly. Turn the answering machine on and take care of all your business before hand so as not to be disturbed. Make sure you have all the supplies you need so that you lack for nothing and make sure all loose ends are tied. You dont want to be running down to the store in the middle of a kiss for some ice, now do you? Make sure your attire for the evening is ready and definitely place that time in for grooming. Most of your personal grooming can be done either earlier in the day or the night before such as a haircut/stylist, manicure/pedicure, body waxing, etc.
3. Select Mood Enhancers
With the date idea selected, it's time to plan your "over-the-top valentine romance!"
Setting the mood...
Part of making any type of celebration or event special and romantic is setting the mood for it. Setting the mood can be taken in many forms, from just being excited about it, to decorating in order to create an overall effect. The point is to create an environment that exudes love and romance so that the both of you can just get caught up in the moment!
The first thing you'll need to do is decide exactly the type of mood you want to set. Ask yourself what it is that you are trying to accomplish and what mood you want to convey: playful, romantic, sexy... all the above? Before you go about getting everything ready, make sure you know where you want to end up!
THE WEEK BEFORE:
Why limit Valentine's Day to just one day? Get your love ready for the big day by making it a huge affair while, at the same time, showing your love that they are someone incredibly special! Taking the time to show how much you really care can do wonders for a relationship! Imagine how surprised they'll be to start receiving their tokens of love a whole week early!!
A sure fire way to make this Valentine's Day memorable is to be in the right state of mind. Be excited and somewhat mysterious about it. Let your love know that you are excited! The old saying, "The only thing more contagious than a yawn is a smile!" relates very well to this.
Love Notes...
A great way to build suspense and a romantic atmosphere is through a trail of love notes, quotes and poetry! A heartfelt sentiment can often mean more than the most elaborate gift
A Valentine A Day...
To let your love know you are planning a big Valentine's Day celebration, count down to the big day with small tokens of love. Below are some ideas on how to send a valentine a day to your special valentine...
Buy a box of children's valentines and write a sweet nothing on each one. Every day, hide one in a special place that you know your love will find.
Buy 7 small valentine tokens or gifts. Wrap each of them separately along with a special little love note to go with each one about why you love them. Give one to your love every day leading up to the big day!
A great idea for long distance relationships, or if you don't live together, is to buy seven valentine cards (or love related cards) and mail them so the first one arrives seven days before Valentine's Day, the next arrives six days before, and so on.
Send a virtual card a day!
Leave a few candy conversation hearts around the table with dinner or desert to remind your love about the upcoming event.
Buy your love a new outfit for Valentine's Day.
Treat you love to a day of pampering at a massage parlor or stylist.
Drop hints all week about what you have in store - little gifts symbolizing what the surprise is. For extra fun, turn it into a scavenger hunt.
Send 7 roses (or other type of flower, perhaps their favorite flower) the first day, 6 the next etc down to a single red rose the night before with a little note saying how much you love them and cannot wait for the next day.
Collect some memorabilia of your time together and give them to your love one at a time leading up to Valentine's Day, along with a note about why you thought that particular moment was special.
Special Moments of Love
When you take the time to create a special moment, it's something that lasts forever. During your valentine week, create some special moments with your love that will make it even more memorable.
Give them love coupons that expire at midnight on Valentine's Day!
Every day, try a new kiss!
Make a cute nickname for your love and only call him or her by that name for the rest of the week
Remind yourself, and your love that, not only are you best-friends, husband and wife... but also lovers. Treat your love like you would your lover.
Make a holiday tradition... every time you go through a doorway together, kiss! Or, every time you say the same thing, also kiss!!
Sing a variation of "Happy Birthday", "Happy Seven Days Before Valentine's To You" and so on, as many times as you can throughout the day.
Make a commitment to each other to do one thing romantic and together every night before Valentine's Day, even if it's just to be alone and talk all night!
Give them 101 reasons why you love them!
On the 12th day of Valentine's...
Create a variation of the old Twelve Days of Christmas but apply it to Valentine's. Each day write a little card or note that says, "On the first day of Valentine's my true love gave to me..." then fill in the rest with what you are giving. It doesn't have to be a physical gift. It could be your heart, soul, happiness, kiss, etc... be creative!! When the twelve days are up, your love will feel completely showered by your love!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 STAYING IN...
Make it a cozy night for two with romance, you and your love... what more could you ask for? Staying home to celebrate Valentine's Day can be a very rewarding experience because you have a tendency to feel more at ease in your own home. This can add that extra element of romance to your plans and really allows for those special moments of closeness and love. When planning any romantic event at your home, it is also important to set the mood and try to plan something you know your love will cherish.
Heart to heart...
and soul to soul. You want your love to know exactly how you feel about them with an intimate night at home, just you and your love. Below are a few ideas, from the playful to extremely romantic, to help you create just the right celebration of your love.
Cover the floor with newspapers and finger paint a masterpiece.
Have a picnic on your fire escape, patio, or in your backyard.
Spread a blanket on the living room floor and have an indoor picnic.
Read old cards and letters from each other to one another.
Play hide and seek.
Dress up for your evening at home.
Enjoy McDonald's by candlelight on the living room coffee table.
Or, enjoy pizza by candlelight!
Set up a tent in the backyard, have a fire in the bbq, roast some marshmallows and lay out under the stars!
Rent your favorite romantic movies, make some popcorn and hot chocolate, and stay up all night watching movies and cuddling.
Surprise your love with a bubble bath for two. When you're done, wash and comb/brush their hair for them.
Bake cookies together.
Have dinner in bed!
Hire a professional masseuse to give you both massages, or give one yourself!
Take turns reading a sexy or romantic book aloud to each other.
Do your love's secret fantasy.
Stage a progressive love dinner and serve each course in a different room with the dessert ending up in the bedroom!
Plan a romantic dinner, with wine or champagne, candles, music... and just relish in each other. Talk, play, anything that comes up. Just be open and love without inhibition.
Make dinner together! Wear some of it (wink*)
Stay up all night and watch the sun set and rise together.
Laugh, love, then laugh some more!
Do that one thing that your love has always wanted to do or have happen to them.
Love Games
Put a little fun into your night of romance at home with these great ideas!
Take a deck of 52 cards. Assign each card a thing to do. For example, Aces get a kiss, etc. Shuffle the deck and spread the cards out. You and your honey take turns drawing cards. Whatever card says to do, your honey must do. Be creative with your ideas and have fun!
Rent a movie that you both agree is hilariously funny. Every time one of you laughs, kiss each other. Whoever laughed the least gets to choose a romantic idea to do after the movie.
Play the alphabet game! One person starts with the letter "A" and has to kiss a body part on the other person beginning with that letter. The other person starts with "B" and so on and so on. If you can't think of a body part for a letter, make one up! By the time you get to "Z" (if you do), you just might want to play again!
Change the game of Monopoly to Loveopoly. Change boardwalk into back rub, and Tennessee into take your shirt off. Every time you pass go, you get a kiss. etc.
Hide Hershey's kisses around your love's place, and tell them to save the tags for real life redemption!
Go the extra mile
Part of making any event memorable is the special care and touch that is put into it. The littlest things are the ones that end up meaning the most.
Call your favorite radio station and dedicate a song to your love.
Everytime you walk through a door together, kiss.
Be open, honest and communicative.
Toast to each other.
Keep your love's interests in mind.
Tell them how wonderful they are whenever you remember to.
Kiss your love whenever you think about it.
Give them a quick foot or back massage.
Wear a certain favorite outfit... or, if you're brave, nothing at all!!
Hold hands.
Tickle each other.
Play footsies.
Leave notes for them to find all over the house!
Hug each other every time you are about to cross paths.
If you're not married... propose!
If you're married... propose again!
 |
|
|
