By Carstens Smith

Chocolate is a wonderful Valentine”'s gift, but the Lake Street Council is giving visitors to the street a host of other great options. The Visit Lake Street USA Coupon Book contains more than 80 coupons for dining, shopping, and entertainment along the six-mile-corridor.

Most of these coupons are “Buy One, Get One Free” (BOGO) You can catch up with a friend over coffee (your treat) at Blue Moon or Peace Coffee or, on a more romantic note, have a glass of house wine at Gandhi Mahal and your date need not know that his or her glass was free. The Nuevo Rodeo Restaurante lets you bring a date for free to their dance club but if it”'s tranquility you are seeking, Moksha Yoga will give you a pass for five free classes when you purchase a five-class pass. Of course, you do have the option of keeping the pass for yourself, too. But think of the good karma you can accrue by sharing it.

A chance to learn something new is always a gift. Learn to make stained glass with the one you love at Glass Endeavors. Or make kransekake (crown cake) together at Ingebretsen”'s with their coupon for “Purchase a Class, Bring a Friend for Free!” Ingebretsen”'s offers cooking, needlework, woodworking, and Nordic culture classes. In keeping with the Scandinavian ethos of caring for the environment, they have added classes on sustainable living by Karen Olson-Johnson and a workshop on building birdhouses with recycled materials by Harvey Winje.

You can pick up your FREE coupon book at one of the many participating businesses (check the Lake Street Council”'s Facebook page for a listing) and enjoy a happy and affordable Valentine”'s Day. (The coupons are good until June 30, 2013, so you can be romantic on the cheap for months.)

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