February 14th - The national day of L-O-V-E-E-E… the day when all couples every where can be counted on to post sappy social media posts all over the place (lol guilty!). Does Valentine’s day make you super excited, or is it one of those hallmark holiday’s that you dread?

I love Valentine’s day! (and not just because it gives me a justifiable reason to share something super mushy about Brandon with every body, haha) I love Valentine’s day because I LOVE date nights. Relationships are super special and should be treated that way ALL year long, granted, but how fun is it that there’s a once a year, already called out date night, set for everyone who may not remember to have them regularly anymore? Or how cool is it when someone realizes V-day is coming up and suddenly get that ‘kick in the pants’ they needed to ask someone out? And how great is this whole “Galentine’s” thing that is taking the world by storm? I think the idea of using V-day to celebrate your girlfriends and friendships again like we used to in elementary school with cute cards and conversations hearts is awesome!

That being said, let’s talk about date night ideas for you and that special someone.

“Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have”

Some images above linked to shop

The kind of date you and your valentine will go on heavily depends on the kind of relationship you have.

For a more casual date night, I think non-traditional, out-of-the-box dates are most impressive. I’m not talking anything crazy or extravagant here - I’m just talking simple and thoughtful. What about packing a bottle of wine, cheeses, and salami before heading to a park to watch the sun set? Arguably, getting ready for your date AND catching the sunset is challenging to do on a work night, I get that… But there is a way! The best way to go straight to date night from your busy day is to wear an outfit that can be easily transformed from day to night. If you set yourself up this way, at 5 o’clock you will just have a simple swap out to do of some pieces in the outfit and BAM - you’re ready for date night. For Valentine’s day, I am loving a bold pair of red slacks for both office and beyond. You can see how easy it is to dress them up by pairing a velvet halter top and studded heels in the slide show above.

When things started to get more serious between Brandon and I, Valentine’s date nights were always the most romantic dates, so I always wanted to wear something that made me feel elegant and fancy. I still do. For romantic date nights, we always try to have reservations somewhere people have recommended or we have been eyeing for a long time. So, with all that hype built up between location and the way I want to look - this date night outfit is always a little more calculated than the others. The classic look a woman gets from wearing a beautiful black dress paired with a pair of statement heels is one of my favorites. Check out the slide show above again; if we have reservations this year, you better believe I’ll be reaching for that little black dress + pink sparkly stiletto combo!

I have to admit - the majority of Valentine’s past, we had not been so “on the ball” with making reservations and have found ourselves scrambling for plans at the last minute. Often times this led to us waiting an hour+ at an overcrowded restaurant, getting hangrier by the minute. Don’t get me wrong! I still love the time we have together waiting for a table, yelling over the roar of the crowd to catch up on each other’s day… but sometimes these date nights miss the “romantic” mark. We’ve learned from those experiences and have discovered that sometimes it is best to avoid the crowds and just check out your favorite hole-in-the wall place, or to head somewhere with a little less grandeur on this holiday. For a kind of classic date night, I’ve found that an easy way to elevate the date without the excess - is to over dress. It doesn’t matter if I’m not headed to the Ritziest place! I’m still going to dress like it. Hell yes you will catch me in Chevy’s or Carmelita’s (tacos, all day, every day) in those yellow velvet pants and bejeweled pumps you see pictured above & hell yes I will ask Brandon to wear his dress clothes… because how we present ourselves to one another sets the tone for this date; not the venue.

Last but not least is my favorite date night. This type of date night is reserved for only the most comfortable of couples… the ones that have been together a while but still remember to celebrate each other often. The ones who remember that even the mundane can be made spectacular. I’m talking about the jammie date night. Remember the first picture you saw when opening this post? Scroll up again if you have to. These dates can be the cheapest kind of dates but are almost always the most meaningful. This is because what’s important here is the time taken to be together and the effort that is put in to make something rather normal, really special and memorable. There’s so many ways to do it - grab your favorite champagne or make hot cocoa, order dinner in from their favorite place, buy or pick them their favorite flowers, light the candles, and set up the couch for cuddling. Cozy up together with popcorn and watch something you both have been dying to see, or surprise them with their favorite movie. Put your phones away, hold hands, and stay focused on each other in the moment. Life is BUSY and it’s hard to always make time for this kind of quality time together, so this kind of date is the perfect ticket to intimacy.

I know, I know. Here’s the thing about date nights & intimacy. THEY CAN BE INTIMIDATING. How come Valentine’s day has to be in February.. right after I’ve totally quit all my New Years resolutions, since I haven’t even been able to start them? I know for me, this time of year is not necessarily when I feel my cutest. I’m still working to get off all the extra fluff I acquired during the real Holiday months and now you want me to sausage myself into a sexy dress for a night? No thank you. I’m in the building, but I am not feeling myself (Sorry Mac Dre). Here are my Top 4 Tips for feeling sexy even when you aren’t “feeling yourself”:

Don’t hold yourself to the highest standard (ie the standard of “sexy” we see in the media). Not feeling your thinnest? Maybe pass on that skin tight, low cut, silk dress that shows every line and bump. We’ll put it to use in June or something. Just because it’s a dress or outfit that screams “sexy valentine’s date” doesn’t mean it’s right for you right now. Go for something you know makes you FEEL good, regardless of how tight or revealing it is. A woman who feels her best always looks her best. You want to feel confident here, because nothing is sexier than confidence. Plus, no one said that something on the more modest side of the spectrum can’t still be sexy! Take the yellow velvet pants & black turtle neck option above for an example of this. The shoes paired in show some extra skin at the side of the foot, giving sort of a “peek” effect that lends to that “give them something to wonder about” vibe.
Are you doing a jammie date night? Do not take this relaxed date to mean that you don’t have to plan something cute to wear. Do yourself a favor, and still pick out a CUTE jammie to wear for this date. I’m not saying you should be looking in your drawers for your sexiest teddy, but I am saying that you should be looking for something that shows you put a little more effort in than you normally do every time you come home to finally take your bra off. I totally hit the jack pot when I found the heart printed jammies you see me wearing in the slide show above because 1) they are sooo soft and comfy, 2) they are warm and cozy, and 3) they are just slightlyyyy see through to wear you can see the color of your undergarments, upping the “sexy factor” instantly.
Finally, and most importantly, (always) stay true to yourself and your style. Don’t put yourself in anything that makes you uncomfortable and insecure. Try on your outfits ahead of time to know it’s something you are comfortable wearing. No one looks their best when all they can think is how much their feet hurt, how tight their pants are, or how uncomfortable they are in their top, when they’re really supposed to be focused on spending time with their date. Don’t force yourself into something you never would wear because you think it might impress your date. Do challenge yourself to impress yourself first - naturally they will be impressed with your look then too (because remember when you feel good, you look good!!)
This one is simple… Always pump yourself up with music while you’re getting ready!