Ah, Valentine’s Day- the day to shower those you love with love. When I first started dating my husband, he was the first boyfriend I had ever had on Valentine’s Day, so, naturally I wanted all the things to happen: the dinner, the flowers, the gifts, the dressing-up fancy! The works!
But once we had our daughter, things changed a bit.
I wasn’t so caught up with the commercialized version of it all. I became a bit more laid back. We stayed home, because who wants to ask anyone to babysit on Valentine’s Day? Plus, the cost of going out anywhere on Valentine’s Day was not something we wanted to invest in.
Valentine’s Day became more of a fun celebration of love.
Getting my daughter excited about Valentine’s Day cards, candy, and decorating became the focus. We also incorporated lot of crafts, nothing too involved but still fun and cute to celebrate the special day.
This year I decided to give the Target Dollar Spot a chance for some fun, affordable and festive Valentine’s things. It did not
disappoint. (Does it ever?) We found little paintable puzzles that came with all the supplies for only a dollar! I mean, you can’t go wrong there! We also found some fun stickers and unicorn erasers that my daughter threw in the cart and I didn’t see until check out…good thing everything’s only a dollar. We also decorate the house with colorful foam hearts: super easy but still festive.
Instead of going out to eat, we now enjoy making dinner together at home. Nothing like a home made meal that brought the family together! Family time on Valentine’s Day is where it’s at.
Another thing we now enjoy doing for Valentine’s Day is making homemade gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate hearts filled with nut butter. My husband is an expert at these, so I leave these up to him. They make a great after-dinner Valentine’s dessert, especially since they are practically guilt-free.
My husband and I don’t really exchange gifts anymore, but a nice card with lovely sentiments is always welcome. I know a lot of people think Valentine’s Day is cheesy and that we should celebrate our loved ones every day, but putting in a little extra effort on a special day goes a long way. A simple, thoughtful card can mean so much to the ones you love, and Valentine’s Day isn’t just for those who are in love; celebrating love in all aspects is a lovely gesture.
Celebrate your friends, parents, and loved ones. Celebrate love! Happy Valentine’s Day! How has Valentine’s Day changed for you now that you have children?
