When you're married with four children, Valentine's Day is about celebrating the love in your family and creating traditions. Yes, you can still go out for a romantic dinner but honestly it's so cheesy and expensive.
Every year on Feb. 1 we begin to celebrate the month of “love” by decorating our house. My girls love taking out the “Valentine's” box and decorating the house with homemade symbols of love they have created and saved over the years. This tradition is now anticipated yearly because the girls gain independence in decorating the house and also have a chance to see how much their artistic abilities have improved since the past year.
Instead of buying gifts for our family and friends, we bake. Baking with my girls brings so much joy and mess to my kitchen. This year we made heart shaped cookies (http://youtu.be/Egonv281yZM). Whatever we make we then wrap creatively in chinese take boxes or cellophane wrap and gift them to teachers, friends and family.
Now, that the house is festive and the gifts are taken care of we treat ourselves to an amazing home cooked valentine's day dinner. Each of my girls have their own tasks for the big dinner. My eldest who is 11 cooks with me, my 9 year old creates the menu, my 5 year old sets the table with my 3 year old. This turns out to be the most festive dinner of the year because it's truly made with love.
Wishing your entire family a stress free Valentine's Day that's filled with love and laughter.
