Awesome card (and more) available here -> *click*

Vanletines Day is… tomorrow – and for those of you who didn’t buy one of the awesome things featured in my 2012 Valentine’s Gift Guide I thought I would give you some alternative and DIY ideas.

• Indulge your inner chef. Show your man or your lady that your culinary skills extend beyond an egg on toast – or if you are truly useless in the kitchen you can get sushi or your favorite take-aways and have a candlelit picnic on a blanket in your lounge watching your favorite/romantic movies.

• Picnics deserve a second mention. Granted, the mountain might be a little crowded with enthusiastic moonlight picnickers on V-day, but if you can find a secluded spot your picnic is likely to be more romantic than an overpriced meal in a room full of couples trying to buy romance. A nice extension on this picnic idea (if you’re not so broke) would be to buy your loved one and yourself a year long pass to the Botanical Gardens – this means that the two of you can visit Kirstenbosch or any of the other botanical gardens for free for a year. That’s a year worth of picnics <- pretty romantic I thought when I gave it to my (ex) boyfriend last year along with some picnic goodies.

• Breakfast in bed – always a winner – I don’t feel like I need to elaborate too much here – you know what your loved one likes – just remember to pay attention to the presentation. Add some flowers or use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut your toast into hearts.

• Cupcakes are a nice one for the office or for your friends. You can steal my Red Velvet recipe here -> *click* or order them to be delivered to your home or your office in the future by contacting me here -> *click*

• Coffee or Tea at a bare minimum should be exchanged over a duvet in the morning. If you really can’t cook make him or her a voucher for “1 x meal cooked by somebody skilled and trained whilst I gaze adoringly into your eyes” etc.

• Vouchers are generally a good idea. Kissing, massages, breakfast in bed, doing the dishes, personal favors – are all things likely to be appreciated in a booklet of vouchers.

• Poetry is very romantic. The newbie or amateur poet may want to ask a trusted friend to proof read and prevent “bad poetry” from having the opposite effect on their loved one.

• Songs – are the poems for the musical. If you are able to – write them a song – its on the bucket list of many a romantic and is an almost sure way to a happy ending.

• Mixtapes – I mentioned the USB mixtape in my 2012 gift guide, but for those of you who can’t afford the fancy packaging grab a normal USB or a good old CD they can use in their car and gather together significant music.

• Seeds and Seedlings for the garden. You can plant them together and give him/her a beautiful flower that lives rather than dies (hopefully.)

Finally for those of you who don’t have a Valentine this year, I leave you with some scientific dating tips from the Guradian.

As for the Valentine’s Haters – in the words of the Oatmeal – Less complaining, more sexy rumpus.

xxx

Samcat