Subtly coaxing him to do what you want on this special day is ALWAYS preferable to nagging.

I know, I know, you wish your guy would just take Valentine’s Day seriously WITHOUT you having to remind him. And God help him if he forgets about it entirely…oh man, he’s in for it!

What if you could get him to take Valentine’s Day seriously without saying a word? Well, if you follow the advice in this blog, it’s definitely possible! These little tips will have him thinking about Valentine’s Day without you saying a word.

Tip #1: Ask your friends what they’re doing for Valentine’s Day over the phone and within hearing distance of your man

For even greater effect, pick up the phone, walk away into the bedroom as if you’re having a private conversation and then start a long conversation about what your friend and her boyfriend are doing. “Oh, he’s taking you out to the Ritz Carlton! All weekend? Holy cow you’re going to have a lot of fun!”

Trust me, he’ll hear this conversation, get really annoyed that you’re jealous of your friend and get to work planning something for you guys too. Unless, of course, he’s extremely lazy, in which case proceed to Tip #2.

Tip #2: “Accidentally” leave some Valentine’s Day-inspired lingerie for him to find

Tell him you’re going out shopping with friends, making sure you come home with a handful of bags from different stores. Set it all on the bed and subtly let your Victoria’s Secret bag fall to its side and inconspicuously show some of that red and white lace.

Set it up as if you just threw the bags down on the bed and one of the bags just happened to “oops” spill its contents. Let it sit there until you know he’s gone in and out of the room. Unless he is a complete idiot, he’ll make the connection to Valentine’s Day and get to work on a plan.

Tip #3: Tell him you have a surprise for him, but do not mention Valentine’s Day

The words Valentine’s Day should not come out of your mouth. Nothing about the date or anything related to it! Just say you have a surprise for him and you’re excited about it. This will either be you in your Valentine’s Day lingerie which he already saw or another gift you have in mind.

Remember, not a word about the day. If he asks you when, be coy about it and tell him soon. If he asks what the occasion is, say “no occasion” and let it slide. If he calls you out on it and mention’s Valentine’s Day, just smile and say “maybe.”

Tip #4: Play the jealousy card

No, I don’t mean go out with other guys for real. Instead, you’ll want to say you’re going out to dinner with a good friend and her friends. Don’t even specify what “her friends” means. If it’s a single friend your guy knows, even better. The goal is to get him thinking about you going out with other people. This will, in turn, get his mind churning over ways to win you over again. He’ll quickly target Valentine’s Day as the perfect time to surprise you with something awesome.

Tip #5: Keep some Valentine’s Day gift ideas up on a minimized internet window on your computer

Ideally this is a computer or tablet that he uses too. You want him to log on, open up the internet browser, and see something like “gift ideas for guys on Valentine’s Day.” If he hasn’t gotten you anything yet, he’ll feel so guilty for not doing so that he’ll buy you something the next day.

Final thoughts

Trust me, men literally shut down when a woman brings up the dreaded V-Day. It makes us feel obligated to buy some flowers and chocolates—something that we think is boring and you won’t care about anyway. But if you’re subtle about it and avoid any mention of it, you can still manage to get his manly jealousy aroused and engaged in trying to woo you. He WILL make your Valentine’s Day a special occasion.