Perfect At-Home Valentine's Day Ideas

Roses, popcorn and DVDs lying on pink cloth

Created by: Nicole Leggio, Cooking for Keeps

Some people are just so-so about Valentine’s Day, or they boycott it altogether. Then there are those who are head over heels for the day and go all out celebrating. I'm one of the latter.

There are also those who love to go out on the big day and dine at a fancy French restaurant with multiple courses, then there are those who wouldn't venture into the masses of people and overcrowded restaurants if they were paid to do it. I'm in the latter of these two groups, too.

While I wouldn’t ever pass up an opportunity to celebrate, going out to a restaurant on the actual day sounds a little bit like torture to me – the restaurants are packed, the service is typically horrible and I almost always end up disappointed.

Instead, I opt to stay home and plan other romantic and fun ways to celebrate. The options are endless if you want to have a perfect Valentine’s Day at home, and today I’m sharing a few of my favorite, easy ways to do it.

  1. Surprise your significant other with perfect pink roses, a marathon of his or her favorite movies and popcorn. Guys, pick out her favorite romantic comedy. Ladies, surprise him with an action-packed dude flick you normally would refuse to watch.
  2. Make a restaurant-worthy dinner at home together. Steak, lobster, potato gratin, chocolate molten cake – go for the works. Not only do you get to spend some quality time together in the kitchen, but you also get to reap the rewards with a five-star dinner. 
  3. Keep it casual and make a heart-shaped pizza from scratch. Buy premade pizza dough and cut the pepperoni into adorable heart-shaped pieces. Add a bottle of red wine and you’re set.
  4. Skip dinner and munch on fancy cheese and crackers, and pick out a decadent dessert that you would normally never eat. Head to the cheese section of your local store and have the experts pick out their finest selections – a blue, sharp cheddar and creamy goat or brie is the perfect trio. Add some gourmet crackers too. Stop by the bakery section before you go and choose the most decadent chocolate dessert they have to offer. Finish the night off with that bottle of wine you’ve been saving for a special occasion.
  5. Roast s’mores while you sip hot cocoa. You can go the classic route with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate, or you can make it a little fancier with hazelnut spread, chocolate chip cookies or even homemade marshmallows. Adding a bit of Baileys Irish Cream makes a simple cup of hot cocoa just a little more special. The combination of the two? Cozy Valentine’s Day perfection.
  6. Plan a scavenger hunt in your house leading up to a gift basket. Come up with fun clues leading to different rooms in your house, such as, “Go to the place where we sat on the floor and ate cold pizza the night we moved in.” For the gift basket prize at the end, anything goes – decadent chocolates, cozy slippers, crossword puzzles, gossip magazines, a favorite drink, guilty pleasure junk foods, Gift Cards – whatever your significant other loves, sneak it in there!