The following is a guest post from Rainier Fuclan.
It can be difficult to make Valentine's Day plans, especially for an amateur Casanova like myself. For years, I was the guy scurrying around the mall on February 14th, desperately searching for a Valentine's gift for my girl. Then, after finding some trinket to throw in a gift bag, I’d frantically dial restaurants and flip through local entertainment magazines improvising a desperate last-minute date plan.
As men around the country can attest, last-minute Valentine's Day plans often result in a one-way trip to the dog house. So, for the last few years, I let the NFL give me a hand in planning the perfect Valentine's Day.
Stay with me, I’m about to make a lot of sense.
Like most of you, when the Big Game rolls around on February 3rd, I'll be parked on the couch anticipating the final hits, picks and scores of the season. But rather than sleeping on that same couch post-Valentine's, I assign myself small tasks to accomplish throughout the day and knock out all of my Valentine’s planning without breaking a sweat.
All you need to remember are a few key times.
When you roll out of bed
Brew some java and pull out the laptop. Start your day off by searching for concerts, movies and activities happening in your area on Valentine's night. Remember, the date is all about her. You can handle one evening of opera or a couple hours of a romantic comedy in order to make her smile. If you're lacking inspiration, check out local deals from sites like Groupon, which often have great discounts on entertainment or couples' activities like a massage or dance class.
Pre-game show
Believe it or not, the pregame show starts six and a half hours before kickoff, leaving you plenty of time to go online and find the perfect gift before firing up the grill. You could go with one of the standards (jewelry, flowers, candy), but don't be afraid to think outside the box. Last year, I had a teddy bear gift package from the Serious Teddy Bear Company delivered to my girlfriend at work. She got to show it off to all the other women in the office, and it proved I finally learned to plan Valentine’s in advance.
Halftime
Time to get the final piece out of the way — dinner. (Don't worry, Beyonce won’t be offended if you miss some of her halftime performance.) It only takes a couple of minutes to pick up the phone and make reservations at your lady's favorite restaurant. Two weeks out from Valentine’s Day, you should have no problem locking up a great spot. Fancy things up by arranging for a chilled bottle of champagne at the table, or request the house musician play her favorite song. The little details go a long way to ensuring a Valentine’s victory.
And just like that, you'll have Valentine’s Day locked up without any last minute scrambling. By following my NFL Valen-timeline, you’ll score extra points and earn her heart’s MVP.
Rainier Fuclan is a freelance writer and digital marketer for 352 Media Group, a web development and marketing agency with more than 10 years of experience.