My husband and I are celebrating 10 years of wedded bliss on February 15. Before we were married, I told him our anniversary, Valentine’s Day and my birthday (all of which fall within a week of each other) are three separate and distinct occasions and should be celebrated as such. Yeah, right. I now have sympathies for all those with December/Christmas birthdays.
We wanted to go big for our 10- year anniversary and finally do our dream vacation to Nepal. Yeah, right. Then, that was changed to a childhood best friend’s wedding in Mexico. Yeah, right (still in mourning over that). Do you know what we ultimately decided? To pay off medical bills and finally build a deck. When did I turned to dastardly practical?
So, even though we’re not going on a big, whimsical vacation I still want to make this Valentine’s Day and anniversary memorable for our family so here are some ideas.
Last year, I decided we would take the “Heart Attack” to a new level. Instead of just cutting out hearts and decorating the house with them, we sat down and wrote what what we appreciated about each other. I knew it would be a great practice in recognizing each other’s strengths but I will never forget the looks on my kids’ faces as they shared what they love about each other…one of those priceless parenting moments. We then taped the hearts all over the house for decoration and I have a few still hanging in my office.
Last year for our nine-year anniversary, I purchased nine mylar balloons (spring for these instead of latex because they’ll stay afloat longer). I bought nine cute notecards and wrote my favorite memory from every year we’ve been married. I attached them to the balloons and surprised my husband with them.
We traditionally do fondue for our Valentine’s Day dinner so I like to mix things up for breakfast. In the past, I have made heart-shaped pancakes, crepes with strawberries and whipped cream and last year, I shaped cinnamon rolls into hearts and baked them. This year, my kids are into red velvet so I can’t with to try Something Swanky’s Red Velvet Scones with cream cheese frosting. They’re super easy to make and will be a hit.
Counting Down to Valentine’s Day
We count down to Christmas so why not for Valentine’s Day? Crafting blog Makes and Takes made counting down to Feb. 14 even more memorable with their 14 Acts of Love. Have a lovely heart on one side and an act of service on the other. They are placed right where everyone can see and one member of the family picks out a heart and everyone does the service for each other. As a bonus? They have provided the printables for you so all you need to do is print them out and assemble. Tip: Personalize the acts of service for your family.
There are so many fun things about having a girl and doing their hair is one of them. Last year, my daughter got invited to a Valentine’s Day party so we did her hair up in hearts. They turned out darling and were a huge hit. Divide the hair up into three side pony tails, twist each of them up, intertwine, use a lot of bobby pins to help them stay in place and tie them off at the bottom. This one took a bit of trial and error but was so worth it.
Last year, we made cinnamon bun caramel popcorn with almond bark drizzle, whipped up some valentines, packaged them up and gave them to our neighbors and teachers. This recipe from Best Bites is easy and everyone begged us for the recipe. This time around, we’re adding cinnamon hearts to make them even more festive.
I’m not sure who tied Valentine’s Day to chocolate but for them, I’m eternally grateful. If your kids are chocolate lovers, I thought this party seemed like a darling idea. You’ll need chocolate for melting, chocolate molds, lollipop sticks, pretzel rods, marshmallows, various sprinkles and a lot of patience for chocolate-covered messes.
Sure, Dora the Explorer and Scooby Doo present some killer Valentine’s Day card but if you want to get creative, there are so many options out there (Pinterest is a great place to start). I love this “Sign of Affection” from Parents, these 12 No-Candy Valentines from Plucky Moms, these darling mustache and lip cards, “Shooting for Brownie Points” for your teacher, a literal Valentine’s Day kiss, “You’re the Bomb” Valentine’s Day treat idea, and the “Better Shape Up” Playdough Valentine.
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Lana
Love these ideas. So many people rip on Valentine’s Day but there are so many fun ways we can express love to those we love.
Amber's The Mile High Mama
Thanks, Lana. I agree. If people have any links to check out, please leave them. I’m always looking for new ideas!
shannon
Amber, can you share the recipe for those cinnamon rolls you made last year? I love the picture! Great ideas overall.
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