How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Home

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you forgot to make dinner reservations back in January.

No worries — dinner out is not the only way to impress. Valentine’s Day is all about showing your someone special you love them. We have some suggestions on how to make a night in your new go-to for Valentine’s Day:

Stream a Concert or Play

Ditch Netflix for the evening and instead stream a concert or a play. Check with your local symphony and theaters to see if their performances can be livestreamed. The Houston Symphony has several livestream passes for those preferring to watch at home. You can find a number of plays and musicals on streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix. Here’s a guide.

Movie Night

Snuggle under blankets and watch a sappy movie. You can find top-rated rom coms here. Don’t forget the popcorn — here are some toppings to give your microwave popcorn a gourmet taste.

Dance the Night Away

Clear the furniture and have a dance party! Spin records, turn on an 80s playlist on Spotify or plug in your favorite CD. Really impress by curating a dance playlist in advance. If you don’t want to free-style, take an online dance lesson and learn how to salsa, swing or waltz.

Get Cooking!

Plan and cook a meal together (and clean up together, too). Make it a little more interesting by doing a “Chopped” challenge like the TV show. Provide each other with a basket of secret ingredients with one in charge of the appetizer course and the other the entrée. You each get a basket for dessert because you just can’t have too much dessert on Valentine’s Day.

Go to Italy — For the Evening

Immerse yourself in an Italian evening, cooking up Italian recipes — don’t forget the homemade pasta! — all while listening to Italian opera or an Italian radio station or playlist on Pandora or Spotify. Follow up dinner with an Italian movie or one set in Italy. For Valentine’s Day, we recommend skipping “The Godfather” and opting for a romantic Italian movie.

Head Outside

One of the best things about living in Texas is that you can have comfortable temperatures in February. If this year is one of those years, take your Valentine’s evening outdoors. Hang up string lights, grab some blankets and sip hot toddies around the fire pit. Maybe even make s’mores (we’ve got gourmet recommendations here.)

While outside — or maybe after your “Chopped” challenge — take a moment to gaze at the stars. Download an app like Night Sky that can show you which constellations you are seeing.

We hope you find an idea here that you love. Find more than one? Really impress and plan several stay-at-home date nights!