Candles have long been associated with romance. Candlelight dinners to add romance to the evening may be a little cliched, but with a little creativity, they can also be a nice touch when spending some quality time with your partner. There’s something about the flickering lights and the different scents that can instantly change your environment and your general mood.

To help you start thinking a little more romantically, here are some neat ideas for using candles to increase the romance:

1. Let’s Start With Dinner: As I mentioned earlier, yes a candlelight dinner does seem a bit cliched. However, so few people actually do it anymore that it can really be a neat way to add something different to dinner at home. You can decide to eat outdoors after the sun goes down by the candlelight or stay indoors and turn the lights down low.

2. Go Star Gazing: Most of us, in conjunction with not having enough romantic dinners by candlelight, probably also do not go out star gazing with our partners nearly enough either. Take yourselves back to when you first started dating and get out a blanket and perhaps a few citronella candles if mosquitoes will be a concern. You can do this right in your own backyard, or if you are in a city head to a local park. (Just be careful: some parks close at dusk – you don’t want to be arrested for trespassing!)

3. Floating Candles: Floating candles are really quite beautiful and are often a popular centerpiece at weddings and other type of formal events. You can get really big candles that can float in swimming pools or lakes for a really special effect – though placing a few small ones in a bowl of water will likely be nice too.

4. Candlelight Bubble Bath: Lighting a few candles while taking a bubble bath is a great romantic idea. If you’re lucky enough to have a tub that has room for the both of you, it can be a great way to unwind and relax together. (Or if there’s only room for one can be a really nice surprise to set one up for your partner if they might like that instead when they go in to take a shower).

5. Simple Gift Ideas: Candles can also be very sweet romantic gift ideas. You can attach a note to one that says “You Make Me Light Up” or “I’m on Fire for You”. You could also give x amount of candles for days you’ve been together or a special type/design of one that has meaning for your anniversary or a special memory together.

These are just a few ideas to start getting your creativity going when it comes to using candles for a little more added romance in your everyday life. Always be sure that no matter what you do that you follow a few basic safety rules – Never leave a candle unattended!

Do you have any romantic ideas or stories to share that involve using candles? Love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Here are 3 easy steps in creating the perfect romantic road trip.

1. Choose a Destination: Finding a destination is the easy part. You can choose wineries, flea markets, state parks, a city you enjoy visiting or other attraction you’ve been meaning to see. Our Travel Ideas Page has a long list of travel sites you can choose from to plan your romantic road trip.

2. Pack Accordingly: You’ll want to be sure you have plenty of snacks, drinks, a map and/or GPS system, music for you and your partner to enjoy, a change of clothes, an emergency road kit, a book to read, or any other things you might need. It’s also a good idea to make sure you remember sunscreen and bug spray since you never know where you’re travels may take you! Below are some of our road trip picks from Amazon.

3. Add Some Romance Using These Ideas:

1. Kiss your partner anytime you are stopped in traffic or at a red light.
2. Hold hands when you stop at a rest stop or reach your destination.
3. Swap silly stories or discuss your philosophy on life.
4. Sing romantic songs to each other.
5. Give the person who was driving a shoulder rub when you stop for a break.
6. Answer 1000 Questions for Couples.
7. Play road trip games together – there’s a great list of games here.
8. The passenger can read a favorite book or romantic poetry to the driver.
9. Pick wildflowers or dandelions from the side of the road for your love.
10. Keep receipts, ticket stubs, things you find, etc. as little trip souveniers to remember the road trip when it’s over.

Have any other great romantic road trip ideas? Feel free to share your romantic road trip ideas in the comments below.

“Mushy Junk” classifies the majority of all stereotypical romantic ideas. Things like a dozen (and beyond for some of the overly zealous mushy junksters) of red roses or a box of chocolates or some sappy love poem rhyming words like ”bay, day, say, way” in a frame.

“Sincerely Sweet” classifies the romantic ideas people wouldn’t normally think of under most circumstances. They are the romantic tips that “keep love fresh and exciting”, though we wouldn’t put it this way because that’s entirely too cliched.

At any rate, we thought we’d put a few of the “Sincerely Sweet” romantic ideas together for you to keep in mind for reference next time you feel like doing something romantic.

Become an Artist: You don’t have to be good at drawing or painting or at design to woo your love with art.  Hand drawn stick figures are perfectly acceptable. For example, my husband is a reknowned for being really horrible at drawing. But his pictures (usually accompanied by “thought bubbles”) always make me smile.  If you don’t want to draw though, you can always find a picture online to share. The other day I sent him a picture of two goldfish I found online in his email…he loved it!

Express Your Love in Music: When I was growing up, when you liked someone or they liked you back, they made you a “mixed tape”.  I don’t know anyone who actually still has a tape player or would want to sit there and go to the excruciating lengths of trying to make one today, but fortunately you can burn a CD or put together some mp3′s pretty easily now. You can get songs from either your own collection of CD’s or download them from Amazon.com. Pick either just your favorite songs, or songs that remind you of them, or whatever. Music always helps bring people closer.

Do The Person a Favor: The more your sweetheart hates doing it, the better it will be for you to do it. My husband LOVES it when I take out the trash. How silly most people would think, but it really does tell him I love him when I do something for him that he’s been dreading. So see what kind of favors you could do – maybe a chore, help with an errand, give the other person a break – whatever it may be, it will say more than words.

Present-In-A-Box: Little things with meaning collected together always make for a nice surprise gift. If you watch “The Office” at all, Jim’s tea pot gift to Pam is a great example. He gave her a teapot filled with little things that meant something special to them – things like a ketchup packet. THAT is romantic.

Surprise Adventures: If you give the other person notice (don’t make any plans on Saturday, I have a surprise for you), this can really work out well. Basically you take him or her somewhere special without them knowing the destination. It can be a park, a lake, an overnight get-a-way to a nearby town. Whatever it is, it’s a great way to get out of the usual routine and will leave you both feeling refreshed. If you’d rather not go to the great lengths of trying to plan a trip by yourself or have a picky partner, give them a travel book (readily available for free at just about any travel agency such as AAA) and tell them to pick a place and a date.

If You MUST Give Flowers: Pick something unusual or original. A cactus. A purple tulip in a vase. Bamboo, orchids, Bonsai Trees…you get the point…Roses seem trite after awhile, especially if you’re a girl and have received them from many people. Go for something boldly different. My husband gave me a jade plant for Valentine’s Day one year. I love this little house plant. Not only does it require so little maintenance I often wonder if it’s plastic, it is something I’ve been able to keep for more than just a few weeks.

These are just a few ideas for starters – but our main point is this: It is possible to be romantic without being a wimp.