Alternative Valentine’s Day Romance

Valentine’s day is not the only day of the year which we can show our love and affection for each other. The ideas I am sharing are perfect for long-term couples. For those of us with a shared life and history. Some of them will work well with a family in tow, others let’s call Nan and Grandad in shall we? A bit of babysitting is so good for your relationship and therefore good for your family too.

Activities for long-lasting relationships

    1. Cook a meal together from a favourite holiday you have taken.
    2. Recreate your first date
    3. Start a new craft together. A lovely project like a bird box will mean you have a shared project that you can watch and create new memories with. not just for valentine's day
    4. Start a new class together , a language or dancing or pottery. Setting aside time for each other is fabulous.
    5. A valentine’s themed treasure hunt – you do not need me to spell this one out! But the setting for the ‘treasure’ could be bubble bath with a back rub thrown in, or a picnic under the stars.
    6. Why not go back through your photos on your phone and pick a few to  print, then create a frame together as I have here.
    7. We spend a lot of time together in the garden and work on little projects together like A Beginners Guide to Propagating Succulents and hopefully this gives you enough to try it yourself!

    Budget friendly valentine’s day

    1. A movie night at home. Decide the movie in advance and make some popcorn fresh for the evening. What about something a bit special beforehand, like a batch of peanut butter fudge? Make sure you agree a start time for the film and close all curtains.
    2. A long walk with a thermos of hot chocolate at the end is worth it’s weight in gold! The ramblers of the UK offer a free guide to public footpaths.
    3. Star gazing with an app like sky map online will mean nobody will look foolish. Make sure to wrap up warm and wear lots of layers, as well as bringing a blanket to lie on as the floor will be cold and wet! You can even make the most of a romantic starlit picnic and get some tasty treats from Smart Money Green Planets ethical shopping list for lovely treats!
    4. Breakfast in bed, only a very special meal will suffice here. So try guacamole on sourdough toast as it would hit the spot each and every time!
    5. Plant some seeds together, and watch your love grow. Sorry that even sounded yucky in my head! In all seriousness though if you get outside and grow flowers together it will mean a lot each time you see those flowers.
    6. Why not have a loving Hot Chocolate together?

    Valentine’s day as a family event

    heart cut into the apple, for valentine's day
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    1. Create a wildlife garden for you all to enjoy. include things like a luxury bug home or an apple bird feeder even get ready to get a little bit sticky making a pine cone bird feeder. then you can enjoy watching the birds as a family.
    2. Try a new craft. Nothing too scary but what about woollen heart shapes as these can be part of a bigger project too. If your family is a little older what about a heart wreath? Go as funky and as personalised as you and your family like. family valentines day
    3. Make gifts for the kids school friends. Something like seed paper hearts are so cute as they will be able to grow flowers for later in the year. I have made a batch for my office to be honest! seed paper ready to plant
    4. Bake together something gooey and a little bit naughty like chocolate brownies and add all of your favourite sweets to the topping.
    5. Mix it up a bit get a picnic together and follow this advice from Family Edventures to find the perfect new playground.

    Ethical gift buying

    I can get very upset about gifts that harm others in any way. What I mean is all of those plastic toys made by children in horrid conditions. When we don’t buy Fairtrade we are actually voting with our consumer power. So make this a two for one gift this year.

    1. By going local you can get the individual treatment. If you use something like the farmer’s market directory you can have a nice day out as well. Buying fresh, organic produce to cook together with.
    2. When you buy something that is handmade you get a more unique gift.
    3. Buy bulbs, seeds and anything you can grow together. Valentine's is a good time to plant late bulbs
    4. Look for a new experience for yourselves. We went indoor skydiving together and it couldn’t be further away from my usual idea of fun. yet it was so much fun!! You do not have to go scary new experience but spa days etc. Once you have bought the gift you can decide how to spend it together. Have a look at for ideas for  Experiences for One or Two People for inspiration for spas to driving days.
    5. Valentine’s Day – Make it an ethical one is a very useful article from Smart Money Green Planet. It will give you everything you need to have a happy and romantic day, without having to break with your ethical code! A big thank you to the team at smartmoneygreenplanet.com
    6. If you are gift giving why not tie the present together using a Crochet Heart ? crochet heart made from scrap yarn

     

    Whatever you decide to get up to this Valentine’s Day remember to be kind to yourselves. Also share some of your ideas with us too!!