Valentine’s Day: Lockdown Edition – How to Get the Most out of this Special Day

We know it’s been difficult for everyone lately, and that’s why we have to remain positive and do what we can. Just because you can’t book your favourite restaurant this year doesn’t mean Valentine’s day is suddenly over! Today we’re showing how you can create a magical day or evening for your partner on Valentine’s Day, no matter where you are.

Here are our tips on how to:

• How to style the house
• How to romantically set the dinner table
• Cook the perfect meal
• What music to choose for the occasion
• Choosing gifts for your partner.

How to Style the House

Let’s start off by showing your partner how much you care for them by decorating your home and transforming it into something special for the occasion. From the moment they walk in the front door (or come down the stairs from the home office!), they’ll be able to feel the change in the romantic atmosphere. A fresh change up can uplift your home and, better yet, it’s something fun to do!

Start by rearranging your sofas and chairs to make room for your dining room table around the heart of the home, the fireplace. If this isn’t an option, create a special Valentine’s day evening by making your dining table the centre of attention in the middle of the room and get decorating – see below for more ideas on this!

Another quick way to get your living space looking romantic is decorating with cozy home accessories such as vases (filled with flowers!), candles and one of our cosy sheepskin rugs.

How to Set the Dinner Table & What to Cook

Picture your favourite restaurant. Can you reproduce it in your home? It may not be packed with people, but that’s even more romantic! Here’s how you can do it:

This will be the highlight of your romantic evening in so spend a bit of time setting the table, creating a nice atmosphere and dining in style with gorgeous food.

You want to start by setting the dinner table. This will allow you to focus on the evening’s cooking time for you and your partner. 

Table:

• A quick clean of the table and making it smell nice with a scented cleaner will take less than a minute to do but makes all the difference.
• Wine glasses on the table (even if you don’t drink wine!) will make it feel extra special.
• Candles on the table are key to making any occasion romantic. Dim the lights and let the candlelight flicker.
• Place starter side plates on the table and use your best crockery and cutlery. Once the table is fully set, it will look fantastic. There’s just something about a fully set table that makes it feel… je ne sais quoi.

For a special Valentine’s meal, you’ve got plenty of choices: choose a household favourite, try out your own version of a favourite restaurant’s dish, or go all out and impress your partner with something you’ve never done before.

We’ve picked out a few romantic dishes that are easy to achieve but are packed with flavour:

Starters

• Smoked salmon & prawns
• Creamed goat’s cheese & roast beetroot salad
• Grilled scallops
• Poached lobster tail

Main meals

• Mussels with chorizo, beans & cavolo nero
• Steak with mushroom puff tartlets
• Pan-fried duck
• Seared beef

Desert

• Valentine’s biscuits
• Chocolate & almond puds with boozy hot chocolate sauce
• Tiramisu with honeycomb crunch
• Pink strawberry cheesecake

Choosing Music for the Occasion

Setting the tone and picking music for the evening, choose something different than your usual playlists. Songs that offer a nice soft playing tone so you can hear each other over dinner.

The Perfect Gift

The final touch on your at home Valentine’s celebration is showing them that you really care with a special gift.

Choosing your partner’s favourite flowers should be straight forward, if you know they love lilies or red roses, then go for it! And for someone that’s got everything, you really can’t go wrong with chocolates! But if you want something really special for your partner, we’ve picked out a few of our favourites, including cozy slippers – you can’t go wrong with these when working at home or for chilly winter evenings!

Cream Open Toe Mule Slippers – £30 – For the fashionista in your life!

Pink Moccasin Slippers – £35 – A gorgeous sturdy slipper ideal for daily wear

Men’s Navy Moccasin Slippers – £35 – For the man in your life

Unisex Chocolate Mule Slippers – £30 – For anyone!

Ladies Chestnut Classic Sheepskin Boots (£55) and Chestnut Sheepskin Baby Button Booties (£20) – A matching set of boots for two loves of your life!

Cream White Sheepskin Rug – from £38 – For the home enthusiast

Read more on our blog