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Valentines Dates and Gifts- That Don't Suck

I (Katie 2) hate Valentine’s Day. When I was single, people always said I hated it because “I had no one special”, which always pissed me off. Now that I am in a relationship, I can unequivocally say that I still hate it. Why? I don’t want someone to show their affection for me because the calendar says they should. If you love me and want me to feel special, please send me a card, or buy me a present, or take me to dinner on a random day.


I acknowledge that some of you may disagree with my sentiments and are searching your brains and the internet to find the perfect Valentines plans and/or gift for your significant other. Look no further! I have compiled some date ideas and gifts that don’t make you want to gag.

DATES
  1. I’m going to say dinner, but don’t pick someplace romantic or typical. Use a website like The Thrillist to find a place you’ve never been and is a little unusual, either in terms of the type of food or the location. If it’s good, you have a new place in rotation. If it sucks, you have a great story.
  2. Act like a tourist for a night. Pick a place that you would take someone who has never been to your city before and explore. You may end up someplace you love and forgot about.
  3. Try a new activity. Here in Chicago, you can go to an archery range, try your hand at trapeze, learn to cross-country ski (if you're one of those weird couples that likes to work out together).  Note: for "alternative" date activities like archery and/or bowling, call in advance. Katie 1 and her husband once tried to bowl on Valentine's Day. They didn't book in advance because it's bowling and there was a 3 hour wait to bowl after their 4:45 p.m. dinner, so major Valentine's Day fail. 
  4. Cooking classes are a great idea- you can take care of dinner and an activity all at once. Places like Sur la Table are BYOB. Note from Katie 1 regarding cooking classes - BOOK EARLY BECAUSE THEY FILL UP FAST, especially in the winter. 
  5. Group activities! For her birthday, a friend’s husband organized an at home Chopped competition, complete with mystery baskets. Each couple nominated one person to be the chef. The non-chef part of the couple became the judging panel. If you’re worried about a conflict of interest, make the rule that a person cannot rate their own partner’s dish. 
GIFTS
  1. We mentioned it back in our holiday gift guide but it bears repeating: booze of the month club is a great gift. On V Day, you can gift them the certificate stating the subscription is starting, or you can buy a bottle of booze and gift that with your subscription notice. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Does your partner not drink? Cheese of the month club is a total win too!! (You could do this for both Christmas and Valentine's Day if you buy a shorter subscription.) 
  2. A fridge. Hang on a minute! This is a good idea! I’m not talking a new fridge for the kitchen. I’m talking a just-for-them fridge to hold their favorite beverage(s) and snacks that goes in their own space. Personally, I want a dual climate wine fridge. Does he have a man cave? Get a dorm room size fridge, fill it with his favorite beer, and park that baby next to the couch. Bonus: it can serve as an end table.
  3. Car detailing. If your partner is a neat freak, they will appreciate a good scrub down. If they are a pig, they could use a clean slate.
  4. Something to look forward to. We already know that winter blues are a thing and we all get a little funk at the start of the year, so give your partner something to look forward to. A weekend away, or even a night at a local hotel is a break-up to the monotony of day-to-day life. Tickets to a show or sporting event is an option. This is a great two-birds-one-stone gift idea: you get to give the gift on Valentines, and you also get to enjoy the gift with them at a later date. 
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