Bring the Beach Home for Valentine's Day

Can't get where it's warm? No problem, with a few items you can turn any room into a romantic beach front get-away that she'll always remember.

Step one:
Get rid of the kids for the night. All night...

Step two:
Go shopping:
1. Get her favorite beverage; wine, champagne or liquor.
2. Get a queen size white sheet.
3. Get 4 bags of play sand- This is important. Contractor grade sand is a much coarser sand. Available at Lowes.
4. Get one box of fresh strawberries and two large Hershey chocolate bars and one roll of wax paper.
5. If you don't have house plants, get at least two large plastic plants.
6. Find a couple beach towels or large towels you can use.
7. Get a romantic Valentine's Day card.
8. Get one dozen roses.
9. Find her favorite bikini or bathing suit.
10. Get beach music. Jimmy Buffett or Bob Marley is always good.
11. Get either baby oil or suntan lotion.
12. Get some seafood at your favorite local restaurant.

Now you're organized. Hopefully. Let's get started on setting up the night. Step three:
1. Start by melting the Hershey bars and wash the strawberries. Set the burner on a low heat and break up the bars and stir while they melt.
2. Put some wax paper on the counter, allow the strawberries to dry on a paper towel.
3. After the Hershey bars have melted completely, dip each strawberry and place it on the wax paper to harden.
4. Put the seafood in the oven on 200 degrees to keep it warm.

Let's get the room ready. Step four:
1. Spread the sheet out on the floor.
2. Spread the sand out on the sheet, but make sure you leave room around the edges of the sheet to make cleanup a little easier.
3. Position as many plants as possible around the "beach".
4. Put her favorite beverage on ice, with a couple glasses for both of you on the "beach".
5. Save one rose for the beach. Take the others and tear the petals off and spread them to mark a trail into the beach room.
6. By now the strawberries should be ready to go. Place them on a beach towel on the beach next to the remaining rose and oil.
7. Put her card and bikini in an obvious place right inside the door she normally enters. Make sure you tell her she must put on the bikini and follow the rose path.
8. Set out the seafood on the towels.
9. Turn up the heat in the house. You want it tropical. I found that setting it at 82 degrees worked great.
10. Crank up the music.
11. Wait for her to get home and you know what to do from here...

When she comes home, the first thing you'll hear is, "Why is the heat up so high?" Just sit tight and wait. She'll come find you for a night you'll both remember forever.
Total cost: Around $155.

Other options for a more affordable night:
Get just two bags of sand or use a sand colored blanket to simulate the sand.
Get a seafood sampler instead of two complete dinners.
Get a single long stem rose and some red wrapping paper (You can tear it up to simulate rose petals).