11 Last-Minute Things To Do Valentine’s Day, Even If You Have To Work Late

If you’re both working late on February 14 and will be too tired to cook something together, food delivery services, like Seamless, Grubhub, Postmates, are a perfect way to still have a nice Valentine’s Day evening with your significant other. The most effort you’ll have to make is answering the doorbell. Then, whether you two decide to dress up for your at-home date — why not?! — or put on sweats, you can light a few candles and your Valentine’s Day mood is set. You can either eat at your dining room table, on a blanket on the floor, aka an indoor picnic, or in bed while you watch the Netflix show you’ve been waiting to watch together.

Even if neither of you are chefs, services like Plated, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron make it easy for you to fake it. They deliver all the ingredients you need to make a delicious meal together, and no grocery shopping is necessary. This makes for the perfect thing to do together on Valentine’s Day night. You can either watch a new show or be tech-free and catch up on your day and lives instead.

As was mentioned in #1 and #2 above, sometimes TV- and movie-watching gets pushed to the back burner when other things take precedence. So if you’re both working late and don’t want to fight the crowds at some overpriced restaurant with a prix fixe menu, finally being able to watch the latest show or film on Netflix may be just the thing you want to do together on Valentine’s Day.

Chances are, you and your partner both enjoy a certain board game — like Scrabble — or simple-yet-fun activity, like putting together a puzzle. If you both have long work days on Valentine’s Day, doing something relaxed like this could be the perfect at-home date night.

A very romantic last-minute Valentine’s Day activity is going to see the stars — and by stars, I mean the ones in the sky, not in Hollywood. If stars aren’t visible in your backyard, just grab a blanket and a thermos of hot chocolate and get outside of the city. Then, have a moonlit night while you lie down next to your valentine and watch the sky above.

No matter where you live, going on a drive with your significant other is a fun thing to do. For instance, if you live in a place like L.A., driving the Pacific Coast Highway is amazing at night. During the drive, you can have the windows open so you can hear the ocean waves. You can also pull over and park at a scenic spot where the moon is illuminating the water. It makes for an easy, romantic, and free date.

While some cities have organized night hikes for people to go on, you and your Valentine can create your own walk or hike. Similar to the star-gazing idea, you can bring along a thermos of your favorite beverage and a blanket for when you take a break. You can also choose a place that has an amazing scenic overlook to add another romantic layer to the evening.

When you were a kid, you probably went to the local park a lot. But, as an adult, you likely have not, especially not in the dark. However, once you go, you’ll see how fun it is. Plus, you and your valentine will probably have the park to yourselves, so you can go down the slide or swing on the swings to your heart’s content. You can also bring along your favorite snacks or beverages to have a Valentine’s Day toast.

There’s probably a diner in your city that’s a guilty pleasure for you and your partner. In L.A., that diner is Dupar’s, which is known for their amazing pies, and you probably have an equivalent where you live. If you and your valentine are both working late, 24-hour diners are the perfect place to go together for some comfort food and comfort cuddling in the corner booth.

If you and your partner both have a sweet tooth, having an ice cream social for two is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. You make your own ice cream, which is *much* easier than you may think, or have your favorite flavors on hand. Then, be sure to have a variety of toppings ready, and you and your sweet can have a very sweet night. Two-for-one: You can also use some of those toppings together in the bedroom, then clean up with #11.

If you have a bathtub, it’s very easy to create your own DIY spa. You can either have an alluring bath waiting for your significant other when they get home or create it together. Some ideas for what you’ll need include: bubble bath, bath bombs (from places such as Lush), essential oils (i.e., a soothing scent like lavender), relaxing music playing via Spotify, massage oils, rose petals to add to the bath water, flowers (just because), Champagne, etc. If you don’t have a bathtub, you can amend this idea and use the shower instead, perhaps with you waiting inside.

Whatever you decide to do for Valentine’s Day, even if you and your significant other are both busy, you can still have a memorable night. Whether you do one of the last-minute ideas above or nothing, the point is that the two of you are together, which is the best Valentine’s Day gift of all, right?