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What to get your Valentine in 2016

Valentine’s Day can be a bit clichéd.  Come on we can do better than chocolates and flowers again, can’t we?

We thought we’d look at some more creative Valentine’s gifts and gestures for 2016. Here are our 5 romantic ideas for Valentine’s day.

Juliet terraces and balconies feature in many of Lakelovers Romantic Breaks where you can impress your Valentine with gestures in an extraordinary 2 bed stylish statement property set in breathtaking grounds or delight with a snug historical Lakeland cottage oozing the charm and romance of the Lake District.

Don’t forget to book an at-home massage or beauty therapy treatment for you both. In fact you could impress further with hiring in some in-house catering or celebrity private dining experience and choose a cottage with leisure facilities or own hot tub and book yourselves some extraordinary private time away together. Let’s be honest, that is what it is all about. Time with loved ones.

Here are some fun ideas for a truly special Valentine’s Day.

1  Make a picnic hamper 

 

5 Romantic Ideas

There is something supremely intimate about a picnic and spending time preparing a Valentine-themed hamper certainly would impress us. How about a bottle of pink bubbles enjoyed with a deli-style spread of finger food – of course we’re biased but Lake District producers are particularly good at hosting a perfect spread with Cartmel Cheeses, Hawkshead Relish’s latest ‘Passion Fruit Curd’, Grasmere Gingerbread, handmade Sticky Toffee Chocolates and the ultra special Kin Toffee Vodka for some added warmth, to name a few.

Make the picnic a surprise (stash the treats in your rucksack) and whisk it out whilst on a walk, perhaps at Glencoyne Bay, ‘Wordsworth Point’, where the unusually warm winter may mean you’re welcomed by some bobbing yellow faces. Or you could head out on a beach horse trek and have your hamper and blanket hidden in the car for once you’ve de-bridled.

 

2  Create your own gift vouchers

A thoughtful gift is always the best received. Your Valentine will be delighted with a “home-cooked meal to two” voucher, where you have planned the meal in advance.   You could even write out a menu and plan some fun games for dessert!

Romantic Cottage Holiday

 

3  Take the plunge

And no we’re not talking about diving down ladies necklines or getting down on one knee and proposing. We’re talking about skinny-dipping! Find a peaceful, sheltered and private spot, plenty of safe tarns, rivers and waterfalls to choose from the in the Lakes, rise early and head for a skinny-dip. Pick somewhere close to where you are staying and make sure you take towels with you (free with Lakelovers we might add). Whilst you need to be careful with cold waters in February, plenty of people enjoy the thrill of a winter chill. You don’t even need to skinny dip, but an exhilarating dip when it’s just the two of you, if you have ben lucky enough to experience this, is quite simply magical. Pummel your back under rapids, slide down channels between rocks and see if you can actually swim the length of a rock pool. You will feel alive and invigorated and ready for a romantic day ahead, and a hot shower too!

4  First-timer

Let you romantic side run free this February. Let’s surprise and enchant. Fall in love. Jump head over heels. Be bowled over. And other-such acrobatically challenging stunts, all in the name of love! And why not book an unusual outdoor activity for you both to experience for the first time together. Super romantic bucket-list gestures like a hot air balloon are very weather dependent, requiring little or no breeze which can be difficult in the Lakes, but worth a try in February. Or you could take to the waters in a champagne boat ride where you’ll have to read up on your Wordsworth and Coleridge to shout out to each other.

But for a truly bonding experience test your mettle with an extreme via ferrata where only ladders cables and bridges get you across great chasms between mountain tops, alongside the craggy edges of precipitous drops and into subterranean caves. Eeek, pack your nerves!

Slightly tamer, you could head to some sky-scraping firs for a romantic thrill-seeking activity by booking some tree top rope and zip wire fun.

One of the best things about taking on new extreme challenges is clinging to each other at the end and exchanging stories of your ‘best’ and ‘worst’ bits over a drink in a local pub.

5  I’m stuck with you

Sometimes being forced to give up control where neither one is in charge can be a great connecting experience. Try getting out and enjoying quality time together and fresh air on a trek tandem, perfect for loosing yourselves along country lanes looking for that private picnic spot or place to bring out a surprise gift. Be determined to enjoy the balanced experience.

Or, find yourself trapped together in perfect harmony on a secluded lake beach, with your anchored private sailing yacht and personal skipper ready to sail you into the sunset after you’ve enjoyed a bottle of champagne. And now would be the time to surprise with flowers and chocolates as the sun sets.

You could hire your own motor boat, where again the only people in charge are you and your loved one. Spend hours on the water, navigating around tranquil inlets and beaches, not seeing another soul.

Romantic Ambleside Holiday

What have been your most impressive Valentine’s gestures? Let us know on Facebook.