DU Women. Help a Guy Out

[maxrandb]

I'm tired of doing the whole "box of chocolates", "bouquet of roses", "quiet dinner at a local restaurant" type stuff for my bride on Valentine's Day. She's a wonderful woman, and let me just say that when I married her, "I definitely out-kicked my punt coverage".

I'd like to know if you have any ideas. Something out of the ordinary, or maybe something that a significant other did for you on Valentine's Day that blew your socks off. Any hints you might have are appreciated.

I'm not terribly wealthy, so the suggestion, "take your bride to France for a few weeks" won't quite work for me.

Is there anything simple that someone has done for you on Valentine's Day that "rocked your world".

[Texasgal]

1. How about a "couples" massage?

I did this a few years back and it was wonderful!

[henslee]

38. Yeah, just what you want, some dude rubbin your valentine down

instead of you. :rofl: I say get tipsy and fool around in front of a fire.

[Ariana Celeste]

2. A suggestion...

This is something that is suggested a lot for various different occasions... but it is something I did for my mom on Mothers Day one time and she loved it. Write out little coupons for different things that she can use any time, like "foot rub" or anything like that, that she would appreciate. "free kiss" or "will watch a chick flick". hehee whatever you can think of. :D

Hope you can think of something!! Good luck. :hi:

[pitohui]

24. noooo not the coupon book

that is the same as not getting any gift at all since there is never a convenient time to use the coupon and you always feel as if you're being a nuisance when you present the coupon

this is one of those ideas that sounds wonderful in theory

then you do it in real world and feel like an asshole

noooooo just back away from the home-made coupon book

chocolate, roses, champagne, dinner out -- you can't improve on the classics

[Ariana Celeste]

40. well,

sorry it sucks for some people :(. but i think it's a sweet gesture and would be very happy to get something like it from my SO. i'm the type who prefers things like that over store bought gifts that everyone else is getting.

[MANative]

3. The gifts I appreciate the most are the things

that recognize what I love to do, or that make me feel special. I love to read, so books are always perfect. I'm a chocoholic at any time of year, so that does work on Valentine's Day for me. I love to cook - this year DH bought me a really beautiful pan that I was eyeing. What's special to her? That's your answer, friend!!!

In honor of the season - :loveya:

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Surprise her by taking her out, or doing something special, tonight

She won't be expecting it at all!

And I also suggest the coupon book idea.

[SeattleGirl]

5. Is there an upcoming concert or play she wants to see?

A few years ago, for my birthday, my husband gave me tickets to see Cher, and I absolutely loved the gift. I know some concerts/plays can be expensive, but not all of them. Sure, it's not something she could use on Valentine's Day, but it might be something she'd appreciate. And, if you cook, why not make dinner for her instead of going out?

Hope you come up with something wonderful for your bride. :hi:

[maxrandb]

8. She has wanted to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

It will take some work to "romantacize" a trip to Cleveland though.

[SeattleGirl]

11. Well, maybe you can plan that trip for another Valentine's Day

That's a trip I wouldn't mind seeing that myself, though I'd pick Cooperstown over that.

:hi:

[samplegirl]

15. I thought Cooperstown

was no big deal. Just your usual bar with the
usual food.

[samplegirl]

13. while your there

stop at Legacy Village, horse drawn carriage rides there today.

[Kid OfThe Black Hole]

16. understatement of the year I think

;)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

44. My dear Kid ofThe Black Hole......

WELCOME TO DU! I hope you enjoy your stay in our crazy, addictive little village!

:hi:

[Kid OfThe Black Hole]

48. I once enjoyed a trip to Cleveland

so by comparison this is heaven!

[ucmike]

32. doesn't need to be romantic

surprising and fun goes a long way. the romance takes care of itself.

[Nicole]

6. He cooked for me

Which was more appreciated than dinner out. We dined out often so the unexpected meal he cooked for me was more special. Even better was that he refused my offer to clean up & did it all himself while I indulged in a relaxing bath using some of the products he had left in a basket by the tub.

[Patiod]

7. How about renting/downloading her favorite video

and preparing popcorn or pretzels or wine (or whatever is her favorite movie-watching-snack is) and watching it with her, even if you hate it? Inexpensive, but shows you care and that you know what she likes.

[maxrandb]

9. Oh God!! Not Ghost Again

Although it would say something about committment if I could sit through Patrick Swaze's (sp) acting again.

Thanks for the idea. That's something I probably wouldn't have thought about.

[helderheid]

27. It was going to be my suggestion as well. I would be blown away if

my husband bought some champagne and rented "French Kiss" to watch together. :) Might I also suggest fondu? YUM

[helderheid]

28. DOUBLE POST!

oops!

[philosophie_en_rose]

10. Clean the house.

Nothing says love like cleaning the bathroom... :)

[Kerrytravelers]

41. AND PUTTING THE SEAT DOWN!

That's why I fell in love with Mr. kt!

[Shine]

12. Here's a great idea:

Beautifully wrap up things that you already have, around the house, that represent reasons why you love her, or remind you of shared experiences. To keep it simple, maybe only do half a dozen of them. They can be simple. You only need to spend money on the wrapping materials. As each gift is opened, you speak about how it represents another facet of your love for her.

I did this for our 12 yr wedding anniversary last year and had 12 wrapped gifts to give him. Each item was something perfectly ordinary, yet deeply meaningful, that symolized a reason why I loved him. For example, I wrapped up his baseball mitt and when he opened the box, I spoke of how much I loved what a good Father he is to our children and the time he spends with them. I wrapped our wedding ceremony candle (which we still have), which represented our eternal burning love...

You know, like that. Be creative. Have fun! Best wishes to you for Love and Happiness!
:hi:

[MsUSA]

20. Shine: I loved your idea......I'll have to remember that for

our anniversary.......great idea. :thumbsup: and thanks

[Shine]

35. Great!

and you're welcome. Spread the love....pass it on....:pals:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

22. You are too doggone creative, Shine.

Your husband must be a lucky, lucky dude. :D ;)

:hi:

WIMR

[Shine]

36. Thanks, sweetie. It's a two-way street. I'm a very lucky woman, too.

:pals: :hug:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

47. I'm sure you are.

:pals:

WIMR

[pitohui]

25. oh my god you people are too good to be true

if my husband ran around wrapping gifts he found around the house & called it my gift i might have to go all dick cheney with the birdshot on him!

imagination, it's not a good thing on valentine's day

[Shine]

37. LOL! You're funny.

;)

[Ariana Celeste]

42. That's an awesome idea

I may do that for my SO sometime. :D :hi:

[seemunkee]

14. I'm in the same boat

Done all of those and everything suggested so far. This is a biggie for us as well as we started dating 30 years ago on Valentines Day.

[helderheid]

29. 30 roses :)

[seemunkee]

45. Yep, Just bought them

They're not the expensive long stemmed ones but she will get 30 of them.
I'll fix a nice dinner too. Our daughter has a school play so it will just be the two of us.

[helderheid]

46. awww... sounds lovely!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. You know what she likes better than any of us...

If there's something she enjoys that you could put your own creative effort into, like cooking, poetry, or song, so much the better!

Have a wonderful time!

[fleabert]

18. this is more sweet and silly than anything, but it's become a tradition...

we order for each other at the restaurant, in secret. We make the waiter play along and point and whisper when we order. (good tip for them, obviously)

that way, dinner is a total surprise. Very small thing, but we look forward to it every year.

My dh also has a knack of buying me shoes - and he is awsome at picking them out.

check to see if your local zoo has a 'sex tour' - SF does and it is very very popular this time of year.

[sarge43]

19. Whatever else you do

give her a hug and kiss and tell her she is the light of your life. Women like that. :loveya:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

21. Before you leave for work in the morning....

leave a love letter for her - in her purse, on her pillow -- that details all the things you love about her and thanking her for being in your life.

Then tonight, cook her her favorite dinner and -- after the nosh --bring out the massage oil and give her a fabulous massge -- NO STRINGS ATTACHED!! She doesn't have to give you one back, she doesn't have to have sex with you afterwards (unless she wants to) -- she owes you nothing but her total enjoyment -- let her know this before hand.


She will be a very happy gal. :)

[pitohui]

23. you know what you need to do

is it abt you or is abt her?

i'm sorry you're bored w. box of chocolates, bouquet of roses, and quiet dinner out, but if you love her, that is what you are going to do tomorrow

sometimes it ain't abt you

it is a work day, i don't wanna have my world rocked, i don't wanna a creepy couples massage for two from some stranger at the spa, i just want my chocolates, my roses, my champagne, my own night out at a nice restaurant

it really ain't that hard, it's one night a year

the only thing that blows my socks off more on valentines is when he makes w. the costly jewelry but since you said you had a budget, i'll presume that is not an option

don't be cute

get chocolate, roses, champagne, dinner out

[tinfoilinfor2005]

30. Um, yah. Gotta agree. It's all about the chocolates and flowers.

Although I always love it when I receive the flowers at work so I can show them off. And one year (a hundred years ago) a boyfriend took me out for dinner (not expensive, we were teenagers) and afterward we drove out to the country where he had placed a box of chocolates in the knot hole of a big old tree ahead of time and carved our initials on the tree. Not easy to do though if you live in like NYC.:)

[skygazer]

43. See, for me roses, chocolates and a quiet dinner out are ordinary

I'd love a romantic surprise like a love letter or a room covered in rose petals. I'd love something that said he was thinking about ME specifically and why I'm so special to him (for one thing, I'd love to know why I am - I can't imagine why anyone would put up with me for five minutes).

I think a lot of it has to do with knowing the person you're with well enough to know what they'd like. If you like chocolate and roses and dinner out, then it's lovely when you get that. Maybe the OP senses that his wife would like more.

Or maybe I'm talking out of my ass again....

[trof]

26. Give her a pedicure.

yourself

[Dora]

31. This woman doesn't put much stock in Valentine's Day.

I'm happy that my husband loves me every day of the year.

Write her a poem - a cheesy, embarassingly honest poem. If you really want to spend your money, buy a coat for a kid who needs one, or a pair of shoes.

(I could use some shoes.... :))

[LaraMN]

33. 600 thread count sheets?

On the cheaper end, a mix CD of songs that remind you of her, with a nice narration by you...
I'm a woman, and I'd love to get something thoughtful like that.

[redqueen]

34. Just do something from the heart.

I can't suggest anything because I don't know her, you do.

Just do something that you know she'll like. It doesn't have to be expensive or even necessarily romantic. Also, keep in mind that something that you make yourself means so much more than anything money can buy.

You'd be surprised at how little and inexpensive, even trivial a thing can 'rock our world'... it just has to convey that you really know who she is... just the thought behind the idea will show your love.

[grace0418]

39. My husband bought me two poetry books and put little post-it notes

on the poems he thought were especially meaningful. I thought it was sweet that he'd pick out poetry and doubly sweet that he'd read them himself and find perfect ones he knew I'd like. He also made me a card, which was super cute because he's not an artist but it was very heartfelt.

Another thing you could do is write a few little love notes and slip them into places where she'll find them throughout the day (i.e. wrapped around her toothbrush, in her coat pocket, in her wallet, her lunchbag, etc.).

I always think it's the little heartfelt gestures that mean the most. But then, I wouldn't be at all interested in diamond jewelry or roses.

Oh, and speaking of roses, does she have a favorite flower? I wouldn't be impressed by roses (don't like the smell, not my style) but if my husband bought me a big bouquet of my favorite flowers (gerber daisies, blue hydrangea, brightly colored tulips, lilacs) I would know he put some thought into it. I think in this case it truly is the thought that counts. If he gets me a book I've been wanting, or a favorite movie on dvd, or a cd by a favorite artist, for instance, then I know he's taking the time to think about what I personally like. And that means a lot to me.

[maxrandb]

49. Update! Update! Update!

Thanks for all the good advice. Thought you'd like to know that I took some of the best ideas and came up with what I hope will be a surprise. She's not political, so the chances of her reading DU are "slim to none".

We were married in the Greek Orthodox Church. She saved our white wedding candles and the "stefana". The stefana is two flowered crowns joined together by a white ribbon. You wear this on your heads as the priest leads you around the altar three times. I snuck those out of the closet and wrapped them.

I got a small box of "good" chocolate and a dozen roses (to keep with tradition). She's always wanted to see a Broadway show, so I bought tickets to Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre in New York. We'll drive up to New York over the kids spring break, drop the kids off at the aunts house in CT, and spend a couple of nights in NYC. (Thank God for Tax Refunds).

Thanks DU. You helped me a lot. This is our 20th year together, and I wanted to do something special. Hope you all have a great Valentine's Day.