Valentine's Dinner at Home Thanks to Civello's

Want to surprise your sweetheart with a homemade Valentine's Dinner rather than fighting the overpriced restaurant crowds, but you don't know how to cook? Do you know how to boil water? If so, Civello's Ravioli has you covered with their adorable heart-shaped stuffed pastas that have been tinted using red beets(just the tint, not beet flavored). They've got four different fillings, so whether your Sig-O prefers cheese or something more exciting, they have your dinner taken care of. Prices range from $10-$20 a dozen (lobster is more expensive then cheese, obviously).

Call 214-827-2989 for the current selections, visit them at http://civellosraviolismo.com/  or swing by the shop on Peak Street. Since you're saving all that money by staying in for dinner, go splurge on a good bottle of Italian wine at Jimmy's Food Store, just up the street.

Popping the Question on V-Day

Yes, a lot of people think it's cliche to pop the question on Valentine's Day. But you know what? They still do it. Why? Because it works. And that way you won't forget the day you proposed. So there's a bonus. If you're looking for another bonus, how about a free meal? Nicola's is offering a free dinner if you propose over V-Day dinner. The Valentine's Day deal includes dinner for two for $89, then you get to come back and relive the magic with a free dinner later. You weren't going to actually propose over a free meal, were you? Here are all the deets from the Nicola's PR people:


It’s a day of love poems, romance and surprise engagements: Valentine’s Day. This February 14th, Ristorante Nicola, located at 8111 Preston Road in Dallas, invites guys (and ladies) to take a bended knee in an elegant atmosphere with exquisite food that will not be soon forgotten. Every couple who “pops the question” during the evening’s meal will receive a complimentary dinner*. To make the event extra special, the staff at Ristorante Nicola will even work with suitors on a one-on-one basis before the big day to determine a perfect surprise presentation. Imagine a loved one’s expression when the tiramisu arrives topped with an engagement ring!

The evening’s three-course San Valentino (Valentine’s Day) menu, for those getting engaged or just enjoying a dinner together, is $89 per couple plus tax and gratuity. It will be available on Tuesday, February 14 from 5 to 10 p.m. The restaurant’s most treasured items from the regular menu of house-made pastas and other delicacies will also be available during this time. Reservations can be made by calling (214) 379-1111 or by visiting www.nicoladallas.com. 

And no, Sig-O, we're not going there for Valentine's Day dinner, so you can stop the panic now.

Learn Origami to Hold Chocolate

This sounds like a fun class where you can make a present for V-Day that won't force you to say, "It's the thought that counts, right?"

In this class, you will pick your favorite color of cardstock and fold a perfect square box, just the size to hold one of CocoAndre Chocolatier’s fine chocolates. Apply a square of patterned paper to the top of the box, tie a neat bow, and you have a gorgeous handmade gift. The final touch is a nifty double heart gift tag made using paper cutouts and a luggage tag.

SPREAD THE LOVE!!!!!! A portion of proceeds from this class will go to Genesis Women's Shelter. Click here for all the deets.

Great Date Deal for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Here's a great idea if you're looking to plan a great date for Valentine's Day or really any day. From the Cut & Paste via Travelzoo Division:

It's "all too easy to while away an entire afternoon" at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, according to Frommer's. With this exclusive Local Deal, subscribers can spend a day touring 109 acres of native and exotic plants and enjoy lunch at the Gardens Restaurant for $16, regularly $29.

Highlights of the grounds and the 2,500 species on display include the Rose Garden -- modeled after Italy’s renowned Villa Lante -- and the Texas Native Forest Boardwalk. Admission to the seven-acre Japanese Garden, which Frommer's calls "serene," as well as fish food for the koi ponds, are also included with this deal.< Lunch at The Gardens Restaurant consists of:

• Any appetizer, like the roasted bell pepper hummus with feta, olives and pita bread (up to $7)
• Any entree, like the bistro shrimp pasta with fresh mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes (up to $12)
• Any nonalcoholic beverage, like soft drinks, iced or hot tea, or coffee (up to $2.50); in addition, bottles of wine are 20% off with this deal

Or for $30, purchase an annual membership valid for two people and enjoy the gardens as often as you'd like all year long. To see the full benefits of membership, including reciprocity at gardens nationwide and restaurant discounts, click here. And click here to get this deal now.

$99 Spa Deal at the Four Seasons

From the Cut & Paste via Travelzoo Division, but seriously, snag this one as it's a great V-day gift idea or a great way to spoil yourself:


The Spa & Salon at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, the only AAA 5-Diamond resort in Texas, is a "lavish place [that] seems worlds away from Dallas" according to Condé Nast's Concierge.com. For $99, Travelzoo subscribers can visit this luxury spa for a trio of treatments with amenity access, regularly $185. This exclusive package includes: 

• A 50-minute Las Colinas custom massage, which combines Swedish, therapeutic and deep-tissue techniques 

• A Moroccan oil scalp massage, where warm oil is drizzled along your scalp then slowly massaged through your hair to enhance texture and shine 

• A lava gel hand treatment, where hands are moisturized and placed into self-heated lava mitts to rejuvenate dry skin 

• Access to the spa amenities, including the eucalyptus steam room, dry heat sauna, warm whirlpool, outdoor spa pool, hot tub and cold plunge pool 

• Refreshments like peach tea, lemon or cucumber water and fresh fruit after your treatments


Click here to get it. I'd suggest you do it fast b/c this one will likely sell out.

V-Day Getaway Package at The Belmont Hotel

Red Hot Love - Valentine's Special

Whether your love meter is registering cool, warm, or hot we're here to help you take it up a notch on the heat meter. Grab your lover, book the Red Hot Love package, and the Belmont Hotel will do the rest. This package for 2 includes: ♥ Flowers from the petal wizards at Dirt... to set the scene ♥ Chocolates from the sugary scientists at Dude Sweet Chocolate... to sweeten the pallete ♥ A bottle of Champagne... to fan the flames ♥ Special seating for 2 on the BarBelmont patio... the perfect panorama for romance This package takes a while to heat up so please allow 48 hours notice. Rates: Standard $169/Deluxe $189/Jr Suite $239/Suite $279

My Next Vacation, Please?

Just saw Living Social Escapes release this fantastic special and I so want to take advantage of this getaway:

A Texan Confection of Perfection

Like a cloud of cotton candy, this week's Escape is a light, airy getaway that's oh-so-sweet. Savor a two-night trip for two to a country cottage at Serenity Farmhouse Inn in Wimberley, Texas, and delight in a sumptuous bath package or a culinary trip that'll leave your taste buds wanting more.

Perched atop a hill in the middle of picture-perfect Texas Hill Country, the bed and breakfast offers a much-needed spoonful of tranquility to soothe your stresses and melt away concerns. Come for a two-night weekday ($298) or weekend ($389) stay and lounge around on hand-ironed vintage linens in a quaint cottage bedchamber.

The inn is peppered with antiques, fine china, and fresh flowers, not to mention endearing little farm animals that never stray far. Whether you're in the White Willow cottage with its lovely canopy bed, or the Poet's Cottage with its library and 1930s crystal chandelier, you and your travel companion will get a taste of cozy antiquity.

Wake up to a hearty in-room breakfast every morning, then meander through shops in Wimberley Square and see "Shakespeare Under The Stars" at the Emily Ann Theatre. Head to Wimberley Glass Works to see glass-blowers demonstrate their craft, or stroll through a nearby lavender field for a deliciously aromatic experience.

Click here for all the deets and to take advantage of this fantastic deal. I'm more relaxed just thinking about it.

OMG! Penguins for Valentines!

No, you cannot have a penguin for Valentine's Day, but you can have a real, live, wearing a permanent tuxedo, holy crap he's cute penguin deliver your valentine. You'll be supporting the Fort Worth Zoo (which rocks) by adopting a penguin (no, you don't get to keep him at your house). But, OMG, it sounds like so much fun. There are various donation levels that come with a whole host of benefits, but for higher levels there is an add-on of a penguin delivered valentine. Hurry up and make your donation because those penguin deliveries are going FAST!