Romance on a Budget

Today is Valentine's Day! A day to celebrate love with your friends, family but most especially that significant other of yours. But with all the commercialization and petty manipulation of this holiday sometimes it's hard to get down to the roots of what makes this day a special day. It's easy to get turned off by the cliche-ness. But if you want to celebrate this holiday with your lovie then you're probably trying to find a way to make it special by making it different.

There are lots of different things you can do of course but sometimes you're all out of ideas and need a little help. First things first though, remember that this holiday is about celebrating your love. Infuse that feeling into everything you do and it won't matter much what it is you end up doing.

For romance on a budget, I recommend a picnic. If you live in an area like I do (where the weather looks like this:http://youtu.be/XVzICZXZStE) then you need to put together a stay-at-home picnic.

Step 1: Spread a blanket on the living room floor. You don't need a picnic looking blanket if you don't have one. Any ol' blanket will do but preferably not the one you're sleeping with. Crumbs will happen! This blanket I happened to get last summer for $10 at Walmart.



Step 2: Shoo away curious cats who thinks you spread this comfy blanket just for her.



Step 3: Pick a theme and some cute things to go along with your picnic. I choose classic hearts in the form of a heart sandwich cutter I found at Walmart for $3. You don't need to go overboard with a theme. Just pick one thing and stick with it to keep it simple. I also have a small (half-dollar size) heart mini cookie cutter that I used for cucumbers. Lastly I used some tiny forks for the fruit that had hearts on the handles. That's as far as I went with the theme.



Step 4: Make your picnic food. Sandwiches are classic but make them extra special by making them deluxe style. These sandwiches have chicken, bacon, pepperoni, provolone, cheddar, spinach, pickles, mayo and mustard. I also included simple dipping veggies with ranch and some fruit with chocolate pudding for fondue style dessert dipping!

Don't forget a beverage to wash everything down. I chose a bottle of club soda ($0.99 at Walmart) mixed with some smuckers lemonade. Mix it together one spoonful at a time until it's the flavor you want. It also bubbles a lot when you're adding it so be careful not to overload/overflow it. Get a couple fancy glasses to have it in. If you don't own any you can usually find something fancy enough in the wedding section at any store.

You want to pick things that are simple to eat on the floor/ground. Things that don't require utensils. If you're not inclined to make your own food for one reason or another (it's the cheapest option but not the only option) you can always go for a bucket of KFC with sides.



Step 5: Spread it out and enjoy your lunch! You have the option of additional romantic touches if you'd like too. Try spreading rose petals over the picnic blanket. If you're inside, try some instrumental music and candles.

You CAN have a non-cliche romantic time with your lovie even on a budget. It doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't have to be fancy. It's just got to be made with love, no expectations and a pinch of creativity. I hope you have a very happy Valentine's day!

Re-posting here to share with ya'll. Originally posted here: http://rillsmenu.blogspot.com/2012/02/romance-on-budget.html