Procrastinating?

So guys, are you a little behind on your Valentine's day planning?  Today is the big day, you know, and let's face it- you should be taking your lady out tonight. And no, dinner at MD for two just won't cut it tonight. The expectations are high and, as a fellow college student, I understand that the extra money in your wallet may be running low. Here are some fun, affordable and woman-approved date/gift ideas for you and your Valentine:

How about breakfast? There are some great local breakfast places and taking your girl out first thing means something special. Not to say you should skip class or anything, but what if you got up a little earlier to show her she's worth it? My favorite breakfast place is Bloom Coffee and Tea off Eureka in Roseville. Great coffee, awesome food and even fresh squeezed orange juice with a menu that's appropriately priced. Breakfast is offered from 8am-12pm and is full of seasonal fruits and veggies.

Bring flowers to her first class. Ok, hear me out. It's sweet and she'll smile though the entire period, no matter how boring the lecture. Or take that a little further and have a flower for her in every class. By the way, you can pick up flowers at any grocery store. There's a Safeway off of Park. Or, even better, bring her favorite coffee drink to her first class. She'll love the caffeine boost.

Make dinner for her. Or try really hard to and have a backup plan in case it doesn't turn out so well. Pasta is easy and salad will make it a meal. Taking her to dinner and making dessert is cute, too. There are some great local restaurants, like Pause Lounge in Roseville. This restaurant is offering a full-blown Valentine's Day special and all items are available a la carte. Don't worry too much about a reservation- seating at the bar and in the lounge is first come-first serve. Say "hi" to chef Michael Williams for me while you're there. Fat's Asia Bistro offers half-off all appetizers during happy hour (3-6pm). Chicago Fire is another local hot-spot off Eureka with hard to beat prices and a great menu. But, get there early!

Pictures. They really are worth a thousand words. Get together some pictures of the two of you and have them printed up. Put them in frames, make a cute scrapbook. You can do this at Walmart and some Targets.

Make a mix cd for her. Have you ever seen "Say Anything"? Consider this the modern way to express feeling through music. It could be made up of songs that remind you of her…or songs you both enjoy…or songs you would play for her on the guitar if you knew how. Get creative! And get her flowers, too. You don't want to seem cheap.

Here are some ideas to go off of, guys. Remember, today's national lovey-dovey day, so show your significant other how much you care! Or, do this any time just because she's your lady. Happy Valentine's day.