#mankas

It's two weeks to Valentine's Day and the last time I posted here was many moons ago so I figure it's a good time to talk about one of my favorite topics: romance. Now, after reading several Emily Giffin books (see below post on chick lit), I consider myself to be a bit of a scholar in this department. So, without further ado, here are a few suggestions I have on the best ways to woo your partner. Guys, you're welcome.

1. Blooms

Some things don't go out of style and in my opinion, amazing flowers are one of them. If you live in San Francisco and are looking for a stellar bouquet, Church Street Flowers at Market and Church, does a gorgeous job. If you want to save money on delivery, consider hiring a TaskRabbit to do it. My friend Will told me he sometimes does this and I thought it was super smart as delivery can add a pretty penny. 

Another option in the Bay Area is Farm Girl Flowers, which ships locally sourced flowers (yay! no carbon footprint!) to your door and starts at $30 an arrangement. And if you live outside of California, you may want to check out the Bouqs Company, which also sends awesome bouquets at a flat rate. I bought my mom a subscription to Bouqs and it was amazing to see her excitement month after month.

2. The Dirty Weekend

If you have a bit more time and money on your hands, you can't put a price on what my friend Katie's mom calls, "the dirty weekend." My favorite romantic spot to get away in the Bay Area is Manka's Inverness Lodge, an old hunting and fishing cabin, which combines flannel blankets and fireplaces with Frette sheets and Keihl's bath products. Best of all, in the morning they deliver a delicious "foraged" (hey, this is Northern California) breakfast and the New York Times to your door. I have dreams about that sticky bun. You can always work off said bun by hiking through the majestic scenery of Point Reyes National Seashore.

3. The Grand Gesture

If you're short on cash but high on creativity, this is your go-to. The grand gesture should be used sparingly but when timed correctly, it can be wonderful. Take, for example, the closing scene of Never Been Kissed where Drew Barrymore reads that terrible letter at the baseball stadium then drops the mic (note: Drew Barrymore dropped the mic before anyone else) only to have Michael Vartan come bounding down the steps moments later. Or when that guy that nobody likes in Love Actually brings the boombox to Keira Knightley's house with those odd signs. Or, speaking of boomboxes, the ultimate pop culture grand gesture -- John Cusack lifting the sounds of Peter Gabriel above his head.