Forgot Valentine’s Day? Here’s how you can save it
OK, you messed up. You flat-out forgot about the most romantic day of the year. But breathe easy. You’re not the first one to forget, and you certainly won’t be the last. And what matters most is, you’re going to save it (and your love life) with a quick fix —by swooping in last minute, and getting yourself out of the doghouse in classic hero/ heroine-style. Here are a few ways to do just that.
Curate a couple’s watch list. Instead of rushing out at lunch to grab a dozen roses (or if you’re really smart, maybe in addition to that), spend a few minutes creating a joint Netflix or Amazon Prime account with a Watch List of movies and TV shows for the two of you to binge on together. (Bonus points if parts of that list reference seminal parts of your love story together.)
Instant gift cards, delivered on the spot. Yeah, yeah. I know they’re a dime a dozen. But if you grab the right one(s), it says a whole heck of a lot about how much attention you’re paying to what your beloved likes. (In a pinch, look quickly through his/her closet and take stock of any labels that correspond to what he/she wears most often. You know what to do from there.)
Give him/her a way to become an expert artiste. Jump online and nab an online photography class with world renowned gurus like Annie Leibowitz. MasterClass offers a handful of such classes (about $90 each for lifetime access on masterclass.com).
Call his/her hairstylist and pay for the next cut or color. Most places can do this in a snap — I make sure everyone at my Grettacole salons in Wellesley and Boston is ready to do this whenever they get a call from a frenzied family member. They’ll make sure the intended knows they got gifted when they come in (and, of course, you can let them know in the card you give them).
Make a heartfelt dinner: Even if you’re hopeless in the kitchen, you can definitely do this: Order a pizza. Proceed to cut out a small triangle in the middle of the top, and trim the left and right lower sides to create a tip at the bottom. Et viola: That heart-shaped pizza is now an edible expression of your love. Definitely remember to buy champagne on the way home to distract from how lame pizza on Valentine’s Day is.
If all else fails, shoot for the moon. If you’re sure the heart pizza just won’t cut it, you’ve got no choice but to pull out all the stops. In that case, call the Ritz-Carlton and book yourselves into the property’s five-act, interactive “champagne, cocktail, oyster shucking, cooking and dessert class for couples who love to shake, shuck, flirt and flambe.” ($250 per couple; call 617574-7177.) The class starts at 7 tonight only, and swooning is all but guaranteed.