Let’s face it. The only reason anyone is excited about Valentine’s Day is because there’s a somewhat higher possibility of getting some action. Either you’re in an exciting new relationship, and plan on showing your honey some moves you learned from Cosmo, or you’ve been with your darling for years and are trying to prove that your relationship is still hot. Or maybe you’re all alone and crying into a half-priced happy hour cocktail at Olive Garden, wishing for romance with someone who doesn’t have a criminal record. No matter what your situation, be it attached or woefully on the prowl, it’s never a bad idea to have some at-home-entertaining tips in your pocket. Below, find six tips for hosting a romantic Valentine's Day at home. (Yes, that’s six. Not sex. We ain’t those kind of bloggers.)
1. Move out of your parents house.
Or ask your parents to move out, at least for the weekend. Just figure it out. However, if you don’t sleep in your childhood bedroom, proceed to step 2.
Or ask your parents to move out, at least for the weekend. Just figure it out. However, if you don’t sleep in your childhood bedroom, proceed to step 2.
2. Clean your bathroom
Dear Every Guy We -- and All of Our Girlfriends -- Have Dated,
If there’s one thing that signals to us that you absolutely do not have your act together, nor do you care about your surroundings and basic general health, it’s a dirty, disgusting bathroom. Nothing kills the mood like a filthy sink and a moldy toilet and your date digging through her purse for hand sanitizer. If this is the part of your house where you clean yourself, and it looks like a set interior from ‘Trainspotting,’ then we’re not going to have much confidence that your rock hard naked body isn’t like a dance party for microbes. Clean your bathroom before a date comes over. Or just in general. Do it for yourself.
Dear Every Guy We -- and All of Our Girlfriends -- Have Dated,
If there’s one thing that signals to us that you absolutely do not have your act together, nor do you care about your surroundings and basic general health, it’s a dirty, disgusting bathroom. Nothing kills the mood like a filthy sink and a moldy toilet and your date digging through her purse for hand sanitizer. If this is the part of your house where you clean yourself, and it looks like a set interior from ‘Trainspotting,’ then we’re not going to have much confidence that your rock hard naked body isn’t like a dance party for microbes. Clean your bathroom before a date comes over. Or just in general. Do it for yourself.
3. Prepare a nice meal, but not too nice.
Microwaving a frozen lasagna tells your date “You are not worth the effort of pre-heating an oven.” You might as well hand them a PowerBar and unzip your pants. But slaving too much in the kitchen can be stressful and distracting. So whip up a nice medium-effort entree (we heart these awesome, libido-enhancing ideas) and make sure that candles are involved, because everyone looks hotter in low light. But skip the weird gross potpourri-scented candles during dinner. No one wants to eat shrimp scampi while whiffing a pine-scented wax monstrosity you got on clearance after Christmas.
Microwaving a frozen lasagna tells your date “You are not worth the effort of pre-heating an oven.” You might as well hand them a PowerBar and unzip your pants. But slaving too much in the kitchen can be stressful and distracting. So whip up a nice medium-effort entree (we heart these awesome, libido-enhancing ideas) and make sure that candles are involved, because everyone looks hotter in low light. But skip the weird gross potpourri-scented candles during dinner. No one wants to eat shrimp scampi while whiffing a pine-scented wax monstrosity you got on clearance after Christmas.
4. Drink wine. Get loose. Make out.
See, while you might be stuck at the $7/glass level if you were at a restaurant, at-home entertaining allows you to splurge on better wine, and both of you can get romantically tipsy without having to designate a driver. But can we drop a culinary sacrilege bomb? We’d say stick with white wines, like an effervescent, refreshing Portuguese Vinho Verde or an Eastern European Grüner Veltliner, or get silly with a wine spritzer. No one will have the unsightly grey teeth that red wine causes, and you’re less likely to wake up with a hangover. Also? Some people get a little nutty after too much red wine. Like bad nutty. Not sexy nutty.
See, while you might be stuck at the $7/glass level if you were at a restaurant, at-home entertaining allows you to splurge on better wine, and both of you can get romantically tipsy without having to designate a driver. But can we drop a culinary sacrilege bomb? We’d say stick with white wines, like an effervescent, refreshing Portuguese Vinho Verde or an Eastern European Grüner Veltliner, or get silly with a wine spritzer. No one will have the unsightly grey teeth that red wine causes, and you’re less likely to wake up with a hangover. Also? Some people get a little nutty after too much red wine. Like bad nutty. Not sexy nutty.
5. Truth: Half of the reason people like Valentine’s Day is the sweets.
So when it comes to dessert, pull out all the stops to impress someone by brandishing a blowtorch. A good creme brulee recipe can be baked in a ramekin the night before, refrigerated, and then topped with sugar and blowtorched in front of your date to impress them with the wonder of fire. Also, it’s tasty. Experiment with different flavors of custard like maple, espresso, or even pumpkin. Or add some excitement to plain old vanilla creme brulee by sprinkling flavored sugar atop before torching (we like citrus, ginger, or even rose). Bonus: you can use the line “Is it hot in here or is that just my blowtorch?”
So when it comes to dessert, pull out all the stops to impress someone by brandishing a blowtorch. A good creme brulee recipe can be baked in a ramekin the night before, refrigerated, and then topped with sugar and blowtorched in front of your date to impress them with the wonder of fire. Also, it’s tasty. Experiment with different flavors of custard like maple, espresso, or even pumpkin. Or add some excitement to plain old vanilla creme brulee by sprinkling flavored sugar atop before torching (we like citrus, ginger, or even rose). Bonus: you can use the line “Is it hot in here or is that just my blowtorch?”
6. Dessert cocktail
As long as we’re celebrating booze and desserts, double up with a sweet Valentine’s Day cocktail. If your romance is still new and sweet, opt for our cupcake cocktail, the Red Velvet Cocktail, that tastes like you're drinking batter and has the added, messy bonus of a frosting rim. If your relationship is in that later, comfortable stage (read: boring) you might want to opt for our Chocolate Cherry Bomb, a sweet concoction that packs a surprise kick with, yes, Sriracha sauce. But what if your realize you’re with a dud mid-date and want it to end sooner? Go with our Umami Elixir, which promises to wreck your breath and assure that no one will attempt to lean in for a sloppy, unwanted kiss. Then call up your single pals and go to the movies.
As long as we’re celebrating booze and desserts, double up with a sweet Valentine’s Day cocktail. If your romance is still new and sweet, opt for our cupcake cocktail, the Red Velvet Cocktail, that tastes like you're drinking batter and has the added, messy bonus of a frosting rim. If your relationship is in that later, comfortable stage (read: boring) you might want to opt for our Chocolate Cherry Bomb, a sweet concoction that packs a surprise kick with, yes, Sriracha sauce. But what if your realize you’re with a dud mid-date and want it to end sooner? Go with our Umami Elixir, which promises to wreck your breath and assure that no one will attempt to lean in for a sloppy, unwanted kiss. Then call up your single pals and go to the movies.
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