Valentine’s Day: 10 Ways to Celebrate Like The Stars

Love is in the air, Valentine’s Day is near—and your favorite celebs know a thing or two about how to celebrate! When Cupid strikes, check out these tips on how to do Valentine’s Day like the stars!

Perfect presents

Not sure what to buy for your sweetie this Valentine’s day? Former “Laguna Beach” star Lauren Conrad posted a list of “Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him” on her website. The lifestyle queen’s must-get list includes a bottle of your favorite cologne, red velvet brownies and Steve McQueen-style sunglasses. Meanwhile, Cuba Gooding Jr. told the New York Daily News: "As a father of three who's happily married, I've learned to just buy her sleepwear. Then you work on getting her out of it!"

Romantic eats!

 Talk show foodie Rachael Ray swears by her "You Won't Be Single for Long” Vodka Cream Pasta  recipe, which is chock full of crushed tomatoes, heavy cream and her trademark EVOO. Ray says it’s her most romantic meal! And for dessert, check out celeb chef Ina Garten’s recipe for Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

Love songs

What songs do celebs love for Valentine’s Day? According to O Magazine, pop superstar Mariah Carey’s three favorite love songs for her iPod playlist include Donny Hathaway’s "A Song For You," Minnie Riperton’s "Lovin' You" and Stevie Wonder’s "Overjoyed," And singer Gavin DeGraw gave Seventeen his romantic songs list, which includes Billy Joel’s  “She’s Always a Woman” and “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley.

Flower power

R&B singer Jason Derulo told Popeater that in high school he decorated his girlfriend’s car with flowers as a Valentine’s Day surprise. “I put a bunch of rose petals all over the car and all inside the car, and when she came out there was a flowered car waiting for her. That was pretty memorable,” he said. And model Bar Refaeli also likes flowers for Valentine’s Day, but doesn’t need a big ol’ bouquet: “Maybe just one flower that you picked out on the street." she said. "Just write a card - no gifts, no dinner. I like simple things." Talk about a cheap date!

Mushy movies

Starpulse rounded up come of your favorite celebrities’ favorite romantic movies. Mark Wahlberg’s pick? “The Notebook.”  Wahlberg said, “It's one of those rare romantic movies that you can watch again and again. Plus, my wife liked that one, so that basically moves it to the top no matter what."  Meanwhile, actress Rachel Bilson's favorite is “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Cupid’s crafts

Feeling crafty? Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart has a slew of Valentine’s Day craft ideas on her website. Ideas include lacy votive holders, glittered roses and heart-shaped soap.

Sweets for your sweet

Sure, you can buy those candy conversation hearts at the grocery store, but if you really want to get people talking how about whipping up some homemade gourmet chocolate truffles, courtesy of famed chocolateir Jacques Torre? You can find the Food Network star’s decadent recipe  here.

Love stories

If you’re not experiencing a love connection this Valentine’s Day but want to read about one in a book, why not take a page from Oprah Winfrey’s book? Her talk show book club may be no more, but O still delivers a monthly list of reads via Oprah.com. Oprah’s romantic book picks include everything from Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” to Elizabeth Berg’s “Open House.”

Romantic dates

OK, so you may not be able to pull off anything like Justin Bieber’s romantic “Titanic” date (the teen idol  rented out the Staples Center for an intimate dinner and a private showing of the movie with then-girlfriend Selena Gomez), but surely you can swing this low rent version from Party Times, the online mag edited by Pippa Middleton: “Instead of going out to the cinema, why not recreate a movie theatre at home with a romantic film and snuggle up together in your very own back row, complete with cartons of popcorn."

Love notes

If you’re looking for some inspiring prose to add to that Hallmark card, why not quote John Lennon: “Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear." Or Maya Angelou: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”) Although you may want to stop short of using this Johnny Depp gem: “The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.”