Valentine’s Day is Tomorrow? Uh oh!

Okay, so maybe it isn’t that much of a surprise that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, but let’s pretend like you didn’t make reservations at your favorite restaurant and the card shop is out of all things Valentine. I do realize this is a bit of a stretch in these hard economic times, especially the card thing, but seriously, I have a point. Maybe this should be the year you plan a romantic night in.

If you are not the cook in the family, perhaps you should take over the duties to show your appreciation to the one who does feed you. This isn’t to say that if you are accident prone and the night will end in firetrucks and emergency rooms you should attempt something your aren’t comfortable with, but a majority of people who can’t cook indoors are excellent grillers outdoors. What? Grill in February?! Yes, I said it. I grill all year long, just that a majority of it happens to be summer when I don’t want to heat up the house by turning on the oven and/or stove. A salad, good loaf of bread and a bottle of wine that compliments your grilled items, whether it be meat, fish or veggies or even all three, will round out the meal.

Setting the mood for your night in can be challenging. Not to make your single friends feel even crappier, but if you’ve got kids, maybe have them watch the kiddos for a few hours or overnight. Simple things like romantic music softly playing in the background as you sit down to your meal together at a table lit with candlelight and a small bouquet of lightly scented flowers to act as a centerpiece is all you need. Don’t try to go overboard, because if you aren’t used to event planning, you will quickly get overwhelmed and fail miserably and your perfect night in will turn into a perfect nightmare.

The card can be the most difficult part of the whole day, as some people spend hours searching for just the right card at the store that conveys their feelings appropriately, however, this too doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. Remember making Valentine’s cards in elementary school? Something similar with a little saying inside will mean more to your significant other then a generic card from the store because you spent time making it.

And lastly, relax. The day is to celebrate love, not fret over it. If cooking really won’t work for you, cut up an apple or pear or both and share it with a wedge of cheese, sliced baguette and a good bottle of wine or champagne and relax by the TV while watching the Winter Olympics.