11 ways to stay in on V-Day (doing more than you think)

Valentine’s Day is totally corny and full of such forced romance that one in three people claim it’s their least favorite day. I made that statistic up, but it’s probably true. So why put yourself out there before that disapproving demographic when you know all you want to do is stay inside with your special someone? Here, suggestions from some of our favorite romantics for embracing the day without leaving home.

1. Play a romantic album that isn’t cliché “I don’t think that anyone has ever, or will ever, make a romantic album that can compare to the three-disc masterpiece, 69 Love Songs, by The Magnetic Fields. Of course, to remind people why they’ve fallen in love with Brooklyn, I can’t recommend Daptone Gold enough. The new funk/soul-driven compilation from Bushwick’s amazing Daptone Records is danceable, makeoutable and generally flawless.”
– Gina Pensiero, author, One Sweet Song; musician, Palmyra,  NY Times Blogger

2. Spend the day like Brooklyn’s Impossibly Perfect Couple “A great Valentines Day begins with sleeping late. Then make breakfast together—something big, so you don’t have to think about food again until dinner: Bloody Marys, fresh biscuits, bacon, grits. Then return to bed and eat it there. If it’s raining, I might bake cookies.  It’s likely we’ll do damage to a few bottles of wine. For the evening—there’s the Reggae Sunday dance party at LOX in Clinton Hill, preceded by dinner at Peaches in Bed-Stuy. But a new episode of Big Love goes so very well with Thai food delivery. The only really important part is that we’re together. It’s the kind of holiday where we promise not to check our email on anything other than our phones, and that only sporadically.  Sundays are such lovely days for holidays like this. Just staying in bed, catching up on HBO on Demand, hanging out with each other and our cats and sometimes drifting into the kitchen for food – that’s just about exactly how I’d most like to pass a day.” 
–Alex, half of Brooklyn’s Impossibly Perfect Couple

3. Make yourself into a human Valentine cake “Ingredients: your naked body, cake frosting, sprinkles, candies of your choice, whipped creme, birthday candles, and any other of your partner’s favorites. You can stick the candles in between your fingers or toes and light them if you are kinky and like to play with candle wax. The secret to this is to have a good sense of humor… there is nothing sexier!”
-Rosabelle Selavy, burlesque dancer, Sugar Shack

4. Read the Classics “For a romantic book to give as a gift, it’s a tie between the Gift of the Magi and Cujo (or, more seriously, The Sun Also Rises—predictable but classic).”
– Robert Lanham, editor, Free Williamsburg; author

5. Learn to play a romantic guitar song in five minutes “Learn just the G, D, Em and C chords to master both ‘You Look Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric Clapton and the classic Prince song ‘Nothing Compares to You’ (not to mention about a thousand other love songs)!”
– Shane Chapman, program director and teacher at the Brooklyn Guitar School

6. Splurge on a bottle of Valpolicella “While the French may have invented romance;  the Italians refined it—just taste this soft, supple and juicy wine.”
– Max and Bartley, Smith and Vine wine shop

7. Practice your pelvic chakras “For specific poses, anything that helps tone the pelvic floor will improve your sex life. A squat, which you help to support by lifting up the pelvic floor, is good. So are inversions—such as handstands, headstands, and shoulderstands—which reverse the blood flow to the legs and the nether regions. Meditating on the first (mooladhara) and second (svadistana) chakra can also help unlock creative juices.”
– Joelle Hahn, instructor at Go Yoga and blogger

7b. Or Practice this Pose “dosomethinglightandfunwithyourpartnerthatdoesntinvolverosesorchocolateand forgodssakedontmasturbateatleast3daysbeforeyouhaveyourbigdate  asana”.
– Matthew Lombardo, instructor at Go Yoga

8. Make your own CD art “Make dinner and a mix-CD featuring your own cover art. Sure CDs are done, but the cover art will still make ‘em swoon!”
– Andrew Wagner, editor-in-chief, ReadyMade

9. Draw a bath-stravaganza “I’d be thrilled if my sig other drew me a bath, lit a candle on the bathtub rim Oprah-style, and drizzled in some organic bath oil or essential-oil-scented salts—just not lavender or chamomile, since those are soporifics, and maybe you don’t want to pass out immediately on Valentine’s Day…”
– Melisse Gelula, co-founder, Well + Good NYC

10. Have some bubbles & cream “The classic V-day combo is any triple cream cheese, a baguette and a bottle of champagne (or Cava or Prosecco to save money.) Triple creams are soft, spreadable and brie-like cheeses with extra cream added to the milk. The result is a sweet, accessible, and unctuous cross between cheese and butter—definitely sexy. The sparkling wine cuts through the richness and makes for a decadent sensual experience.”
– Dan Granke, fromagier, Stinky bklyn, importer Forever Cheese

11. Use renovations to sturdy your relationship “Anchor your headboard to the wall.”
– Jonathan Butler, publisher, Brownstoner