Valentine's Day is undeniably romantic, especially if you have a Valentine by your side. Who can resist another chance to say, "I love you"? But when you've been together 10+ years and you've given all of the sweets, dinners, and cutesy gifts that you can stand, it's a challenge to come up with something creative. Well, I'm here to help. Think of me as your personal cupid, only rather than inject you with love, since you've already got that, I'm going to help you keep the fires aglow.
Book of Love: Think about how many times you've hugged, smooched and smiled for the camera over the years. It's a lot, right? Well, dig up the photographs of your happiest moments and put them together in a nice photo album or create a crafty scrapbook. Seeing so many photos of you two getting close will only want to make your special someone get closer. If you want to reach the gold standard, start planning ahead now for next year by asking all your friends and family to send you any snapshots of the two of you in an embrace. You can even get them involved in asking you two to hug for the camera at upcoming events. Being forced to hug more can't possibly be a bad thing for your relationship and the surprise at the end will be cherished for a lifetime.
Bedroom Blitz: Your honey has been complaining about a bad back for a while, and it's been a hot minute since either of you really slept through the night on your 11-year-old mattress. You can probably see where this is going. It's time for a new mattress! And what better way to say I love you than to invest in a nice, comfy bed that you'll be sharing together? If cash flow is a little tight this month and you're not quite ready to take the plunge for a whole new mattress, try memory foam to place on top of your old mattress for extra comfort at a fraction of the cost.
While you're out buying a new bed, why not go the extra mile and splurge on a set of sexy satin sheets and some new, fluffy feather pillows? If you really want to go big, maybe you two redecorate your whole bedroom to make it the sanctuary that you've always wanted it to be.
Run Away: Bed and breakfasts are always an easy bet, and they're not the kind of trip you need to get on a plane for. For a luxuriating experience, try a spa weekend or treat yourselves to a couple's massage at a local spot. If you've got a taste for the outdoors, why not try renting a cabin? It doesn't get more romantic than cuddling up by a fire and rekindling your own.
Learn Something Together: Have you and your valentine always wanted to learn to ballroom dance together? Now is the perfect time! Got a penchant for adventure? How about trying a day of rock climbing at your local indoor climbing gym? You could also be sneaky and get your partner the kind of gift that you'll both enjoy. Take a cooking class where you learn to prepare an exotic or decadent meal together. The best part of cooking classes (aside from eating what you make there) is that you take the recipes home with you so that you can recreate that meal again and again. Find a class that is your partner's favorite style of cuisine to hit a home run.
This Valentine's Day, there's no such thing as running out of ideas. You can only hope your honey gets his or her hands on a list like this one! Happy Valentine's Day.
Dana Holmes is a lifestyle, gift and etiquette expert who acts as Editor in Chief of Gifts.com and the Gift Rap Blog. She has been working in trend forecasting and gift recommendations for the past decade. Dana loves making occasions special with her unique gift ideas, tips and touches. She has been interviewed by the New York Times, Associated Press, Fox & Friends, TODAY in NY and many more.