Playing Heart to Get

At first it was all after hour clubs, late cocktails, and talking until the sun came up. Now a wild night with your steady sweetheart means any you are both still up past 10:30 p.m.

It’s not boredom with each other that’s the problem – the usual dinner/movie/pau hana cycle has you on snooze control.

Take heart – we a few ideas to wake up your romance for Valentine's Day.

	I Love Choc n' Roll There’s nothing like a little roll playing to spice things up – especially when we’re talking about coconut truffles with maple cumin candied pepitas. Local chocolatiers Madre Chocolate’s hands on class will show you how to create three delectable truffles at home for big gatherings or just for parties of two. $50 per person. Sunday, February 12, 1-4 p.m. at Madre Chocolate, 20A Kainehe St., Kailua. Make your reservation on Madre Chocolate’s website.
	Head Over Meals Take a lunch break in the great outdoors without turning into a basket case. The Contemporary Café will pack up its tasty sandwiches and salads along with a lauhala mat for a leisurely lunch on the expansive lawn surrounded by artwork. The Lauhala and Lunch picnic is $30. The Café is open 11 a.m. –2 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday. Phone orders are recommended by calling 808.523.3362.
	Love is a Balance Field Get your hearts racing again with a way to sweep him off his feet at 50 miles per hour. Tandem jet skis are available at about $55 per person for about a half-hour, giving you a new reason to hold on tight. Jet skis are available from Aloha Jet Ski, Tom Barefoot Hawaii; X-treme Water Sports in Kewalo Basin; and South Pacific Watersports and South Pacific Hawaii in Hawaii Kai.
	I Love the Nightlife Catch a glimpse of what goes down after dark at the Waikiki Aquarium. The tour is for the whole family but you can hold hands by flashlight as you see what’s on the move when the lights go out. $14 for non-members. This Friday, February 10, 7 – 9 p.m. at the Waikiki Aquarium. Call 808.440.9011 or e-mail reservations@waquarium.org.
	Screen of Hearts If you are going to do dinner and a movie bump it up with a few French additions worth crushing on. The Academy of Arts' Valentine's Day dinner features a buffet of Eat Cafe dishes such as Angel Hair Pasta tossed in Bechemel with Shrimp & Haricovert, live music, then a showing of the French film La Fe'e – the comedic story of a fairy and a hotel worker. $45 for non-members. Tuesday, February 14, dinner starts at 6 p.m., the movie begins at 7:30 p.m. Buy your tickets online or call 808.532.8768 for more information.
	Animal Instincts A leisurely dinner for deux isn't on the menu when your little monkeys are along. Give yourself the night off and them an exciting field trip with the Honolulu Zoo's new Twilight Explorers program complete with keiki-friendly dinner, an educational tour, and a movie so they're ready for bed by pick up. $75 per child ages four to 11. The next monthly program is Friday, February 17 from 5:30 – 9:30. Reservations are required, call 808.971.7195 or e-mail education@honzoosoc.org.