Best And Worst Valentine’s Day Ideas From A Happy Couple

I somehow lucked out and got a hopeless romantic to fall in love with me and marry me.  My husband Jeff and I have been married for over 14 years and we have continued to use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to remind us to honor each other and do special things to express our love.

As a happily married couple, I thought it would be fun for us to interview each other on the best and worst Valentine's Days we've ever had and share our responses with you.

Below you will find the questions we asked one another and our answers. Notice how much shorter most of his are than mine. He's such a guy!

L: That one time you picked me up at work early on the Friday of Valentines Weekend and whisked me away.

You showed up at my office with an overnight bag you had packed for me and told me you were taking me away for the weekend. 

I had to explain to my boss I was leaving early because my husband had made surprise plans for me and was there to pick me up.  Luckily, I had an understanding boss. 

You took me to the Surf and Sand hotel in Laguna Beach where you had arranged for a room with an ocean view and a huge sunken bathtub where I had that glorious Pretty Woman moment in all the bubbles.

J: This wasn’t valentine’s day, it was actually our first date, but it might help some guy desperate for a date idea for Valentine’s Day.  I planned what would be an ideally romantic evening from my point of view as someone who loves the beach.  We had dinner at the Ivy at the Shore and then drove along PCH just north of Leo Carillo where you can have fires on the beach. 

I opened up the trunk to reveal all of the ingredients I had packed for an unforgettable night gazing at the stars together.  I brought blankets, chocolate covered strawberries, firewood, a flashlight, and a portable CD player with Enya (because we didn’t have iphones back then).  I made a fire and we laid down looking at the stars, listening to music, talking and then we fell asleep!

L: That time you forgot to make dinner reservations anywhere and all the restaurants were booked.  You finagled a way to get us into Ruth’s Chris as a walk in last minute and the steak sizzling in butter was so amazing  it made up for it, but that was a lowlight year because I was so mad you had forgotten.

J: The year I failed to plan and did nothing.

L: That time we were still dating and you had recalled that I liked to listen to oldies music sometimes in my car so you booked a dinner on the Queen Mary through a local LA Oldie’s station.  We were the only ones in the room without blue hair!  But we danced anyway and laughed about it later.

J: The Queen Mary for sure.  It was an "A" for effort but everything else failed.

L: You had made reservations for an amazing five-course meal and a suite at the Regent Beverly Wilshire where we spent our wedding night and then the day before Valentines’ Day I got the call that my Dad had passed away.  My Dad had been living in Montana and I hadn't seen him in years. I had to make all the arrangements for the funeral the following week with my brother and sister but we kept our reservations and I cried a lot that Valentine’s day.  You were a great comfort. 

J: I don’t think I’ve ever had a sad Valentine’s day unless you were mad at me.

L: Getting each other cards and you have always spent way too much on flowers, but that’s part of what makes these days special are the scents they leave behind that we remember.

J: Probably gone out for dinner. 

L: We went down to the St Regis Monarch Beach, which is now the Monarch Beach Resort, and had dinner, walked along the beach and woke up and went kayaking.  I hate kayaking in the ocean because of my fear of sharks, so that was adventurous for me.

J: Surfing together in Manhattan Beach and having pancakes at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House.

L: Technically that wasn't Valentine’s Day.. but that was one of our best dates! I wasn't as afraid of sharks back then either.

L: The year we didn’t go out for Valentine’s Day, I came home from work and you had run me a bath with this luxe ginger bubble bath you found at Origins and the room smelled amazing. You had candles all around the bathroom for me and then you made dinner.  I still use that same bubble bath  today and it reminds me of that Valentine’s Day.

J: We went to a boutique shop in Calabasas and picked out a nice smelling candle and massage oils and gave each other massages because we couldn't afford to go to the spa.

Jeff said there are so many guys struggling every year with what to do for Valentine's Day that he wanted to offer his advice on what to do and what not to do for Valentine's Day that might help them out.   I thought I'd compliment his advice with my own for the ladies based on what I've learned too.

• Do not buy a box of chocolates.
• Do not buy pajama grams
• Do not order flowers that she has to arrange herself upon delivery.
• Do not do nothing.
• Do not fail to plan.
• Do not buy her a card from the “funny section” 
• Do not forget to find a sitter in advance.

• Do send an audacious bouquet of flowers from a local florist to your wife at work
• Do get a meaningful and romantic card with enough room to write your own message and then actually write your own message.
• Do buy her a thoughtful gift 
• Do make dinner or make  reservations
• Do surprise her with plans she doesn’t know about

• Do not yell at your husband for buying you flowers and tell him you could have used that money to pay bills.
• Do not yell at your husband for not making reservations. He already feels bad enough.
• Do not yell at your husband for forgetting to get a sitter
• Basically, my advice is don’t yell at your husband on Valentine’s Day.

• Do let him spoil you in a way that makes him happy
• Do be understanding if he forgets to make any plans
• Do tell your husband all the things you love about him
• Do let him open the door for you
• Do wear lingerie
• Do buy him a card that tells him how much he means to you

Valentine's Day can be a successful way to cultivate your relationship consistently over time and build some pretty great memories. 

You don't have to spend a lot.  We have found a way to make each other feel special in years we've gone out and stayed home.  It's important to celebrate your relationship more than just on your anniversary and Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to do add another celebration. 

We hope you have the best Valentine's Day ever this year.  We'll leave you with this vintage snapshot of our young love.

XO

Jeff & Lisa 

NEXT READ: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LOVED

Welcome to Honey & Figs! I'm Lisa. I love helping people with practical ways to live more abundant lives based on my own experience. You can click here to find out more about me.

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