10 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas For Parents

When James and I first got married, I was working night shift and James worked a normal 9-5 kinda job. And if any of you are, have been or know anyone who is a night shift nurse then you know their schedules and sleep habits are ALL KINDS OF CRAZY! I can remember James and I would meet in the kitchen, he getting ready for work and me just getting home, and we’d chat and catch up. But the kicker is it was ALWAYS a catch up over cookie dough session.

Yep, we use to be those people who only bought cookie dough to eat as dough, not make the cookies. Well until I got pregnant with Aria, then we had to bake them. Anyway, I tell this story because I always loved those 30 minutes. It was like a mini date, we really focused on each other because we knew our time was limited together.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day

For us we treat Valentine’s Day a little bit like this. Casual date in celebrating together and the life we have created together. Sure we remember big extravagant moments or trips, but it’s these little moments that hold the most special place in out hearts.

Plus I have always loved heading to the store, picking up items for a nice dinner, like steak and lobster, at home and opening up a great bottle of wine.

The idea of a simple, no-fuss and no-pressure Valentine’s Day is what works for us. So I’m sharing 10 easy casual and inexpensive date ideas at the bottom of this post.

Having this mindset has been so good for us, especially since having kids. I feel like had we always done these big extravagant dates or gift then we’d be highly frustrated and disappointed. Maybe this is just me.

Since we are pretty casual I wanted to share some ideas on how to celebrate the day and still make it special for each other, even with kids.

CASUAL + INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY

1. Make dinner together. There’s nothing more romantic and fun than cooking together.
2. Dinner in the living room. Create a cute tablescape on the coffee table, dim the lights and turn on a romantic comedy.
3. Pick up sushi and eat dinner near a fire in the fireplace (Yep we did this one year…it was perfect)
4. Celebrate Valentine’s Day over lunch. A great way to get in a yummy meal at a lower cost. Also, it’ll be kid free because they’re in school!
5. Set up a spot with pillows and blankets and trade giving massages. Romantic, relaxing and we all need a little tension relief.
7. Go for a walk at dusk. Parents this is a great one, put the kids in the stroller, or let them ride their bikes and go for a walk. Oh an be sure to hold hands and maybe sneak a little butt squeeze here and there. (this one is harder now that we don’t live in CA anymore)
8. Pick up a couple of half bottles of wine and create a wine tasting. Pair it with a meat and cheese plate and/or a flatbread pizza.
9. Have a game night. Once the kids are in bed grab a drink and get out some games. Play cards, do a puzzle or play Guess Who
10. Set a timer for 5 minutes. During that time each of you write as many things as you can that you love about each other. Then take turns sharing. This is a great way to remind yourself, your partner and a chance to reconnect with each other. Which we all know is hard to do with kids around ALL the time.
11. Put those kids to bed and hop in to a steamy bath or shower. Ok so this may or may not be possible, but it’s Valentine’s Day, so I had to say it. HaHa

So there you have it, 10 easy casual and inexpensive date ideas for Valentine’s Day. If you’re needing some casual outfit ideas see here here and here.

Tell me your Valentine’s Day Plans in the comment section below? Are you doing anything big? Or have plans to stay in, snuggle up and enjoy some quiet time together?

Thanks for stopping and hope you enjoy the day celebrating with your love!

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Grab this cute cookie dough set here