Gwyneth Paltrow wants to make sure her fans have the best Valentine's Day ever on Feb. 14. And while decadent chocolate hearts are absent from her extensive how-to guide for Goop.com readers and their significant others, sex books and simple but delicious recipes are involved.
The actress, who has been married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin since 2003, recommends kicking off the day of romance at 7 a.m. by creating a playlist filled with festive songs like "Valentine's Day" by Bruce Springsteen for him or her to listen to during the day.
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Next up is a healthy breakfast: an omelette, a homemade berry yogurt parfait, fresh-squeezed orange juice and coffee from a French press. "While breakfast in bed on a Saturday is lovely, breakfast in bed on a weekday is completely unexpected, and truly special," Paltrow says.
To carry him or her through the rest of the day, the 39-year-old suggests leaving mini love letters in pant pockets, purses, etc. and setting up phone alerts to surprise him or her. Paltrow also prefers creating a DIY flower bouquet adorned with cut-out paper hearts.
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For dinner, the "Contagion" star provides a simple recipe for Chicken Paillard. "Despite the fancy name, Chicken Paillard is one of the simplest dishes to make," she says.
Of course, what would Valentine's Day be without a little hot and heavy romance? Paltrow, who jokes that her tips for rounding out one's evening are for "over 18's only!" shares her favorite ways to spice things up in the bedroom: a Kama Sutra kit and a sex book.'
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"This is not just another sex book," Paltrow says of "101 Nights of Grrreat Sex" by Laura Corn. "[It uses] 'secret sealed envelopes' with special instructions for a love task or favor that each partner tears out and completes for one another. Sounds simple but the anticipation and mystery makes even the smallest gestures pretty thrilling."
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