How to set up your virtual Valentine's Day date

Well, it's that time of the year again---where otherwise neutral storefronts turn into shrines to all the different hues of pink, Hallmark cards put on their best faces, and you are once again surprised by just how many things can be made into a heart shape---it's Valentine's Day. And while that usually means booking a dinner at a fancy restaurant, or an otherwise long-standing favorite, splurging on chocolates and flowers, and spending some time with your significant other, this year's lockdown regulations may have put a damper on most if not all of those plans.

But that doesn't mean that the holiday is cancelled! Whether you live with your SO, live apart, or even scored a first date for Valentine's Day, there are still plenty of ways to make this year's tribute to love a memorable one.

If you have a live-in partner:

Whether you've only been together for a year or for 10 years, making Valentine's Day special can still feel like a challenge. Now that you've both been confined to the same space for the past 11 months or so, finding romance in will take some creativity, which as you'll see, isn't all hard to find.

Transform your dining space

Whether you decide to adventure into making your own meal, or ordering takeout, we know that the dining experience is really all in the presentation. Even just opting for some different/themed placemats or dusting off those fancy wine glasses can help you forget that you're eating at the same dinner table you've been using part-time for your home office, and not at a dolled-up French restaurant.

Cozy up your lounging

What's better than lying down on a really comfortable couch after a big meal? That's right---nothing. So make the experience even more cozy: Build a blanket fort (even adults deserve to play sometimes), light some candles, change into more forgiving pants, and make sure your favorite snacks are not too far away before you start your movie or continue binging that new series.

Try something new for dessert

There have been a lot of tasty trends going around the internet the past few months, but our favorite has to be the hot chocolate bomb---a dessert in and of itself! You can order some from a local bakery or pastry shop, sure, or you can make your own with some inexpensive molds, chocolate, and mini marshmallows!

If you're physically apart:

While all that sounds great, we understand that not everyone has the same luxuries. So if you and your partner live apart, or you're still in the "first dates" stages with a recent match, there are still some tricks you can pull to make this year's Virtual Valentine's Day a special one.

Set up a video call

This probably goes without saying, but seeing each other's actual faces can help the distance feel a little less biting. Free services like Zoom or Google Meet can be set up on either a laptop, tablet, or even just your phone. You can still have the same dinner experience with your device propped up on the table, with only half the dishes to clean up afterward!

Watch a movie or show together

If you haven't heard of the handy Chrome extension called Teleparty yet, you've been seriously missing out. It's a free extension that will sync up your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, even HBO (have to be available on both laptops) so that you and your watching partner can watch the same thing at the exact same time---no lagging---with even a group chat function built in so you can share your reactions. Though, our personal recommendation would be to keep the video call going, and enjoy your reactions in real-time.

Share the experience

Of course, no date goes untold. Share all the details with your nosy friends, or an expectant mom with free texting and calling from TextNow: Unlimited usage without the monthly bill.