You’ve tried chocolates, you’ve tried cards, you’ve even tried getting your valentine a copy of your favorite book, but they got stressed out because you were constantly watching them read like a hawk, to make sure they were reacting to your gift in the right way.
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you’re just starting something new, or you’re looking to wow your longtime partner, you’ll find the best date inspiration in the books on your shelves.
Get ready to fall in love!
– Make an icebox cake with the plums you stole. Make sure you sort of apologize, too.
– Do a Bowery walking date inspired by the spots in Lucy Sante’s Low Life— try to find all the old tenements and saloons that are now condos and natural wine bars.
– Grab a piece of paper with your date, and try to put a dollar amount on your relationship. It’s a great way to connect with your partner in a way that is mournful and surprisingly funny.
– Spend some time with your date noticing the natural world around you, making some new animal friends, and vowing to avenge them together—nothing makes the heart grow fonder than a shared, madness-inducing project of revenge.
– A project around the house makes for a fun date too: sometimes it’s nice to work on something together, like that DIY sprucing-up you’ve been meaning to do so that your place is finally in good enough shape to invite your neighbors over to hang out and patch things up.
– Or you can take the time with your date to finally clean out that dark tangle of weeds that’s been choking everything out in your yard so that your garden can finally flourish.
– Getting out of town, even for an afternoon, is perfect. A beach trip to visit that sleepy resort town you’ve been meaning to check out could be the perfect the romantic get-away! Be sure to meet the locals and experience their culture without judgement.
– A trip doesn’t have to be that elaborate, though. Sometimes it’s just fun to pop over to the grocery store with your date and wander the aisles—it seems dull but trust me, I’ll bet you stay at the store longer than you expected!
– Having a Coke with your date is always a good call. So is spicing things up by inviting the harbormaster to a menage a trois. Of course if things aren’t going well in the relationship, make your date a cocktail out of ice and water, and remember when you were both still first rate.
– Go see some live theater! Especially if it’s something that is only in town for a little bit and might be gone soon, and you’ll miss your chance to hauntingly understand that things are, despite it all, a miracle.
– Sometimes if you’ve been together for a long time, Valentine’s Day can be the perfect an excuse to just take a beat and catch up. Take your sweetie out for a coffee or a drink, and tell them about all the crazy stuff that’s been happening at work or about that one poem you’ve gotten really, really into lately.
– And if you’re really stuck, remember: you don’t have to do Valentine’s Day at all if you don’t want to.
