Spend Valentines Day At Home

Many people under-estimate spending St Valentine's Day at home as they feel that their other half won't appreciate not going out. But this is a massive miss-understanding. If you're a bloke, most women would appreciate a night that's taken a lot of thought and planning and really looks at what she likes and her interests.

Think about what excites or interests her, think flowers, good drink, making the mood, and above all, make her feel special.

So here's a run down of how to (hopefully) create the perfect St Valentine's Day at home:

Great Food
Here you really need to work out if you're up to the task. If you're an average to excellent cook then give it a go. Your other half would appreciate a home-cooked meal. If it turns out burnt and crispy then you've got something to laugh about - and don't forget that laughter is the greatest aphrodisiac!

If you really are a disaster in the kitchen and you think that you don't want to take the risk then there are plenty good-quality meals that you simply have to put in the oven - just make sure you read the instructions.

A good tip is to avoid highly flavoursome foods like curries and food that has loads of Garlic. Another tip is to make sure you don't cook too much. It's a good idea to leave room for some "nibbles" later - you can always build that into some fun games when the TV is off and you're in the mood to round the night off.

Think about small meals, maybe canape's and food you can feed each other.

create A Romantic Atmosphere
If you're living room or dining room is a mess, tidy it up. Move all distractions out of the room and turn the TV off. Get some nice relaxing music in but don't have it so loud you can't here each other speak. Dim the lights if you can, or get some table lamps with 40 watt bulbs. Make sure the room is at the right temperature, you don't want it too cold or too hot.

Make sure you're close enough so you can hold hands and think of the finishing touches. Rose petals go down very well so sprinkle some of them around.

Not So Small Talk
You can't just get you're head down and munch away! ;-) You've got to have things to talk about, think about what you're other half is interested in and make an effort.

Continue With A Romantic Movie
At this stage we'd probably have gone to bed to watch a film. But it's up to you how you do this. But it's up to you. You could pick an all-time classic like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Brief Encounter or you could go for a recent one like Love Actually or Sleepless in Seattle. Just don't go for a gruesome or depressing one. Think about what sort of mood you'd like to set.

Creating The Mood
If you wanted to continue with a different sort of mood you could try something like doing a couple of rooms into a theme like having a cocktail party for the two of you. Get some groove going, some nice drinks and light food.

Think about stuff like balloons, feathers, sprinkles, chocolates etc.

Weather To Or Not
Depending on what's going on outdoors you could get one of those outdoor heaters and sit out there and look at the stars. If it's a tad chilly get some hot chocolate and some soft tunes.

If it's too wet outside get wet inside. Get some small candles and put them around the bathroom and share a nice hot bath, rubbing oil into each other. This is a sure fire winner.