Everything You Need to Know Last Minute on Valentine's Day

The time has come: it’s Valentine’s Day, so if you haven’t made plans, it’s time to get it together. For those who need last-minute ideas, Birmingham Patch has your guide to everything you need to know to make your special someone happy today. To make for easy reading, we’ve listed everything in fives.

Five go-to spots for chocolates and flowers

Five facts about Valentine's Day cards

You can always trust that Valentine's Day standby: a card. If your loved ones give you grief for only springing for a card, fill them in on some of these fast facts from the Greeting Card Association.

• Two-thirds of all Americans celebrate the holiday with greeting cards, making a card the most popular Valentine’s Day gift.
• The first valentines in America were exchanged during the Revolutionary War. They were handmade and featured sentimental verses.
• In a survey, 45 percent of women said they were likely to give a humorous card, while only 34 percent of men said that’s what they wanted.
• Valentine’s Day is the largest e-card-sending occasion of the year (a good backup if you’ve forgotten your mom or sister-in-law). An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010.
• Teachers receive more valentines than anyone else in the U.S.

Five free gifts anyone can afford

So you want to give him or her a present, but you’re lacking funds? There’s no need to spend when the best valentines are completely free.

• Write love notes: Put them in unexpected places, like under a windshield wiper, taped to deodorant or in a lunchbox.
• Dedicate time: Set aside a night just for you and your valentine—no computers, work or smart phone allowed. Or maybe your valentine needs help on a project; spend part of your weekend in his workshop so he can finally finish that coat rack.
• Request “your” song: It may be a long shot, but give your favorite radio station a call at a time you know your special someone will be listening, and dedicate a song to him or her.
• Give a massage: And make it last at least 15 minutes.
• Complain less: Try to focus on the positive all day and give more compliments more readily than you normally would. This is an especially good idea for married valentines.

Five places to go out for a romantic dinner

So maybe your valentine wants to be taken out tonight. We’ve got five ideas from our :

• : Birmingham’s premier four-star restaurant is the perfect place for a candlelight dinner.
• :  Enjoy one of the city’s new bistros with good food and specialty wine.
• Stroll through : Don’t be afraid of the cold; take a stroll through Shain Park after dinner and enjoy the snow, public artwork and winding sidewalks.
• : Recreate the iconic scene from Lady and the Tramp and let the Italian fare at Salvatore Scallopini set the mood.
• : Treat your man or lady right with a steak dinner for two.