After a challenging year and an awkward Christmas, it looks like Valentine’s Day will follow suit. But you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to show your loved ones that you care – and even celebrate in style – just because you’re confined inside your home or apart from those you love. Check out these lockdown Valentine’s Day ideas to make this year’s Valentine’s memorable.
1. DRESS UP FOR THE OCCASION
Lockdown can easily make all days feel the same, but we shouldn’t let the excitement slip out of our lives because of the pandemic. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to embrace the festive spirit and disrupt boredom.
The easiest way is with some makeup and a nice outfit. Wear something you’d wear to a fancy restaurant for Valentine’s lunch or dinner. Apply some blush and mascara, maybe even a dash of lipstick. And since you can’t go to the hairdresser, use a back view mirror to make your hairstyle flawless. All these little things can bring variety to your daily routine, making your lockdown Valentine’s Day feel special.
2. PLAN ROMANTIC LOCKDOWN VALENTINE’S DAY MEALS
Valentine’s Day has long been seen as a special day for lovers. However, nobody says you can’t celebrate love in all its forms on this day. Whether it’s just you, you and your partner, or a larger family, plan romantic lockdown meals for this Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to do something overly complicated or elaborate. Heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast or a hearty one pot stew for a candlelit dinner will uplift the mood for everyone in your household.
If restrictions mean you can’t be with your partner, why not both order a meal from your favourite restaurant and have a Zoom date? Not only will it help to make you feel closer, you’ll also help support a local business!
3. PAMPER YOURSELF AT HOME
If you can’t go to the spa, bring the spa to you. Creating a home spa experience is fairly easy with scented salt baths, a foot spa, or a pampering day filled with skincare treatments. Use a sonic facial cleanser to massage your face and neck with some skincare treats. You can even go all fancy and use bath bombs to turn your bath into a proper pamper spot for the day.
4. CREATE A ROMANTIC DÉCOR
An easy and inexpensive way to bring the festive spirit into your home for your lockdown Valentine’s day is with romantic décor. Heart-shaped accent pillows are just an example. You can also decorate your home with candles, rose petals, handmade romantic cards, yarn-wrapped hearts, felt garlands, origami heart bouquets… The possibilities are endless!
5. SHOW YOUR LOVE WITH FLOWERS
Flowers are an easy way to show your love, a romantic gesture that will never get out of fashion. You can get them from your local store or order online from your favourite florist. They don’t even have to be expensive. A lovely bunch will only cost you a few quid but will make your loved ones smile even if you can’t meet them.
6. LOVE-INSPIRED TREASURE HUNT
Finding ways to surprise your partner is challenging when neither of you can leave the house. Nevertheless, a love-inspired treasure hunt can break the routine and bring back excitement into your relationship. Order a gift for your partner and hide it somewhere in the house. Write down hints to find the treasure on post-its and scatter them throughout your home. Under each clue, add a reason why you love them or a love quote from a famous author. This treasure hunt can fill your loved one’s heart with joy even before they find their gift.
7. COOK DINNER TOGETHER
Eating together is nice, but cooking together can add some sparkle to your Valentine’s. If you’re not a natural cook, a cooking box complete with instructions and ingredients and some cooking essentials such as a cast iron pan could be a fun way to make this day special. All you need is a glass of wine (or two!) to enjoy whilst cooking.
8. VIRTUAL WINE TASTING
Wine tasting events have been couples’ favourites for decades on Valentine’s Day. And you don’t have to change anything because of the lockdown. A virtual wine tasting class is a great alternative and an excellent idea for lovers who don’t live together. Most classes are held with Zoom, and many wineries offer classes to groups or couples. They’ll even send you the wine to taste, so it literally can’t get better than this.
9. VIRTUAL FILM NIGHT
Going to the cinema may not be possible right now, but nothing is stopping you from organising a virtual film night with your special one or the whole family. Technology makes it easy to connect with anyone around the globe and even watch the same film. Software such as Gaze, for instance, lets you video chat and sync-watch films with others from a distance. MyCircleTV does the same, minus the video chat or you can join Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) for free to watch films together from your favourite streaming sites.
10. NETFLIX AND CHILL
Netflix and “chill” is an excellent Valentine’s Day idea, if you’re under the same roof. The options are endless, from binge watching your favourite series to Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings marathons. For a more romantic approach, pick one of the many rom-coms the streaming website offers. Just don’t forget the nachos, some dips, and heaps of popcorn.
11. TREAT YOURSELF TO A COCKTAIL NIGHT
From setting up a home bar in your living room to ordering cocktail kits, there are many ways to throw a Valentine’s cocktail party at your home. You can even designate different rooms for different cocktails and move from one room to another for a lockdown “bar crawl.” Wondering what to serve? A special Love Martini garnished with strawberries is more than ideal.
12. GO ON A VIRTUAL DATE
Have you met someone on a dating app, or has the lockdown kept you away from your loved one? Try a virtual date this Valentine’s. There are plenty of apps you can use and plenty of ways to make it romantic. For instance, you could order in the same dinner and use Skype or Zoom to eat together. You could also take your date on a virtual museum tour or play a game online together.
Whether you’re together or at a distance from the ones you love, what matters is to make this day special despite all challenges. So, what do you say? How are you going to celebrate this lockdown Valentine’s Day?
Photo by Seth Reese on Unsplash