Romantic Valentine's Day at Home

A Fireside Picnic Have the sofa pulled up in front of a roaring fire, with some champagne on ice. For an added touch, serve strawberries to bring out the champagne's flavor, or drop pomegranate seeds into the glass to tinge the bubbly pink.
If you're the cooking type, make a home cooked Valentine's Day meal. If not, order out from your favorite place, but be sure to ditch the containers and re plate the meal elegantly on nice plates. Don't forget great music playing on the stereo!

Spa Night. When your sweetie gets home, draw a hot bath filled with rose petals. (Since roses are so expensive around Valentines Day, you can ask your florist for a package of plain rose petals, short stemmed roses, or for "seconds" -- ones that are slightly bruised since you won't be giving them in a traditional way.) Have a glass of wine and some chocolates to nibble on by the side of the bathtub.

Meanwhile, prepare the bedroom. Line the bed with towels fresh out of the dryer so that they're warm. Get a basin full of warm water near the bed, several washcloths and some great spa products. Start off with an ex foliating rub like the

A Sexy Night I know what you're saying. Aren't the above sexy nights? But this one puts sexiness as a top priority. We're not talking instantly hopping in the sack either, but a Valentine's Day full of passion and pampering. Sound good? Here's what you need to do. Start by sending your sweetheart out on an errand and getting them out of the house. (If you don't live together, you're one step ahead.) Meanwhile, turn the lights out in most of the house, and replace the lights in the stairway with low wattage bulbs. If you can't easily change them, don't worry, put a lamp or candles in the stairway instead.

Sprinkle rose petals like a trail of bread crumbs leading from the front door, up the stairs and into the bedroom. Put on something sexy and lay out a sexy outfit for your partner. Ideally this will be a present of something new, but needn't be if you don't have a lot of money. Prepare some aphrodisiac foods that you can feed each other, including almonds, chocolates, dates, raspberries, strawberries and wine. (For that extra touch, a few hours before your date, dip the strawberries in melted chocolate and chill in the fridge.) Fill the bedroom with tons of candles and turn the lights out. Then just wait for your sweetheart.