5 Long Distance Valentine’s Day Ideas
You might be a huge fan of Valentine’s Day.
Maybe you’re all about hearts, flowers, chocolates, teddy bears and jewellery.
Then again, maybe you – or your partner – think it’s a huge joke, a commercial holiday fabricated by retailers to get a buck.
Whatever the case, surviving Valentine’s Day when you’re in a long distance relationship can be torture. Even if you’re on the anti-Valentine team, seeing people around you getting loved up, planning romantic dates and buying lingerie for their celebrations with their significant other can leave you feeling miserable.
For some, it can be one of the worst days to be apart from your lover.
We’ve always been firm believers that long distance does not have to mean a lack of intimacy or special time together.
That’s why we’ve pulled together our top 5 long distance Valentine’s Day ideas to help you celebrate with that special someone – no matter how far apart you are.
Surprise them with a gift delivery
Sending your Valentine a special gift is a great idea if you’re that way inclined – and it can be even more thoughtful if you aren’t that way inclined!
The great thing about Valentine’s Day is that you can bend the rules – sure, the stereotype is flowers and chocolate, but mix it up a bit if you want to. Don’t feel obligated to go down the typical flowers/candy/jewellery route.
Instead, you could send them something from their Amazon wishlist, a DVD of the first movie you watched together (even if it was via FaceTime), or the link to a Spotify playlist you made specifically for them.
Or why not arrange something exciting to be delivered to their home or workplace so that they can be treated *and* get a little surprise? Flowers, edible bouquets, gift baskets and even booze are just a few things you can have delivered to your long distance love on Valentine’s Day.
Have special Valentine’s Day phone sex
Let’s be honest here, a big part of Valentine’s Day is sex. And that’s great! Except, of course, when you’re in a long distance relationship.
Then you’re basically limited to dirty photos and phone sex. While they’re not as good as the real thing, they’re a good close second.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, so use February 14 to spice up your Valentine’s phone sex – get creative!
Tease each other throughout the day with naughty messages and suggestive photos.
Get out that red lingerie or put on those silk, heart covered boxers!
Seduce your lover with a sexy FaceTime session where you caress your skin with a rose.
If you’re bold, try out some of the long distance sex toys that are now available.
Go crazy, make it steamy and enjoy it!
Have a Valentine’s Meal Over FaceTime
We hesitate to say “Valentine’s dinner” here because if you’re anything like us, due to a large time difference you are never eating the same meal at the same time.
But that shouldn’t matter – he can make himself a steak dinner to enjoy while you destroy a stack of pancakes.
Or she can tackle a pizza while you make your absolute favourite sandwich.
Or just opt for dessert if that’s your bag.
It’s all really just technicalities – make some of your favourite food, light a candle and eat in front of your laptop or phone. Pretend you’re together on a normal Valentine’s date. You can even dress up for the occasion if you’re able to.
Watch a romantic movie together
We’ve suggested watching movies together over the phone, FaceTime or Skype, but Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to make a big deal out of it. Pick a classic romantic or romcom (a few of our favourites: You’ve Got Mail, This Means War, The Proposal, Shaun of the Dead, to name a few), get comfortable and watch away.
Add in some wine, beer, or your favourite adult beverage to add to the atmosphere, and you’ve got yourself a fun, special Valentine’s night.
Make them a special, thoughtful gift
Like we said before, there really don’t have to be any rules when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts, and this makes a homemade gift the perfect way to show your long distance love how you feel.
You could create a Spotify playlist with all the songs that make you think of them, make a photo album or scrapbook full of all our favourite memories, or create a video for them. Phones are so advanced these days you can do all of these things right there, for free.
Homemade gifts are often the most special – one year, Aindrea made Rich a quilt from scratch, choosing the different fabrics, cutting it into strips and squares, sewing them together in an intricate pattern and even including an embroidered message.
Other times, Rich has written songs for Aindrea – including the one you can hear in the intro to our podcast!
Okay, both these examples were for other occasions in the year, but you get the sentiment!
While we’re not diehard Valentine’s Day fans, we appreciate the reminder to slow down and appreciate this day, which allows us to recognise how much we love one another. And we make a point to write a thoughtful message in a card, buy some flowers or chocolates and enjoy a nice meal together. As we say in episode 18, it’s all about being intentional in your relationships.
For any cynics reading this, we do make a point to make each other feel special throughout the year and not use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to only do it once a year – but what’s wrong with a day to remind you that you really should do a little something special?
We’d encourage you to give it some thought, and if you’ve any ideas you like that we’ve not included here, leave a comment and tell us!