It's that time of year again. We are being bombarded by hearts and roses and all things pink and lacy. Valentine's Day is here and though some of you might be hiding in your bedrooms listening to The Cure, others might be looking for date ideas.

February 14th is possibly the worst day to attempt any kind of standard romantic outing that involves a public location. Restaurants are jammed, movies are sold out and amusement parks have lines that wrap around the park several times. Those are things you can do any old time anyway.
Here are some activities to mix and match:

1. Ice Skating. If you live in a cold part of the world this is a good time to go. If you live under year round sunshine look for local indoor ice skating rinks.

2. Dinner at home * http://www.mynerdgirl.com/newsdetail/184

3. Bubble bath with all of the aphrodisiac foods you can find. http://health.howstuffworks.com/aphrodisiac.htm
http://health.howstuffworks.com/aphrodisiac3.htm

4. Sensual Massage http://www.massagefree.com/

5. Take a class. Google a type of class, include "for couples" and your zip code. It could be wholesome or sexy. There are a lot of classes and seminars for couples out there that are about the fun stuff. Cooking, Dancing,

6. Mini Road Trip/Vacation. Find a near by place that is kind of the middle of nowhere, reserve a hotel room for the night, stock up on all of your romantic essentials and set the mood with music and clothes suited to a vacation spot you two dream about going to.

7. Scavenger Hunt. This could be a group activity that could be spread around town or a couples activity in the home. Hide goodies and sexy notes leading them to the big prize.

8. Board games. Find risque adult games or turn kids board games into "Adult" games by adding or tweaking the rules.
http://www.boardgames.com/adultgames1.html

9. Experiment with new sexy techniques. There is a plethora of books and magazines loaded with nifty instructions for a fantastic fun in bed.

10. Camping. Ok I know half the world is freezing right now. All the more reason to snuggle up. If you're not the rugged type, do it in the living room! Use a real tent or do what you did when you were a kid, use the couch cushions and your bed sheets!

For gift ideas go check out this article http://www.mynerdgirl.com/newsdetail/229
Your gift should come from the heart not your bank account. It could come from both but focus on the thought behind the gift. This is not the time for a practical gift, however. I recommend you go completely frivolous with this one! Include a note about how you feel if you want to be a bit more romantic. You could even read it to your date.

Tips:

If you must go to dinner out, make reservations well in advance and figure out parking long before you begin your date.

Chose to celebrate on a different night. Don't go out the weekend or night of Valentine's Day if you want to avoid the aggravation of crowds and traffic.

If you want to do something for Valentine's Day and you and your date are new to each other, try setting up a group night. A dinner party or game night with a few other couples might make it a little less formal.

NO TV! Turn it off.

Video games might be acceptable if your date is into that. If this is the case, make it fun by coming up with "prizes" for the winner and "punishments" for the looser, think "Truth or Dare" like activities.
Don't wait until the day of to make your plan. Plan ahead, have the gifts and events ready the day before.

Find out ahead of time. It's a little less romantic to ask what your partner wants to do so if you want to be romantic here you have to be clever. Talk to the friends and family of your partner, they can often be the best sources of date information, after all they've known your date for some time.

Avoid buying clothing. You might offend if you get the wrong size or embarrass your partner with something they would never be comfortable wearing. Only buy clothing if you know your partner well.
This is also not the time for gag-gifts.

Mix these up and match a few together. It's fine if you're anti-Valentine's Day, don't do anything. but if you are sharing your time with someone any day is a good day to be romantic. You should always appreciate the one you're with and you shouldn't need a holiday to remind you to show it. Try making a plan for a romantic romp on a random Wednesday in March. If you remind your partner how you feel without the holiday hanging over your head, you might find a stronger bond and a longer lasting romance. Just remember to be sincere, not charming.

Now go call your other half and Share yourself with someone!