Valentine’s Day as a “holiday” probably has different meanings for all of us, especially during different phases of our lives. Young and energetic…all for it. A bit older with a kid or two (or three, or four) in tow… and Hallmark can keep its extra holiday... =D
So, in an attempt to reinvigorate the spirit of the day, we’ve gathered some of our favorite (and mostly easy) ideas to celebrate.
If your kids are in school, plan a daytime date with your spouse. Dedicate a few hours to each other (without the kids around) to actually eat food while it’s still warm with no interruptions!
During your outing set a budget and go shopping together to buy a little something you've had your eye on (what you really wanted for Christmas and didn't get?!) =D
For the family, spend a little time cutting out hearts and write things about your spouse and/or kids that you love about them. Punch a hole in the top, run a pretty ribbon through it, and hang it somewhere for them to find!
Make a card for your spouse and kids. Have the cards waiting for the kids when they wake up in the morning with a line of Hershey’s kisses leading to a special breakfast. (Heart-shaped pancakes anyone?)
And Valentine's Day cuisine... make a themed lunch and/or dinner. Use a cookie cutter to cut a heart out of a sandwich, or make a heart-shaped pizza for dinner! (Or totally simplify things and order a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphys...thank you, Kara!!)
Next Level Planning: Make a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt with a little toy or candy as prize.
After the kids are in bed. Make a Valentine-themed cocktail. Here are some fun recipes, Chocolate Martini, Red Room Sangria (toss out your Christian Gray memes in the comments!), Margarita Strawberries, or a Love Potion Martini!
Make a Date Night Jar (see below)
Last but not least – consider a new tradition where you go shopping for sweets (HELLO CHOCOLATE) on the day after Valentine’s Day. It’s always sweeter when it’s on sale!
We received a "Date Night" kit from our local library, and were actually surprised at how much fun we had picking random activities and excursions for our jar. Our son picks one stick a week for us, and we've committed to do whatever it says. We've had a blast and it's helped to break us out of our typical routines and spend more time together doing new things.
HOW TO MAKE A DATE NIGHT JAR:
Find a glass jar (or upgrade the challenge with something trendy to match your decor), craft sticks (or anything you can write on), and a list of ideas to get you started. Click here to download ideas/prompts to get started, but feel free to use your own.
Ask your significant other to highlight any item on the list that interests them.
Then go through the list and pick your favorites.
Add your favorites to the craft sticks, pop them in a jar, and decide on the frequency and day of the week you'll draw a new activity.
You can take your jar to the next level by adding categories for each activity. To do this, add a color code to your sticks that indicate categories like: free activity, family-friendly, requires planning, expensive, etc.
If DIY isn't your thing, here are some fun ones you can order:
What are your favorite traditions? Help a Mom out and drop them below!