7 Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day: Stay Away from the Crowd

It’s less than a week away from Valentine’s Day and most nice restaurants in the city are booked. Please don’t freak out. In fact, the best date ideas are usually the last minute ones because spontaneity kicks in. In the past, I have always avoided the crowd on Valentine’s Day and intend to do so forever. So below are the ideas I recommend. As for myself, I will be traveling on a business trip with my husband to New York on Valentine’s Day, so I will definitely do one of the followings to avoid the NYC crowd. It will probably be a hotel picnic and taking a walk for us.

Idea #1 – Go to the gym

Why? Because the gym will be empty! Sweats and endorphins are kind of sexy together, don’t cha think? You can have a post work out meal together. Even if you don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day, you will see other like-minded singles at the gym.

Idea #2 – Indoor Picnic (with or without a fireplace)

It sounds silly to have a Picnic indoors but it doesn’t sound so bad when it is freezing outside. February is a tough time to do outdoor activities unless you live in warm climate places like Hawaii. Pick up a bottle of champagne from BevMo, strawberries from the market and pre-make some food the day before. So when you get home from work on Vday, you won’t be stressed out about dinner preparation.

Idea #3 – Give massages to each other

I like to think that most people love massages, especially from your significant other. Even if you don’t know how to give massages, this is the perfect time to use our best friend called “Internet” to find answers. You can go on Youtube to find simple massage videos like this one. Or go to this Hubpage: How to give a massage.

Idea #4 – Cook dinner together

It is a treat to have an opportunity to cook with my husband. If you are as busy as we are, it is impossible to arrive home the same time. I usually get home before he does, so I end up cooking dinner. Swing by BevMo to pick up a bottle of wine or champagne and purchase all dinner ingredients the day before. Turn off all your house lights and put on some candles. Happy cooking!

Idea #5 – Paint a canvas together

Please don’t be frightened by all these quirky ideas. My husband and I are no painters by all mean but simply felt inspired one day. Best part was getting our right brains stimulated. We got a couple of ideas from this Youtube video. You can pick up a big canvas (24” x 36”), a set of acrylic paints, and a paintbrush starter kit from Michael’s for less than $45, make sure you ask them for their coupons.

Idea #6 – Go for a walk

It’s nice to stretch out after a long day of work. The French does not call it “faire une promenade” for no reason, sounds tranquil and romantic? The idea of taking a nice stroll with your loved one never seem too cliché because you are actually spending time together. I like to believe that romance doesn’t just mean flowers and candles; it is about bonding and sharing quirky moments together. Enjoy your bonding time while taking a stroll!

Idea #7 – Game night

You can turn your Valentine’s Day night into a game night. There are classic games like Twister where you can tangle up, how sexy is that? Do you remember your crush from elementary school and playing footsies with each other? Well, this is the grown up version of it! If you don’t like to tangle up, you can always play strategy games like The Settlers of Catan. Impress your significant other by learning all the rules before playing on Vday.

Please stay safe and have a non-stressful Valentine’s Day. Cheers!