1. Dinner party with a twist
This is a great idea if you want to have a group dinner with friends or with other couples. You’ll need to make a three-course dinner (salad/appetizers, main course, desert) and you’ll also need a collection of random kitchen utensils. Put 3 slips of paper numbered 1, 2, and 3 into a bowl and have each person pick all three out. The order in which they draw numbers will be the order in which they eat the courses (i.e. desert first, appetizer second, main course last). Next, put a bunch of kitchen utensils (spatula, tongs, ladels) in a big bag and have each person pick one – this will be the utensil that they have to use to eat every course of the meal. Then proceed to eat your meal and see how funny it is to watch everyone eat! You can do this with bigger groups but it can also make for an interesting one on one dinner.
2. Cook something together that you’ve never tried before
Search through pinterest and agree on a challenging recipe that you and your friend(s) or s/o can take on together. Go to the store and buy everything together, and then spend the rest of the night spending quality time together cooking and eating. This is pretty simple but could bring you and someone else closer together taking on the challenge of trying a new recipe. I would recommend trying to make sushi together…it’s so much fun creating different rolls and you can get artsy with it! My favorite homemade sushi roll that I’ve made was mango, cilantro, and tuna. If you’re cooking dinner at home, whether it’s with your s/o, friends, family, or all of the above, decorate the table using candles, rose petals, and scattered candies to set a romantic mood. My mom always did this for family valentines dinners and it made for a really special night. In fact, she actually called me as I was writing this article to go over the menu for this year’s family valentines dinner…weird! We’re having beet ravioli (becasue they look red) in case you were wondering…
(P.S. this table is incredibly over the top, but it’s all of the goals)
3. Game night
Card games, board games, charades…this can also be a group activity or a one on one activity. Skip the expensive night out with fixed menus and jacked up Uber prices and invite some friends over for a game night! Have everyone bring food and drinks. If you’re doing this with a bigger group of friends, Cards Against Humanity and Charades would be fun. If you’re doing this with your s/o, play a card game and turn it into an ongoing tournament. If you really want to keep up with the Valentines Day theme, play love Scrabble where each word that you play must be used in a sentence to tell your s/o why you love them. You can get creative ;)
4. Brewery tour or wine tasting
Go online and search for breweries around you. They’re usually very inexpensive and easy to sign up for. This is a fun way to spend the day with anyone, but this could be a really good option if you want to spend the day with someone when things aren’t too serious yet. It shows them that you want to spend the day with them, but that you aren’t ready for or expecting anything extravagant. Not the beer drinking type? Look for local wine tasting events instead!
5. Spa night
Hit up TJ Maxx or Marshalls’ beauty/cosmetics section and buy a bunch of different masks, wraps, lufas, you name it and turn your living room into a spa. Or look on Pinterest for homemade face/hair mask recipes and make something using the contents of your fridge! Give each other facials, massages or manicures and enjoy a relaxing night at home. Add some champagne or make some chocolate covered strawberries to make it more special!
6. Movie night with a popcorn bar
Enough said. Have some friends over and set up a popcorn bar. There are few things better than the sweet & salty combo achieved by combining popcorn and chocolate.