Calling all lovers: Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so if you’re thinking the old rose-in-a-tube is a bit passé (which it is), we’ve got some fun ways to turn up the romance and show your date how much they mean to you. (As an added bonus, most of these let you tag along. You’re welcome.)
Take a day trip
For most of us, jumping on a plane to an exotic destination in the name of V-Day is a stretch (hello, work and budget), but taking a day trip (or a date night!) somewhere neither of you have been to before is easy, achievable and fun. Whether you go by car, bus or train (whatever’s available to you), just remember: the magic is in the planning.
Ask your loved one where they’ve always wanted to go, then get Googling. Figure out how long it’ll take to get there, what the destination has to offer (tourist info sites are gold mines) then plan your trip. Put together a playlist of ‘your’ songs, e.g. what was playing on your first date, first time you kissed, first… Anyway, you get the idea. Find a place to stop along the way to break up your trip, grab a coffee and a selfie. Then tick off the best bits of your destination, have lunch somewhere cute, take some pics and head home with a swag of new memories made for just the two of you.
Show them the mov(i)es
What could be more romantic than snuggling up in the dark and watching a movie with your significant other? It’s a perfect date but sometimes there’s that ‘you-pay, I-pay’ dance where you both try to jump in first. Nip that in the bud with a HOYTS gift card. Choose your amount and pop it on the gift card to give them their choice of movie, tickets and popcorn, choc top, lollies – and it’s all your treat. And if you really feel like spoiling them, go for a HOYTS LUX gift card where in-cinema service and a premium food and wine selection is literally at your fingertips with a touch of a button so you can kick back and relax in ultimate style.
Go gourmet
Ever heard ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’? Let’s face it, it rings true for any of us.
Whether you have all day or just a quick lunch break, tempt your honey with their favourite gourmet treats. Pack a picnic blanket and a basket with everything you need for a gourmet feast and find a patch of grass where you can enjoy it together. If your love has a sweet tooth, bring a selection of sweet treats you can share, or if they’re the savoury type, a grazing platter of cheeses, meats and olives will hit the spot.
Spa day
Everyone loves a bit of pampering, so appeal to their senses with a couples’ spa day. It can be as extravagant or as low-key as you choose. Some five-star hotels offer spa packages that include couples’ massages (two therapists massage you in the same room), skin treatments and relaxation therapies as well as matching robes and slippers. Cute.
Or for a more low-key, intimate idea, do it yourself and have a spa day at home. All you need is some ambient lighting and scented candles, soft music, a warm bath, face mask and some soothing skin products and you can be their very own personal spa therapist. Throw in some chocolate-dipped strawberries and a glass of bubbles or two and they’ll be putty in your hands.
Write it down
Of course, the grand gesture isn’t the be-all and end-all for everyone. Just telling someone how you feel about them is a keepsake in itself. It doesn’t have to be fancy or a carefully crafted sonnet; just your thoughts from the heart put down on paper will mean the world. Tell them what you love about them. What they do that makes you happy, and how they make you feel. Why your life is better with them in it. A heartfelt card or a letter from their true love will be appreciated and treasured as much, if not more than, any expensive gift.
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