HOW TO MAKE YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY... NOT SUCK

Okay, so our working title for this blog post came to fruition. Whoops.

Now it's no secret that we’re not fans of celebrating Valentine's Day on February 14. However, we totally realize that we're in the vast minority in this. So rather than being obnoxious about it, we're going to use our cynicism to help you make your Valentine's Day better. 

Before we get started, we know what you may be thinking-- and it's not that we don't enjoy celebrating our love for one another. It's just that the idea of sitting in a crowded restaurant full of couples disingenuously doing the exact same thing sounds like the least romantic thing in the world to us. That said, we've come up with FIVE alternative date ideas for your February 14. 
(Photos by FortLionStudio)

1. GO OUT FOR DESSERT

Skip the dinner-- well, at least the aforementioned overcrowded restaurants. Go have a practical meal somewhere and splurge your time and effort on dessert. Whether it's pastries, pie, or macarons-- indulge your sweet tooth without regard. Not to mention, too often do we eat a little too much for dinner and end up having to pass on arguably the most romantic part of a meal.

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2. DO SOMETHING PERMANENT

Only one of us has (EDIT: had) tattoos, so it may be a bit hypocritical for us to be too prescriptive about getting one as a couple. However, if you've reached a certain point in your relationship, you love tattoos, or just want to do something spontaneous (and very memorable), why not get a tattoo?? Just don't get each other's names, please.

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3. STAY IN AND COOK

...But put forth some effort. Like, a lot-- because we definitely aren't giving you license to just stay in and cook your boring chicken breast with sides. Challenging, we know. In fact, we understand how challenging this can be, so we've enlisted the help of our friends Jeff and Jane of Thyme & Temp.

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Nobody we know does cooking-at-home better than these two. Their dishes are often beautifully complex, but with an air of familiarity. And in addition to being culinarily delightful, their dishes are visually stunning. We recommend grabbing a nice bottle of wine and cooking Jeff and Jane's Carbonara recipe for two.

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4. HAVE A PICNIC

In 2018, having a picnic just about anywhere is pretty romantic, but we suggest kicking it up a notch. Plan to picnic somewhere scenic and out of the ordinary. If you're in Dallas, we highly suggest a sunset picnic at White Rock Lake. The weather in February is fairly unpredictable, so it could be the perfect excuse to pack a blanket and snuggle up to the show in the sky.

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5. DO SOMETHING EPIC

Whether you live here in Dallas or beyond, there is likely a company offering personal helicopter rides to experience your city from a different point of view. In our case, that company is Epic Helicopters. We had the privilege of soaring over Dallas with seemingly endless views of our beautiful city and caught a beautiful sunset. These days, drones have made it so easy to capture images from above, but there's nothing quite like being up there in person. 

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So there you have it-- our fool-proof way to make February 14 a little less typical, less forced, and more memorable. However, if you do decide to scrap our advice and engage in the typical Valentine's Day, we won't hold it against you. Just remember to do it in LOVE.