You know what everyone? Get over it.

It’s VALENTINE’S DAY! It’s a chance to show some appreciation to your sweetie. And the beauty of it is that there’s nothing to stop you also being romantic the week before, the week after or any other of the 364 days of the year.

As for what to do to mark the occasion, you don’t have to fall prey to spending hundreds of dollars, or paying a 300% mark-up on a bunch of roses to be romantic.

The key to it all is to stay away from the crowds. Dinner in a restaurant full of couples straining to carry on conversation does not a good night make.

Here are our top 5 low-key Valentine’s Day date ideas that will chalk you up some serious brownie points.

1. Plan a picnic
Go to the markets or a beautiful gourmet deli in advance and stock your picnic basket (traditional wicker ones are the most romantic by far) with yummy soft cheeses, chicken and salmon patties, pasta salads and fresh fruits. The inclusion of a few pretty cupcakes and a piccolo of French champagne (don’t forget the glass champagne flutes – plastic cups are tacky) will top it off perfectly.

Then find a quiet garden where you can recline in the sun on a picnic rug together and while away a few hours. A great picnic activity come in the form of this tiny little box from Kikki-K stationery. These Love Conversation Starters will have you laughing, reminiscing and chatting in no time. They’re a bit cheesy, but put that aside and enjoy it for what it is. You never have to tell anyone!

2. Take a Rowboat Out
Spending an afternoon in a rowboat conjures scenes from The Notebook. That’s a win. Find a quiet waterway that will rent you an old-fashioned wooden rowboat. It’s secluded and sweet. If it’s a hot, sunny day, make sure you provide a parasol for extra romance factor. You can pick up a brightly coloured paper one from Chinatown for about ten bucks, and if you wrap it nicely that can be her Valentine’s present.

To add some extra wow-factor, take a picnic with you. (But, guys? Leave the fishing line at home.)

If you really want to live up to the movie, you’re going to have to find hundreds of pure-white swans. Take some day-old bread and feed the ducks instead.

3. Champagne Breakfast
Knock their socks off before they’ve even gotten out of bed. You’ll need to prepare in advance. Plan a menu and go shopping the day before for ingredients. Blueberry pancakes, smoked salmon omelettes, croissants and fresh fruit are all great options. Get a bottle of champers and a red rose and serve a beautiful breakfast in bed.

The keys to making this even better include you cleaning the kitchen after you’re done, and making sure that the tray or the table that you serve your breakfast on are set impeccably.

4. Celebrate the Chinese New Year
This year, the Chinese New Year falls right on Valentine’s Day. February 14 marks the start of the Year of the Tiger – signaling a prosperous and strong year ahead. Book a table at your favourite Chinese Restaurant for Yum Cha and take your Valentine to drink tea and eat dumplings. It promises to be a festive date, and if you head to your city’s Chinatown no doubt you’ll be treated to Chinese drums, dragons and a street fair.

Before you get there, look up your own Chinese Zodiac signs online and print off the information. Then spend your meal reading out your horoscopes for the year ahead, or your compatibility ratings between your signs.

5. Rub-a-Dub-Dub
Tell your Valentine to plan for a night in with you. Then go about getting everything you’ll need to pamper them senseless.

If you can beg, borrow or steal a massage table then great. If not, the bed will do or even sitting upright on the floor in the lounge. You’ll need towels and oils. Cold Pressed Sweet Almond Oil is best, available from a health food store, or you can drop into Lush and pick up one of their delectable massage bars (the chocolate one is a favourite!)

Dim the lights, light some candles and play some chilled music. You may choose to start with wine, chocolates or a plate of fresh fruit to help you both unwind first. Then surprise your Valentine by offering to give them a massage! The key points to giving a great massage include going slow and using an open palm instead of your thumbs. Click here for some more thorough massage tips from our very own Denis Merkas.

While we’re all still shaking off the winter blues, sometimes a great date can be spent as a night in. With chocolate. And cake. How can you go wrong? This particular date idea also gets “frugal” bonus points because it involves recycling old cake!

Around Sugadeaux HQ, it’s not unusual to have spare cupcakes sitting around waiting to be eaten, but sometimes there is just more than any one craving can handle. We use this recipe as a way of recycling those left over cupcakes, its a technique that has recently gained a huge amount of popularity thanks to Bakerella and her blog of extreme cuteness.

I call them cupcake truffles (they’re more commonly known as cake balls), and what they ARE is deliciously moist and creamy cake morsels dipped in chocolate. I have not known anyone who can stop at just one…

Since it’s unlikely you guys would bake a cake from scratch just to moosh it up in a blender, we’re using a recipe using boxed cake mix, but feel free to substitute your own favourite cake flavour and frosting (we only ever bake from scratch at Sugadeaux because it’s against our religion to use mixes).

CUPCAKE TRUFFLES

So you’re going to need:

1 x Box of your favourite cake mix
1 x Can of pre-made frosting
(or instead of these at least 6 whole cupcakes)
2 x 250g package of chocolate for dipping

Two blocks of the chocolate is a lot, but it takes a little while to get the art of the perfect dip, so you want plenty to practice with. I recommend basic cooking or compound chocolate from the supermarket for the easiest version, but if you want to use coverture you just need to remember to temper it or it won’t set.

Bake the cake as per the instructions and allow to cool. Break up into pieces and throw into a stand mixer (you can also just use elbow grease and a wooden spoon in a large bowl). I use the paddle beater on the mixer. Add in the can of frosting, and mix until combined. The mixture should be very moist but still keep shape when rolled into balls.

Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls slightly smaller than golf ball size and place them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper.

You can also experiment here and make teeny tiny balls which you could pop into your mouth in one go. Place the tray in the fridge for a few hours to allow the truffles to firm up… We recommend settling in to a Cake Night-themed movie together while you wait – Chocolat, Waitress, Like Water for Chocolate and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all spring to mind…

Once ready, melt the chocolate over a double boiler on the stove (or use the cheats method of popping it in the microwave for 30s second increments, stirring in between until its melted). Use a fork or toothpick to help you dip (or chocolate dipping tools if you have them), then place the truffles back onto the sheet. Once the chocolate is set – COMMENCE EATING!!

You can get creative with dying white chocolate in a range of colours and drizzling them over the top to create interesting patterns, or use sprinkles on top before the chocolate sets.

Best part is, you’ll probably have some melted chocolate left over which can be used as body paint for a whole different kind of date!

Here are seven of the most classically romantic date night ideas we could muster that will sweep your sweetheart off their feet!

1. Cook a three course meal and dine by candlelight
Make it a special dinner – pull out all the stops! Start by planning a menu. Your darling’s favourite foods? Or perhaps three courses that are just made for lovers! Aphrodisiacs, anyone? Think oysters, asparagus, dark chocolate, strawberries…

Then, set up the house for pure romance… soft music with husky vocals, mood lighting, set the table with the best silverware and linen. Dress yourself up before you start preparing dinner and tempt your partner to join you in the kitchen with a glass of wine while you cook. Try pre-preparing as much as possible so you can spend more time sitting at the table gazing into their eyes and less time peeling potatoes.

Once you’ve spoon-fed each other dessert, lead your darling to the loungeroom to sway around together to the music before retiring to the boudoir to finish your evening in style!

2. Take a bath together
A long soak in the tub for two… remember those? Start by cleaning the bathroom from top to bottom – use baking soda and vinegar so there are no harsh chemical smells. If you have small children, remove all evidence of bathtime toys and hide them in a cupboard.

Take a trip to a specialist store and find some yummy goodies to pop into the bath. We love Lush or the Body Shop – think fragrant bath oil, bath bombs, bubbles… if you’re feeling really indulgent, drop in at a florist for some loose rose petals and pick up a bottle of champagne!

Pipe some relaxing music into the bathroom, light up the requisite candles and give each other a foot rub as you drench yourselves in the water…. Make sure fresh, fluffy towels are on hand for off once you’ve turned wrinkly and pat each other dry from tip to toe! Bliss.

3. Row Your Boat
A lazy afternoon floating along an idyllic river or quiet lake, among the ducks, with a thermos of hot chocolate and a decadent afternoon tea… what could be more lovely or more dreamy? If you really want to ramp up the romance factor, take a book of love poems and quote Keats as you drift under weeping willows…

4. Give Your Sweetie a Massage
Do something selfless and lovely for your hardworking sweetie… give them a massage to soothe their poor aching muscles! This is a great way to build intimacy with your partner… make sure the temperature is nice and warm (and so are your hands!), light some candles, put on some soothing music (am I starting to sound like a broken record?!) and get rubbing! Our very own Denis Merkas has divulged his best massage tips to start you off…

Use sweet almond oil or a special body bar from Lush to get your groove on with. Then jump in the shower together to rinse it all off when you’re done!

5. Dessert Only
This is strictly an after-dinner date. Either eat at home or pick up your date well after dinner time and find a sticky, wicked dessert spot in which to indulge together. Order a coffee to ensure you’ll stay awake and then eat your way through the dessert menu – order one of everything your tastebuds desire, with two spoons. Sinful!

6. Go Fruit Picking
Being the romantic that I am, when I think of this date idea, I conjure visions of running barefoot through orchards, selecting plump, ripe fruits for my fruit basket and feeding berries by hand to my lover… for some, that may be a reality but God knows my husband wouldn’t have a bar of it! Nonetheless, a day in the sunshine picking beautiful juicy fruit (frolicking or not!) is a wonderfully romantic way to spend an evening.

7. Tango or Salsa Dance Class
There is something deliciously romantic and steamy about two hot, sweaty bodies pressed together on the dancefloor… Take your date to a dance class and whirl them around in a haze of pheromones and latin music. It may take a few lessons before you start to resemble Johnny and Baby, but don’t forget that you can always Dance Like No One is Watching in the privacy of your own loungeroom later. If these fiery dances are going to be a bit too much to handle, opt for a romantic, soft Waltz or even the Rhumba… it is the dance of love after all.

More Romantic Date Ideas here. Check it out on $30 Date Night.

Best of all, these are all under $30 as well! Cheap AND nude? Do dates get any better?

1. Cook dinner together – naked!
Den adores this idea… all I can think of is hot oil splatters and burning myself on the oven. We’ve never officially cooked together naked, but I imagine that donning nothing but an apron each could make for a nice compromise that keeps everyone’s everything intact. And perhaps don’t shallow fry anything… On second thoughts, maybe just a nice salad will do!

2. Strip Chess
Strip chess is great fun! The rules go like this; pawns are excluded. For every other piece you capture, your opponent removes one article of clothing. You’ll notice that this changes the entire strategy of the game. Screw taking their king! Take what you can, piece-by-piece and defend to the death right down to the last little castle… sacrifice nothing!

3. Take a Bath
Champagne, candles, soft music, bubbles… taking a bath together is up there on our best rated dates for a good reason. Good, old fashioned romance and seduction are not dead yet!

Pop out to the store and stock up on some indulgent goodies for you both to make the best of bathtime together… scented oils, handmade soap, luxurious body moisturizer for afterwards… delicious!

4. Online web chat date
This can be a bit of fun for a night in together. Get onto separate computers in separate rooms of the house, find a private chatroom or a secure IM connection and hook up your webcams for some cheeky cybersex with each other! You don’t have to START naked… but I think we all know it’s a distinct possibility that it’s going to end up that way!

5. Treat your sweetheart to a massage
Spread an old sheet or towel out on your bed and tell your sweetie you’re going to give them an amazing massage! Gather everything you will need – massage oil (sweet almond oil from the health food store is best), a hand towel for wiping off, turn off the phone. Leave the room while they strip off and cover themselves with a towel and then come back in and begin. Make sure you indulge them with a good 15-20 minutes of massage before you put the moves on and ‘accidentally’ knock their towel off them…

Check out Make Your Partner Melt for some great massage tips to get you started.

6. Play Wii
You’ll have a ball playing the Wii in the buff! Wii tennis, Wii bowling, Wii yoga…

7. Life Drawing/Photography Session At Home
Pick up some art supplies or whip out your digital camera if you’re handy with it and have a night at home learning something new while also posing for each other. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never tried drawing or photography before! The internet is a great place to start. Try these posts from Digital Photography School or Artist Instruction Blog to kick you off. Now all that’s left is to convince your sweetie to pose…

8. Strip sport
Much the same as strip chess, this is one great way you can get involved in a sporting game if your sweetie loves them and you don’t, or if there’s a big game on that you feel obliged to watch but honestly couldn’t care less.

Pick a side each for the game, agree on how many points constitutes removal of opponent’s clothing (i.e. for soccer you can do one item per goal safely; for basketball you may want to negotiate for every ten points…) Then barrack hard for your team and bask in sweet success as your partner strips down, piece by piece!

9. Skinny Dipping
Find a quiet (and safe!) lake or swimming pool and indulge in a late-night skinny dip under the stars with your sweetheart!

10. Nude Beach
Look around online and find out where your closest nude beach is, then take a day trip with your sweetie and get naked with a bunch of other people! Obviously, this date isn’t for everyone but if you think your partner has the, ahem, balls (so to speak!) for it, then surprise them with the destination once you’re there. Pack a lunch, drinks and of course, loads of sunscreen!

Any of you lovebirds out there got any others for us? (Aside from the obvious!)

Main picture source: Numero Magazine issue 104 ‘Pool Service’.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is my most favourite book of all time, and from what I can see from the first official trailer Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana have certainly done it justice. I. Can’t. Wait. For. This. Movie! I’m going to pre-purchase tickets for a special Gold Class date night with Den.

For anyone out there looking to impress their mushy, romantic, rose-tinted-glasses sweetheart, I suggest you do the same.

The Dralion show is in Melbourne at the moment, and it was breathtaking. Held under the custom-made Chapiteau, it was one of the most amazing, inspiring scenes I’ve ever witnessed. The amount of precision and dedication the performers executed every tiny thing with was extraordinary. Doing things I had no idea the human body was even capable of… well, if they can do THAT then what CAN’T someone do if they put their mind to it?

Yoga on a Stick

From the opening act (“Yoga on a Stick”, as a friend so aptly called it!) with a young girl contorting herself into incredible positions, all with perfect control, on one hand, on top of, well, a stick – to the trampolinists, acrobats, clowns, jugglers and aerialists… live music, real drama (they didn’t always make the trick the first time – which made you appreciate how damn HARD some of it really was – but they were always given a chance to do it again and they ALWAYS got it the second time), emotional crescendos and stunning costumes, I was captivated and so was Den.

The Love Scene was my particular favourite (duh.) – graceful, romantic and airborne all at once. I think Den liked the trampolines, but I’ll let him weigh in on that in the comments.

The point is, seeing art that blows your mind right out of your usual comfort zone creates an amazing buzz and inspires a spark between you. Not to mention, art feeds your heart and soul in a very tangible way.

So, whatever your kind of art is – gallery, opera, Broadway, plays, rock concerts… splash out and treat your sweetie to an exceptional, arty date night you know they will love.

THE GOOD!

It’s hot, damn hot. And sooooo so so good on a freezing cold night. You get to splash around in the outdoors, under the stars with plenty of greenery around you. It’s perfect for winter… when it gets dark at 6pm. The twilight sessions start from 6pm and finishes at about 8.45pm – TUE to THU.

There are 3 different pools at different temperatures… the hottest is scorching – enough to prune you in seconds – the next pool down is only 1 degree difference, you’d expect that it wouldn’t change much but the difference in temperature is remarkable – And the largest of the pools are a comfy 39 degrees Celsius.

Honestly, spas are sort of “meh” to me. I mean we got a spa where we live so it’s not like it’s a new thing but the mineral spas were different… giving you a glowy feeling once you get back to your car, hmmm… maybe it was the lack of chlorine.

THE BAD…

The Mineral Springs are just so far away from the city!!! And to make it for a night session midweek is lunacy! We were stuck in traffic for hours, and so we parked our butts in Frankston for dinner just to let the traffic die down. Quietly, I tried the mineral springs date on Emma the week before and FAILED!!! I ruined that date because we left late, I was hoping to hit the springs after the traffic. This time round, we left 2 hours earlier and slapped ourselves with intense traffic for miles and miles!!! How do people commute to and from work in traffic each day – its CRAZY!!!

THE UGLY

There is no ugly – It’s too dark. The twilight session brings typically a younger crowd. The pools are lit up around the perimeter and the steam from the baths going up into the cold night is enough to blanket any unnecessary visual disturbances within your blissful field of vision 

In a sense, even tho it’s a public pool it’s easy to find your own little personal space with yourself and your partner.

THE RECOMMENDATION

If you live in the area – lucky you! Do this for date night. If you live in the city – don’t bother trying to get there for the twilight sessions during the week just because its $15 each. Spend the dough to make it part of a day trip and go a t a time where the traffic won’t do your nut in!!!