Start enjoying Valentine’s Day early with fun apps

BY Kerry Keith

Daily Love Quotes is a great way to express your love this Valentine’s Day. Love quotes from feel-good movies and quotes to inspire love and romance that you can share.

Want to know how compatible you are with friends or loved ones? St. Valentine’s Love Horoscope will reveal what to expect in the future, your compatibility and how your horoscopes match up.

If you’re feeling festive this year, Heart Live Wallpaper lets you decorate your phone with a customized background and heart image for free.

If you’re going out this year for Valentine’s Day, Open Table can assist you with dinner reservations. You’ll be able to search menus, read reviews, reserve a table, and manage your reservation right from your phone. You can also earn points every time you use the app.

Movies by Flixster is an all-time favorite where you can find the closest theatre, search movie times, read reviews and even purchase tickets. Reading Cinemas at Cal Oaks in Murrieta was recently renovated and now offers reserved seating, luxurious recliners, wall-to-wall screens and state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos sound system. It’s a great place to enjoy the latest film.

If you’re not sure where to go on Valentine’s Day or need some ideas, check out Groupon. Type in your city and it will provide options for dinner, wine tastings, balloon rides, massages, skydiving and more, and all at a discounted rate. It is also a great place to find that perfect gift for your Valentine.

If you’ve indulged in too much in the bubbly while you’re out, then call Uber to get you home. Uber is another must-have app that once you register, it uses your phone’s GPS to know where you are so all you have to do is type in where you want to go and what type of vehicle you want and an Uber driver will pick you up. It really is that simple.

If you’re not up for going home, try a last-minute hotel room at Hotel Tonight. Type in your location and date and simply browse and select the hotel of your choosing. All of these apps are free for iOS and Android.

If you want to celebrate early, don’t miss the Warren Hill Concert at the lodge this Saturday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $32.00 – $57.00 for VIP. Log on to canyonlakepoa.com for more information or stop by the POA office to pick up tickets. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the evening of the concert.

If you’re staying in, Allrecipes Dinner Spinner offers tons or recipes that provide step-by-step cooking videos, the option to adjust ingredients for dietary needs and provides lots of ideas for a Valentine’s dinner. This is a free app.

For the movie portion of your evening, download a movie on Demand through your satellite provider or download the Hulu app to watch a new or classic movie, catch up on this season’s TV series, or binge on a Hulu original show. Plans begin at $7.99 a month and can be watched on your computer, smart TV, or any TV with an HDMI plug that your computer or laptop plugs into.

If you don’t already have a hands-free device with Alexa or Hey Google to play music during your romantic evening, then try the free app iHeartRadio. It offers all your favorite music on the app or on your smart TV to set the mood.

Red Stamp makes it simple to send a card with over 2000 designs to choose from and the ability to add your own photo and text. It offers many design features to customize your card and you can have it delivered to you or right to your loved one. The app is free.

Just Wink lets users create and personalize cards. Once you find a design you like, it can be customized with your own photos, short messages and even a little signature or doodle box that can be delivered via email, Facebook, SMS, or regular mail. The app is free for Android and iOS.

There are several great apps that make ordering flowers from your phone or tablet simple and fun. 1-800-Flowers offers flower arrangements, cookies, chocolates, fruit, plants and much more. It offers same-day delivery and order tracking. This app is free for Android, iOS, and online at 1800flowers.com.

Bloom That makes it easy to scroll through arrangements, pick your stems, chose where and when to send them, add something extra if you chose and have them sent next day delivery. They offer fresh, seasonal arrangements with lightning fast checkout and you’ll receive a text letting you know the flowers were delivered. This app is free for iOS or online at bloomthat.com.

Not sure what to get your Valentine this year? Check out Buzzfeed.com that provides 36 of the most amazing Valentine’s Day gifts.

For parents wanting to make Valentine’s Day at school extra special for their kids, log onto parentmap.com. It provides 16 fun and innovative ways your child can make their Valentine’s unique for their friends at school.

There’s nothing better than Pinterest for Valentine’s Day ideas. It offers thousands of ideas for cards, crafts for home or school, party decorations and ideas for food.

Don’t let this Valentine’s Day go by without showing the ones you love how much you care about them. Happy Valentine’s Day Canyon Lake.