Valentine's Day is often thought of as a time of romance for couples, but it also can be a time of celebration for the entire family. It is a holiday created to show love to the ones you love and who do you love more than your family!
Every year, we celebrate the day as a family. Our kids love the holiday and especially like all the extra attention. Here are a few of the activities that we do to make out whole family feel loved.
Heart Shaped Breakfast
There are two breakfast foods sure to delight your children this holiday. The first is heart shaped pancakes. These will make any kid feel loved to see first thing for breakfast. With Valentine's Day on a school day, it is an especially nice way to send your kid out for school. There are several ways to make these depending on your preference, ability or taste. You can make the traditional pancake mix or buy the pre-made mix that you just add water. To add an extra kick, throw in some crushed strawberries or raspberries. You can then make the heart pancakes a few different ways. The simplest way is to make the pancakes in the manner in which you normally make pancakes. When they are done, cut with a heart-shape cookie cutter. Some of the pancakes are wasted with this method, though.
A second way is to put the batter in squeeze bottles, such as, a clean ketchup or mustard bottle and squirt the heart shape on a hot griddle or pan. Finally, place a metal, heat-resistant heart cookie cutter on the griddle and spoon the batter into the cutter. Flip cutter and all when bubbles begin to appear at top. The great thing about these is to just have fun and realize you are probably going to waste some until you get your technique down. Make sure to provide syrups, strawberries, and whipped cream or other fun garnishments for the kids to play around with. The second breakfast option is heart-shaped Chocolate Chip Muffins. I buy the Reynolds Heart Shape foil liners sold in the bakery section. You can use the prepackage mix or make the muffins from scratch. I make these every year for my husband's birthday and they are a huge hit. For those needing a recipe, gather the following ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 1/3 cup butter, melted and1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir in the milk, egg, butter and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. The muffins are a less messy way to begin the special day!
Make Cards
There is nothing more special than making cards homemade. Make sure you each take time to reflect on how much you love each other then make cards for each family member. Another sweet idea is to work together as a family on one card for someone special to offer encouragement. It could be an elderly neighbor, a grandparent who lives far away or just that special librarian. You will be surprised how close a family can grow just sitting at the table and working with glue and scissors.
Early Surprise
I think it is important for dads to show their kids how much they care about them every day, but doing it on Valentine's Day just makes it that much special. Last year, my husband bought huge stuffed animals for both kids and had them waiting for them when they woke up. It was an awesome surprise. My dad growing up would always get me a rose along with my mom. It made me feel pretty special. Even if it is something little, coming from the father means a lot and shows a lot of love.
Special Dinner
Go out and buy all the cheesy Valentine paper products and have dinner on heart-decorated plates. It adds some festivity to the family dinnertime. Light candles for some ambience. Just because kids are there doesn't mean they do not like relaxing candles. After a day of parties at school, the calmness of a candlelight dinner might just be what the doctor ordered. You can cook your family's favorite dinner and enjoy time together talking about the day.
Family Movie
We don't allow movies on school nights, but to make the holiday special we will curl up with some popcorn and enjoy a valentine movie. Be My Valentine Charlie Brown is a great family movie that the kids will enjoy!
I am sure just reading these few ideas has already gotten your creative juices flowing. This year make it a holiday that the whole family can enjoy. You can top off the night with bubble baths and a sweet book along with some very sweet dreams! Happy Valentine's Day!
