13Feb
Growing up, Valentine’s Day was never a big deal around my house. We’d get a card and some flowers or chocolates from my dad, but that was about it. I sort of have the same attitude about it as an adult, too. It’s really nice to have a day to love on people, but I don’t really put all that much into the gifts.
I’m doing the same thing this year that I did last year, so I guess you could say we are creating a tradition in our family. I bought small little gift boxes in the dollar aisle at Target and filled one for Bean, Gracie and Chris with little odds and ends. I finally threw out all the bath toys we’ve had because they were just disgusting, so I used this as a chance to replace them with some new and improved bath time entertainment.
Gracie got a pink rubber ducky, a set of washable bath crayons, a floating Cinderella toy, a Cinderella PEZ, and Skittles.
Bean got his own rubber ducky (in green, his favorite color) and set of washable bath crayons. And he got a Jake and the Neverland Pirates Water Jet Racer, a Brave PEZ, and Skittles.
Chris got candy and a plate of his favorite homemade cookies.
My favorite Valentine tradition, though, has become breakfast. I get up before the kids do and at the breakfast table, I put out their Valentine boxes of goodies. We also collect all the cards that they received from family and friends and have those in a big pile at their seats, too. Then, we go through all the cards and goodies and candy while we eat powered donuts! It is a lot of fun! It doesn’t cost much, it doesn’t require an insane amount of planning and preparing (ain’t nobody gots time for that…), but it’s a fun, simple way to start our day together and to let each other – and especially our kids now – know how much we love them.
I see students at school on Valentine’s Day walking around with armfuls of flowers and stuffed animals and candy. I see co-workers with flowers being delivered. I see friends heading out to brave the crowds in romantic restaurants. And I silently think to myself, “Yes, but where are your powdered donuts?”
One thing that Chris and I have vowed to do is avoid the Valentine’s Day crowds. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day where you stop and celebrate the people you love, so we choose to celebrate on a day without so many other people celebrating. Usually, we go out to dinner and a movie a week or so after the V-Day rush. There’s no waiting in line, no lost reservations, no noisy and crowded movie theater. It’s much more relaxed, and it gives us a laid back date to really enjoy each other.
In honor of our Another Day V-Day, Fandango is graciously hosting a giveaway today on MC! Leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to spend time with your favorite person and be entered to win a $30 Fandango gift card AND a $50 Visa gift card!!! (Not gonna lie, I would really like to win this one myself if I could…) Fandango is the nation’s leading moviegoer destination and sells tickets to nearly 20,000 movie screens nationwide, so you are guaranteed to find a movie in your location!
However or whenever you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day, I hope your day is full of the people you love the most!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!!!!
1) Jill: My favorite way to spend time with my man is taking a hike with our dog then coming home to watch a movie. It's the simple stuff, I tell ya :-) (02.13.2013 08:23pm)
2) Sharlee@believinginsomething: I really want to win this, too. My favorite thing to do with my husband...is well...you know! ;) (02.13.2013 08:24pm)
3) Jennifer S.: I like staying in on Valentine's Day... We have been married going on 17 years, we don't have anything to prove, lol. We usually go out within the week for something...a movie, or dinner, or both, or sometimes something silly... But for the actual day of Valentine's...just staying put watching tv together. :) (02.13.2013 08:25pm)
4) Erin: I like to make heart cut out sugar cookies for my boys. (02.13.2013 08:26pm)
5) Beth: right now my favorite together time other than the obvious is laying in bed watching Raymond reruns after the kids go to bed. Also We don't celebrate Valentines Day really anymore as it is our sons birthday and he will be 9 tomorrow! (02.13.2013 08:27pm)
6) Carly: This year we snagged free hockey tickets for v day. We usually do dinner after the fact to avoid crowds as well!! We LOVE going to moves together every day of the year though :) (02.13.2013 08:27pm)
7) Sara: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is on the couch with a bottle of wine :) (02.13.2013 08:28pm)
8) Renee: Dave and I have always been pretty low-key about Valentine's Day. We do cards and small gifts or candy, and I prefer it this way. Also, being a teacher, I get all kinds of treats and love notes from my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. It's pretty much an awesome day. :) (02.13.2013 08:28pm)
9) Trish D: Oh MY...where did you find those king size reese cup hearts???? I'd be perfectly happy with a big glass of milk and those reese cups! (02.13.2013 08:29pm)
10) Kelli: We're like you and do a date night another day somewhere around Valentines. Our favorite date is a trip to the nice theater with meal service and recliners. Since we have a 2 year old and he has a very unpredictable schedule for work it doesn't happen often! (02.13.2013 08:30pm)
11) norrey: We celebrate after Valentine's day with a dinner and a movie. My husband cooks steaks and lobster at home on Valentine's day and I buy the dessert and wine (even though I don't drink) (02.13.2013 08:30pm)
12) Tawny: My favorite time is cuddling up on the couch, enjoying a foot rub and eating our favorite snack. (02.13.2013 08:30pm)
13) Katie: Just to sit and eat dinner together and watch a good movie would be perfect! (02.13.2013 08:30pm)
14) Meggie: My favorite thing to do with my husband is to just hang out at home. We love getting take-out on Valentine's Day, eating some fancy dessert, and then watching a movie. It's laid back, relaxing, and fun. Especially when you factor in the kiddos... it's always an adventure! =) (02.13.2013 08:31pm)
15) Nicole T.: I think my favorite time together is when we get to work together on something. (02.13.2013 08:32pm)
16) Chelsea: My favorite way to spend time with my favorite person (my boyfriend) would be just hanging out at home, watching a movie, cooking together, or just joking around together. :-) (02.13.2013 08:32pm)
17) Nate's Mom @ Nate is Great: Oh my word! I'm so jealous of your Valentine planning! We've been snowed in since Friday and haven't done a thing. Not a thing! We'll be cheery for Valentine's Day but that's about it. Favorite way to spend time with my lovies Chad and Nater Tater? With an activity at home! We are homebodies. Nate just learned to throw a ball so we've been playing a lot of catch and the three of us can throw down a mean dance party with Ellen! :) (02.13.2013 08:33pm)
18) PJ: We avoid the busy valentines things too and go to our neighborhood sushi place. And we set a $20 limit on gifts. It's all about showing the love, not buying it. (02.13.2013 08:36pm)
19) Kari: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is going to our local wine bar every Friday evening--sipping on wine, munching on a cheese plate, and chatting about our lives. So relaxing and a great way for us to reconnect at the end of every week! (02.13.2013 08:37pm)
20) Jen: We usually get take out and have a Picnic in the living room and a little dancing...because my valentine is only 4 so no late nights for us! (02.13.2013 08:40pm)
21) Sarah: We celebrate almost the same as you, a quiet dinner and movie well after the Valentine's day crowds have cleared. (02.13.2013 08:41pm)
22) Madeline: I like going out to dinner with my hubby, and I also love going to the theater. (02.13.2013 08:44pm)
23) Whitney: Ilove just hangung out with my husbands, just laughing together. Usually just hanging out as a family. (02.13.2013 08:46pm)
24) Jennifer: We have never gone out to dinner on this day. We're not crazy. He's already given me my present; I got a completely renovated laundry room. We spend time refurbishing our foreclosure of a house we bought. Years of entertainment here. I'm a strange sort of gal; but I'm his!! (02.13.2013 08:46pm)
25) Jessica: My favorite way to spend Valentine's Day is making my hubby's favorite dinner and relaxing on the couch together at the end of the day! I'm excited to start new traditions with our son now too! (02.13.2013 08:47pm)
26) Jen D: My hubs and I love to cook fajitas after the kiddos are in bed and then watch our fav shows on Netflix (02.13.2013 08:48pm)
27) Melissa: My husband and I wait to go out as well. Usually we celebrate both our birthdays and Valentine's at the same time. We like to go out for a day alone without the kids....doesn't matter what it is as long as we leave home and it's the one day we don't take kids. (02.13.2013 08:48pm)
28) Andrea in SC: I love cooking a comfort food-filled dinner and watching crappy TV with my husbie :-) We sometimes go out to eat, but it's honestly not worth the hassle. P.S. Your childhood Valentine's Days sound identical to mine....it's not my most favorite holiday by any means. (02.13.2013 08:49pm)
29) Jaclyn: Me & my guy's favorite way to spend time together is to watch a movie! Either renting or going to the theaters (we both work in entertainment and are big movie buffs). Needless to say this giveaway is perfect for us! (02.13.2013 08:49pm)
30) Carlene: My husband and I are huge movie fans, but we live in the middle of nowhere. About once a month or so we make the trek out to the closest indie movie theatre to see an opera, an indie movie, a foreign film or a documentary. The long drive is actually nice, we spend the drive home analyzing what we just saw and these discussions lead to us learning new things about the other! (02.13.2013 08:51pm)
31) Rachel: My hubby & I are a lot like you and Chris, low key date around Valentines Day. We went to a movie last Friday. (Silver Linings Playbook is really good!) we don't go out to movies a lot so it's a treat. Also, been married 20 years, so nothing to prove like one of your other readers said. One year we got a dishwasher as our gift to each other as we had just bought our 1st house (very romantic). Not sure if I can use a Fandango gift card any where near me in Grand Forks, ND, though. :) (02.13.2013 08:53pm)
32) Kelly H: With 2 boys, and baby #3 on the way, I look forward to something as simple as dinner out, just the 2 of us (because, seriously, have you ever been able to "enjoy" dinner out with 2 little ones?!? It's so much more work!). Having just relocated, we have no family or friends around, so nights out are virtually non-existent at this point! (02.13.2013 08:54pm)
33) Summer: We love to go out to dinner and just hang out together. We rarely actually go out on v-day because of work obligation but that's no big deal to us :) (02.13.2013 08:55pm)
34) Alicia: My favorite way to celebrate Valentine's Day is to get my husband a bag of sweet treats and cook him a nice dinner. We also like to avoid the crowds and go out a few days after. I always send out Valentine's Day cards to close family & friends....that is probably my favorite things to do. (02.13.2013 08:55pm)
35) melissa: dear katie, my favourite way to spend time with my partner is eating some food, watching some television, drinking some wine, and kissing throughout it all. love, melissa ps. i love that you give chris a cute basket like the kids. it is a simple and sweet way to make the kids feel like they are just as special as their dad. (02.13.2013 08:56pm)
36) Kelly H: My favorite way to spend time with the hubby is cuddled up with a glass (bottle?) of wine on our porch! Thanks for the giveaway and happy valentines day! (02.13.2013 08:59pm)
37) Tracy B: There's nothing better than cuddling up in the den with my husband and two boys watching a movie and eating great pizza! As far as I'm concerned that's far better than a crowded restaurant and all the flowers in the world! (02.13.2013 09:01pm)
38) Kim: I agree with you--sweet and simple family time, then celebrate with the hubby before or after! (02.13.2013 09:02pm)
39) Ali: BK (that's Before Kids) I used to cook my husband an elaborate feast and splurge on fancy ingredients. I would print up a menu, set a beautiful table and genuinely enjoy re-creating a dinner out, from the comfort of our little apartment. I definitely miss those days. (02.13.2013 09:02pm)
40) Claire H.: My favorite times with my husband are those dinners out, where we have a drink and completely unwind, discussing our past, present & future together. (02.13.2013 09:02pm)
41) Meredith C: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is on the couch watching Netflix with a drink and whatever I am knitting at that time. (02.13.2013 09:03pm)
42) Ginna: We enjoy making dinner together and then enjoying snuggling our puppy while watching a movie! Bonus points if we build a fire in the fireplace too! (02.13.2013 09:04pm)
43) Laurie: My favorite way is having a nice dinner at home with my husband! (02.13.2013 09:04pm)
44) Shannon: My favorite thing to do is go hiking or do another outdoor activity together, but since we live in the northeast that's not usually the plan for Valentine's Day! I'm planning to cook a nice dinner and spend a relaxing evening together, and then spend the weekend doing some low key activities, and maybe some ice skating to get outside for a little while! (02.13.2013 09:07pm)
45) Sara: My favorite way to spend time with my husband of 2.5 years is to find fun shows to watch on Netflix together! (02.13.2013 09:08pm)
46) Lisa: I love to sleep late with my husband. Lame u know but it is an absolute luxury to lie in bed and not have the kids busting in at 6 am (or before!) needing something. (02.13.2013 09:10pm)
47) Regina: My fave way to spend time with my husband is out in nature...especially kayaking a quiet lake or bay. For Valentine's we haven't made plans yet! We might wait till the weekend to celebrate. (02.13.2013 09:13pm)
48) Jenn V: Dinner with my husband, some years it's a nice meal out, some years it's dinner at home but it's just nice to be together. (02.13.2013 09:13pm)
49) Andrea Campbell: I love when my kids crawl into bed with my husband and I in the morning and we can all cuddle together for a while before starting our day. Watching movies and going to the park are fun but there is something extra special about two sleepy kids cuddled under the blankets with you that no crazy daytime activity can beat :) (02.13.2013 09:13pm)
50) Beth: My favorite way to spend valentine's day is with my husband. We rarely get to spend the day or evening together because of our jobs so perhaps next year, I will try your method of powered donuts in the morning! (02.13.2013 09:15pm)
51) Kristen: My husband and I started dating 2 weeks before Valentine's Day, so we kept it low key and ordered Thai takeout and ate in his dorm room. It has become our annual tradition, though since getting married and not celebrating our old anniversary anymore, we have now stepped it up and go to a local Thai restaurant. Still laid back and reminds us of that very first, somewhat awkward first year. (02.13.2013 09:16pm)
52) Niki: I'm going to spend V-day with my two favorite boys, my husband and my one year old! (02.13.2013 09:17pm)
53) Stacey: My favorite thing is go on road trip adventures with my husband. I also like to walk with my husband along the beach. :) (02.13.2013 09:18pm)
54) Rachel: I love spending time with my husband and daughter outside hiking. (02.13.2013 09:18pm)
55) Jordan: I love just some good one on one time in the car with my husband. It doesn't matter if we're just driving around doing errands, I love the undistracted time to talk! (02.13.2013 09:18pm)
56) Michelle | Letters from Boston: My husband and I have a Valentine's Day tradition where we order in Chinese food and watch a movie in our pajamas. So simple, but that's how I like to spend time with him best -- just us, just hanging out. Happy Valentine's Day! (02.13.2013 09:22pm)
57) Melissa V.: My fav way to spend time with my hubby is eating a good meal and watching a movie. (02.13.2013 09:23pm)
58) Lisa: I was thinking eating out or steaks in sounded good. What we are doing?? A board meeting with a business partner and his wife. The only redeeming factor is that when my husband emailed if this was OK, he called it a broad meeting. At least I got a laugh! (02.13.2013 09:24pm)
59) Kim B: My favorite way to spend Valentines day is cooking a great meal for my hubby and staying in. However, this year we will be spending the evening at our sons college conference swim meet. :) (02.13.2013 09:25pm)
60) Jane: Valentine's Day is different every year for my husband and I, but my favorite year by far was when we made super sandwiches and sat on the couch watching a documentary (about beavers of all things haha). It was laid back and comfortable and we just laughed with each other all day. That was the day I knew he was the one for me :) (02.13.2013 09:32pm)
61) Andrea: I love being in the car with my husband and just drive around without a destination. Usually we end up chatting about our life together and listen to music. (02.13.2013 09:32pm)
62) Shannon: My favorite way to spend time with my guy is just to talk. I never know when it's going to happen - sometimes we just decide to go on a walk after dinner, other times we start having a conversation on the couch and then realize it's 3 AM suddenly. Either way, it's my favorite way to spend my time! (02.13.2013 09:40pm)
63) Betty: We do just that, hit up the cheap movie theater (chattanooga has a $2.50 movie theater) and then hit up our favorite brewery! (02.13.2013 09:43pm)
64) Barbara Manatee: I love going wine tasting with my husband! One year, (before kids) we did a snowshoe stomp through the vineyards of one winery and then did a Chocolate and Wine tour amongst a bunch of great Michigan wineries. Best Valentine's Ever! (02.13.2013 09:45pm)
65) jend: Favorite part of my day is having my husband come home, sitting down with a glass of wine and laughing at the CRAZY family we created. The wine helps it be funnier most nights (02.13.2013 09:47pm)
66) Amber: I am against Valentines Day...as a general rule. This year my honey has the flu so I will be spending the day hydrating him and sanitizing to keep myself from getting it. (Although I was smart and got the shot unlike him!) So a nice night out after would be very nice! (02.13.2013 09:48pm)
67) Meghan: My favorite thing to do is snuggle and talk with my husband. Today is our four-month anniversary! (02.13.2013 09:50pm)
68) SharonFaye: Dinner & a movie with no teenagers coming with us. OR better yet, snuggling on the sofa watching a movie of our choice with no teenagers in the house. Pure bliss. (02.13.2013 09:51pm)
69) Amanda S: We do not make a big deal out of Valentines as a couple. We do small treats for kiddos and something as a couple on March 1st since that's our wedding anniversary. Our favorite thing to do is curl up on the couch with funny, mindless TV such as How I Met You Mother after the kids are in bed (02.13.2013 09:51pm)
70) Adrienne: An extra fancy or creative homemade dinner!! :) this year it's fondu! (02.13.2013 09:52pm)
71) Sara (That Other Mom): My favorite is exactly what you said! The only thing I went out of my way to do was make my husband a special card :) (02.13.2013 09:52pm)
72) Mae: My husband and I avoid the crowds on Valentine's Day too. Instead we cook dinner at home and for our dessert we have chocolate fondue with strawberries. I'm sure my kids will love that we will be having dessert tomorrow night! (02.13.2013 09:52pm)
73) Jenny: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is after we both come home from work, we sit on the couch together with the pooch and unwind after our work days. Even if it's just for 15 minutes, I feel so much more relaxed and happy than I would otherwise. Happy V-day! (02.13.2013 09:54pm)
74) Tanya: I'm spending V-day with my girl friends! We are going to go to a bar and watch the NY Rangers (maybe we'll meet some cute single guys hehe). Happy Valentine's Day all! (02.13.2013 10:03pm)
75) Jennifer Olson: My celebrate "family style" with a heart shaped pancake breakfast and simple baskets of small goodies for the kids, Hubby and I exchange cards and go out to eat later in the month without the kiddos :) Very sweet and simple day...perhaps when the kids are older we will be more adventurous and romantic! (02.13.2013 10:03pm)
76) Alyssa: Relaxing at home together with some yummy takeout and a bottle of wine! (02.13.2013 10:03pm)
77) KP: Husband + cabin + bonfire & S'mores = pure happiness! (02.13.2013 10:05pm)
78) Anna D: We are planning to stay home, cook dinner together and enjoy the toddler!! I can't think of a better way to celebrate the ones I love most!! (02.13.2013 10:14pm)
79) Pam: Prebaby we loved to take road trips, be it for a day or a week. With a toddler who has a 30 minute toleration for the car, those have been traded in for take out and a dvd. =) (02.13.2013 10:16pm)
80) Bobbie: we love each other every day of the year. Valentines Day is just another day! However, I do send a card and flowers to my daughter! (02.13.2013 10:18pm)
81) Maryellen: So my hubby is currently living 14 hours from home because of a military mobilization. I just spent this past weekend visiting him (without kids!!)! We went to Fogo de Chao (an amazing Brazilian steakhouse-YUM!) and then properly went into a food coma! It was fantastic! We also got mani-pedis (I love my husband!) and went to a movie at 1030 in the morning! It was the best weekend I have had in a very long time! (02.13.2013 10:31pm)
82) Sandy: With over 30 Valentine Days under our belt, the novelty of that day has worn off. We just love each other more tomorrow than we did today, and so on and so on! (The best thing about Valentines Day...Krispy Kremes heart shaped doughnuts! =o) (02.13.2013 10:33pm)
83) Becky: My favorite is in our jams with a bottle of wine and good conversation. (02.13.2013 10:34pm)
84) Erin: DH and I are foster parents to two boys 11 and 15 months...our favorite way to spend time together these days is to order in pizza and rent a movie after the kiddos get to bed. Just nice quiet time together :) (02.13.2013 10:34pm)
85) Kristen: I'm with you! I'd much rather enjoy the quietness and avoid the crowds with my husband. I'm cooking steaks (as a special treat) which we probably won't eat until 10 after we both finish teaching, and my husband coaches 3 basketball games. (02.13.2013 10:35pm)
86) Amy S: Love hanging out with my chris just about anywhere. Like you, we choose to avoid the crowds. Spending tomorrow at cancer clinic for my daughter and then soccer practice for my son. We are blessed just to celebrate each other! (02.13.2013 10:35pm)
87) N. Hunter: My favorite thing to do with my honey is to just hang out . We're both broke college students so often we just buy some cheap popcorn, rent a RedBox movi and pretend we're at the theater. :) (02.13.2013 10:56pm)
88) Sara: Watching a movie together at home with pizza, soda and homemade chocolate chip cookies. It's the best! (awesome giveaway!!) (02.13.2013 10:57pm)
89) NinaA: My husband and I will enjoy a meal of pizza with heart shaped pepperoni, heart shaped pigs in a blanket and I'm making him a candy-gram. (02.13.2013 11:00pm)
90) Lauren: I love spending time hiking in the mountains! (02.13.2013 11:05pm)
91) Tanya B.: My favorite thing to do with my love is laugh :) And he can make me laugh like no other! (02.13.2013 11:09pm)
92) Mary P.: I love going out to a nice dinner at a new restaurant with my husband! (02.13.2013 11:10pm)
93) Crystal P: I love just hanging out with my fiance and watching a movie and spending time with him. We generally don't get to be together on the day so I just treasure it if we are! (02.13.2013 11:21pm)
94) Holly R: My favorite way to spend Valentine's day is with a nice meal cooked by my fiance at home while snuggling with our dog and watching movies! (02.13.2013 11:21pm)
95) Courtney: Since both my husband and I normally have President's Day off, we skip Valentine's Day and go out for a really nice lunch on President's Day. It's cheaper and we don't have to fight the lines. (02.13.2013 11:36pm)
96) Taylor: Valentine's Day is my son's birthday so it is all about spending time with him. This is the first year I have to work on his b-day but we are still having green (his favorite color) heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, a special lunch for at grandmas house, dinner of his choice (this year is pizza and salad and apples lol), movie time, and finished with a present and a cupcake and candle. We have gone to the children's museum in the past, but that won't work this year. (02.13.2013 11:36pm)
97) jenny-bird: I usually buy my husband his favorite chocolate covered cherries and a cream filled donut and he usually buys me a red rose. Then, we make a special dinner for the two of us. (02.13.2013 11:41pm)
98) brooke: My favorite way to spend time with my Fiance is when we are snuggling on the couch watching a movie or playing with our godbaby (02.13.2013 11:46pm)
99) Bronwen: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is usually to go for a walk together - but this weekend we hope to go cross-country skiing instead. We had our Valentine's day "date" last weekend, I guess - had a lovely Saturday skiing and then went out to the symphony in the evening. Both very fun and we feel lucky to be able to do both in the same town (Madison, WI). (02.14.2013 12:08am)
100) Bronwen: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is usually to go for a walk together - but this weekend we hope to go cross-country skiing instead. (02.14.2013 12:09am)
101) Rebekah: I love to take road trips with my man! We get to actually TALK to each other :) (02.14.2013 12:15am)
102) Amber: Redbox, popcorn, my kids, and my hubby. Best kind of night! (02.14.2013 12:25am)
103) Jenny: We celebrate with a nice dinner a few days before Valentine's to avoid crowds and so we can spend the actual day celebrating with our boys. (02.14.2013 12:26am)
104) Paula S.: My favorite thing to do with my husband is go camping as a family. I really appreciate the effort he puts into getting all the gear together and making sure we have fun. (02.14.2013 12:36am)
105) Jillbinmd: Hubby and I just had our first baby four weeks ago. We love getting to spend time altogether in the evenings after he gets off work. (02.14.2013 12:46am)
106) Kaitlyn: My favorite person and I live in different countries so I think my favorite thing is when we first see each other after a long period of time and just stay up talking. :) (02.14.2013 01:12am)
107) Noël Stout: Such a sweet and simple tradition to start with your kiddos. (02.14.2013 01:19am)
108) ShelbyP: My favorite way to spend time with my man is game night. It's so fun to sit and play a board game while eating snacks and having a ton of laughs. (02.14.2013 02:08am)
109) Diane: Well since my husband travels constantly for his job, my favorite way to spend v day is with our three kiddos. Pizza, homemade cookies, and a few games of UNO are on the slate for this evening! (02.14.2013 02:19am)
110) Elise H: My favorite way to spend time with my guy is cooking dinner together at home, a bottle of wine & Netflix. With an infant at home we've grown to appreciate quiet nights at home together :) (02.14.2013 03:45am)
111) Jenna: My favorite is sitting down to a dinner cooked by my guy. He's a much better cook than me, and it makes me feel loved! (02.14.2013 04:35am)
112) Anna: My valentines day has changed greatly since my son was born over a year ago. One thing I have continued with my son and husband from my own parents is waking up with a box of chocolate and a Vday card under the pillow. It is kind of like Cupid did a Tooth Fairy kind of surprise. The new tradition is picking up dinner at a fancy restaurant to go and enjoying it at home. We started this last year because my son was 2 months and no way were we getting out. I found the experience SO MUCH better than going out. Still get one of my favorite dinners with a bottle of wine but get to enjoy it comfortably in my own home with a bottle of wine and my son hanging out around us. (02.14.2013 04:39am)
113) Tiffany in Pittsburgh: I will just spend a nice relaxing night at home with my husband...cook him dinner! (02.14.2013 06:28am)
114) Jessica: I love going out to dinner with my husband for special nights! Dinner and time together are the best!! (02.14.2013 06:45am)
115) SarahK: I like Valentine's Day to be lower key. No need for extravagance... Just a nice dinner either out at a restaurant or at home maybe cooking together. A sweet card and some candy or flowers and I'm a happy wife. ;-). I can't wait to start some new traditions for our kids (once the first one arrives!). :). Ps. I don't comment too much but I read every single day and love your blog! (02.14.2013 06:49am)
116) Lisa B: I love going to dinner and a movie... but with three little girls, we don't get to do that very often. Happy Valentine's Day! (02.14.2013 07:06am)
117) Annie: My fiance and I are going to enjoy the evening at home where we will grill some steaks and have some baked potatoes. With only about a month left before the wedding, we are taking this day to relax a little and just enjoy each other! (02.14.2013 07:06am)
118) Ashley: Favorite thing to do waking in bed on Saturday morning and laying in bed for an hour or so just talking...granted we haven't done this since our son was born, so talking over a free dinner would be pretty awesome (02.14.2013 07:08am)
119) Anne: I love to go out to eat with my husband. We just moved to a new city, so we're having fun exploring all the little restaurants here. (02.14.2013 07:09am)
120) Lauren: My husband is a professionally trained chef, so he cooks 99.9% of the time. For Valentines Day, I like to switch things up and cook for him (and he likes to make me homemade caramels --- SWOON!) (02.14.2013 07:49am)
121) Katy @ MonsterProof: I really love when we have a lazy dinner of pizza in front of a football game. Though, I am ashamed that my <2 year old is already as crazy about football as his dad. (02.14.2013 07:57am)
122) Katie: I hope I can write about my favorite people! I've always been really close to my parents, and I consider them my truest friends. I would love to be able to take them out to eat when they come to visit me soon. They've done so much for me in my life, and I always tell them how much I appreciate it, but I feel like taking them out might be a good way to show them! Happy Valentine's Day, Katie! (02.14.2013 08:04am)
123) Rebecca @ The Reluctant Housewife: Brad and I only had one Valentines Day together before Zoe came along and when she came along he started focusing on her... I love watching him love her. We write each other haikus and then typically go on a date at a later day (02.14.2013 08:16am)
124) Brenda: My favorite thing to do with my husband (one of my favorite people :) ) is to go out for a quite dinner. I love to get a chance to just talk to him and have a real conversation. It is hard to keep up with that with the kids and our busy work schedules. (02.14.2013 08:17am)
125) Anne: My husband hates the inflated prices on flowers for Valentine's Day, so he gives me an IOU on the 14th and then brings me flowers the next week. It gives me something to look forward to and I appreciate that he's helping us save money. (02.14.2013 08:29am)
126) Sarah H.: My husband and have been together since we were 15 so what we've enjoyed doing on V-day has changed. The thing I DON'T want to do it go out to eat- too crowded and pricey. I like a nice meal at home with pretty flowers :) Very low key. (02.14.2013 08:32am)
127) Renee B: I love going to movies but we don't get to do it very often with 3 kids in the house! (02.14.2013 08:34am)
128) Anna in Ohio: Happy Valentine's Day! My favorite way to spend time with my valentines (my Hubby of almost 5 years and my 2-year-old son) is to put in a good movie (We're all obsessed with The Lorax right now), pop some popcorn, turn off all the lights, and snuggle! Although the hubby and I could sure use a "real" movie-going experience, so that gift card could really help! (02.14.2013 08:37am)
129) Katy Shaw: Valentine's Day will be spent at home with my husband and three kids...we are both working parents so we enjoy as much time together as a family as possible. I am heading to my daughters school for her class party so I will be home earlier than normal and we will all make dinner together!! :) I love having my kids help in the kitchen!! (02.14.2013 08:41am)
130) Lyndsey: My husband and I don't too much for v-day. It was our dating anniversary so we always just celebrated it as an anniversary until we got married... and now that we are married it seems a bit excessive to celebrate it too much in the same month as my husband's birthday and our anniversary. Usually we just do cards. :) (02.14.2013 08:54am)
131) Lisa Troen: This is our first V-Day as a married couple :) I'm embarassing him at work and surprising him tonight with our wedding video! I forsee in the future us spending many valentines day curled up at home watching a movie! (02.14.2013 08:55am)
132) Jenn @ Shopaholic to Small Town: My favorite way to spend time with my hubby is riding around in his truck listening to music! We have so much fun singing, chatting and just enjoying each other. We stop every once in a while and look at the stars. It's simple, yet amazing! (02.14.2013 09:02am)
133) Meredith: I love to play Scrabble and drink wine. Seriously. Give me a board game and some wine and I'm a happy girl. (02.14.2013 09:03am)
134) Alaina: Happy Valentine's Day! Man, you're one awesome mom! Though, Aubrey's bday is tomorrow so I have an excuse for not doing all of that...she'll be getting her stuff tomorrow :-) T and I usually do stuff together at home, cooking dinner for each other, but tonight we're getting Buca di Beppo take out! Yum! (02.14.2013 09:06am)
135) Jackie: Every year, my husband and I pick out new and challenging recipes to make for dinner. My husband handles bath and bedtime for the kids so I can cook and we have nice dinner together after bedtime. I look forward to the challenge of new recipes, the time alone in the kitchen, and the quiet dinner just the two of us. (02.14.2013 09:08am)
136) Heather: I'm with you, love celebrating after the rush, with a special dinner and movie a few days later! (I feel the same way about celebrating New Year's Eve...) (02.14.2013 09:08am)
137) Jaime Z.: What an awesome giveaway! My birthday is the day after Valentine's Day, so my husband and I like to celebrate by going to dinner and a movie the weekend before or after. We also get little gifts for the kids to open. This year, they are receiving one book each and Hershey kisses. :) (02.14.2013 09:10am)
138) Emily S.: I love to go to sporting events with my husband- he watches the sports, and I often just watch the people! (02.14.2013 09:10am)
139) RachelC: We started our VDay off with donuts together as well and will spend the evening relaxing & making dinner together at home. I love any excuse to make my loved ones feel loved but agree that it's not worth dealing with the crowds! (02.14.2013 09:14am)
140) Katie N.: Funny story....the first year my now-husband and I were dating, we chatted about Valentine's Day a few weeks in advance and I told him, "I definitely don't like to make a big annoying deal out of it. No need for a dozen roses and chocolates and a fancy dinner at an over-crowded restaurant. I just like it to be something simple and nice and sweet." So, we settled on a plan of having a nice home-cooked meal at my apartment. Fast forward to Valentine's Day...I've spent the last two hours cooking dinner, cleaning my apartment, prepping the house so it looks all cute and lovey, setting his little present at his place setting, etc. He shows up at my apartment and I'm all giddy to go let him in, and as I open the door, I see that he literally has NOTHING in his hands. Not a flower (I said no roses....I didn't say no FLOWERS!), not a gift, not even a card. Surely, I though, that he must have a card or something cute and little tucked in to his jacket pocket. Then, he walked in to my kitchen and saw his little gift on his plate and said, "Oh, I thought we said we weren't doing gifts..." Needless to say, it has been a struggle ever since then to try to get him to understand what it is I mean when I say, "I just like it to be something cute and simple and nice and sweet." He took my disappointment that first year and ran with it in the opposite direction, and now thinks I must want something super special and over the top and that it's this high-pressure situation. The truth is, Valentine's Day in my house growing up looked a lot like it does in your house in this post. Fun little gifts, nothing too serious, nothing too grand, but just a fun day to take time out to remind each other how much we all love each other. And that's all I want now! So as we sit here on Valentine's Day again (our 7th together now!) and my husband frets about what we're going to eat for dinner tonight, I read him a paragraph from your post about opening cards and eating donuts together this morning, and I said, "THAT'S what I mean when I say I just want it to be simple and cute and nice!" Hopefully your post helps him understand - finally! - what I mean! :) (02.14.2013 09:21am)
141) Katie: This is our first married Valentine's Day! I am making a special dinner, because my husband was been working insane hours, and want to stay in :-) (02.14.2013 09:21am)
142) Margie: This year we celebrated by going out to a movie the night before - Top Gun in 3D! (02.14.2013 09:21am)
143) Suzanne: Neither of us like to make a big deal out of Vday because it's too much pressure. So we normally will go out to eat and get small gifts and either a movie or some sort of show. We'll be going to a hockey game and dinner tomorrow :) (02.14.2013 09:30am)
144) Kristine F.: My favorite thing is to snuggle up on the couch with popcorn and a movie! (02.14.2013 09:35am)
145) Maggie W.: My husband and I have been super-busy lately, so any time we get to unwind at home with each other is the best time. (02.14.2013 09:36am)
146) Angie: Honestly? Any time I spend with my husband is my favorite. I love cuddling up & watching movies at home, or dinner together...or walks in the summer. It's all happy times. We aren't v-day celebrators, so we won't do anything different tonight - homemade dinner & some cuddle time at home. (02.14.2013 09:39am)
147) Ashley: We are staying in for popcorn and Redbox for the day and doing dinner out and a concert tomorrow... We make an effort to do date night often, so it seems superficial to me to go out just because its Valentine's Day. People make it a competition instead of focusing on the meaning. (02.14.2013 09:44am)
148) Laura: I like to cook a delicious steak and lobster dinner and we usually exchange small gifts. It's mostly about the dinner though. Mmmmmmmmm. (02.14.2013 09:45am)
149) Kasey: I like going out to dinner on Valentines Day with my fiance. It is nice to be surrounding by love and people all celebrating love. (02.14.2013 09:49am)
150) Erin: My favorite person is my husband, and our favorite way to spend time together is on a simple little dinner date. We drive 30 minutes to get to a great little pizza place and take our time eating, chatting, and sipping red wine. It's fun, relaxing, and cheap :) (02.14.2013 09:50am)
151) Elaine: My husband is cooking me dinner! We've been together for 9 years and he has only cooked for me a handful of times! I left him a little love letter this morning (folded into a heart of course!) by his coffee cup. (02.14.2013 09:57am)
152) Jaymie: We are very low key on Valentine's day too. Small treats for the kids. My husband works for Hallmark and I will be very surprised if I get a card. He's too busy working to go get one:). We all know we love each other (02.14.2013 09:58am)
153) JenniferLO: My favorite two people to spend time with are my nieces. Sadly we live about 12 hours apart, but when we're together we love to spend the day baking and snuggled up with movies! Love those little girls!!! (02.14.2013 10:06am)
154) Charis Rossetti: My boys (husband and son) and I will have dinner together! (02.14.2013 10:09am)
155) Dawn: We're getting married in May, so this year will be a low-key Valentine's for us. We're going to stay at home and watch a movie after we cook a nice dinner together. One of our favorite things to do as a couple is cook. (02.14.2013 10:12am)
156) Rebecca: A quiet dinner at home with my man and my munchkin! (02.14.2013 10:16am)
157) Katie: love spending time with my best friend curled up on the couch just relaxing! (02.14.2013 10:24am)
158) Natalie: My husband and I always celebrate Valentine's day with a fancy dinner at home. We usually make parts and order take out for parts so it's not too much work. This year we are making the main dish and sides, but ordered our favorite salads and dessert to pick up on the way home from work. (02.14.2013 10:25am)
159) Jessica: My boyfriend and I are celebrating our Vale-versary (V-day + anniversary) next weekend with a trip to a bed and breakfast for a '40s-themed Murder Mystery! We decided we would celebrate with an experience rather than gifts. (02.14.2013 10:26am)
160) Andrea: Sometimes we just like to drop off the little one at Grandma's and wander through Target together for a while. (02.14.2013 10:26am)
161) Hanna: I love spending time with my hunny! We met on Valentine's Day 10 years ago today! (02.14.2013 10:28am)
162) Sommer: Spending time with my fiance. It doesn't matter what we're doing as long as we're doing it together! (02.14.2013 10:34am)
163) Angela in KY: Our favorite time together is snuggling around on the couch and reading aloud a good ole classic. (02.14.2013 10:34am)
164) Megan: Heart-shaped pancakes with sprinkles for the kids in the morning, a bottle of our favorite wine in the evening. No crowds, no fuss, just family time and L-O-V-E! (02.14.2013 10:35am)
165) Kaley Thompson: My husband and I watch netflix marathons in bed. It is so silly and so cheap, but I honestly look forward to this every weekend :) (02.14.2013 10:36am)
166) Allison V.: My favorite activity with my husband is a quiet night at home cooking dinner and enjoying a bottle of wine together. Which is exactly what we are doing tonight for V-Day! (02.14.2013 10:37am)
167) Maria: My lil fartblossoms are my two favorite people in the whole world (I'm a single Mom) and I love to just sit and snuggle with them on the couch. Or bake some sweet treats in the kitchen. We always have fun no matter what we do and there's always tons of hugs, kisses, and cuddles. Thank you! (02.14.2013 10:39am)
168) Ivette: My favorite way to spend time with my hubby is to snuggle in bed watching TV or a movie (02.14.2013 10:39am)
169) Mallory: My boyfriend, Andy, and I like to go to our favorite mexican restaurant for dinner and margaritas :) (02.14.2013 10:40am)
170) Abigail: My favorite way to spend time with my boyfriend is unpressured, low-key time at home. With nowhere else to be. Sad but true :o) (02.14.2013 10:41am)
171) Kristinia P: This my first V-day in a relationship I use to be "the single" girl before :) My fiance and I live about an hour and a half apart and were not going to get to spend today together because of work but the work gods shined down on us and we get to work in the same city together today. We are making a crockpot meal and watching survivor tonight. (02.14.2013 10:43am)
172) Adriane Long: My favorite way to spend Valentine's Day is with the kids, but then order dinner (like from a restaurant-Olive Garden normally) and then go home and have a nice quite dinner and a movie--No Crowds! (02.14.2013 10:45am)
173) Kara: I'm not big on Valentine's Day (too much pressure to make it special!), but anything I do with my boys makes the most recent Valentine's Day my favorite. This year, it's Texas Roadhouse in our pjs since it's a school night. (02.14.2013 10:46am)
174) Hope: It's our first Valentine's Day this year and even that doesn't make me want to celebrate it with the showering of gifts. I am more into the small things that can have a deep impact, like with cards and words. And homemade brownies in a love heart shape. So that is how I like to spend the day together... just togetherness, being aware of one another, going the extra mile, showering of love in sweet ways, lots of snuggles. (02.14.2013 10:48am)
175) Hope: It's our first Valentine's Day this year and even that doesn't make me want to celebrate it with the showering of gifts. I am more into the small things that can have a deep impact, like with cards and words. And homemade brownies in a love heart shape. So that is how I like to spend the day together... just togetherness, being aware of one another, going the extra mile, showering of love in sweet ways, champagne, lots of snuggles. (02.14.2013 10:49am)
176) Jess: My favorite way of celebrating is really simple. We exchange cards, maybe a small gift or two (mostly just candy), and hang out together. It's really not much different than any other day, but it's a fun little reminder to tell the one you love how you feel. :) (02.14.2013 10:55am)
177) Joanne: I enjoy the simple things - dinner, maybe a movie if we have time and just being together. Thanks for the giveaway! (02.14.2013 10:57am)
178) Taylor: My favorite way to celebrate is over a good home cooked meal (that we cook together) with a great bottle of wine. Nothing huge, but special for us. We light candles and just enjoy being with each other! (02.14.2013 11:11am)
179) Amy Deschamp: Low Key in front of our fireplace--we usually stay home and just relax! (02.14.2013 11:16am)
180) Katie: I love working beside my honey. We have a large yard with fruit trees and we both work office jobs to the time we get to spend out there working together and with our hands is a real joy and treat. (02.14.2013 11:20am)
181) Shanna Cargill: Our favorite way of celebrating love is spending it with my husband and daughter, four, every night. We started this game of playing night, night games each night before she goes to bed. She thinks of the game and we spend about 20 minutes together each night as just a family with her directing us. The games can be anything from school, gymnastics, to us going to pick our puppy (her) from the pound and bringing her home. (02.14.2013 11:20am)
182) Halston: I like just hanging out with my love...no plans...being lazy at the house or driving around with no specfic destination and wasting the day!!!! (02.14.2013 11:21am)
183) Carrie T: My hubs and I are like you and Chris. Just another day and really why spend so much $$ on gifts when we can have ribeyes and baked potatoes at home! :D (02.14.2013 11:23am)
184) Lindsay Campbell: My favorite way to spend valentine's day is getting take out and a bottle of wine and just being with each other at home. (02.14.2013 11:24am)
185) Cassi: We are getting married next month, so this is our last Valentine's Day as an un-married couple! My fiance has recently initiated the "mid-day " date, and it has quickly become our favorite thing. It's been pretty easy to get wrapped up in wedding planning, and on top of working full time, we have been lacking on the quality time. So a few weekends ago, in the middle of running a million errands, he suddenly pulled into the parking lot of a random pub. Of course I looked at him like he was crazy because we had ONE MILLION things left to do. But he looked at me and said, let's just take a break. So we did. We went in, each had a beer, split an appetizer, and for an hour just sat and talked. It was the best time I have had in months. We didn't talk about the wedding, or things we needed to get done, we just talked about work and life, and told each other stories we hadn't had the chance to share. It was wonderful, and reminded us of why we are getting married in the first place - because we truly enjoy one another's company. Since then, any day where we are out and about running errands, we just stop for an hour, wherever we are, and that hour has become my absolute favorite time. (02.14.2013 11:26am)
186) El: Curling up on the couch and watching a movie or just talking after the boys are in bed. (02.14.2013 11:26am)
187) Joanna: I just love to eat and chat with my husband. I'm less than 2 weeks from my due date with #4, so it's kind of hard to come by. It's good to remember how much we really like each other as people, not just parents. (02.14.2013 11:27am)
188) Samantha M: Together time is my favorite. I like to go running together or for a walk and just chat about our days, and just enjoy each others company. We don't make a big fuss out of Valentine's Day. John got me tix to see one of my favorite comedians when he comes to town in a month, and I made him his favorite dinner and put a cute card in his lunchbox. We've only been married for 3 years, but not forcing gift expectations seems to be the best course of action. (02.14.2013 11:30am)
189) Cassi: My favorite thing to do with my husband is dinner and a movie. But during the summer, I love being able to ride on our motorcycle! (02.14.2013 11:33am)
190) Allison: Love to curl up on a lazy Saturday morning with hot coffee and a good movie (02.14.2013 11:34am)
191) AnnotatedLA: Cuddled on the couch... talking, watching tv, a movie, or just being. (02.14.2013 11:50am)
192) Tracy: Favorite thing to do with my hubs is to laugh. Whatever we do, as long as we get tickled about it, I'm good! I love laughing with him by my side. (02.14.2013 12:01pm)
193) Robin L.: My favorite way to spend time with my hubby is either snuggled on the couch catching up on our DVR or exploring a town or city together. (02.14.2013 12:05pm)
194) Maggie: Our favorite is staying home with a homemade pizza and a yummy bottle of wine. Unless of course we have a fandango gift card : ) (02.14.2013 12:06pm)
195) Layne: Well, I agreed to work on Valentine's day (a 24-hr shift!) so I won't be spending much time with my loves unfortunately. We celebrated with our 2-yr-old last night and gave her a goody bag of treats, no candy just a few fun little toys. And the hubs and I usually just go out to dinner and maybe a movie the weekend before/after V-day. So we are going out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (Roy's Orlando) this Saturday night while the toddler spends the night with her Nana!! Sounds like fun to me!! (02.14.2013 12:13pm)
196) Michelle H: This may seem silly, but I love playing Scrabble with my husband. It's the one of the few areas where we let our competitive natures out in full - plus, it's expanding our vocabulary. I like your take on Valentine's Day. I actually only realized what day it was about an hour ago, and the hubs has already left for work. Oh well, we'll have a date night this weekend anyway. (02.14.2013 12:20pm)
197) Kristin: My husband and I like to go to less busy places as well. This year we are using a Groupon to go to a restaurant off-the-beaten path! (02.14.2013 12:21pm)
198) Katie: This year we are keeping it simple and just doing a normal day at home. We have our wedding and honeymoon next month, so there is no need for something elaborate today. :-) We are planning to do dinner this weekend though. (02.14.2013 12:33pm)
199) Abby S: Our favorite and most common way to spend time together is on the couch, watching a movie. If we get out of the house for a date it's usually Applebees and a movie. (02.14.2013 12:36pm)
200) Julie Ivanoff: Cuddle!! Doesn't matter if I'm reading a book with my kids or watching tv with my husband. I love to cuddle. I love to cuddle the cat too! (02.14.2013 12:36pm)
201) Julie: Dinner and a movie!! (02.14.2013 12:37pm)
202) BeccaK: My favorite way to spend time with my son is on a sunny day at the park! (02.14.2013 12:53pm)
203) Rebecca in WA: My best date-night with my husband is buying sushi-making ingredients at a local store and then building our own delicious sushi in our living room while watching a Netflix after our kiddo goes to bed. (02.14.2013 12:54pm)
204) rankin: At home, cooking dinner together while talking and drinking wine! (02.14.2013 01:16pm)
205) Dorothy: We have always gotten the kids a small gift and we cook dinner and just relax as a family. The kids are grown now so it is just the two of us cooking, eating and relaxing. No V-Day hype for us. (02.14.2013 01:28pm)
206) Lindsey: We are going to have a date night at home after the baby goes down. I bought candy, popcorn, and our favorite pop and we're going to catch up on our shows on the dvr! To me, this sounds way better than going out for some fancy dinner (nothing beats the couch and sweatpants!). (02.14.2013 01:39pm)
207) Kathy Z: The best Valentine's Days are spent away from the crowds - at home. :) The best date with my hubby would be hiking on a beautiful day. (Also how we spent our second date.) (02.14.2013 02:01pm)
208) PK: Going on road trips and going out for sushi (or other food). (02.14.2013 02:05pm)
209) Kristen: Best way to spend time with my husband is probably going out to dinner, or just staying in and making dinner!!! Enjoy your time spent with your family for V-day! (02.14.2013 02:06pm)
210) Melissa: My husband is the Valentine's Day Grinch. He hates it, and generally refuses to "celebrate" it at all. I think he pretends to hate it more than he actually does, though, because he always takes me out a week or two later, in honor of our "dating anniversary" (Even though we are now married and have an actual wedding anniversary!) How cute is that? (02.14.2013 02:21pm)
211) Martha: my husband and I do very low key- takeout pizza from our favorite place in town, beer, and our couch...wouldn't want it any other way! (02.14.2013 02:25pm)
212) Aicia D: A nice dinner out with my husband. We're like you - we celebrate on a different night because we don't like the crowds. :) (02.14.2013 02:26pm)
213) Kristie: My favorite way to spend V-day is at home with my sweet hubby and 4 kids. Tonight, we get to celebrate with 8th grade night at my daughter's volleyball game. I <3 my family...together is my favorite place to be :) (02.14.2013 02:30pm)
214) HeatherM: We aren't big valentines people either. Many years we don't do anything. This year my hubby won't be home from teaching until around 10pm, so my valentines day wish is that he takes out the garbage and recycling tonight. If that happens it'll be a great day. I also bought a flat bottomed wine glass and filled it with his favorite candy and made a little candy bouquet popping out by taping candies to kebob skewers, and bought a bottle of his favorite wine. And then I bought myself a little flowering plant for my desk and the candy I wanted, and I'm all set. Growing up my mom always bought herself little gifts on holidays too- it was a great example of how to cherish herself in addition to everyone else- now I find myself doing the same thing. (02.14.2013 02:31pm)
215) Kristi: My favorite way to spend time with my favorite person (my sweet husband) is to go bike riding together. We'll celebrate V day Sunday night, because my parents will be in town (free babysitters - yay!). (02.14.2013 02:45pm)
216) Allie: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is watching funny movies. I always love when we look at each other and laugh together. :) (02.14.2013 02:46pm)
217) farrar: ANYWHERE with my husband is a great valentines day! We are like yall though, we will go somewhere and eat on Saturday night, he is out of town working tonight :0( Love your blog! (02.14.2013 02:47pm)
218) Nicole: I love cooking a nice dinner and watching a movie with my husband and darling little girl. That is our exact plans for this evening, and I can't wait! (02.14.2013 02:55pm)
219) anna: my sweet fiancee and i are still long distance so i look forward to seeing his smiling face soon! (02.14.2013 02:57pm)
220) Debbie: Favorite way to spend time with my husband is on a road trip together. (02.14.2013 03:03pm)
221) Andrea C: My favorite way to spend time with my hubby is dinner out alone. It rarely happens because we never have a baby sitter, but I guess that just makes it all the more special! Tonight, we're getting sushi take out and cuddling on the couch with a movie (02.14.2013 03:06pm)
222) Jill W: We do a Valentine's Day/Birthday combo since my birthday is the day before. I love to watch some kind of girly movie and spend extra time with my husband. I'm a CPA and this time of year, just working an eight hour day and spending the rest with my husband is celebration enough! (02.14.2013 03:22pm)
223) Erin: My husband and I love to go out to dinner at a new restaurant together. My husband is ANTI Valentines Day. I however, think its fun to celebrate with my little one. I give her a fun craft and we make Valentines for her friends. (02.14.2013 03:29pm)
224) Leslie @ Body Won't Break: We've always done a movie and dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day. This year we aren't since I am recovering from knee surgery. We would LOVE to have two gift cards to celebrate my no longer recovering from knee surgery. (02.14.2013 03:31pm)
225) Mariya: Relaxing Saturday mornings are my favorite with hubby and daughter. It doesn't matter what we actually do. (02.14.2013 03:38pm)
226) Jess: My husband and I never make a fuss of valentines day either. Every year (starting our freshman year in college) we make dinner together and then eat dessert on the couch while watching a movie and snuggling with our puppy dog :) (the puppy dog was a new addition to the tradition- added last year) We also spend the Saturday after Valentine's Day with my family having a game night! I love it! (02.14.2013 04:10pm)
227) Megan: I love just hanging out with my husband and our son doing anything. One of my favorite memories is picking up Captain Ds food and having an impromptu picnic in the park and watching Jax run and play :) (02.14.2013 04:31pm)
228) Megan Vansant: Our tradition is simple too. Homecooked special dinner that the hubbs and I cook while enjoying a beer or glass of wine and a litttle mail box for the kids filled with love notes from us and some conversation hearts. (02.14.2013 04:50pm)
229) Amy S.: I love cooking dinner at home for my hubby and enjoying a special meal together! (02.14.2013 04:58pm)
230) Julie S.: I love going out to dinner with my husband. We rarely get to eat a meal in silence with two toddlers in the house! (02.14.2013 05:02pm)
231) Laura: I've been working super late hours so our big celebration is me coming home from work early to get some Rita's custard before they close and have dinner together at home. (02.14.2013 05:05pm)
232) Tori: As long as it's with my sweetie, any way is my favorite way to celebrate :) (02.14.2013 05:08pm)
233) Jordy: We love trying a new place for dinner and coming home to watch a rented movie on the couch with dessert! (02.14.2013 05:38pm)
234) Sarah@Crazy Love Gamble-Style: We enjoy a good date night when we can get it but tonight will be a family night, maybe heart shaped pizza or cookies. We just want to enjoy some family time. : ) (02.14.2013 05:57pm)
235) Emily E: Im with you on Valentines day, not a big deal. But this year I caved! I bought my son a giant light up, sound making Star Wars light saber. And my big guy wants to go to dinner so off we go! Id love a 'week later date' but these guys are worth the hustle and bustle! (02.14.2013 06:01pm)
236) Amy F: My favorite thing to do with my hubby is to try new restaurants and wine together! (02.14.2013 06:35pm)
237) Kimmiejo: We have Disneyland passes and I love to spend time there with my family. I especially love going with just my husband so we can ride the fast rides without our babies. Of course, I love going to the movies with him, too! (02.14.2013 07:18pm)
238) Laura: My favorite times with Matt are when we're exploring, whether we're exploring a new coffee shop or a new park or new things we didn't know about each other or parenthood! (02.14.2013 07:27pm)
239) Andrea: My husband always makes dinner for me at home. We have a nice quiet evening together! (02.14.2013 07:36pm)
240) Megan Smith: I love spending the day together with my husband outside hiking. Ending it with a nice dinner out makes it perfect! (02.14.2013 08:04pm)
241) Ashley G: This year we cooked dinner together and bribed our toddler to eat by watching Sesame Street at the table. And it was still as wonderful as some of the romantic and more extravagant dates we went on in the old days. (02.14.2013 08:05pm)
242) Emma: My favorite thing to do with the guy is just crawl in bed and watch a movie. We turn our phones on silent and have two hours of cuddling with no outside world. (02.14.2013 08:25pm)
243) Rae: We had Krispy Kreme doughnuts with the littles and watched a movie! I love valentines day! (02.14.2013 09:31pm)
244) Susie: The Hubster and I cooked dinner together and ate it in our PJ's while watching West Wing. The little person in our lives is currently banging the ranch dressing bottle on the table to indicate she needs more. I think it's bedtime. ;) (02.14.2013 09:45pm)
245) lynn: I love to lie in my big comfy bed with my husband and 2 little boys! (02.14.2013 10:13pm)
246) Courtney Meis: My husband and I also like to avoid the Valentine's crowd so we usually will go out sometime before or after. We don't do gifts, just nice meaningful cards. I'm sure next year we will do something a little more special since we will have our baby boy around to celebrate with us. Can't wait! (02.14.2013 10:19pm)
247) Jennifer: Take out, wine, and a movie at home with my fella (or, if I'm currently fella-less, with my friends and pup!) (02.14.2013 10:24pm)
248) Susan Christy: Sporting events or antique malls (02.14.2013 11:06pm)
249) Jessica: I like the classic "dinner and a movie" best. I like being able to enjoy yummy food and sit there to just talk, and then seeing a comedy! (02.14.2013 11:31pm)
250) amytru: Just had Sushi dinner with kids and hubby. Pretty perfect way to spend V-day! (02.14.2013 11:33pm)
251) Jules: Sleeping! My husband took care of our 6 month old and let me sleep. It was amazing! (02.15.2013 12:14am)
252) Jen: my favorite way is super simple i am not a fan of over priced flowers and i relly believe you should always let the people you know how much they are loved but i love getting extra cuddles in with my girls and watching a movie with them and eating dinner "picnic style" on the living room floor. keep it simple and fun! and man i really really want some powered do nuts now. (02.15.2013 12:54am)
253) Megan: We also avoid the Valentine's Day crowds! I used to wait tables and my fiance is a manager at a country club, so we are both used to working the night of and know what a mess it is! We avoid spending and either scavenge for or make our own homemade surprises. This year included a comedic hodge-podge of around the house "gifts," a cookie monster kid's Valentine, and festive leftover brownies from my VDay volunteer shift, while I got ALL the leftover roses from VDay at the club! (02.15.2013 07:21am)
254) Laura: My husband and I make dinner for the kids and sit and eat with them, then once they are in bed, we make a special dinner together and spend some quiet time together. Never one for the crowds either. (02.15.2013 07:25am)
255) Ashley @ According to Ashley: I love dinner (out) and a movie (in). Sweet & simple. (02.15.2013 07:45am)
256) Nicole: I love to go up to Wisconsin for a weekend with my guy-walking, cuddling in front of a fire, and, of course, eating fish fry :) (02.15.2013 08:48am)
257) Teresa W: This year my husband came in at 9 in the evening from a long business trip. I had homemade chocolate covered strawberries, a homemade card and a new Mizzou jersey waiting for him. We are the low key kind of celebraters as well. After 40 years of marriage, I am glad we are still together and still in love. (02.15.2013 10:15am)
258) Crystal H.: Staying in, watching a movie and cooking dinner! (02.15.2013 10:32am)
259) Jaima: making supper with my husband and hanging out at home avoiding the crazy crowds (02.15.2013 11:31am)
260) Jennifer: It's too stressful to try to go out on V-day. I like to stay home and enjoy a nice meal with my sweetheart. (02.15.2013 12:00pm)
261) Laura K.: My favorite way to spend time with my husband is to go out to dinner for adult conversation without the kids! (02.15.2013 12:46pm)
262) Elizabeth Racca: My favorite thing to do with my husband is just spend a typical day together. Whether that be errands or lounging at the house. As long as we are together I love it. (02.15.2013 01:34pm)
263) Cheryl: I enjoy a quiet day on valentines day to relax with the one I love! (02.15.2013 03:49pm)
264) sarah: My husband and I like to just stay at home - just like you guys - and avoid the V day rush. All the hustle and bustle of the day just doesn't seem to be worth it! ;) We usually just do a nice dinner and hang out together with the kiddos! (02.15.2013 03:50pm)
265) Sarah: I love snuggling on our couch with my sweet daughter! (02.15.2013 03:59pm)
266) jenny: staying in our pj's and snuggling in bed watching movies as a family (02.15.2013 04:50pm)
267) Alice: My husband I just love to spend time together (even after 40 years) I feel like his Valentine every day of the year. Maybe a weekend at the Pacific coast (cold! in the Northwest, but still fun). (02.15.2013 05:31pm)
268) Cindy: We were in town visiting my hubby's family so we used that opportunity to go out to eat with his brother and sister in law while my mother in law watched our little ones! (02.15.2013 08:32pm)
269) Jill: It might sound silly, but I love spending time together waiting for the bus. Ease of conversation, anticipation of where we're headed whether it's out or home. He's my best friend. (02.15.2013 10:01pm)
270) Alicia cp: My favorite thing to do is putz around a cool place, SF or cute little coastal town. Eat, drink, walk. (02.15.2013 10:36pm)
271) Michelle: We just love to hang out together after our little one is asleep. If we get to go out once in awhile, even better! (02.15.2013 10:56pm)
272) Melissa: My favorite thing is to watch TV with my husband after the kids are in bed. It seems like we don't get that much time to just relax together anymore, with his work schedule and the two kids (ages 4 and 2). (02.16.2013 01:17am)
273) Casey: My favorite thing to do with my husband is to just lay around on the couch and be with each other. That usually involves him picking on me mercilessly and me secretly enjoying every minute of the torture. (02.18.2013 09:19am)
274) Sarah Wright-Gaul: We spend Valentines day with a home cooked gourmet meal! It is my favorite thing! This year it was filet and lobster tail! It was delicious and about 1/4 of the price of a restaurant meal and we enjoyed time together instead of time in a crowded restaurant! (02.18.2013 10:56am)
275) Lauren: My favorite thing to do with my husband is to cook a more elaborate meal than normal together and then cuddle/relax together. (02.19.2013 09:04am)
276) Stephanie: I hope the entry period isn't over! My favorite thing to do with my husband is play board games together- we get all competitive and get to trash talk each other for a little bit, while having great fun and interaction together. Also we have t have some sort of snack in there, cookie dough or popcorn or something - cant miss with food! (02.19.2013 11:38am)
277) Megan: What a fun giveaway! We love, love to go to a movie - rare with a toddler! Watching TV at home is a close second :) (02.20.2013 03:01pm)