Last Minute

Fortunately for procrastinators, the old stand-bys--flowers, candy, or at the very least a card--are all available until almost the very last minute. Those don't have to be your only options, however; you can pull out a successful Valentine's Day with just a bit more effort in the home stretch. Although the restaurants may be booked, and you might not have the time or energy to cook, you can pull together a romantic night at home just by ordering in your favorite takeout, lighting some candles and putting on some music. Afterwards, watch a romantic movie--for tips, see our list of favorites [link to Movies section]--or play Twister, Scrabble or another silly board game. For a card, skip all the canned, commercial messages and buy a blank card; it doesn't take too much time to write your own personal message inside, and it will mean far more. For inspiration, peruse this list of the 100 Greatest Love Poems or, even better, run to your local bookstore and pick up a book of love poetry (which makes a great last-minute gift). Shakespeare's sonnets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, W.H. Auden and Pablo Neruda are just a few of the most reliable choices.