Six Valentine Day Ideas That Won’t Break Your Bank
Lillian’s weekend contribution this week is all about the upcoming Valentine’s Day when love is in the air, or so it is expected by those who worship Cupid …
How time flies! A couple of weeks ago, the whole town was all glittery in gold and green, cotton balls and make-believe snow. Children sang, and adults joined along, jovial and warm in the spirit of Christmas. Then January reality struck, and the school term (at least for most systems) opened. Before we knew it, February – the month of St. Valentine is here! But, have our pockets recovered from the festive spending? Probably not; that, however is not reason to shy away from doing a little special something for your special someone. Here are a few useful tips from Lillian Gaitho that take in your bank status, without causing a heartbreak!
Perhaps the Valentine Day message is best captured In Dinah Washington’s lyrics thus; “What a difference a day makes
Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain…”
Take an adventure together
Hot air balloon would be great, so could be sky diving in Diani, but this does not have to be the cut line for romantic adventures. A discovery walk through Karura forest, a drive down to Sagana rapids camp or a life-saving morning at Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage will just be as great. The little secret here, is to plan something that you know your partner will be at least willing to explore-and definitely will excite them thereafter.
Recreate your First Date
It doesn’t matter if you two met at the capital’s most expensive hotel for first impressions; you can gladly recreate the feeling in the presently affordable place without missing a drop. For instance, you can consider exploring the same dish you ordered but in a different hotel, and then relax over a glass of wine reliving the shy moments of your first date. This is a great scenario to rediscover exactly the traits that attracted you to each other, laugh about the awkward moments and simply indulge in the memories of your journey together.
Take up your partner’s traditional chore
Does he wake up to walk the dog, is she the one tasked with setting up breakfast cereal every day of the week? Well, make the day extra special by offering to walk a mile in their shoes. You can get yourself ready for this new experience by preparing ahead of time; get familiar with the dog’s route, learn how to run the cereal dispenser, ensure that his/her favorite breakfast shake is available etc.
Book your sig-o into a B&B
Valentine specials are fairly designed for your significant other; because life can at times overwhelm even the best of time managers. Taking a night away together could be what you both need, but have been pushing this away using the little (but sincere) excuse, the children! Or, you guessed it – money. A bed and breakfast however does not have to send your purse into shock mode. Shop around for different season offers and compare. For instance, you can check deals such as Wednesday dream deals on Jumia Travel, as well as with other providers. Also, your luck could land you any of the ongoing Valentine competition rewards and raffles – but don’t base your plans purely on Lady Luck!
Pop by for lunch
Tuesday is a working day for most of us, which definitely calls for creativity in planning. If you reserve a table for two, ensure that your partner does not have any other parallel plans for the hour. In the same breath, free up your lunch break from any other engagements as you ready up for the day’s surprise. If you are able to organize a little extra with the restaurant, then it’ll be great to drop in a special memento such as a love note taped to his/her seat, flowers on the table or even their names etched artfully and tastefully into their favorite dessert.
Prepare a meal together
This is neither for super cooks or glam chefs straight off tv screens, rather, it’s for any cupid-struck folk willing to explore ideas with their mates in the depths of their pantries and the crevices of their kitchen. The idea is to make it simple-silly; do not try new meals, or imagine St. Valentine might suddenly change garlics into olives. Enjoy your time working together on the magic of turning raw, inedible provisions into mouth-watering, heart warming delicacies. With this in mind, only laugh, love and light aromatic smells will fill your day. Once served, treat yourself to a favorite home movie and over a rich glass of wine, or scoops of ice cream. You’ll have the rest of the month to check the weighing scale!
