Netflix and chill > dinner reservation and a movie. A survey from HelloFresh shows that those between the ages of 18 and 35 prefer staying in to a night out.
“Experience gifts are all the rage right now, and cooking together for Valentine’s Day is a great way to spend quality time together and spice things up,” says Shara Seigel with HelloFresh. (We’re guessing there’s a double-entendre in that statement!)
Whether you forgot make Valentine’s reservations, couldn’t find a babysitter or simply want to spend the night in with your significant other (or bae, as the kids these days say), here’s how to do just that.
Cook a Valentine’s dinner together
Try a meal kit! You won’t even need to leave home for the grocery store. To celebrate Valentine’s week, HelloFresh is offering a sweetheart special with New York strip steak and sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and blood orange sauce. The recipe takes only 35 minutes to make and is fool-proof for even the most novice home cooks, Seigel assures us. (Translated: This won’t turn into a romantic comedy where dinner goes wrong).
Similarly, SupperBell has a prixe fix special Valentine’s meal with choices that include Maine Lobster bisque, filet mignon, wild mushroom risotto, dark chocolate and strawberry cream layer cake and more. Plus, each meal comes with Rosemary shortbread cookies.
Or, set the mood with some known aphrodisiacs
Chocolates and red wine are Valentine’s staples. But, Mandy Enright, a registered dietian nutritionist with Nutrition Nuptials, tells us there are other foods should be on the Valentine’s menu because of their known aphrodisiac properties. The well known ones include strawberries, figs, oysters and champagne. But some lesser known foods that can have positive effects on the heart and brain include coffee, eggs, beets, honey, watermelon and saffron also fall into the “sexy foods” category, Enright tells us.
Give the gift of Closetbox
Have you and your partner taken the 5 Love Language test? For the uninitiated, the test will reveal what makes your significant other feel most cared about. Some people prefer words of affirmation (i.e. well-meaning compliments and encouragement) while others place high value on quality time spent together. One of the love languages that’s most common is “acts of service.” So, in addition to a dozen roses and a sweet card, helping your partner out with a project he or she wants to accomplish will go a long way. Closetbox is here to play Cupid, coming to pick up belongings and store them so that you can finally assemble that home gym, craft room, spare bedroom or just clear up some space for dinner parties or movie nights.
Make cocktails at home
The cocktail craze has been going strong for the past several years at bars and cocktail lounges. Try out your own mixology skills at home. Chopin Vodka provided us with some hip “his” and “hers” cocktail recipes that can be made at home. One is sweet the other is savory. (Trust us, a drink spiked with sweet potatoes might sound crazy, but the sweet potato cocktail craze this winter is worth a try).
His & Hers cocktail recipes:
His: The Steak and Potato
Steak & Potato
2 oz. Chopin Potato Vodka
2 Dashes Worchestershire
2-3 Turns Cracked Black Pepper
2 cubes of steak and roasted potatoes
Instructions: Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into chilled martini glass. Skewer steak and roasted potatoes as garnish.
Hers: Ruby Red
1 oz. Chopin Rye Vodka
½ oz. Ruby Port
1 oz. Premium cranberry Juice
1 oz. Sparkling Water
Instructions: Combine all ingredients except soda in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Top with soda. Garnish with fresh cranberries and an orange twist.
Order a massage
Relax in the comfort of your own home while getting a couples massage. Licensed and vetted massage therapists working with Zeel will come to your home or hotel to give you and your date a massage.
Instead of a card, give a word puzzle
You can customize a crossword puzzle with Crossword Hobbyist or a word search with My Word Search and give it to your significant other in place of a card, or in addition to one. We love this idea because the clues will surely conjure up fun memories. It only costs $6 to make a customized puzzle which can be printed or shared online.
Gift your partner with a pleasure box
OK, we’re getting a little PG-13 on you. But, not only can you order dinner boxes, stylist-curated clothing boxes and sock boxes, but you can also get a “UR Pleasure Box” curated for couples delivered to your doorstep. In all, it’s filled with 10 items, including a couples vibrator, lingerie and sensual accessories like massage oils.
