Ten years ago, a wonderful man wowed a single mom and her kids one chilly Valentine’s morn, and she’s never forgotten how cherished he made her little family feel. In fact, celebrating Valentine’s Day went on to become a significant holiday in the Keller home because it was the day I realized this pastor guy I had recently started dating was unique and definitely a keeper.

Even then, he made sure to extend his Valentine’s Day wishes beyond me to include the kids as well. Today, we celebrate with family-friendly activities we can all enjoy together. Here are a few ideas you can consider incorporating into your family’s Valentine’s celebrations this year.

1. Making Valentines

You don’t need a ton of money to make a big impression when it comes to saying “I love you.” We still make personalized handmade Valentines. I sit down with the kids around New Years and we craft our Valentines for one another and the people who are special in our lives. We glue and paste until Mommy wishes we had bought the character ones – but we always set aside the time to say to the special people in our lives how much we love and appreciate them.

My husband and I also write one another a love letter. Each year we have more memories to reflect on regarding our 10-year love affair, and I save every precious word my husband pens me.

2. Decorate

We decorate for so many holidays, why not add a few small touches to the house to remind our family of the day to celebrate love? Head over to the dollar store and go crazy! My girlfriend uses a sparkly pink fabric overlaid with heart garlands to decorate her dining area. Fluffy white heart pillows rest on her sofa – it’s delightful!

Once February rolls around, I pull out the heart decorations. Pink and red flowers are displayed and a special Valentine’s Day tableau is set. I lay out candy heart boxes, Valentines, candy heart boxes, stuffed animals (for my little one) and small gift boxes. I don’t spend much, but I always try to get something special for each member of the family like small jewelry for my girls, a gift card for my older son and a surprise for daddy. Traditions and seasons remind us of passing time and memories. They hold together the fabric of our lives and remind us to stop and celebrate family and the relationships around us.

3. Special Family Dinner

Make sure to find a family meal you all adore on Valentine’s Day. One year, I tried to get away with regular old chicken parmesan and my husband was not happy about it. His desire is for this day to be set apart, and that means the festivities includes a good meal (AKA meat). I never made that mistake again!

Last year, he found heart-shaped steaks at the grocery store and we grilled at home and the kids thought it was awesome. One of my friends has an annual tradition of eating Chinese food on the fourteenth of February. Find your family’s “thing” and enjoy a meal together.

4. Mommy & Daddy Time

Finally, don’t forget to set aside time alone for mommy and daddy to connect. My husband and I usually pick another day to head out for dinner and a date all by ourselves. Our Valentine’s gifts to one another over the years have been all over the place. We have stolen away for a weekend alone, gone to concerts, purchased a big-screen TV as a joint gift and headed to the beach for a picnic. Whatever we do, it usually involves flowers (for me), a sexy dress (for him) and some romance for both of us.

Valentine’s Day gives us a chance to remember why you care for one another, so don’t hold back; celebrate in a big way and let your love overflow with abandon.

You may also be interested in Romantic Bible Verses To Read On Valentine’s Day

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