Ladies: Hold onto your purses, and give your marriages a boost this Valentine’s Day. A little planning pays off in a big way, with this unbelievably sensual evening that costs about the same as dinner for two at home.
If you don’t have everything you need, borrow from a friend, or improvise.
Silence phones, close curtains, and tuck the kids in bed. Put on dinner (or make in advance). Nothing’s more romantic than spaghetti (Remember Lady and the Tramp?), but make what you like. Dim the lights. Turn on romantic music selected from your CD collection or free playlist at grooveshark.com. Light candles. If you don’t have candles, pick up scented votives, and put them on saucers or small mirrors.
Set the table with your most beautiful dishes, and drink from wine glasses, even if you’re sipping Kool-aid. If you don’t have a table cloth, a pretty sheet works. Sprinkle confetti on the table (Cut from glossy ads that come in the newspaper.) Keep the conversation pleasant. Resist the urge to talk about the kids or that aggravating thing that your boss did yesterday. Remind your sweetheart of happy times that you’ve shared. Tell corny jokes.
After dinner, settle your honey into an armchair that has been draped with a sheet and plumped with a pillow.
You also need to have handy: dishpan or large roasting pan to soak feet, two towels- one to catch splashes and one for drying, face towel or large washcloth, hand or foot lotion (or oil), your spouse’s favorite slippers, toenail clippers (optional), and, for ladies: nail polish remover, cotton balls and fresh polish.
Remember to have everything set out ahead of time, so all you have to add is hot water. Give this spa treatment as a gift, or plan to take turns.
Put a towel down and bring in a pan of very warm water to soak feet. Dissolve something soothing into the water. Try one of the following: Epsom salts, kosher salt, baking soda, baby oil, olive oil, lemon juice, bubble bath, liquid soap, green tea.
With music soft, and lights low, encourage your sweetheart to lean back, close his eyes, and relax, with his feet in the water. Don’t talk. Cover his face with the face towel, which you dipped into hot water, and rang out. Massage his hands with lotion while his feet soak. After about five minutes, remove his feet from the water, and gently pat dry. If you’re both confident, trim his toenails. If not, skip that. Leave cuticles alone. Warm lotion between your hands, and massage his feet and ankles. Take your time. Cover his feet with slippers.
Dump the water, wash your hands, and bring out dessert: chocolate covered strawberries. To make ahead of time: wash and dry whole strawberries, hold by the stems, and dip halfway into chocolate chips that you melted in the microwave. Place on a nonstick cooking sheet (or one lined with wax paper), and chill. Transfer to a beautiful dish, and keep cold.
While indulging in the strawberries, snuggle up and enjoy a romantic movie that you borrowed from your local public library or a friend. Or, for free movie-viewing online, check out hulu.com.
Copyright 2010, Kathryn A. Frazier http://preciousholidays.wordpress.com
See also: No Cost Romantic Valentine’s Day at Home
Romantic Gifts to Make for $5 or Less
Valentine’s Day Activities for Children
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Dating, Family, Gift Giving, Holidays, Relationships, Valentine's Day Tagged: | anniversary, cheap dates, couples, frugal, love, marriage enrichment, Relationships, romance, Valentine's Day
There are some really good ideas there. Thank you.