If you’re in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is one of the most important (and stressful) days of the year.

For us guys, February 14th is just another day, but to women, it’s huge. I once read that Valentine’s Day is to women what Super Bowl Sunday is to men.

Just like men expect a lot out of their team during the big game, women often expect a lot out of their man during V-Day.

These high expectations can create a lot of pressure and stress so, to make it easy on you, here are 5 simple Valentine’s Day tips for an extremely successful day.

5 Tips to Win Valentine’s Day

Each one of these 5 V-Day tips is important but if you’re short on time, start with #1 and work your way down.

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1. Get your girl red roses

Giving your girl flowers will normally get you bonus points, but on Valentine’s Day they’re a must.

Get her a bouquet of red roses. Normally, I’d say get something a bit less cliché but come on… it’s Valentine’s Day.

Pro Tip: Get the roses the night before and hide them (in a vase and water) somewhere in the house. When you both wake up in the morning, grab one of the roses for when you tell her happy Valentine’s Day.

2. Take her somewhere nice

For your Valentine’s Day date, just like every other date, I recommend the combination of a meal and some sort of activity.

If you haven’t already read the Foolproof Formula for a Perfect Date I recommend you check it out before the big day.

The meal

Valentine’s day is one of the few times that you HAVE to take your girl to a romantic restaurant.

What’s a “romantic restaurant”?

Romantic restaurants tend to have smaller, more intimate rooms, are often more dimly lit, have a good wait staff, nice tablecloths and dishware, etc.

Now, romantic doesn’t have to mean expensive.

My go to is a nice mom and pop Italian restaurant. They tend to be more reasonably priced, but still have that intimate, romantic feel.

The activity

Most guys will just take their girl to dinner on V-day but, since you’re not most guys, take her to do something before or after the meal.

Just like the meal, the key to choosing a good Valentine’s Day activity is finding something that’s romantic.

Not sure what to do? Here are a couple ideas:

• Take a blanket, a bottle of champagne and a candle to a nice viewpoint. This viewpoint could be anything from a hilltop to the roof of your house. Either way, lay out the blanket, light the candle, crack the champagne and enjoy.

• Go for a night drive to a place where you and your valentine had a “first” together. This could be where you first met, where you had your first kiss or where you proposed or got married. When you get there, play some romantic music and reminisce on your past.

• Set up a movie night AT HOME. Please don’t take your girl to the movie theater on V-day. Instead, set up something nice in front of the TV in your house: lay out a few blankets, find as many pillows as you can and light a few candles (away from all those flammable pillows). Add a nice bottle of wine or champagne and you’ve got a great evening.

3. Get her something nice

Just like flowers are a must on V-day, so is a gift.

That said, it doesn’t have to be something big or expensive.

Especially on an occasion like Valentine’s day, where romance is so important, a handmade gift is a great option.

Don’t worry if you’re not creative. With a handmade gift, it’s the thought and the time you spent to make it that counts.

If you plan on buying something and you’re looking for some ideas, check out this list from our friends at The Distilled Man.

4. Write her a handwritten love note/letter

A handwritten love note is something that’s very old fashioned that most guys no longer give to their girl.

Because of this, when you give her one, she’ll be impressed.

It doesn’t have to be anything long, just put pen or pencil to paper and tell her all that she means to you.

Give it to her before you leave for work in the morning or after you eat dinner.

5. Hide candy hearts that she’ll find throughout her day

Pick out your favorite candy heart sayings like “My Girl”, “Me & You”, “My Love” or “Be Mine”.

Before she wakes up in the morning, hide them in different places that you know she’ll find:

• Next to the bathroom sink
• By the coffee machine
• In one of her shoes
• On the seat of her car
• In her briefcase (or whatever else she takes to work)
• Etc.

Try to hide the hearts in different types of places so that she’ll continue to find them throughout her day.

In Conclusion

Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be stressful; it should be a fun day for you and your significant other

Red roses, a nice date, a gift, a love note and candy hearts. Successfully put these 5 Valentine’s Day tips together and you’ll be a V-Day hero.

Photo Credit: Randy Heinitz on Flickr