Here we are in the pretty dreary days of winter with the possibility of six more weeks ahead of us, however, we have the opportunity to add some sparkle and cheeriness to our homes, thanks to Valentine’s Day, just around the corner!
I’ve added just a few touches here and there. It’s nothing grand, but enough to change things up a bit in the entry way, living room and kitchen.
A few years ago, I found a wooden “X” and “O” marked way down at Hobby Lobby and realized they’d be perfect for Valentine’s Day! The heart banner came from Target a few years ago.
I’m making my normal Monday post a day early just in case you’re looking for a great recipe for tomorrow!
If realizing that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day’s is stressing you because you’re wondering what to do for a special meal, I’ve got you covered! All these recipes I’m posting can be made quickly and easily! Let’s start with a scrumptious breakfast and work our way through the day, shall we?
I hope this list will help you make a plan for tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be dinner for a sweetheart! You could invite some friends over, your nieces or nephews, grandchildren or someone who is alone for the first time this year! Get creative with the love you cook up in your kitchen!
Looking for some ways to express your love to your husband this Valentine’s Day? Here are 26 ways to love him all year long.
We go together like… =)
Admire his physical characteristics. Buy him his favorite candy bar, snack or treat. Call him on the phone while he’s at work just to tell him you love him and are thinking about him. Dress up for him – look your best when he comes home! Express the reasons why you love him – write it on the bathroom mirror in dry erase marker. Find a picture of the two of you that brings back a special memory. Greet him at the door each night when he comes home. Have your own signal to say “I love you.” A tug of the tie, a secret number code, etc so you can express your love even in a crowd.
Initiate a date and take care of all the details. Joke and tease with him like you did when you were dating. Kiss him before he leaves the house! Leave notes for him – in his car, on his pillow, in his brief case, in his Bible… Make his favorite dessert and serve it by candlelight in your bedroom after the kids are in bed.
Note on a large-blocked calendar things your husband has done for you. Keep track all year, and then give the calendar to him as a journal of sorts. Openly share your love for him in front of your children. They need the security that Mommy and Daddy love each other! Poems are creative ways to tell your husband how you feel. If you can’t write one, find one that says what’s in your heart. Quips and cartoons are fun love notes to leave. Read the comics and the “Love is” cartoon in the paper and cut out one that is appropriate for him.
Run an errand for him – even if it’s out of your way. Share a special treat together – a milkshake or a small personal-size pizza. Tell him what you admire about him – this is different than why you love him…this is about who he is – not what he does. Understand his need for space. Vanish away together! Plan an overnight trip and surprise him. Wash the car for him Xtra loving care. Your attitude can change his bad day. Make sure your heart is right with the Lord so you can encourage him! Zest for life can make a boring marriage an exciting one. Do something new together!
Share your ideas of ways you express your love here in the comment section.
This is a repost of an old post written to especially help men get an idea of what to do for Valentine’s Day. My husband is the BEST at gift-giving, and you’ll find 10 ideas down in this post!
This is the week of Valentine’s – I guess we’re all aware of that. If you have a Valentine, I trust he also realizes that! No slam is suggested in that statement, it’s just that not all men think about these things before the day arrives. So, I thought it might be appropriate to start out today by giving a word to the wise for Valentine’s. If you you or your Valentine could use some suggestions of things to do or gifts to give, read on!
Love is kind. I Corinthians 13:4
Sweet treats are always a good thing for Valentine’s Day! Last weekend I made a recipe of brownies then after they were completely cooled, I cut them in large squares. Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter a cut a heart out of the middle of the brownie as you see in the picture here. I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but then I made up a butter cream icing, tinted it pink and filled in the heart with the icing. You could use canned icing too in your favorite flavor. I then wrapped each brownie in waxed paper and put them in cute little boxes and shipped them off to my two girls who both love chocolate! The cut out hearts make nice little bite-sized treats too!
Love seeketh not her own. I Cor. 13:5
Some of the other little gifts I put in the pillow pocket have been:
Two gel pens with the note – You are my “write” man! A recent picture of us made into a Valentine Card.
“How much do I love you?” (attached to note)
An OLD picture of us when we first started dating!
Another thought would be to go to Pandora (or Amazon music) and make a play list of music you loved while you were dating, and have it playing when you eat supper or when he gets home.
I’ve asked my husband to share some good ideas for dates and/or gifts for Valentine’s Day. He’s very thoughtful and creative and gets an A+ in this department! Here are his Gift suggestions for men to give their wives:
Ways to say “I love you” 1. Use a dry erase marker and leave a love note scribbled on the bathroom mirror or leave love notes in her purse, dresser drawer, on the fridge door, in her car or by the coffeepot. 2. Write in your own words 10 reasons why you love her and leave it attached to a dozen roses, a box of candy or a piece of jewelry. 3. Wash and vacuum her car; leave a love note on the steering wheel. 4. After the children go to bed, order a personal pan pizza and have a pizza date in the bedroom with candlelight and romantic music. 5. Invite your Sweetheart to Starbucks for a peppermint mocha. While there, play a board game or two and pay no attention to anyone else but your spouse. 6. Make her some chocolate covered strawberries. Pick up some strawberries at the grocery store and in the baking department, find chocolate that is microwaveable. Dip the strawberries in the chocolate, chill and serve on nice plate. 7. Schedule a manicure or a pedicure at a local spa. She needs the time away and the pampering will do her good. Pay for the treatment over the phone so all she’s responsible for is to show up. 8. Instead of going out to eat, order carry-out. Serve it up on your best tableware, have candlelight, and soft music. Be creative and have fun. If you cook, fix her favorite and in either case, clean up too! 9. If you go out on date, you schedule the babysitter, choose the spot, and treat her like a lady by opening the door for her, escorting her into the restaurant, and talk only to each other. Tell the waiter you’ll call him/her when you need them. Every couple needs a quiet date in a corner booth w/out any distractions. Both of you sit on the same side of the booth with your back to the crowd.
It feels like I am in a constant state of purging. As I wipe out a drawer, straighten a closet or decorate for a holiday, I’m forever finding things that need to be tossed. But there are some things in a family that will be kept forever, and those are the memories of times together. Those days that maybe were ordinary, but made just a little more extraordinary by doing something a little special.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’m reminded that over the years we have had some special days in our home on February 14th. We always did something as a family first. Of course our girls received a card from us and often a little box of Whitman’s chocolates too. I usually fixed a special dinner and set the table in red or pink. We would have a dessert together as well, then it was bedtime for the girls so Mommy and Daddy could spend time together.
Our girls grew up knowing that we loved each other. I had heard that the best thing a wife could do for her children was to love their daddy. I had witnessed this in my own home when I was growing up, and I know very well the security it gives. My daughters might not have particularly liked going to bed early, or not being included in the evening’s plans, but they grew to appreciate why those things were so.
As you implement your Valentine’s plans for next weekend, I encourage you to plan for time together as a family, AND be sure to set aside time for you and your husband alone. It is the biblicalthing to do. My husband would always tell our girls when we went away for a date, “Your mom and I are going out to make a better home for you.” Your children may not like it now, but they’ll be glad for the sweet memories of a happy home that you’re creating. Those are the best kind of memories because they can’t be put in a box and sent on their way to the trash or to the Goodwill – they’ll be in their hearts forever!
Needs some ideas?
This cake! So easy and my favorite chocolate cake on the planet!
Here’sa post about some simple chocolate and sweet treats!
You can find some budget-friendly gift ideas here.