I love Valentine’s Day. In my youth, the opportunity for romance and madness was always very exciting, if not realistic. However, whenever I became a mom, I found the real love in Valentine’s Day. I have quite literally given my heart (or at least a genetically significant portion of it) to two little lights that are the brightest joy of my life. And so, while thinking through a Monday Valentine’s Day following Super Bowl weekend, it’s worth some extra effort to make the holiday truly special for my Valentine’s.
Note – I’ve included some links here. None of these are affiliate links. This is just a bunch of stuff I personally actually plan on using. I don’t get anything for you clicking these links. Enjoy!
Valentine’s Themed Breakfast Board
My focus of the year is to cultivate joy. The happiest I have ever felt was cuddled up with my girls with my arms wrapped around them in front of the fire watching a movie. We can’t do this before school on Monday, but we can start Sunday, February 13th with a Valentine’s breakfast board, Encanto, and a fire in the fireplace. Plus hot chocolate bombs for an extra special treat!
For more on Encanto, check out Emily’s recent article!
For our Valentine’s themed breakfast board, we will have heart-shaped gluten free toast, raspberries, strawberries, cara cara oranges (they’re pink!), gluten free chicken breakfast sausage from Costco, strawberry jam, whipped cream, and of course sprinkles. So. many. Sprinkles.
And depending on how the weekend goes, if I am feeling extra, my youngest has been begging to bake breakfast cookies, so this gluten free recipe is on my radar.
On to paint projects!
Since the pelicans will already be sticky, it’s the perfect time to paint! My girls LOVE. TO. PAINT. Here is a collection of paint projects I will have on tap. And bonus! We will have homemade Valentine’s Day cards to drop off to grandparents.
What time is it? It’s time for lunch!
An easy lunch that doubles as an activity and is sure to please is heart-shaped personal pizzas. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out pizza crusts and let the kids do their own toppings. Watermelon cut out with a heart-shaped cookie cutter works as a great side whose theme is on point.
Shameless plug for Valentine’s Themed Yoga Play in the Park
While the little pelicans nap, I will be pulling together the final details for Yoga in the Park.
I will be hosting a very special donation-based, Valentine’s themed one-hour Yoga Play in the Park class to benefit the Reach Institute’s new playground at First Lutheran. We will meet at the Petanque Courts at Girard Park, near Girard Park Drive and Girard Park Lane behind the ULL Alumni Center (closest parking lot is Parking Lot #3). Pre-registration required so we have an accurate headcount for supplies and snacks.
Yoga Play is a one-hour yoga-inspired class for all ages. Families and friend groups welcome, or come on your own. We will combine elements of yoga and creative movement with an arts and crafts project and a snack!
Sticky and sweaty, time for a bubble bath!
Now that I am guaranteed to have two very sweaty, very sticky small children, a bubble bath seems like the best course of action. I plan to stop by a crafts store to pick up interesting add-ins, such as rose petals, foam hearts, and little pink and red bowls and cups.
Valentine’s Day books of the year
Instead of candy that they don’t need or some disposable Valentine’s card that will get destroyed, I opt for books for my Valentine’s. Every year, I give my children special books as their Valentines, and I write a letter to them in the inside cover. These books are special treasures that we return to and read together again and again. I actually blogged about this last year – Can I read you a Valentine?
This year, I stopped by Beausoleil Books to find the perfect Valentines.
Component Parts ready to roll on Monday
The fun continues Monday morning with a special Valentine’s Day breakfast. Now please understand, I am barely functional pre-coffee. But the beauty here is that I will simply roll out leftover components from our Sunday morning breakfast board to start the day off on a special note!
Valentine’s Day Lunch Boxes
Of course, the children will be sent to school with Valentines and goodies for their class parties. But I will also pack them extra special Valentine-themed lunches so they know that I love them and am thinking about them. I plan to pack sandwiches cut into hearts with a sandwich stamp, heart cut out watermelon (rocking those lunch leftovers), love notes, and a Valentine’s candy treat. (I mean, there had to be SOME candy, right? I’m not a monster.)
Valentine’s Dinner
I’m tired on the best of Mondays. We are picking up a family meal from Zea! Feels fancy, and it’s super easy and reasonably priced. I recommend placing these orders early and leaving yourself extra time for pickup. They get crazy busy on Valentine’s Day. But so worth it.
We will light candles, use cloth napkins, and let the kids drink sparkling cider out of real glasses. (I found tiny champagne coupes at an estate sale. I have questions, but they have really come in handy with the girls.) Playing the Encanto soundtrack over Alexa, of course. Full dining experience. And then we can read our Valentines before bed, all cuddled up together. Absolute joy.
