If you want to ignite that romantic spark in your love life, take Salsa classes with your loved one this Valentine season. Check out for a good salsa dance club in the city, and book that romantic experience of salsa dancing. Salsa is a sensual, passionate and intimate dance form that will have you swirl along swift beats, while you hold your partner close.
It's also flirtatious and spicy. If your partner loves dancing, this class will be the truly delightful gift that s/he's likely to remember for the rest of their lives. And both of you will get that incredible experience of salsa and romance in those classes.
Salsa Dance Academy at Bhat Bhateni offers this enchanting experience of learning salsa dancing. The best part is that they aren't even that heavy on your pockets. Rates are Rs 2,000 for students and Rs 2,200 for non-students. Discounts are also available.
Professing your love with wine
Since times immemorial, wining and dining have been the perfect way to woo your beloved. You can always pour your heart out into a tall glass and it almost never goes wrong. You can always prepare cocktails or mocktails at home to surprise your beloved. If not, there's always the option of venturing out into the market and fending for yourself.
A red rose and a glass of wine are supposed to be the perfect ingredients to a romantic evening. With Royal Kathmandu Himalayan Beverage's latest product in town, you can find both in a single package. A rose-colored wine made out of grapes with 9% sugar and 10% alcohol is found in the bottle of 750 ml that costs Rs 425. It's available at any departmental store in town. It's believed that 370 ml of wine, which is equivalent to one glass, is quite beneficial for health. Originated from France and popularized in Australia, rose wine can be a wonderful way to surprise your beloved this Valentine's Day.
Snuggle away!
We all love to cuddle. But we don't always have the time to do so. This Valentine's Day, make some time for the special someone in your life and snuggle up. Research suggests that there's more to cuddling than meets the eye. Cuddling releases oxytocin, which is the feel-good hormone, and it creates a sense of wellbeing and happiness. Cuddling can also release endorphins – which is called the body's natural LSD – the chemical released after a good workout, or when you eat chocolate, which contributes to that great feeling.
Create the right mood and gift your partner some soft cushions or pillows with covers to match. You can buy interesting covers from various décor stores in the market or you can choose to make your own. Buy some good, soft fabric with patterns of your choice. Cut it out according the shape and size of the cushion and simple stitch the three sides. Sew some buttons or ribbons on the open side and voila!
While choosing the fabric, be creative. Don't just use one kind of material. Mix and match different colors and patterns too.
Wearable love
Show your creative and thoughtful side with the gift of a personalized t-shirt. A personalized gift is always special but if you really put some extra thought to it, it could be a cherished one for a long time to come. When planning to present your Valentine with a personalized t-shirt, make sure it holds a message or significance to something they like. A quote from their favorite book or a line from a song the other loves, or even something s/he would find amusing would be a good pick for the t-shirt. Do take the trouble to guarantee that nothing embarrassing is printed if you want the other to remember you fondly when s/he wears it.
You can place your order a week before Valentine's, but some stores can even get your order ready in two days. It'll cost you anywhere from Rs 700 to a little more than Rs 1,000, depending on the kind of print and color you want.
Stores like Station and Attsh take orders, as do the little shops near Suraj Arcade in New Road.
Filled with love
We're not talking about readymade mugs with all the possible clichéd quotes scribbled on them. Think a little out of the box and gift your Valentine/Valentino a personalized mug this year. Choose a quirky quote, select a photo that brings back memories, or just have your personal message imprinted on a mug. Take your love by surprise by investing in a magic mug that looks rather plain and ordinary, but dramatically reveals your message/photo by changing its color when filled with hot liquid. Another idea is gifting a 'Couple Mug' which is a set of two mugs—one each for both of you to keep. And well, there are personalized water bottles available, too.
Personalized mugs are affordable, with price starting at Rs 350. Place your order at least a day ahead at Photo Concern in New Road or Kathmandu Poster Shop in Makhan Tole.
Key rings and badges
A key ring or a badge may seem too tiny a gift for Valentine's Day, but trust us, it can mean a lot to your partner if you encrypt something really valuable on it. You can put a photo of the two of you while you were on your first date or of the first time you met each other (if you happen to have one). Choose a short personal message, a quote you can relate to or a line from your favorite song/book/poem can serve the purpose too.
Customized key rings and badges are available at Kathmandu Poster Shop in Makhan Tole of Basantapur, and Photo Concern on New Road. The price of key rings starts at Rs 100 while badges come for Rs 75 onward. You have to order two days ahead.
Valentine's Card
This Valentine's Day, don't just step into a store and buy a card. Make one yourself. That will instantly make your loved one feel very special. In case you're struggling with the how-to of making a card, we're here to help.
Cut out the letters which make up the words 'Happy Valentine's Day' or 'Be My Valentine,' all in capital, all in uniform sizes, separately. It doesn't take that long. You just have to be careful while outlining the letters with a pencil to cut. Use a chart paper, or a nice, sturdy, long lasting paper. You can even color the cutout letters, matching or contrasting them in a cool way.
Once you've cut them out, get a long thread, and start sticking the cuttings on the thread by folding the upper part in it, use a little bit of glue in that, too. So that's the first part. The next part is easy: Write what you feel like in the big card. Write a poem, a beautiful quote, or the words that summarize your time together. Pay attention to your penmanship.
Here's another one, put your pictures in the card, it'll make it more heartfelt and personal.
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