David and I have had a rocky history with Valentine’s Day. We've had our share of calling around for last minute reservations and waiting hours in the cold for dinner. To complicate things further, this year I am working on Valentine's Day, Noah will be with us, and we are on a tight budget. Given our circumstances, we decided to celebrate at home, and it was a game changer. Valentine's Day is all about going the extra mile to show your significant other how much you care. These are the steps we took to make the evening feel as special as if we went to five- star restaurant.
1. Create Some Ambiance
It’s hard to feel romantic when the sink is overflowing with dishes and toys are scattered across the floor, so I started by tidying up. Lighting candles also added a nice touch.
2. Make a Special Meal Including Dessert
If possible, cook something that you wouldn’t normally have. For example, we only make desserts for special occasions. This is also a great time to bring out nice dishes and glassware.
3. Dress Up
I decided to go through the effort of getting ready to go out even though we were staying in. Treating our evening like a date night was key in making it feel like one. *Side note: it was so much more relaxing to have Noah making a mess in our kitchen than in a fancy restaurant.
4. Play Romantic Music and Dance
Listening to love songs and dancing in our kitchen makes me feel like we have brought all the romance of a night out into our home. It’s even more fun to take turns picking the music.
5. Reminisce
I love to pull out scrapbooks and photo albums and look back on the memories we’ve shared. In every season of life, I am thankful to have such a wonderful partner to share it with.
Courtney
