If you are not sure how to plan Valentine’s day this year, you’re not alone. It can be challenging planning this special day, even without a pandemic. But if the pandemic has taught us anything these past years, is that spending time with loved ones does not need to be fancy or expensive. It’s the experiences we treasure, not the gifts or decadent restaurant meals. So, make Valentine’s day about spending some quality time with your family, like cooking together, enjoying the outdoors, or having a family game night. Here are some of my favorites:
Have Breakfast in Bed
In my opinion, nothing beats having a cup of hot tea brought to you in bed, add a small breakfast to it even better. You don’t have to stress over making a fancy breakfast, it can be as easy as a yogurt parfait made with Greek yogurt, granola, and fruit (even the kids can do this), toast with jam, or these protein-packed blueberry ricotta pancakes. What makes this breakfast special is not really what you are going to have for breakfast but that you are having it in bed!
Go on a hike and pack a lunch
After a leisurely breakfast, put on some comfy clothes and head out into nature. If you don’t know where to go, I like this website All Trails, they also have an app. It can search for trails in your area, difficulty level, and much more.
Pack sandwiches, such as a baguette with cheese or ham, small cukes, cherry tomatoes, chocolates for dessert, and a small bottle of Prosecco for the adults. Everyone will get in exercise, breathe in some fresh air and have some stress-reducing outdoor time. What could be better?
Make individual homemade pizzas for dinner
Everyone loves pizza, it’s easy to make and everyone can choose their own toppings. I usually make the dough a few days ahead of time (see recipe here) so all you have to do is top them with your favorite tomato sauce, cheese and toppings.
End the day with Popcorn and a movie
After an active day like this one, nothing beats plopping on the couch with some homemade popcorn and a good family movie. If you want to get a bit fancy you can add different toppings to the popcorn. At the moment I love “Everything but the Elote” spice seasoning from Trader Joe’s.