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Rochester Local

Valentine’s Day Traditions For the Family

I am a big fan of Valentine’s Day for many reasons. I love any excuse to show my family that I love them. I enjoy being creative as a mom and wife with personal ways of showcasing my love!

With that being said, I think it is very valuable to teach our kids how to be Day Makers year round, and have conversations encouraging them to be kind and loving to others. Valentine’s Day is for everyone, single or not, child or adult. Let everything we do, be done in LOVE. I don’t know about you, but I can always use this as a reminder.

Living in Rochester has its limitations with weather for this holiday. I thought it would be fun to share some ideas for you to implement in your home!

  • Letters/Notes/Cards:  I love writing handwritten notes for my husband and kids. Encourage your kids to write a note for a friend, grandparent, teacher or sibling about why they are special to them!

Valentines Day Traditions // For the family | Rochester MN Moms Blog

  1. Put Post-It notes on mirrors and doors in your home of reasons you love your family members.
  2. Slip notes under their pillow, in their lunchbox, in a pocket of a jacket (or a mitten). You can put notes in your loved one’s car too!
  3. Write a poem. My mom always wrote a simple poem for my sisters and I for Valentines every year, and now she has carried on that tradition with her grandchildren.
  • Eat together! With Valentine’s being on a Sunday this year, most us won’t have to work. Have fun with family meals. I hit up Target’s clearance a few years back and scored plastic heart shaped plates and bowls that we use every year in February. (When you eat together, have each family member go around and say something kind to each other)Valentines Day Traditions // For the family | Rochester MN Moms Blog

“I love it when Mom braids my hair and cuddles me….I love it when Daddy takes me snowboarding…I like how Zakiyah shares her favorite snack with me…..”

  1. Make heart-shaped pancakes. My favorite recipe is HERE!
  2. Order a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Johns, Papa Murphy’s or Pizza Hut
  3. Make heart-shaped grilled cheese or sandwiches by cutting it out with a cookie cutter.
  4. Bake cookies and frost them.
  5. Go to a bakery and treat yourself to a donut or treat that is festive for the holiday. One year, I sent my husband cookies on a stick from Daube’s to his work. They were amazing and a guy’s version of getting flowers!
  • Do a family activity. Nothing says, “I Love You” like spending quality time together. Depending on your kids’ ages, you can have lots of fun. I know for me, when I had babies for holidays, I craved the simplicity of a good cuddle and nap together. Now that my girls are 3 and almost 6, we can have more adventures.
  1. Go bowling.
  2. Go to a family movie. Or make a picnic at your house in the living room with quilts and watch a movie together.
  3. Play a board game or work on a puzzle.
  4. Go ice skating or tubing together.
  5. My daughters love when I paint their nails. They love the pampering stuff with their mama being a hair stylist 🙂
  6. Have a family dance party! Jam to Coldplay’s new album and break out your moves! Even make a playlist ahead of time with LOVE-themed music. You can have two playlists if you want! One for you and one that is romantic. 🙂
  7. FaceTime or Skype loved ones who are out of town/state to say you love them!
  • Decorate your home with LOVE. I love decorating for the seasons. I like to make heart-shaped items with my kids for decorating. If you have a mantle or shelf, you can have fun decorating it for this holiday. You can take a picture your child has created and simply put it on a clipboard for display. I made a felt heart chain for our mantle to display. There are a lot of ideas out there for making your home cozy and love filled.

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  • Volunteer as a family in your community. Pay it forward. Be creative with ways you can serve. With Valentine’s Day being on a Sunday this year, maybe serve as a family at your church. Go to a food shelter or nursing home together. Make valentines to hand out to others with encouraging notes or $5 gift cards. With Mayo Clinic in Rochester, see if any of the local charity homes or hospitals need our help on this day (or see how you can help with our Share the Love drive for the Gift of Life Transplant House.) Bring a meal to a family or person in need.

One thing, I would like to mention to all my mama friends:  if you have a friend or family member that is recently widowed, divorced or going through transition, let’s make this Valentine’s Day all about them. Let’s grab coffee or encourage each other in this journey. Being a single parent is hard, and they deserve the best! Let’s rally around each other the way we are created to live.

Also, being a married woman with two young daughters, I think it is very important for them to observe the way I love their daddy. Sometimes, it can be easier to show love to our little kids, but I believe it is just as important for my Hus and I to honor each other, love each other, and be the best versions of ourselves for not only us, but for those little people we are raising. I think any excuse to love my people is a good enough reason to be love.

loveispatient
one of my watercolors from my shop

XOXO

Christy

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