Making Her Valentine’s Day Special One Step at a Time

When you want her to know she fills your soul, makes you a better person and that words fall short in expressing your undying love, the overwhelming feelings can sometimes leave you without any good ideas for your Valentine’s Day. But there is hope in delivering a satisfying, personal and romantic Valentine’s Day tailored just for her if you plan ahead and do it all one step at a time.

Step One: Determining Her Wants and Needs
The first step to creating an amazing Valentine’s Day for the special woman in your life, is knowing who she is and what she needs. Does she prefer to be active on a day off? Is she more relaxed and prefers to lounge? What kinds of things does she need in her life right now? A pedicure? A massage? A new movie that was just released on DVD? That necklace she’s been talking about?
You should even try to think of things she may have told you about, like where she used to go to get away when she needed to be alone.

Step Two: Combining Needs with Location
Now that you’ve taken some time to really think about who your lover is and what she needs this Valentine’s Day, choosing a location shouldn’t be so difficult.

If she’s active and used to love getting away out in the country, take her to the zoo for a quiet picnic for two and some animal sight seeing. If she prefers to lounge around and has fond memories of cuddling by the fireplace, set up a love nest with blankets, pillows and mattress pillows in the loft or living room. Consider a portable DVD player as a gift to make your hide-away evening amazing with some romantic films and a backpack full of snacks, sandwiches and of course, chocolate.

Maybe your partner is a very busy woman, however, and has expressed a strong desire to be caught up in life. These women usually work very hard while trying to juggle a home and children. For this kind of Valentine’s Day need, I would suggest taking Valentine’s Day off, seeing the lovely woman off to work, hiring a housekeeper and asking grandma to come get the kids. This leaves you with ample time to plan reservations at an elegant restaurant or an indoor picnic near the fireplace or television. You could also have a hot bath ready for the moment she steps in the door, complete with red rose petals floating gently atop the water, bath oil already mixed in and lovely, aromatic candles lit about the clean bathroom. This is an excellent precursor to a simplistic but tasty dinner like the ones listed at the end of this article.

For those men who love the woman with a wild or unpredictable streak, choosing a location may be more difficult. Which is why you are the kind of man who shouldn’t make reservations too far in advance. Choose two locations which don’t require too much planning. One of these locations should be a relatively active location like an outdoor community concert performed in her taste of music. Maybe she likes more excitement like local off-roading shows or carnivals and theme parks, which would also make a private meal for two in the parking lot a special treat. The right picnic basket and a blanket could turn your tailgate into a memorable experience. The other location should be a relaxing location like a popular Garden or park. Taking along a specialized picnic basket with wine will warm her heart and likely take her desires home after the meal.

Step Three: Executing the Plan With Creativity
You shouldn’t be surprised that the nurturing woman you love and adore appreciates silly and creative gestures in almost any form. While men are physical and literal creatures who usually keep balance in the family, women are emotional, sensitive and caring, which promotes happiness, positive behavior and other nurturing qualities in the home. So even if you feel a little strange going to the craft store for card stock and stickers, know that she will melt and believe that you’ve begun to understand her.

A great example of adding creativity to your Valentine’s Day would be placing hand written notes inside each pocket of a beautiful gift basket or picnic basket on your outing. Not only will she enjoy ruffling through to find the food and drink you brought, but the little notes will be like an extra kiss on the cheek every time she reads one. Simple phrases like "You make me melt" or "This day should last forever" and "I love you more with time" should be superb.

Another way to get creative, especially for an outdoor event that leaves you with little privacy until retirement, is finding sneaky ways to give her jewelry, notes, candy or other small gifts, including gift cards. There are several ways to do this including buying her an oversized zip-up jacket just to keep her warm while you’re outdoors. Slip notes, jewelry and candy into the pockets and watch as she discovers them while warming her hands!

You could also try buying her a small, inexpensive jewelry box, placing little notes and jewelry inside and then wrapping it. She’ll probably like the jewelry box and then be surprised to find there’s more to the gift. If you plan ahead and have reservations for a restaurant or a fun place like Medieval Times, you can request that they make an announcement for you or bring her gift to her with her meal. Be cautious, however. Women who don’t like attention won’t find this flattering.

Once you’ve decided on how to be creative and have a location, all you need to worry about is being relaxed and getting her there. A stressed out guy is the last thing a woman wants on Valentine’s Day so be sure to be her rock and get her through this cherished holiday.

The Valentine’s Day Food
At last, here are some great recipes to top off that special evening with. They are simple and very basic, though they can be dressed up for elegance and will wow her, even if the meal isn’t perfect.

Grilled Sandwiches
Butter two slices of bread and sprinkle them each with garlic powder (just a pinch or two) placing one, butter side down in a hot pan. Place a slice of cheese on the frying bread and then sliced turkey or chicken. Top with another slice of cheese and then place the other bread slice (butter up) on top. Once the cheese has begun melting and the bottom slice of bread has turned brown (use a spatula to lift the bread corner and peek), gently scrape the sandwich from the pan and flip it. For an elegant touch, add a sprig of parsley on top.

Pita Sandwiches
With pita bread from the bakery at your grocery store, fill with fresh spinach, chopped and pre-cooked chicken strips (found in the deli meat section), shredded cheese and pearl tomatoes. Bring the Ranch dressing along and top the pita pockets with it during serving. For an elegant touch, place on a plate next to 2 bright strawberries.

Pigs in a Blanket
Using Snack Sausages, hotdogs or pre-cooked sausages cut into 2 inch weenies, roll into raw crescent rolls (found in cookie dough section next to sliced deli meats) and cook according to package. Remember to preheat the oven and put a timer on. For best results, stand around and wait until they are done rather than multi-tasking while cooking. To fancy them up, serve with canned asparagus.

By taking things one step at a time you can enjoy your Valentine’s Day with your special partner and have a great time, above all else. There’s nothing more rich than enjoying the small days throughout the year that make all the other times worth while. Happy Valentine’s Day.