Romantic Ideas to Make it Valentine's Day All Year Long! - I love you!

Written by Larry James

46. Write, "I love you!" in lipstick or shaving cream on the bathroom mirror. You could also tape a heart with the words "I love you" if you prefer an easier clean up.

47. Give your sweetheart a "Love" coupon that says, "I'll do all the household chores for the next week!"

48. Put a note in your Valentine that says, "I promise to switch roles with you for one day!" If you don't know exactly what they do in a day, ask them to make a list. You'll gain new insights into your partner's life; insights that will help you make romantic gestures that are more personal, intimate, appropriate and appreciated. Time spent getting to know your partner better is usually more appreciated than money spent.

49. Buy your sweetheart a copy of "How to Really Love the One You're With" and read it together. You use a yellow highlighter and give your partner a pale blue highlighter and mark all the thoughts and ideas that are important to you. If you both happen to mark the same thing, blue and yellow make green. You know where you are on target and where to focus on what your lover considers important to the relationship.

50. Make a promise to your partner to create together a once-a-week, "date night!" AND, keep your word. Let nothing prevent your weekly get together. If you have children, have a trusted friend watch them at THEIR house. Return the favor.

51. Plan ahead for this idea. Take your sweetheart to a symphony concert, musical, or other type of theater production; one you haven't been to before.

52. If you are not married. . . propose! Give her a heart shaped box of chocolates, with one chocolate missing and a ring in it's place. If you are married. . . propose again! Plan a special "Renewal of Vows" ceremony. For a special "romantic" ceremony, click here.

53. Rent a horse drawn carriage. Take a ride - with champagne, glasses, special love songs that mean something special to both of you (bring a boom box), a warm blanket if it gets too cool - through the park or "lover's Lane" after dark.

54. Write a love letter out of candy bar titles. Get a piece of brightly colored poster board and a bunch of your favorite candy bars. Write your love letter on the board in a contrasting colored pen. Replace key words with candy bars taped onto the poster board.

55. Have cupid send your Valentine's Day greeting card (or any other romantic card) to your sweetheart that bears a postmark from Loveland, CO 80537. This city is one of several cities that have a special name whose postmark can embellish your greeting card with romance. Special postmarks say, "I love you" because your partner will know that you extended some extra effort to make your greeting special.

56. Buy a tube of red lip stick, draw a large heart on the mirror she will use in the morning. Under the heart, write a note that says, "You are looking at the woman who has captured my heart!"

57. Cut out lots of hearts on colored construction paper, write down reasons you love your sweetheart on each heart. Borrow a few romantic sayings from greeting cards. Place them inside red, heart-shaped balloons and blow them up. Watch your sweetheart smile as they pop each balloon and read what's inside.

58. Carve a heart and your partner's initials (yours too) on a tree, then plan a surprise picnic under the tree. Let your sweetheart discover the surprise.

59. Ambush your sweetie with a Valentine's Day surprise. Make 3 or 4 small signs and scatter them around the yard. Make one larger sign with a personal message of love and romance to let the neighbors know how much you care. Tie several heart-shaped balloons filled with helium to each sign. Leave a gift arrangement at the front door filled with a stuffed animal, Valentine's day candy, a coffee mug filled with chocolate kisses and a candle. Put all this in your yard sometime during the night (or have someone else do it). When she wakes up, she'll see a nice surprise.

60. Buy 24 movie passes at a local theater and ask your sweetheart to pick one romantic movie to see together once each month for a year. Present them in a heart-shaped box with a very special love note. OR. . . make 12 special coupons good for a romantic movie each month. Rent them from the video store. Choose from my "Top 100 Romantic Movies" list and once each month spend a romantic night cuddling together, complete with candles, snacks and drinks.

61. Plan dinner out. Hop from restaurant to restaurant, having only one course at each establishment. Your "progressive dinner" should include drinks, salad, appetizers, the main course and don't forget desert.

62. Pull a surprise all-nighter. Book dinner at a quaint B&B and secretly reserve a room there. Bring over your stuff eariler in the day, remembering to pack your sexiest lingerie. Arrange with the owner beforehand to have him "offer" to show you a room after you've had dinner. Wait for the ear-to-ear grin you'll get when your partner sees your bag on the bed.

63. Renew your vows! Book at least one night in a hotel's honeymoon suite and whisper your vows to one another in bed or hire Larry James to perform a very romantic "renewal of vows" ceremony in front of a few close friends. It is an opportunity to reaffirm the tremendous love that has deepened with the passing of years.

64. When was the last time you shared a lazy morning breakfast with your partner? Substituting date morning for date night will make you see each other in, literally, a whole new light. Since you are both fresh - as opposed to end-of-the-day bushed - you're sure to have more connected conversations.