In almost 10 years of marriage, our Valentine’s Day has never looked the same year to year. We’ve always had various plans depending on our current situation. We have several young children, and it can be pretty hard to plan a romantic evening away- most of our babysitters are either on dates themselves or have been swept away by other eager parents. In the past, we’ve done a couple romantic evenings at-home, but that’s getting harder to achieve as our kids get older and stay up later. So last year, I decided to do something completely different.

My husband and I planned a fun evening out for the next day, and on the actual day of Valentine’s Day, we decided to stay in. I set up a nice family dinner. If Valentine’s Day is to show your love, my kids can definitely be included in that! I made homemade pizza (my husband’s and my kid’s favorite food!), and bought some sparkling cider; I also made a big salad and whipped up some breadsticks. I bought a variety of pink and red and white treats and put them in glass jars to decorate the table, in addition to some candlelight and a red tablecloth. I also pulled out my nice china and glasses, and to top it all off- I made a Slim Jim bouquet for my husband and set it on his plate and got a little box of chocolates for each of my children and put it on their plates. My kids were SO excited when they saw the set up of the table- it was hard to actually finish setting it all up because I couldn’t keep them away ;).

And dinner itself- was AWESOME. I played some fun romantic songs (like Disney princess stuff) in the background, we turned off all the lights, and we ate a delicious and special dinner together as a family. I also took the opportunity to express to my family how much I love each of them, and how grateful I am to spend eternity with them! I could tell my kids were really enjoying themselves, and I really loved having a unique opportunity to express my love for each of them.

Afterwards, my husband and I agreed that it was the perfect night with our kids, and I think we have found our new Valentine’s Day tradition! We agree it will be much easier to plan a romantic date night on a night that’s not Valentine’s Day, when it’s less crowded and we have more babysitting options. However, we don’t feel slighted in the least, or like we’re settling for something second best. We both truly loved the evening. Spending time with our kids in such a special way is definitely the perfect way for our family to spend Valentine’s Day!

I’m curious- do any of you spend Valentine’s Day as a family, rather than a couple? I’d love to hear about your Valentine’s Day traditions, whatever they are and whomever they include!