Are things becoming dull or routine?  Do you need to spice things up? Perhaps you’re just looking for ideas on how to create that special mood for you and your significant other. Well here are some simple and cost-friendly tips on how to smoothly transition an average day into one teeming with romance.

1. Beaches, Bikes & Bonfires

Drive to the beach with your bikes in the car (or you can rent bikes on the beach).  Have a light picnic packed: some crackers with bleu cheese and walnuts, hard boiled eggs, and chilled strawberries with cider (since champagne might not be allowed on the beach). Take a bike ride along the beach right before the sun sets. Don’t forget to bring some firewood and a blanket in case the beach has a bonfire pit where you and your sweetheart can lay in each other’s arms watching the sun melt behind the clouds.

2. Dinner for Two

Create a mixed CD or play list on your iPod of songs that evoke romance between the two of you. If you are the nostalgic type, choose songs that will bring back certain memories of you two together. When your significant other is out for a couple hours, prepare a homemade meal consisting of his/her favorite dishes. Set a small table up with candlesticks, place settings and a single flower on each chair. Time things so that when he/she walks in, the music is already playing softly. Don’t forget to have chilled wine and a favorite dessert to top off the dinner date.

3. Classic Movie Date

Instead of going to your local movie theater, do some research online to find places that are showing outdoor movies. Try for a matinée or late night show. If there are no outdoor movie venues in your area, look for an old fashioned drive-in. Choose a genre that you know both of you will thoroughly enjoy. Sometimes it’s nice to get away from the modern blockbuster hits and see an old classic film. Bring pillows and blankets so you’re comfortable. To munch on, pack baggies of caramel corn and a thermos of coffee or lemonade. Get cozy and spend the night in front of the big screen while being under the stars.

4. Cooking Duo

Whether both of you know how to cook, only one of you, or neither, you can always spice things up by taking one night out to cook a meal together. Choose something different than the average dinner. Saute black olives and garlic in olive oil and then toss with some linguine. While one person is taking care of that task, the other can quickly boil some shrimp for shrimp cocktails as an appetizer. Have some french bread on the side (but not too much as it can be heavy and put you to sleep) and for dessert try some dessert wine like a Muscat Canelli. After everything is cooked and ready to eat, prepare a nice setting so the two of you can dine alone. The meal will taste that much sweeter knowing you two created it together.

5. Hike & Love Letters

Each of you can take an hour out of the week and separately put together 10 reasons why you love each other. Early Saturday morning, pack lunch, hiking gear and your letters and embark on a hike together. Plan the level of difficulty of the hike depending on how active the two of you are. The more challenging the better, as you will feel more accomplished by the time you reach the top. When the two of you have reached the highest and are about to sit down to eat and rest, pull out letters and take turns reading them to each other. Not only will you feel exhilarated from the hike, but it will have made the event memorable for both of you.

6. Hot Oil Massages with Rose Petals

Don’t want to go out anywhere? Get some store bought massage oil for a romantic night in. Try Lavender or Jasmine essential oil. If you want to get creative, buy some stones used for hot stone therapy. Strew the bedspread with fresh rose petals and on the dresser or side table, have some glasses filled with white wine infused with chopped strawberries soaking at the bottom of each glass. Take turns giving each other sensual massages. Heat the oil up by rubbing it between your palms. If you use hot stones, simply heat them up for 20 minutes in a crock pot or roasting pan. Keep them hot by placing them in a bowl filled with hot water. Gently place them on your partner’s body in areas that are sore or sensitive. This will put both of you in the mood and you will each appreciate the skill and warmth in each other’s hands.

7. Bed & Breakfast Cottage with Horseback Riding

Want to do something different? If you’re willing to splurge for a weekend with just the two of you, save up for a night at a bed and breakfast or romantic cottage somewhere out of town. Pack lightly but with just enough so the two of you are comfortable and equipped with everything you need on your weekend away. Don’t forget upbeat CDs that you know both of you will enjoy during the road trip. Try to book a place that has a ranch nearby so you can go horseback riding together. If not, look for interesting places in the area of the bed and breakfast that you two can go exploring in.

8. Recreating a Favorite Memory

Do you have a special first date? Or maybe it was down the line in your relationship but the memory has always stuck with you. Recreate that special day the two of you had. Be sure to bring a camera with you. Go to that same exact spot that made the sparks fly between the two of you. Go to the same restaurant you did before and chat about what you first chatted about the first time around. It will evoke feelings of nostalgia and also remind the two of you how far you’ve come and the reasons why you knew you were right for each other from that moment on.

9. Camping Right Outside

If the weather is right, set up a tent together in the backyard. On a portable radio or iPod, play romantic songs and slow dance to them under the stars. Have a thermos of hot cocoa to warm the two of you up. Get snuggled up inside the tent and stay up late into the night and just talk about things you want to do together in the near future. Keep the conversation light and playful but don’t be afraid to open your hearts to each other in the middle of the night.

10. Fun in the Snow

When it snows, get bundled up and ready for some fun in the powder. If you live where it doesn’t get cold enough to snow, try planning a trip just the two of you where you can rent a cabin for the night in an area that’s full of snow. Armed with energy after a hearty meal, prepare for a full on snow ball fight. Build your own forts far away from each other (but not too far) and begin bombarding each other with snow balls.  Afterward, take some time to create your very own snowman. Use little knick-knacks for the eyes, ears and nose. If you’re lucky enough, there will be a frozen pond nearby where you two can go ice-skating together. After coming home, drink hot cider to warm your insides and snuggle together by a fireplace.