Another Valentine's Day is upon
us, and many of you are wondering how you can beat years past.Not only
have we rounded up the best apps and sites to create the ideal Valentine's Day
for your special someone, but we'll show you how to use them creatively and
unexpectedly. Ladies love surprises, and any of these tips would make her
swoon. So read on for romantic
ways to woo your partner and ensure you have a
truly memorable V-Day.
1. Send a card before the
date.
Planning
ahead will show your lady you are thoughtful, that you are genuinely looking
forward to celebrating the day with her. A simple message like, "Can't
wait to see you tonight, beautiful" will go a long ways. Trust me.
·
Red
Stamp: This free download
allows you to email, text, tweet, Facebook, Instagram and paper mail
personalized photo cards, invitations and announcements from your iPhone, iPad
or iPod. You can send a paper postcard from 35 countries to anywhere in the
world to your loved ones.
·
Just-wink: For those of you with an Android device, you
can send cards through just-wink. Just-wink also allows personalization, and
you can also send physical cards anywhere in the world to your loved ones
I
recommend sending a physical card, of course. Ladies are sentimental, and we
love having physical mementos to remind us of a fun experience.
2. Send flowers the day before, morning of, or
while she's at work
. . a little
cliché, every woman loves to receive flowers. The key is to make the flowers a
surprise. Preparation is important here; florists can charge a ton if you make
a last minute order on Valentine's Day, so schedule a delivery a few days
beforehand, if possible.
i· Ava's
Flowers
Ava's Flowers is a
great website that works with nationwide florists to deliver premium flowers at
discount prices. Starting at just few bucks, some Flowers company boasts
same-day local delivery and 15% off discounts, if you place an order within 30
minutes of entering the site.
FTD.com
This is another
website that is great for flower delivery. It offers a lot of different
Valentine's Day packages, including chocolate-covered strawberries, teddy bears
and jewelry. However, it does have a cool section for gifts , for the
budget-conscious, that includes some really pretty flower arrangements.
iii· H Bloom
If you're looking for
a more luxury flower arrangement, H Bloom is the perfect place to look. They
have a wide selection of gorgeous bouquets for your special someone. You can
even buy their 'Superhero' package which lets you choose three days you want
flowers delivered on so you don't have to worry about forgetting future
occasions. They deliver the flowers to you, so you can bring them to your
significant other and get all the credit.
3. Make her heart melt
with lines from famous love quotes.
Whether from her
favorite romantic comedy or her favorite poem, ladies swoon over beautifully
expressed displays of affection. Find a line you know she loves and memorize
it, then say it to her over dinner. Or write a few of these lines on pieces of
paper and slip one into her purse, one into her coat pocket or maybe a gym bag.
This is just another little way you can bring a smile to your special someone's
face.
· Love Quotes 500
This free app has
great reviews, and features love quotes from poets such as William Shakespeare
and Emily Dickinson. It's very simple to use, and allows you to flip through
quotes and favorite the ones you like. It is currently only available on iPhone
or iPad.
4. Plan an intimate
dinner at home.
Valentine's Day
constantly gets knocked for being overpriced, but one way to beat the pricey
restaurant rush is to avoid it completely by planning a delicious meal at home.
A dinner at home will be much more intimate. Also, staying in will let you
enjoy more time together without pesky commuting. Maybe choose something that
you have been wanting to try for awhile, or spice up an all-time favorite.
· Epicurious
This app has over 8 million
downloads and is the clear winner among meal-planning apps. It is free,
available for iPhones, iPad, Android, B&N Nook Color, Windows Phone and
Kindle Fire. You can search by type of meal, including Decadent Dinners or
Weekday Dinners. It will also generate a shopping list, so you don't have to
write everything down.
I recommend choosing a
meal equal to your cooking experience. For example, if you never ever cook you
probably shouldn't try Julia Child's Bouef Bourguignon for your Valentine's
meal. Maybe try experimenting with some new sides or seasonings, without the
fear of messing up the entire dinner.
5. Pair your dinner
with the perfect wine or champagne.
There aren't many
holidays that beg for wine or champagne like Valentine's Day, but don't get
intimidated by the overwhelming choices out there. Everyone can benefit from a
sommelier's experience with the fantastic wine pairing apps in the market. One
great rule of thumb, choose a wine with a similar intensity as the food you are
preparing. You wouldn't want to serve a Pinot Noir with a NY steak; instead,
choose a bolder and more flavor-forward wine, like Merlot or Zinfandel.
· Hello Vino
This app is
incredible. Even the newest wine drinkers should feel at ease pairing a wine
with their Valentine's dinner. A free download for iPhone and Android devices,
Hello Vino is easy to navigate and can help out with a variety of situations,
for example, wine pairing with food, wine for an occasion or wine taste by
preference.
6. Brush up on current
events and pop culture so you can have interesting conversation.
When I polled a group
of friends about their ideal Valentine's Days, great conversation was the one
constant among them all. If you go through all the preparations listed above
but then have nothing to talk about over the delicious dinner you just made,
the night is going to feel awkward. In order to avoid this situation, brush up
on current events or peruse conversation-starters online.
· Fluent News Reader
This app is a great
tool for learning about current events, breaking U.S. news and world headlines.
It is a free download, available for iPhone and iPad. It is really
straightforward, so you can quickly familiarize yourself with topics you and
your partner are interested in.
7. Create a romantic
playlist to set the mood.
There's something
about beautiful music that strikes a certain chord with the ladies (pun
intended). As far as planning the music for your special night is concerned,
there are two basic ways you can go about it:
1) Draft a playlist of
meaningful music that recalls experiences or inside jokes.
2) Choose an artist or
a mood and let the Internet create a playlist for you.
· Pandora Radio
Pandora isn't anything
new at this point, but it's a tried and true way to set mood music. Choose an
artist both of you enjoy and specify the mood by choosing additional artists or
songs. It is a free download as both a mobile and web app.If you have an iPod
dock or connected stereo, I recommend downloading the app and playing from
there. Typically the speakers are better, and aesthetically it will look better
in the room than an open laptop.
· Songza
Songza is similar to
Pandora, but you choose a mood based on the day and what you are doing. For
example, if I selected "Saturday" and "Evening," my options
are: Hosting a Cocktail Party, Putting on Your Party Dress, Pre-Gaming with
Friends, Relaxing at Home or Cooking. Both the website and iOS app are
free.Additionally, I recommend playing an Internet-generated playlist while you
are cooking and socializing before dinner, because you will probably just be
chatting and distracted. Afterwards, I think it would be ideal to put on a more
personalized playlist, so you could reminisce and relive some memories
associated with old songs together over dinner (and wine, of course).
8. Go for a romantic
stroll around the neighborhood, or find a park near you.
After a delicious
dinner together, you are both probably feeling full and lethargic. Grab your
coats and take a stroll hand in hand; the fresh air will revitalize you. Also,
this time will allow you to decide what to do the rest of the evening...
· Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder
This app finds parks
near your zip code. You can narrow results by searching by category, such as
bird watching and picnicking. It has a comprehensive list of federal and state
parks, national forests and wildlife refuges. It is a free download for iPhone
and Android devices.
9. Find some local
live music and relax together.
Dinner and a movie is
the go-to date scenario, but if you're looking for something a little
different, find a local live music show. Whether it is a jazz quartet or a
musician you both enjoy together, there's something inherently liberating about
listening to live music.
· Timbre
This app is amazingly
sleek and extremely easy to use. Type in your zip code to access a list of
local music. If you click on an artist, a sample from one of his or her songs
will play. You'll also find a link to purchase tickets in-app. It is a free
download currently available for iPhone.
If you're not into
music, you can always try finding some stand-up comedy or a new art gallery you
haven't been to.
10. After a successful
day, go home and get a little creative
I'm pretty sure you
all know where I'm going with this one. If you and your lady are already
intimate, try mixing things up in the bedroom. You've already had an incredible
evening together; keep it going into the night by experimenting with some new
positions. She'll be thrilled to know that you've thought ahead about how to
please her, and I'm sure she'll return the favor.
· Kamasutra Sex Positions
This app gives you a
list and descriptions of different sexual positions you and your partner can
try. It is easy to navigate, and you can tailor your search by interests. This
one in particular is available on Google Play, but there are many comparable
apps available for iPhone. One tip: Turn off the comments feature; some are
quite creepy
· Sex Positions and Kama Sutra
I can't write about sex positions without referring to the
ultimate authority: Cosmopolitan. Its website includes
categories like Advanced Sex Positions, Water Sex Positions and simply Great
Sex Positions. It is completely thorough and includes helpful images to show
you exactly what to do.Valentine's Day isn't a typical day, so your night
shouldn't be typical either. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone
and try something new. If it doesn't go well, you and your partner can laugh
about it later.If you're having trouble getting the mood set, put this song on.
If this doesn't help, I don't know what will.
So now you know how to
create the perfect Valentine's Day using apps and websites. Pick and and choose
the tips you like best, or use all 10 to really impress your special lady.
What do you think
makes the perfect Valentine's Day? Let us know in the comments.
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