It’s so hard to believe that we are almost through half of February!! Where oh where has the time gone?
We’ve been busy around here with the greenhouse, moving animals, setting up compost systems, and getting garden beds ready for planting, which should happen pretty soon. We are hoping to get some potatoes planted this week.
I believe that Valentine’s Day started out as a religious holiday, but it has now become a major spending event for those who are romantically involved. It’s crazy to see the amount of money spent on candies and cut flowers! We watched a clip on World Watch, and it was eye-opening! You can read more about Valentine’s Day traditions HERE.
Valentine’s Day: A Day To Celebrate or Not?
I can remember the days when my older kids went to public school… I’d always be scrambling to come up with money for Valentine’s and candies to send with them. Then my kiddos would come home with stories of how other parents had surprised their kiddos with balloons, chocolates, and flowers. I’d always feel like I hadn’t done ‘ENOUGH’ and I’d scramble some more to buy them a little box of candy or something special.
Things have changed, we don’t go all out for Valentine’s Day, but we do try to do a little something to make sure everyone knows that they are loved. We try to teach our kids that you don’t have to spend a pile of money on someone to show that you love them… we should be showing them by our actions on a daily basis.
One thing we always try to do is to have a special dinner and dessert. The kids make cards sometimes for everyone, but not always. Some of our favorite dinner ideas include:
Valentine’s Menu
Dinner
Sizzlin’ Skillet Steak or Skillet Chicken
Baked Potatoes or Twice Baked Potatoes
Strawberry Spinach Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing or a plain Salad w/ homemade ranch
dessert
Red Velvet Cake w/Cream Cheese Icing or Strawberry Cream Cake
Some other ideas include:
Gorgonzola Pasta with Mushrooms – I usually request this for my birthday!
Baked Salmon or Broiled Parmesan Tilapia
Here are some delicious sides that pair well with these dishes:
Steamed Asparagus or Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Don’t forget dessert:
Sopapillas or Funnel Cakes w/strawberry jam and whipped cream…Yum!
Chocolate Covered Eggs – you could make these in any shape you like
Angel Food Cake w/strawberries and cool chip
If dinner isn’t your thing maybe you could try some heart-shaped pancakes with sliced strawberries and whipped cream?
Special Winter Dinners w/Printable Recipes & Links
Some other great ways to show people you love them are:
- baking cookies with them or for them
- helping them with a special project
- dinner and a movie (at home or away)
- call or visit someone you haven’t talked to in a bit
Here is a link to some other upcoming holidays that you might find interesting:
I don’t know about you but I’m getting a bit hungry now. Remember that whatever you do doesn’t have to be ‘Pinterest Perfect’ or ‘Instagram Worthy’… your thoughtfulness will mean a lot more than you can know! I know that I no longer feel guilty or feel like I’m not doing ENOUGH because I know that our focus is more about making each other feel special every day instead of one day a year… and that doesn’t cost a DIME!
God Bless You!
Remember that God loves you, and so do we!
Mr. Awesome had to go out of town,so he got me a gift, even though I have insisted I don’t need anything…
… so much better than a card or cut flowers… but I wouldn’t turn down a box of chocolate… maybe I’ll get some for my birthday, which is also later this week... Half-price chocolates for the WIN!
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