by Ask Men

Plain and simple: Chocolate is to Valentine’s Day what Bruce Willis is to Die Hard — the star of the show.  You can’t go wrong with chocolate when it comes as a present, so why not turn the entire day into one, long sweet taste test? After all, this is not the day to count calories. So plan a great meal with an extensive dessert menu that lasts

1. Reenact your first date

There’s a good chance that the beginning of your relationship was the time when you made the most effort to show her your romantic side, so why not turn back the clock and remind her how charming you were when you were first dating?

Think back to your first date — make a reservation at the same place, eat the same food and reminisce about how you felt about her when you first met. Do the same things that first sparked your romance.

2. Get Physical

No, not that kind of ‘physical’. With any luck, that’s where your Valentine’s Day date will end up, but you can start things off by getting your heart rates racing together doing something exciting like going to an amusement park or going jet skiing. The idea is to enjoy a little activity and get those endorphins flowing, which is proven to leave you both in loving moods.

3. Go for a massage

Going for a massage is a Valentine’s Day treat no woman will oppose. Either book her a full-body massage at her favourite spa, or include yourself and book a couple’s massage. A relaxing massage is just the thing to get both of you in the mood for Valentine’s Day.

4. Make a path of rose petals

Anticipation is half the fun of a romantic surprise. Start the excitement when she walks in the door by leaving a trail of rose petals leading to the bedroom, where she’ll find Valentine’s Day gifts. Feel free to go all out with the heart-shaped box of chocolates, red-and-white teddy bears and Lovehearts. Today is the one day she won’t say no to corny romance.

5. Get a room

Changing up your surroundings can give an automatic boost to your love life. It doesn’t have to be complicated — booking a hotel room, for example, can be a nice change to the day-to-day and can make you both feel instantly relaxed. Nobody’s responsible for doing the dishes or cooking dinner; instead you get to focus solely on each other in a new environment.

6. Be homebodies

Sometimes the best Valentine’s Day gift you can give is the gift of uninterrupted time together doing nothing. You don’t need to leave the house to make Valentine’s Day special. Think of how great it could be to spend the entire day in bed together — without interruption. Turn off your phones, don’t answer the door and enjoy each other.

7. 24 Hours Of Chocolate

Plain and simple: Chocolate is to Valentine’s Day what Bruce Willis is to Die Hard — the star of the show.  You can’t go wrong with chocolate when it comes as a present, so why not turn the entire day into one, long sweet taste test? After all, this is not the day to count calories. So plan a great meal with an extensive dessert menu that lasts — think of it as a pub crawl except instead of pints at pubs it’s dessert at various cafes. The returns on this relatively effortless Valentine’s Day idea are staggering because your partner will be reminded of your sweetness all day long.

8. Get away

If you’ve got the time, money and freedom, stretch your Valentine’s Day into a Valentine’s weekend away at a romantic resort far away or bed-and-breakfast nearby. Do some research a few weeks before and send her three options, so she won’t be completely thrown off guard and can book the time off if needed. Then sweep her off her feet (or, out of wherever you live). This way you can combine the relaxation of a mini-vacation with time spent alone together. Who says no to a vacation?

9. Cook her dinner

There’s nothing anyone loves more than being completely taken care of — so wherever you’re planning on spending the night of Valentine’s Day, give her a dozen roses and a nice card (where you tell her how much she means to you), light some candles, cook her a nice dinner, give her a mini-massage, and tell her not to get up from the couch (or bed) all night long because this is her night and you want her to completely relax. No woman will complain.

10. Dress up

Make a dinner reservation somewhere fancy and dress up in your finest. Better yet, tell her the night before that she needs to dress up (so she can prepare — she may need to do her hair or pluck her eyebrows) because you have a reservation. Dressing up always makes the occasion feel extra special, and she’ll love that you put thought and planning into making a reservation. If you’re a couple who enjoy getting the chance to get all dolled up, and you can both have fun looking your best while spending time together.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.