Youth Incorporated Magazine

What’s Valentine’s Day without a romantic time with your partner and the exchange of cute gifts that make you go all “awww”? But planning how to spend the day of love with your special someone can be an exhausting process considering it requires a lot of thinking. Be it grand or simple, Valentine’s Day must be celebrated. If you are having the hardest time ever planning a perfect way to spend your special moments on the coming special day, you might want to dig in for some help.

Exchanging Meaningful Gifts

A bunch of red roses and heart balloons on Valentine’s Day are the two most common presents given to loved ones. Get out of the box and think creatively! Wouldn’t it be better to give your lover a present that is special and unique and reflects something of their personality? So break the mundane mold and get a present that shows them how much you care. The best thing would be to make something special with your own two hands. You don’t have to be an artist to put together a present anymore. Try to represent your times spent together and your shared dreams for the future. Some ideas are to make a CD with your favorite music that reminds you of times you have spent together; make a photo album with your pictures together; inscribe a collection of Pablo Neruda’s poetry with ‘these words say everything that I feel’. Just think of something personal!

A Vacation Goes A Long Way In Sparking Things Up!

So you’re really not a Valentine kind of person and just want to escape the whole business? Why don’t you do just that – but with your partner? A great way to enjoy your time together and to celebrate your relationship is to take a vacation together. You can really think of something different here if you want to escape the banality of the commercial Valentine’s Day. Think adventure sports like white water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, paragliding, and so on; these are sure to inject some adrenaline into your love life! You could also go camping somewhere by the beach or in the hills where you are the only people in sight. If you’re not the outdoor kind, maybe you could think of a pampering, stress-free break at a luxurious spa.

Movies Are The Right Mood Setters

There are a number of movies that you can enjoy with your partner while staying well away from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge kind of romcoms. From sexually charged Secretary to morbid American Beauty, enjoy a non-diabetic version of love on a reel and yours will seem that much better. And both of you are sure to enjoy a good movie rather than a soppy, sentimental flick that should be relegated to manic PMS days only. Our favorite picks are Closer, Match Point, Two Days in Paris, The Apartment, Sex Lies and Videotape, and Y Tu Mamá También And Your Mother Too.

A Walk To Remember

One of the best ways to enjoy the February chill is to go for a long walk along the seashore and talk about anything and everything from your families to your dreams. Hold hands and talk about when you first met and of special times you have spent together. Wear some comfortable clothes and sneakers if you don’t want blisters! An interesting thing to do is just to people-watch or rather ‘couplewatch’ on this day; rate couples on your own impressions of how they behave with each other on whether they will make it or break it. It’s bound to be a memorable day for both of you

A Simple Dinner Always Does Things Right

Cook, cook, cook! Do something you want to do and feed your lover with your own two hands. If you don’t know a griddle from a pan, then hit the local delicatessen and pick up lots of little nibbles that you can throw together for a great meal and some wine. Pick up those delicious aphrodisiacs that are more effective than a witch’s love potion, but stay away from garlic if you want any kisses! Natural aphrodisiacs are asparagus, bananas, avocados, oysters, almonds, figs, basil, chocolate, and honey. Nothing will be more romantic than staying in and spending some time together – and don’t forget dessert! Whipped cream is great for the night that follows