14 Feb: A dish, a date and a gift!

As 14th of Feb looms near, Couples begin to fear, For many fret, And oft break sweat, To give to someone they hold dear. 

 Ah yes, 14th of Feb, better known as Valentine's Day, is much celebrated and also, much afeared, by couples all around the world, fretting over gifts, dates and budget constraints. We decided to put together our top 15 ideas for Valetine's Day. Here are some fun things for inspiration"

 DISHES 1) Chocolate dipped strawberries. They are quick, easy and oh so sexy... Recipe found here

2) Fondue/Both Cheese and Chocolate Nothing is more intimate than dipping meat into hot, steamy cheese or lapping up rivers of chocolate with marshmellows and feeding each other. Recipe found here

3)Chocolate Lava Cake Enough said. Watch how its done

4) Beer Pancakes I know this sounds wrong, oh so wrong but oh so good! Beer enables your pancakes to rise and be deliciously fluffy with a malty, sweet after-taste. This recipe is amazing and I have used it many times. Click here for the recipe.

5) HIS/HER's Favourite Dish This is a cop out, I know, but seriously, this is the best present. It doesn't matter if it sucks, its the thought that counts. :)

6) For those of us who aren't very savvy in the kitchen [This is definitely from E.L.], choose to splurge a little and get a nice jar of cookies! The Grand Hyatt's Mezza9 does these awesome double chocolate cookies that are fudgey-gooey on the inside, which are very popular and not madly expensive.
A jar is currently going for about SGD$28.

Click this link to the original review

7) For those with tight budgets, you can of course craft something for your other half! And what better place to get ideas for this then from us!

I will always remember an advice from one of my guy friends a long time ago, always give a practical gift to a guy because men are not fussed about pretty little things. So do away with that doily-heart buntings, furry teddy bears and frilly little nothings! Make him something useful!

And this makes a great gift unisex gift idea - a daily planner! Make one or buy one! Here is a great tutorial on how to make one

8) However, guys still do like accessories as much as us... 

A leather wrist cuff - click here for the original post on this

Creative Cuff links - click here for the original post on this

9) Make a photo collage or decorate a plain photo frame and have your photo in it. Much like the ones we did for our flea here..

Or A wonderful project is to do these photo transfers like this fellow craftster has done. check out her blog here.

10) Another crafting project that is inexpensive, unisex and completely original at the same time is to create your own design T-shirt! Get a plain white T-shirt, some fabric paints and let your creative juices flow! Paint a Pollock onto the T-shirt - the easiest technique and it will turn out looking cool no matter how unskilled you are in painting.

I did one for the B.F. last year [E.L.] - but I used fabric crayons, and I replicated one of his own art works onto the T-shirt. Below is him wearing it!

11) We've also got some suggestions on what you can do together that are affordable and really quite romantic. First up... Rent some romantic comedies and stay in! Go on a rom-com movie marathon, and make-out and neck in the cinema or the couch - just like when you were so young once that you just don't care! ;)

12) Go for a massage together! Be it a big splurge in a spa or even an affordable 40 mins foot reflexology massage will do you both alot of good! You get to spend time together and enjoy the healthy benefits of a good massage. A great place to go that is also affordable is  L.C. Fu Li Hua Foot Reflexology. The masseuse really know where the ache is and will help you with it!

Click here for more information on the place.

13) Go on a picnic! Pack some lunch and head out to the park! The Botanic Gardens will be a lovely place to lie out on a mat or a lazy stroll through the orchid gardens.

14) Visit a Museum... just do it... any of it! The National Museum, The Singapore Art Museum, The Peranakan Museum, the Asian Civilisation Museum, The ArtScience Museum... And most of the time the entrance fees are really affordable!

15) Get active! Put on your sunblock and flip-flops, and go kayaking! In Singapore, there are quite a few places you can go, and it's cheap! At SGD$15 an hour, both you and your dearest can paddle away into the serenity of open waters... 

Go to this website for more information on where you can kayak in Singapore.

Great! Now you are armed with these invaluable romantic and fun ideas, you have no excuse to not go out there and impress your loved one! If you have more suggestions, put it down in the comment!

And for those singles, don't let the couples have all the fun, do a big group outing with all your friends and exchange gifts as well! Valentine's Day is also known as The International Friendship day after all! [As far as I know anyway.. when I was single, it was what I celebrated with my girlfriends!]

Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo Cheers xoxo

S.T. & E.L.