5 Ways to Spice Up Valentine's Day for Your Guy

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5 Ways to Spice up Valentine's Day for Your Guy

Pink. Sparkles. Chocolate.

I know that there are a lot of people out there who aren’t fans of the holiday of love, but I have to confess: I’m a fan of Valentine’s Day. I know, I know. It’s a commercial holiday. You shouldn’t just express love one day a year. I get it.

But I just can’t help myself when that sparkly aisle of hearts and candy shows up.
My husband and I met when we were twelve when our art teacher sat us across from each other at the same table. We’ve been together ever since, which means we’ve been through twenty Valentine’s Days through the years. We’ve been through the traditional dinner and a movie Valentine’s Days, the at-home nights cuddled on the couch, and the cheesy gift days. In short, it’s getting hard to spice it up as we are in our tenth year of marriage.
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Covid-19 certainly has also made celebrations more challenging. Still, I think the element of surprise is always a healthy thing in a marriage, especially if you’ve been together a while. Even if you’re not a fan of the holiday of love, I think we all could use some fun festivities this year and a way to mix up the mundane. I’ve got six simple ways to spice up the holiday this year for your man—and leave him feeling loved, surprised, and maybe even inspired to love the holiday a little bit more.

1. Get him a monthly subscription for something he loves

I love doing subscription boxes for a unique gift. Skip the chocolate this year if you have some cash to spend and get him a gift that will keep surprising him for months  and months. My husband's a gamer, so I am all about the LootCrate. If you search, though, there are subscription boxes for just about anything--the guy who likes to cook, beer, hunting, cars, etc. 

I love this idea, too, because it doesn't involve hours of shopping but still is thoughtful.

2. Cook him something special.

Even if you're not a cook, you can pull off a new recipe to spice things up. Make something special or savory that he'll love. Try a sheet pan nacho recipe from Pinterest and some fun finger foods. Make a decadent desert. I love heading to Pinterest and typing in party foods. Then, I make a mini buffet just for the two of us. There's something fun about festive foods that just breaks up the week.

3. Lingerie. Need I say more?

Let's just say this: If you've been married a while, you know that oftentimes, lace gets traded in for holey sweatpants and comfy T-shirts. There's NOTHING wrong with that. However, if you're looking to mix it up this holiday, why not grab something a little sexy? It's not just about dressing up for him--putting on something outside of the norm can boost your confidence and really make you feel great, too. You don't have to invest in a new piece, either. Maybe just dig out that piece from your drawer that's been gathering dust for a few years. Anytime you can do something different, it brings excitement back in for both of you.

4. Go beyond the ordinary gifts.

Gifts can be a fun way to spice up the holiday. I love gift giving, probably because it's my Love Language. However, if you've been together a really long time, gifts can even start to feel stale.

I like to go beyond the Valentine's Aisle in the stores (although I do love the chocolates and pink sparkles as a gift for myself). Think about what he loves, and then get him something he wouldn't normally buy for himself. Online shopping is a great place to look because there are all sorts of unique options.

My husband, for example, is into alcohol and whiskey. I really love this Godinger Whiskey Decanter and glasses set. It speaks to his interests but is something a little fancier than he normally would buy himself--but it's a great price. You don't have to spend a ton of money to get something meaningful, unique, and memorable. I love how it's a piece he'll have for years to come, too. 

5. Do a new activity together.

You don't have to buy a gift to spice things up. Try a new activity together. My husband loves video games, so for Valentine's Day, I will let him pick a game he's been wanting me to play with him. Maybe the two of you have never painted together, so you could check out some free painting tutorials on Youtube and make a canvas. It can be anything that you haven't gotten around to doing but sounds like fun.

If you really want to invest in the adventurous spirit all year long, check out some of the date book options online. My husband got me one for Christmas. It has fifty-two date ideas in it. You scratch them off at random and do whatever it says. It's a fun way to try new things and learn about each other.

If you don't want to invest in a book, though, you can simply create your own random jar of dates. Use Pinterest as a guide, or make up your own ideas. Then, select a date at random from the jar once a week and spice up your date nights.


What ideas do you have to keep Valentine's Day feeling fresh? Comment below and give us your tips! I'd love to hear from you