Valentine’s Day can be extremely confusing for men. Ladies, they’re not puzzled because they don’t know what gifts to buy or what to do on the date. Men are confused because they don’t understand why they need to celebrate the holiday of love.
I asked a couple of men what they thought about Valentine’s Day. They mostly said the same thing, “It’s a scam.”
Jeffrey Tavares Benitez, 20, explains, “St-Valentine’s Day is so commercial because you can show your love any day of the year.”
It’s true; men could plan a date, buy a present and devote time to pleasing their partner any day of the year, but how many actually do that? Men in long-term relationships all sing this tune, but don’t actually follow through because life gets in their way. When they know there’s a day on the calendar with a heart coming up, it forces them to put the time aside and get their creative juices flowing.
Jeffrey took this view, and added this to sweetly sum it up, “But on the other hand, Valentine’s Day is mostly to surprise a girl, make her feel appreciated and loved. It’s all about surprise.”
Men, now that you have a new view on Valentine’s Day, it’s time to talk activities and presents. It’s extremely important to have a plan and not some idea you come up with on Feb. 13.
1) Get creative with your date: Money doesn’t matter to women, unless her name is Heather Mills. What could be a cheap and romantic date?
“Going to Mont-Royal, waiting for the sunrise, curling up under blankets and talking,” suggests Matthew Riccio, 19. If you want to add something to this to make it a little more manly, pick up some fast food right before heading to Mont-Royal.
Quick budget tip: instead of going out for supper, grab some breakfast or brunch. You’ll spend anywhere from $20-$30.
2) Favourite Night: This is the easiest thing if you know your girlfriend really well. The bonus with this idea is that she’ll be blown away by how much you know about her. She’ll be raving about this to her girlfriends for months to come.
Find out her favourite meal, and cook it for her. Her favourite movie and her favourite ice cream will seal the deal. If you’re not into cooking, the fact that you tried will make her happy. Women are simple . . . well, sometimes.
Creative Tip: If you can’t figure out what she likes for dessert, buy some strawberries and chocolate. Melt the chocolate, dip your strawberries in the chocolate, and voila! An easy and fun treat, plus cleaning up the chocolate could have sexy results.
3) Flowers: This Valentine’s Day, be different. Don’t go and buy the classic, yet cheesy red roses. They’re expensive, and it’s been overdone. Exotic flowers are vibrant in colour and cheaper. Orchids are the perfect flower because they last longer.
Creative tip: Edible Arrangements makes bouquets of fresh fruits shaped to look like flowers. Very cool. For Valentine’s Day, they offer arrangements that two can share for around $40.
Quick budget tip: Buying an orchid plant at a florist like The Flower Pot costs nearly $85. At Reno Depot, you can pay $15 for exactly the same flower.
4) Lingerie. Guys, unless you know your girlfriend’s measurements perfectly, her style, her tastes, lingerie is tricky. Don’t get her a naughty schoolgirl outfit because you have a fantasy. The ideal thing is to buy a gift card, and tell her you’re going shopping together. Oh yeah, she has to model every outfit for you.
5) Massage at a spa: Who doesn’t want to get pampered? Your girlfriend will be taken by surprise. It’s guilt-free, unlike the box of chocolates that she’ll feel bad about eating later. Men, keep this in mind: different spas charge different prices for the same type of treatments. Do your homework. Spa Diva’s 50 minute Swedish massage is $89.95. Spa Escale Santé’s 60-minute Swedish massage is $67.
Major Brownie Point: Get a massage for two. You’ll both enjoy sharing such a relaxing experience. Plus, you deserve it after all that planning. Spa Orange offers many types of couples’ massage, and their prices are affordable.
If a spa day breaks the bank, you can finish off the evening with a homemade massage. Pick up some relaxing scented massage oil. Sex shops usually sell large quantities of the stuff at cheaper prices. Seduction stocks Kama Sutra massage oil in six sexy scents, $20 for 240 ml.
Spa Diva: 514-985-9859
Escale Santé: 514-254-7676
Seduction: 514-593-1169
Reno Depot: www.renodepot.com
The Flower Pot: 514-938-1234.
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