I’ve Got You Covered For Valentine’s Day!

I’ve never really fussed over Valentine’s Day. Even when the kids were young I rarely did much besides make some heart shaped cookies or muffins and make valentine cards. Sadly, Valentine’s Day has evolved into another consumer driven holiday that has people spending lots of money buying “things.” However, what I do like about it is this… it’s nice to have a day where you pour extra affection on the people you love.

So, this year, I have decided to do a little bit extra for my family – both hubby and boys. Because dining in restaurants is not really our thing (partly because of the cost of the four of us eating out, and partly because of the disappointing meals we often get) I decided to make the extra effort and create special valentine-centered time together. Grant it, it will be tricky with one at a hockey game and one at ski club, but I’ll do my best to show them some Valentine’s Day love.

Here are my suggestions for a special Valentine’s Day celebration at home.

Cook a special dinner. Personally I cook dinners every night and many times it’s special, but for Valentine’s Day, I’m going to take it up a notch. This post has some amazing healthy valentine recipes that I’m sure you and your family will love.

Create the ambiance. Light some candles, set a beautiful table, put some background music on! As I type this, I ask myself “Why don’t I do this every night?” These are simple touches that make any meal special. Check out this post for some fancy valentine table settings.

Make a special desert. Actually, this is where your kids can get involved if you don’t want to do it all. I have a talented budding pastry chef in our home who loves to whip up special cakes and I just might put the bug in his ear about him baking our Valentine’s Dessert. Maybe you have one too that just needs to be encouraged! Getting kids cooking in the kitchen at a young age is key to helping them learn about eating healthy through life.

Put out a special drink for everyone, even the kids. Serve Perrier water with pomegranate juice in wine glasses for a special touch. Pomegranate juice has been shown to have more antioxidants than red wine, grape juice, cranberry juice, green tea or acai juice.  Of course, if you so desire, you and your hubby can enjoy your own special drink, just make sure you enjoy the pomegranate juice later.

Serve chocolate. Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without a piece of chocolate, and if it is dark and not the sugary type, it can be very high in antioxidants. My little town of Almonte is home to Hummingbird Chocolate, a world renowned chocolate company that is winning all kinds of awards. You can read about their awards here and buy a bar for yourself here.

Spread the love. This post by my hubby, will equip you with love quotes, both romantic and humorous, as well as some “lovely stories” to share while you enjoy your meal together.

And finally, pick a perfect movie to watch together. Kids and teenagers may not want to watch something romantic with Mom and Dad but you can find something else that might have some laughter and a bit of love. Try to stay away from the action packed movies that seem to become a mainstay when we have movie nights together, and instead check out this lovely list of movies.

I’m getting excited just writing about this and have all sorts of neat ides spinning around in my head. And, the best part is, it’s not costing me much at all! Happy Valentine’s Day!