Pleasant surprises are always a nice thing to stock up on, whether at the beginning of a relationship, after many years together or on days like Valentines. When your connection with someone is new and fresh, the romantic moments you spend together can quickly turn into some of the best memories you share later in life and set traditions going forward too. You can learn a lot from these little surprises and shared moments, and use them to inspire future celebrations and meaningful moments to come in your relationship.
When you haven’t been together for very long, you might be missing some of the information required to give a truly inspired experience. But don’t worry, even after 11 years of marriage Mr Smith occasionally needs a hint or 2 also! And so, just in case you need a helping hand, here are 5 fun and lovely ideas to surprise your girlfriend or partner this Valentines day (and maybe on other days too – just because).
Start with Flowers
Flowers are probably one of the easiest gifts to get your girlfriend/wife – especially if you aren’t currently able to spend a lot of time together due to restrictions. Flowers can easily be delivered to the door and you don’t have to worry about whether they’re going to fit, or if she’s going to like the taste. You don’t even have to find out much about your their passions and hobbies if you take the flowers route – they are beautiful and brighten up anyone’s day. I guess the biggest challenge you’ll face is simply figuring out whether she has any allergies before you go shopping – because that would be disastrous!
To make a bunch of flowers even more impressive, do your research and find out her faves. You might also be surprised to learn that every blossom on the market today comes with it’s own meaning and story too. Add a lovely note/card, maybe get them delivered for an extra surprise, and it’s a done deal!
Buy a Little Gift
You don’t have to shower your girlfriend in extra presents every day to boost the quality of your relationship. However, you may discover that the occasional gift is a wonderful way to connect with your other half and make her smile a little more often. For insights on what you should be buying, you might try just paying a little bit of extra attention when you’re shopping – to see what she tends to draw attention to the most. Alternatively, speak to her family or friends for ideas, they will usually be able to give you insights into the kind of things that she loves or would suit, so you can avoid any awkward or unwanted gifts. Or, be uber modern and check out their social media pages and see what kinds of things she puts in her online wish lists.
Most people love little thoughtful gifts – either on a special occasion or just to let them know how you feel!
Take them on adventure
These days there isn’t much more to do for a date than spend time together sitting on the couch; binge-watching Netflix/box sets whilst sharing treats or take away! But, why not shake things up a little this Valentines and surprise the person you love with a trip to somewhere new to look forward to. You could simply plan to check out a museum that both of you are interested in (and a meal afterwards) or to go on a picnic to somewhere pretty! Maybe a theme park or even a place of interest you know would bring them joy!
If you want mega brownie points then look to plan a night away or city break for you both to enjoy. Day trips and weekend trips create wonderful memories to look back on together and everyone needs something to look forward to right now.
Buy the tickets (most will refund or reschedule if restrictions continue) or print you’re own “with intention” and wrap them in a lovely box!
In the meantime, you could also plan a new walk to take her on or try Geocaching whilst out and about exercising (to mix things up a bit)!
Cook for her
Who doesn’t love a delicious home cooked meal? I know I do! Cooking for your other half is an excellent way to show how much you care and if they usually take the lead on cooking, it is even more of a treat! Cooking for your other half takes more thought, effort and attention than just ordering a good meal from a local restaurant – although you could try that if you’re terrible with food! And it is something you can do right now too.
It is most definitely something to do as a special treat to plan for this Valentines day.
Remember, do your research ahead of time and find out what kind of meals they will be most interested in. If you’re new in the relationship, and you still haven’t covered things like allergies and food issues, then you might want to reach out to family and friends for help to be sure – The last thing you want to do is build a meal around an ingredient that your girlfriend simply can’t eat.
Sharing food together with some candles and nice drinks can be so special and lovely.
Join her in her Hobbies
Finally, show your girlfriend/partner that you care about the things that she loves. If you know that your other half is passionate about Photography or baking for example, then maybe you can learn about some local beauty spots or how to do some basic recipes, so you can join her when she’s next creating. If she loves boating, yoga or running then maybe you can learn the basics so that you can take some fun trips out on the water together, stretch together or jog together.
Learning how to take part in one another’s hobbies show’s them that you’ve taken an interest and that you’re making a commitment. It’s also a great way to ensure that you have plenty of opportunities to spend some extra time together trying new things!
Simple acts of interest, small thoughtful gifts, beautiful flowers and time spent together all enrich and help grow a relationship! Why not make this Valentines (or any day) a little bit more special with some of the above ideas!
*Collaborative Post
