Pack Fun for a Valentine’s Day Getaway

It’s not a secret that one of the “secrets” to a happy family is happy parents. And for many of us, a great way to keep our mutual happiness level running at full power is to occasionally book romantic weekend getaways – without the kids. I’m talking annual holidays like anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, that sort of thing. And what goes better with romantic, adults-only weekend vacations? Why, romantic things, of course. I’m not talking about the usual naughty nightie here; after so many years of marriage, and watching our children get born, there’s no secret worth covering up here. But the right surprise items packed into that overnight bag really help set the stage for a great couples’ night away from home.

Here’s what I like (besides chocolate and red wine), and wholeheartedly recommend for a Valentine’s Day getaway vacation: Products from Lush, the handmade bath and body company. Lush uses fresh, organic ingredients as much as possible, never tests on animals, and buys raw materials using fair trade. It feels good to know I’m using products from a responsible “green” company – but I’d buy Lush stuff anyway, those soaps and lotions smell so great.

Three new gift sets Lush is putting out, just in time for Valentine’s Day, are the Long Lost Love Box, the Massage a Trois gift set, and the Perfect Match gift set. Lush sent me the Perfect Match to sample. I just tried this one – it comes in scents of either Honey I Washed the Kids (honey-scented, obviously) or Silky Underwear. Silky Underwear is primarily a sensual jasmine scent, one of my most favorites from the Lush line. The Perfect Match gift sets come with one solid perfume and one soap (the Lush soap equivalent of Silky Underwear is this, the Alkmaar bar). After a nice warm shower and application of the solid perfume, the (also new) Play Your Cards Right massage bar came into play. This bar is filled with fair trade cocoa butter and shea butter, with a jasmine, sage, and ylang ylang scent that Lush fans will recognize as being the same as that of the Sex Bomb Bath Bomb. Yes, it’s very romantic to have this massage bar melt as its massaged into your skin. Yes, this is something I’d rather do in a B&B or boutique hotel, rather than my own sheets. Ultimately, however, a little cocoa butter on the bedsheets isn’t such a bad thing.

These are just the sort of little extras that help married couples remember how much fun they have together, even without the kids around..or, especially when the kids aren’t around.

• Play Your Cards Right massage bar, made just for a playful Valentine’s Day, is $8.95
• Long Lost Love Box, with 5 retired favorites from the Lush line, is $49.94
• Massage a Trois gift set, with three heart-shaped massage bars, is $29.95
• Perfect Match gift sets, in Honey I Washed the Kids or Silky Underwear, is $19.95

All of these new, fresh, and organic Lush products will be available January 21, 2008 at Lush stores, online at the Lush website, or mail order at 1 (800)733-5874.