With Valentine’s Day coming up, I figured I would write a letter to all the guys out there who are prepping for this big day.

To the guys who have a special someone in their life, Valentine’s Day is an important day. But do not put too much stress on the situation, or you will mess this up. Use Sunday night as your chance to remind your loved one how much they mean to you. 

Fellas, this means you are going to have to pony up for the night. Start by wearing something casual that still shows a little class. I suggest a nice, light pink or blue button-down shirt. Accent this by wearing some classic tan slacks. However, if you want to really spice things up, I would go with a nice pair of navy slacks. To really finish the look, wear a brown belt and some dress shoes, preferably a pair of brown ankle boots. 

Now that the attire has been set, it is time to pick a venue. 

I suggest sticking to a nice local restaurant. The classic choice would be Ricatoni’s Italian Grill. However, any sit-down restaurant will do as long as you avoid a sports bar atmosphere. Never and I mean never take a date to the same place you would go and eat with the boys on the weekend. 

Finally, remember why the night is happening. 

Devote your time and energy to communicating with your significant other, to get the most out of your time with one another. Treat them with the utmost respect. Let the night be one to remember. 

If going with the traditional route is not your specialty, may I suggest a well thought out day?

I suggest spending the day doing an activity that your partner enjoys. Say they are an artist. Start by picking up some canvas and paints, and spend the day painting with them. You would be surprised how much fun you can have when you let someone you care for teach you a new craft. 

For dinner, make a home cooked meal. Something easy, of course, because let us be real here, college guys can not cook. I suggest a traditional caesar salad to open the night, followed by an oven baked Italian cuisine with a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. (By the way guys, if you can buy that bottle for less than $15 then pick a different bottle.)

To finish the night, I would go with a box pie or cake from a local deli aisle because baking is not worth the hassle. Especially, if you already cooked a meal for the night. 

But, sadly not every one of us guys will be celebrating Valentine’s Day in the traditional sense this year. 

Not to worry though, fellas, because there are some solid benefits to this. 

First off, I would begin the day by waking up late (because who cares, right?) Then, you can quite literally do whatever makes you happy. Maybe that’s playing video games, watching tv or playing a sport. 

My personal favorite thing to do on Valentine’s Day when I was single was to go to my living room, watch ESPN, eat on an entire box of pizza rolls. Afterwards, I would go out to bowl with my buddies.

The point of this is to get across the idea that it is not a big deal that you are single on Valentine’s Day. Don’t blow it out of proportion. You only make it a big deal if it gets you in your feelings. 

If this would describe you, I have a solution.

Begin your day finding your group of friends who are also single this year, and hang out for the day. Go to places that are not conducive to the traditional Valentine’s Day norms and get to know your friends a bit better. 

By the end, of the day you will have forgotten that you were lonely to start the day. 

The most important takeaway from this is that Valentine’s Day is a day to spend with those you care about. It is a day to let people see the real you and they will soon follow suite. When you spend time pouring yourself into those around you, it will build a stronger bond between you and that person you spent the day with. 

Valentine’s Day gives us the perfect opportunity to achieve this basic goal of human interaction. So, from me to all of you: I hope that by the end of the day you have developed a deeper bond between you and those you spent the day with.