The long wait is over. Valentine’s Day 2017 is right around the corner. Are you ready? Well, take a deep breath and don’t stress out about it. I think we can put too much pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect. This is no excuse, however, to not think about it and do some planning. I do find that many couples can get bottlenecked into the same old patterns and find themselves doing the same thing over and over again. What a boring thought! There are plenty of romantic, fun and affordable things you and your significant other can do that don’t require a ton of advance planning. Here are five creative ideas to get you pumped up and ready to go.  

Treat Yourselves

A date should be a “night off” so to speak, so instead of coming up with an elaborate plan, do some fun things the two of you consider treats. Maybe a fancy restaurant doesn’t sound as good to both of you as ordering your favorite take-out. You could add things to your order that you don’t usually get when you’re scrimping, like appetizers or dessert. Maybe instead of a big meal you just want to order desserts. Afterward, you could go shopping together, and pick out one treat item for each of you, whether it’s a book, a new item of clothing, or something else. The key here is doing something that both of you want to do that would be fun. Heck, it could be as simple as having lunch together.

Wait on Them Hand and Foot

One fun way to surprise your significant other is to offer yourself up as their willing servant for a night. Serve them dinner, breakfast, lunch or whatever. Don’t let them get up to get anything– get it for them. Let them pick the activities for the evening. You could offer back or foot rubs. Run them a bubble bath. If you want to really ham it up, give them a bell to ring when they need you. Okay, I may be getting a little carried away but this would be a real treat if you are willing to give it a try.

Beer or Wine Tasting

Alcohol may not be your thing but if you’re open to something that has really grown in popularity, with moderation of course, you should consider trying a beer or wine tasting. Most breweries and wineries offer them, but if you don’t live near one, you might also try local wine shops, as well as restaurants known for having good wine cellars or microbrew selections. If you just google beer and wine tastings, you will be amazed how many options there are out there. These events can be a great alternative to dining out. While many people may order a beer or glass of wine with dinner, we rarely have the opportunity to compare them without spending a small fortune. You may also get some nice appetizers to go with it.

Go Ice Skating

Valentine’s Day is really the last winter holiday, so why not spend it ice skating? Not good on the ice? Well, at least you will get a few good laughs out of it, and who can’t use more laughter now and then? A great bonus is being able to skate along holding each other’s hands. Afterward, you can go to a local coffee shop and chat over hot drinks and pastries.

Be ‘Kids’ Together

Looking after our adult responsibilities can leave us so serious! When I got back from my military deployment a few years ago, I was amazed how little I laughed. It had more of an effect on me than I anticipated. It took me awhile to get it back and I am still working on it. I know from my own marriage: the more we laugh together, the better our marriage is, and the better I feel about life. So I can say from firsthand experience that you should use Valentine’s Day to act like kids again! Go to an arcade and play games. Ride a carousel. Visit a candy shop and buy all your childhood favorites. Play hide and seek, or go on a scavenger hunt. You could even go indoor camping in your basement and spend the night together in sleeping bags. There are many options but hopefully, you get my point. We can get so caught up in being and acting like adults that we forget to incorporate having fun together. And if acting like kids again could give you a jump start, why not give it a try?

Isn’t it nice when a date is affordable, easy to pull together at the last minute, and helps you connect with your significant other in a new way, too? If you want something to change but do the same things you have always done, how can you expect anything different? So, why not give one of my ideas a try? I am praying for great things for you this Valentine’s Day. Please let me know in the comments how it went.

Please feel to share this with others!

God Bless,

Doug Hedrick

P.S. Don’t forget to participate in the 2017 Love Challenge. Click on the link to participate!

http://www.centurionswatch.org/earn-100-amazon-gift-card-winning-love-challenge/