I Know it is still January, but Valentines is only 27 days away! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days! I love coming up with fun things to do with Mike and now with Kenedy! However, I have only been married 6.5 years and have been in love with Mike for 10 years and I am already running out of great ideas. What is going to happen when we have been married 40 years? I thought it would be fun to share some of the fun date ideas and gift ideas that we have all done with and for our spouses and loved ones. I am also looking for a few fun Valentine traditions to do with Kenedy and our future children. Here are a few of our favorite ideas.
Dates: #1 Scavenger Hunt
One year a friend and I planned a scavenger hunt for our husbands. We sent them on a hunt around the University Mall. At each store that had to buy something for us in order to get their next clue. We sent them to Victoria Secrets, The Gap, Bath and Body, See's Candy, A flower place, and then They met us at PF Chang's. When they walked in, we played it up like they were the most thoughtful husbands to bring us all these sweet gifts! They guys had a good time with it as well!
#2 Candlelight in the Park
One year Mike surprised me and took me to the park where he had a candlelight dinner set up. The dinner consisted of Hot Chocolate and Cocoa Puffs.
Gifts: #1 Coupon Books with gift cards to dinner, movies, and his favorite stores
#2 12 days of Valentines with cards and treats and little presents
#3 A flip book that was ten things I love about you ( The answers all had candy in them. I left one every morning and then the last day I heart attacked his office and left him cute treats and with the complete book of the 10 reasons I loved him (Example: I love how you make me "Snicker"! I love your "Kissable lips"!)
Family Ideas: ( I haven't done these yet, but they are some ideas I came up with!)
#1 Letters to family members:I did this with my class when I was teaching a letter writing unit. I thought it would be fun to have a FHE on showing love to one another. For a week before Valentines or how ever many days, have each family member write a letter that contains the things they love about a specific family member and place it in the Valentine mailbox. At dinner time, choose a mail person to get the mail and deliver to the family (With little ones you could even have them dress up like a mailman). I was thinking we will do it three days before Valentines since there are three of us. This way we will all rotate so we write to each other once. In my class I made a list for each student with the names of the person they should write to so that every student got a letter each day. It made such a difference in my class for that couple weeks! Everyone tried extra hard to be nice to one another.
I know this is generic, but I thought it would be fun to make sugar cookies and heart attack a neighbors front door and leave the cookies. I think it is best to pick someone you know that needs it. I am planning on reading the book, "Everybody Loves Mr. Hatch" before we do this just to remind my children that there are people out there that really think that nobody loves them or cares about them!
Thanks for reading about our fun Valentine ideas, now I need to hear yours. I need to have some new ones for the next 60 Valentines that Mike and I have ahead of us! I can't wait to hear all your fun ideas!
P.S. I read this article called, Ten Tips for a Happy Marriage, and thought I would pass it on to all my Good Friends! Happy Valentines!
http://www.ldslivingmagazine.com/articles/show/1303
15 comments:
OH CUTE! Those are some good ideas! Even though im not married, or have any kids....I might just have to remeber those ideas for later in my years! :)
Those are such cute ideas!!!! I loved the mall scavenger hunt, it's sounding good to me about right now.
Last year I had my boys help me set the table....we got a red plastic table cloth and red and white polka dot napkins. We tossed pink and red M&M's all over for decor (the boys thought I was kidding) We lit candles and had cranberry juice, and a steak dinner with homemade cheesecake with raspberries on top. The boys helped me cook and were so proud of themselves when john got home. We all enjoyed valentines dinner together. John did not know tell he got home what was planned.
Hey it's me again...Melissa. Great ideas. I'm struggling this year on what to do for Mikey. I read that article this week also...it's it great. I have a lot to work on. It was good to see you in Target and chat...talk to you soon!
Heidi, you are so cute! I love this post. :) I haev never been big on doing this for all these "smaller" holidays so I will try to do something this year. I LOVE the mall scavenger hunt one! Way awesome. Sorry I don't have any ideas to add. Happy Heart Day!
Thank you so much for posting this. I am so bad at making things festive and in need of some ideas myself. You have always been the one to go to for ideas.
One idea that I did one year was I bought a bunch of Valentine's Day cards and candy. I wrote something special in each card, attached candy to it, and then placed them anywhere I knew he would be, by the computer, in his car, in his computer bag, etc. He even ended up finding them a day or two later. Grant seemed to like all of the little surprises.
Seriously. Is there anyone more creative than you? You are the bomb, Heidi. And even more gorgeous in real life than in pics. You are so stunning. I mean that. I want your hair desperately. It was so fun to see you! I still need to post pics. Will do tomorrow probably.
But back to the post...
We are extremely boring people. I have never done anything even remotely romantic for John besides making valentines cookies. And this year there won't be any of those. Do you know why? Because only I eat them, that's why!!!
We are lame. We go to Javiers where they have a mariachi band and give you fried ice cream. We take the kids. But, somehow I look forward to it EVERY year like nothing else! I do love Valentines!
Melissa,
I know you don't have a blog, but what is your email so I can get in contact with you?
Heidi-
Thank you for reminding me to include adoption updates on my blog. I added that to our last blog. It was last june that we recieved our letter of approval in the mail! We have gone to LDSFS here and requested our new bishops letter and gotten the ball rolling in a few ways. I was so excited to hear your news!
By the way I love your adoption blog so great!
Christina
Too cute! Kenedy is amazing! They grow way too fast!! Thanks for sharing those ideas. You are always so dang creative. I love the scavenger hunt one! That's hilarious!! Troy said Mike is making him look bad with the candlelight dinner. We normally do the traditional dinner and a movie for Valentines if we get out at all. I'll try to think of some other ideas and get back to you. I loved that article on marriage too!
I'm so doing the letter-writing thing with my class this year. Thanks for the cute ideas- I'm like Lindsey in the hiding-cards thing. When that was done for me, they were hidden in the glove box of my car, (the boyfriend called and asked me when my insurance expired to get me to look in there!) in my fridge, etc. Each one had a message about why I was special, and I loved it!
Heidi, Oh my gosh no way. It is so cool to see you. I hope all is well. I really love you blog! Please add mine. I am just learning how to do it. I have a myspace that I play on. Take care.
Blessings, Elise Harward
Heidi, I noticed that you occasionally post the visiting teaching message for the month. Are you the visiting teaching coordinator in your ward? If so, have you done the annual VT workshop yet. I ask because I was just called as the coor. in my ward and was looking for some ideas. You always seem full of creative ideas, so I thought I'd ask. Thanks,
Karen
I think its just gets harder and harder to think of new creative ideas the longer you're together. I look at my parents and somehow they still suprise each other. I love the twelve days of Valentines because our anniversary is just 4 days later and so it's like all the romantic holidays together. Thanks for the great idea!
I hope you love me! jk I put the links back up for ya. I was outvoted.
I think for valentines, I just love all the candy!!! I also love surprising my dad by taking him a valentine at work and then taking a valentine to my mom at home. I also have the kids make valentines to send to my in-laws. I think I might heart-attack Trent's car after he goes to sleep so he can find it in the morning.
Ok not that I'm really suprised, but your blog is soooooo darling! You are you mothers daughter for sure! Love the Valentines ideas. Back in the day~ my sisters and I got together and did the 12 days of Valentines! We made cards for each day with a little present, not sure the men appreciated all the work...but it was fun. My Mom used to write us a "love" note on a heart paper with all the reasons she loved us. That always was special. You are so cute, I'm so glad you found me!
~Mel
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