Valentines Ideas

Well, I also was looking for something fun to do on V-day. We really have lacked on doing things for each other, however when you have kiddos there is really no way. What we do is have a nice dinner at home with the kids, she goes to bed, we take a shower together, and it proceeds from there. You could get some oils, lotions, or just give each other a massage after the shower to relax.....you take it from there. As far as something the kids can do, I saw a really cute idea in one of my mags the other day. You take their favorite candy bar and take the wrapper off. Make a template of the wrapper, have the kids decorate it and rewrap around the candy bar. It is something they all can do and have a fun time for less money. Hope that helps and good luck!
J.

Ditto the others. Sometimes we just go sit at the mall and watch people and talk. If we have something we need, we might go shopping together and get just the perfect thing. We sometimes rent a movie we haven't seen or really liked that we wouldn't watch with the kids and watch it after they go to bed. If we put the kids to bed early, we allow them to have a toy or book in bed, but only one or it gets out of hand. We do let them get out of bed, one at a time, to exchange the toy or book for another. It usually works well enough that we can get alone time, even if they do go to sleep later than usual. Sometimes we do something as simple as a special desert that we wouldn't otherwise buy. Hope some of this helps.

I make heart shaped sugar cookies every year with my kids, they are all sizes and shapes and we have different color frosting like pink purple and white. As far as your husband, maybe inexpensive lingerie, or how about your birthday suit? And tell him how much you appreciate him! Have fun!

In college, my husband (then boyfriend) had the flu on Valentine's Day and he felt awful we couldn't do anything. So we ordered pizza and watched a good movie. That has been our tradtition for the past 10 years. The great part is, its cheap,easy and can be romantic. Its also great because we don't have to fight the crowds or worry about a babysitter.

We do fondue on Valentines. There are some really good recipes and we take potatoes, apples, vegetables, chicken nuggets, etc. and dip them in the fondue. Then we send the kids to bed and have some sparkling cider with some candles for our alone time. As long as you have cheese and a variety of items to dip it doesn't cost hardly anything at all.

Maybe see if you can babysit swap with another mom, and surprise your husband with a nice dinner at home without kids! Even if it is the night before Valentines I am sure he would love it! Just make sure he can be home a little early that day so you can use your time wisely (:

I don't know what your hubby's work environment is like, but it might be nice to surprise him the day before V-Day with a special delivery of homemade Valentiney/heart shaped cookies (or whatever his favorite sweet is) made by you and the kiddos. Just put them in a fancy tin with sweet notes from each of you. And if your kids aren't in school perhaps they could help you with the delivery. It would be fun for him to see you guys unexpectedly during the day, and he'd have a nice treat to share with his coworkers while he brags on what an incredibly thoughtful woman he married...

Hope he's home with you on the 14th!

When I want to go on a cheap date with my hubby I feed the kids early, get them ready for bed. We get all the wiggles out by dancing around or playing some kind of active game before daddy gets home from work. Then at about 8 (early for my night owls) they get put in front of a movie with sleeping bags and we turn off the lights. It's like a pretend sleepover. Daddy and I lock the door to our room where we have dinner, maybe take out that he's brought home or something simple I've made but nothing fancy. We watch our own movie, play a board game anything that's just for us. No kids are allowed to bother us. It works pretty well.

My husband and I make a nice meal together each Valentine's Day. You and your husband could make a nice meal, put the kids to bed early, and eat together. I know that sounds simple, but it really is nice to have a quiet dinner where you can talk to one another without having to compete with the kids for attention.

Every year I make my husband a card using pictures from the year that has past. They are pictures of just him and I and of him with my kids and things that are significant to us from that year - movie or concert tickets, etc... I use 12 x 12 paper and create a "card-book". It has a cover page, than an "I" made out of pics, then a huge heart on the next page, then a huge "U" on the next page, again made out of pics, then just pictures and sayings on the last page. I string it all together and he loved it so much the first year, that he asked about it the following year and looks for it now!

One thing we did one year was make a nice mix of 'romantic' music (Frank Sanatra and stuff like that) and we just danced and hung out/talked. It was a lot of fun. It would work well with a nice dinner. You could even set up a candlelight dinner in your living room - do it picnic style on the floor, or use a low table so you can sit on pillows. One year my husband worked late, so I made a million paper hearts and wrote x's and o's on them. Some had both. I made a trail of the hearts down to our room, and along the way hung some with this written on them: "Some have 'X's..." "Some have 'O's..." "trade them in to see how our love grows!" then I had a heart in our room that just said how much I love him, blah, blah, blah. (Side note: you could make it really romantic when he comes in, it was too late and I was ready for bed. ;) ) But then he had lots of hugs and kisses that he could trade in whenever (Though I think he forgot about them after a while.) Anyway, just an idea. Hope you have fun!

Ditto to Jenny! We've done that on Valentine's past, and it was really nice. We made something we love but don't have very often, put the kids to bed, and had a nice candlelit dinner for two! It was a great way to "celebrate" without spending much. We've also celebrated on a day other than Valentine's day. When it lands on a Wednesday or some other mid-week day, it's sometimes easier to get a babysitter and go out or stay up later when we celebrate on the weekend instead. Plus, if you do it the weekend after Valentine's Day, all the "stuff" they sell at the stores is on clearance! It's definitely a cheap way to do it. But only if you both discuss it and agree to do it late. Otherwise, one or the other of you might be sleeping on the couch! Good luck. Hope you come up with something that really works for you.

I did love coupons one year for my husband which contains 4 things: 1 free massage coupon by me, 1 car wash summer coupon by me and the kids, 1 special dessert coupon, 1 romantic movie night coupon. 24 hours reservation is needed!Have Fun!