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8 Fun, Non-Cheesy Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

4 minute read

Forgot to plan something for Valentine’s Day, but don’t want to do the typical cheeseball romance stuff? Here are some last-minute ideas that will let you show how much you care without feeling cliche — and without breaking the bank. (Okay, okay, some of these might be a little cheesy, but come on, it’s Valentine’s Day. Lighten up.)

And let’s all remember: whether you’re in a relationship or flying solo, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to show your friends how much you love and appreciate them, so feel free to do some of these activities with your best buds.

1. Create something together. Always kicking around ideas for outrageous movie plots? Or commenting about funny things that could totally be on a TV show? Sit down and write a script together. Always going for walks in the park and snapping photographs? Try making a painting instead. Or just check out Pinterest for some cute DIY ideas for your house or apartment.

2. Binge watch Broad City. It’s one of the funniest and smartest shows on TV right now, and it’s the kind of show that’s better to enjoy with someone else. It’s often surreal and weird and a little gross, but at its core, it’s actually a really tender love story — about love between two female friends. As of Valentine’s Day there are only 15 episodes, so if you really commit, you can definitely get through all of it before the weekend’s over. (Oh, and if you and your significant other have already watched it, you could take this time to go back and watch the web series where it all began.)

3. Have a cooking contest. See who can make the most creative (and delicious) heart-shaped food. It can be you versus your partner, or you can invite a few other couples over and compete against them. It will be fun to see what everyone comes up with — and then at the end you just get to feast.

Photographing a Kiss: Long Time Love Affairs

The Lovers
Joseph and Dorothy Bolotin Sharon, Pennsylvania Married on June 16, 1938. Dorothy, "I never think of it in terms of years. I think of it in terms of good years. In love, hot romance doesn’t last forever. So I would say that yes, I think love changes. I would say we’re still in love. It’s focusing, doing little things. He’s an amazing man."Lauren Fleishman
John and Sherma CampbellStar Valley, WyomingMarried on May 13, 1955Sherma When you start out, you think you love each other as much as you possibly can,but lovegrows—just like your inner self grows as time goes by and you have experiences.And now at thisstage of the game, I love him even more. I can’t even imagine life without him.
John and Sherma Campbell Star Valley, Wyoming Married on May 13, 1955. Sherma, "When you start out, you think you love each other as much as you possibly can,but love grows—just like your inner self grows as time goes by and you have experiences.And now at this stage of the game, I love him even more. I can’t even imagine life without him."Lauren Fleishman
Jin Lin and Lai Mei ChenBrooklyn, New York Married on February 4, 1961Jin Lin We had so many things in common it was like our hearts were the same.
Jin Lin and Lai Mei Chen Brooklyn, New York Married on February 4, 1961. Jin Lin, "We had so many things in common it was like our hearts were the same."Lauren Fleishman
The Lovers
de'Spagnolis Aldo de’Spagnolis and Maria Filiozzi Itri, Italy Married on October 23, 1949. Aldo, "When I first saw her, she was 14 and I was 22.Was there a concern that she was too young for me? No! Even now I look like a young child! Yes, even now I’m still young."Lauren Fleishman
The Lovers
Jake and Mary Jacobs Solihull, England Married on April 27, 1948. Mary,"Jake said to me,'Would it ever be possible for me to marry you?' And I said,'Possible but not probable!' And that’s how it was. It wasn’t likely that I would ever marry him, and he knew that. So when he went home to Trinidad, my mother and father breathed a sigh of relief. But he used to write, and he said, 'I’m thinking I might come back to England.'"Lauren Fleishman
The Lovers
Kissin Yevgeniy and Lyubov Kissin Brooklyn, New York Married on June 29, 1941. Yevgeniy, "We met at a dancing party. It was in January 1938. My friend invited me to the party, he said there would be a lot of beautiful young girls. Another cadet with high boots had approached her, but she didn’t like high boots and so she said no to him. I was the second one to approach her. I had a different uniform, but I’m still not sure if it was my uniform or my face that attracted her to me."Lauren Fleishman
The Lovers
Itig and Golda Pollac Brooklyn, New York Married on August 13, 1946. Golda, "I would say love came little by little. Not right away.We were young.And he was older, but I liked him. He spoke to me in a very nice way."Lauren Fleishman
The Lovers
Yaakov and Mariya Shapirshetyn Brooklyn, New York Married on July 6, 1949. Yaakov, "What is the secret to love? A secret is a secret, and I don’t reveal my secrets."Lauren Fleishman
The Lovers
Gino and Angie Terranova Staten Island. New York Married on September 27, 1947. Angie, "You really don’t think about getting older. First of all, you’re aging together, and when you see a person constantly,you don’t notice big changes. Like you don’t notice, oh you’re getting a little wrinkle here and tomorrow you say it’s a little deeper. No, those are things that just happen."Lauren Fleishman

4. Do a triple feature at the movie theater. If you’re doing everything in your power to avoid Fifty Shades of Grey, don’t worry, there’s plenty of other films out there. We recommend catching The Boy Next Door if you want to giggle maniacally at one of the most awesomely bad movies in recent memory. Still unsure? This flowchart will help you pick the right feature for your mood.

5. Make your own candy. Instead of buying each other candy, make an activity out of it. Try concocting homemade peanut butter and jelly cups or roasted white chocolate and coffee truffles. Maybe try some homemade chocolate fondue. Or go crazy and make your own gummy bears. They’ll taste even sweeter because you made them together. (Aww.)

6. Be a tourist in your own city. No matter where you live, there’s likely some attraction — whether it’s a park, restaurant or museum — that you’ve never been to. (Do you know how many New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty or the top of the Empire State Building?) Take this time to get to know your city a little better.

7. Buy a cheap flight to somewhere you’ve never been. Airlines like Jetblue are currently offering some crazy low prices, so use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to sit down with your person, compare schedules and then buy yourselves tickets to somewhere you’ve never been for a weekend getaway. Then spend the rest of the day searching for Airbnb deals and planning activities.

8. Nothing. Seriously, sometimes there’s nothing more luxurious than just being with someone and having no plans whatsoever. Treat yourself to just doing nothing. Stay in bed all day. Nap. Play low-effort games like “Would you rather?” Order a pizza. Maybe go for a walk — but only if you feel like it.

See Photos of Love and Courtship in 1950s Japan

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A young couple on a date in a cafe in Tokyo.John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
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A Shibui dance function in Tokyo where young people would go to meet other young people in hopes of finding a partner.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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A Shibui dance function in Tokyo where young people would go to meet other young people in hopes of finding a partner.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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A young couple walking around in the Ginza district of Tokyo. 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Akiksuke Tsutsui, left, bids his girlfriend, Chiyoko Inami, farewell as her train departs. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Akiksuke Tsutsui, left, and his girlfriend Chiyoko Inami, right, walking around in the Ginza district during their lunch hour. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Nohito Mukai, left, and his girlfriend, Hiroko Inayaki, go roller skating on a date in Tokyo. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Hiroko Inayaki, left, goes for a drive with her boyfriend, Nohito Mukai. March 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Takahide Inayama (Age 20), left, and his girlfriend, Mitusyo Ogama (Age 20), both are university students. Seen here picking out apples on a date near their university. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Chiyoko Inami, left, and her boyfriend, Akiksuke Tsutsui, playing a game on a train headed to Kyoto to meet Tsutsui's family. March, 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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A young couple out on a date in Tokyo. 1959JOHN DOMINISÑTHE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Young couple visiting a bridge near the Imperial Palace. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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A young couple takes a "selfie" on a self-timer on their camera. 1959JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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Chiyoko Inami, left, and her boyfriend, Akiksuke Tsutsui, right, sharing an intimate moment on a date. March, 1959.JOHN DOMINIS—THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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A young couple making out on a date in a park in Tokyo. 1959.JOHN DOMINISÑTHE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

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