Grand, sweeping, powerful romantic gestures are fine and dandy, but what about everyday, run-of-the-mill, soft, and loving romantic gestures you can offer the person you love? Maybe you’re not one to put yourself out there. Maybe your partner is embarrassed easily and doesn’t like to have too much attention thrown at them. 

Whatever your reasons for wanting something a bit more bite-sized, here are five sweet romantic gestures you can offer your partner anytime. Carry out any or all of these sweet gestures, and you’ll surely put a smile on your significant other’s face, and more love in their heart.

Here are 6 underrated gestures that make men feel the most loved:

1. Make his favorite meal

Make them their favorite meal from scratch. Is their favorite meal something that is inherently more difficult to create (like fish and chips, crème Brulee, or a specific type of burger with a hard-to-find protein)? Perfect! You’ll get extra brownie points for attempting it.

It doesn’t have to be the best they’ve ever had of that meal, but even the thought of you trying to re-create it is a romantic gesture. That being said, do your best to make it as savory/delicious as possible. According to a 2020 survey, 2/3 of Americans want a partner who can cook.

2. Memorize his coffee order

Go to a nearby coffee shop and bring them back their favorite drink to wake up to in bed (coffee, mocha, hot chocolate, latte). This gesture works even better if you’re a morning person and your partner isn’t.

Make sure you know exactly what their favorite drink is, to begin with! Whether it’s a hot beverage like coffee, tea, mocha, hot chocolate, or a latte, or a cold beverage like a particular smoothie, cold-pressed juice, or coconut water, get absolute clarity about what their favorite drink is, and then go and grab it for them.

The devil’s in the details. And while it would still be a romantic gesture if you brought them the almost correct drink, they’ll feel that much more seen and loved if you nail it with 100 percent accuracy (especially if they’re picky about their drink).

Also, make sure you get the drink for them around the time when they would naturally start to wake up. If you show up with their favorite caffeinated drink at a time that is three hours before they would normally want to start their day, they might not be as pleased with you.

3. Write him love notes

Sporadically leave folded-up single compliments in different places that you know they will come into contact with, like their journal, purse, make-up kit, toolbox, kitchen drawers, or lunch box. Writing love letters is a great way to express your appreciation for your partner. According to 2014 research, couples who regularly express gratitude and appreciation for each other report higher levels of relationship satisfaction and emotional closeness.

Similar to an Easter egg hunt, you want to leave your love notes in places that are obvious enough that they will find them within a week or two. That being said, if you leave so many around the house that you forget where they have all been placed, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they found an extra love note in an especially obscure location a week, or even months after you first placed the love notes around their life.

Keep the content of the love notes quite simple. One or two sentences will do. Compliment on things that they are used to receiving compliments on, and also on things that get praised far less often.

Compliment their personality, their mind, their appearance, who they are as a person, and what they bring to your life. The options are truly endless.

4. Draw him a bth

In advance of your partner returning home from work (or just a long day of errands), draw them a bath and set the scene for a nice, relaxing sanctuary for them to unwind in. Make sure you get the water temperature right. By this point in your relationship, you likely know what level of heat they like in their water (you have showered together haven’t you?), so do your best to mimic that water temperature in the water with the timing of when they get home.

Warm baths, according to studies from 2018, are a great way to destress. Add a few drops of their favorite essential oil into the water. Sprinkle a few dozen rose petals over the surface of the water.

Light some lightly scented candles around the room (only once they’ve walked in, to avoid having an unattended fire hazard). If you want to kick it up a notch, you can even ask if they would like you to either wash their hair for them, give them a foot massage, or both!

5. Plan a romantic picnic

Picnics are a great and cheap date. Statistics even tell us that searches for picnics have increased by 385% in the last couple of years on Pinterest. Plan a picnic for the two of you with their favorite foods and write a short love note on their napkin. Pack a backpack or basket filled with the following:

• Their 2-3 favorite snacks or sides
• Two sandwiches or whatever their favorite meal is
• Two plastic champagne glasses
• A miniature bottle of sparkling wine, cider, or champagne
• Two small portions of their favorite dessert
• Three napkins: one for you, one for them, and the bonus napkin for your partner with your personalized love note written on it
• A portable music player (and batteries) to play the music that is either relevant to the two of you, or super cheesy and romantic. If you go with the latter option, the more over-the-top it is, the better!

6. Give him a massage

Who doesn’t love a good rub-down from their boo? There’s nothing like coming home after a long day at work and your partner has the whole apartment lit up with candles and tells you to lay back, relax, and let them relieve you of the stresses of your day. Research from 2017 confirms that giving — and receiving — a massage from one’s partner can help reduce stress and boost well-being.