Valentine’s Day is a day seemingly set aside for couples to have an extra day to be bubbly and loving, but it can be stressful. There seems to be so much pressure to have the perfect day with your ideal partner and perfect chocolate covered strawberries, but the pressure ruins everything. Here are some ways to make this the most memorable Valentine’s Day yet, without breaking the bank or having a stress-induced heart attack.
ideas for couples
Plan a picnic
Weather permitting, planning a romantic picnic is a great way to spend the day. Take a trip to the grocery store together and pick out some of your favorite snacks and desserts. You can even split up and choose a few for each other, testing how well you know their favorite snacks. Then find a secluded spot, ideally a field of sunflowers and roses, but more realistically a quiet park with at least a patch of green grass. Spend your day playing card games, feeding each other pieces of cake, and just enjoying each other’s company. Colin Neely, a freshman majoring in teaching social studies, offered his idea for the perfect way to spend the day: “Have time without distractions,” he said. No matter how you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day, the best thing you can do is be present in your time together.
Have a dinner date
Especially for off-campus students living in an apartment, cooking dinner at home can be a fun way to have a cozy night in with your partner while saving money at the same time. Spend some time researching fun and intriguing recipes online that you’d both love to try:
- Taste of home offers a variety of easy dinner recipes.
- Work as a team to navigate the stove you’ve never touched and create a masterpiece of delicacy.
- Don’t forget to divide the dishes!
If you live in a dorm and your kitchen setup is limited, find a local restaurant that the two of you have never tried. It doesn’t have to be expensive or glamorous. Just dress up in your favorite and most fashionable cuts and enjoy a night out.
game night
Collect your favorite childhood games like Monopoly, Twister and Guess Who and spend a relaxing night playing games that unleash your inner child. It’s a fun and therapeutic way to go back in time and forget about your responsibilities and that test you have on Monday and have some old-fashioned fun. If you are a competitive couple, you can even invite another couple over and play games to test your relationship skills.
ideas for singles
Although Valentine’s Day is traditionally reserved for couples, there is also an alternative holiday that everyone can celebrate: Galentine’s Day… or Brolentine’s Day? Anyway, being single doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of this day to have fun with your friends.
Charcuterie board evening
Invite all your best friends and assign them a charcuterie platter to assemble and bring. Examples are ice cream, pizza, wings, desserts, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. Choose your favorite movie; I might suggest avoiding the romantic genre, but whatever the consensus, and enjoy your night surrounded by friends who would never break your heart.
Go out in town
Jacksonville and St. Augustine are full of restaurants, cafes and attractions. Put on a Valentine’s Day themed outfit and own the town for the night. In Jacksonville Beach you will find delicious restaurants like Flying Iguana, Coop 303, Poe’s Tavern and many more. Over in the Riverside area, you can book a reservation at some of Jacksonville’s best restaurants. River & Post, The Mossfire Grill and Hawkers Asian Street Food are all rated four and a half stars. Celebrate the day of love with good friends and even better food.
Who said you can’t afford flowers and chocolate?
Spend love day loving yourself. Choose your favorite flowers, which a boyfriend probably wouldn’t even be able to do, and be your own valentine. If you want to be a little more extra than that, you can even send flowers to your work, don’t forget to sign it from a secret admirer. Chocolate is also a great way to show yourself some love.
In her first year of marketing studies, Victoria Fernandez has her plans: “Listen to Olivia Rodrigo while eating chocolate,” she says. There’s nothing wrong with blasting your favorite sad songs in the car while enjoying delicious chocolate. It looks like an ordinary Friday night to me.
Whether you’re in a relationship or not, Valentine’s Day is just the time to share the love with friends and family, but remember that candy prices are much better if you wait until the next day. Happy Valentine day!
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