Ways to Celebrate Valentines

You know when I tell people how we celebrate Valentines at our house I often get eye rolls or people who say what about your couple time well first of all let me preface by saying my husband and I have a date night every month just about sometimes twice a month but we also realize how precious this time is with our children and they want to feel special on Valentines Day too! I get our dining room table all dolled up and when I say that I don’t necessarily mean with a red or pink tablecloth. I certainly do not go out to the dollar store and stock up on a bunch of stuff that’s going to end up in the landfill.

Start with what you have it may just be a white tablecloth or nothing. Placemats can do the job too….even homemade place mats. Do you have any candlesticks and candle stick holders? Just about everyone does you can find them at yardsales and thrift stores at a very affordable price. Now since it is Valentines and it is my special day I don’t want to cook I mean after all this is my day to be lazy or at least I justify it that way and hopefully have as few dishes as possible. I go to our favorite chinese restaurant at lunch time on Valentine’s Day and I order four lunches they usually come with an eggroll, rice and a fortune cookie. I purchase it at lunch time and bring it home and put it in the fridge because the price basically doubles at dinner time. Therefore it is still somewhat frugal.

We, meaning my husband and I and our two children, celebrate Valentines Day together usually we just swap some homemade thoughts or sentiments with each other. We are not a house where you are going to see a dozen roses or a box of chocolates although my husband knows I would rather have seed packets for the price he could spend on cut flowers anyway.

This evening is very special in our house every year my husband and I know that this time is fleeting and soon we will be eating our chinese takeout by ourselves however we will have our memories of the children pouring sparkling cider and excited over the candles glimmering on one of my gold tablecloths. I also put on some romantic music I still love Lionel Richie but you may favor someone else. Sometimes I find some red confetti and sprinkle it all around the candles. The best times in our life sometime just require a little ingenuity………….maybe at your house it is Italian?

KARENLYNN