Much like weddings, Valentine’s day isn’t much fun when the entire “holiday” is focused around one person… especially if that one person is yourself, and even more so if your significant other isn’t romantic (or you don’t have one). So… with that opinion, how did I become a Valentine’s Convert? It seems a bit wild, considering…
It’s simple, really.
Change your mindset, and SHARE the love. If it’s just you and your significant other, focus on them as much as (or more than) they focus on you this Valentine’s day… and if you have kids, get them in on the fun. A family activity, or special time together could be just the thing you need to become a Valentine’s convert, too.
It’s About US
Valentine’s day used to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Just another day for “pampering” and being “spoiled”… supposedly focused on couples and relationships, but even if that were the focus (I find the female is often the focus) it leaves those who are single left out and feeling disillusioned with the holiday (from a female who has been in a steady, committed relationship for nearly fourteen years).
Even when my husband and I were married, I wanted the special day to be for BOTH of us… forget the whole “my special day” garbage. It’s “OUR special day”. Even our baby shower was co-ed… WE made a baby together.
With all of that in mind, it’s no surprise that we quickly opted for sharing memories instead of gifts at Christmas and often birthdays, and often ignored Valentine’s day altogether.
The Grinch’s Heart Grew…
If you’ve ever seen a certain classic Christmas movie with a Grinch, you probably know the story… and although that particular story was about Christmas, the important part isn’t the holiday… it’s that the Grinch’s heart grew.
Recently, the joke in our house has been that I must have been a Grinch… because when I had kids, my heart grew.
And the same thing can happen when you share “your” holiday (or special occasion) with others. You can begin to realize that joy is even more so when it’s shared, not kept cooped up by itself.
Are you a Valentine’s Convert?
If you’ve become disillusioned with Valentine’s day, too, you can become a Valentine’s convert by changing what you focus on each Valentine’s day.
It won’t necessarily happen overnight… it didn’t for me. But year by year, inch by gradual inch (and baby by baby), my heart grew. And now instead of ignoring the holiday altogether, I want to SHARE the holiday with everyone who’s important to me and in our home.
Ways to Celebrate
If you made it this far, you are probably looking for ideas… because going out to dinner is overdone (and very busy on Valentine’s day), expensive, and might even be your normal everyday experience instead of a special outing.
Here’s a few ideas that I’ve either done in the past, or plan to try (because they sound fun!):
Just Us Two Valentine’s Convert Ideas
- Pick out a special dinner menu and spending time preparing it together (this is an old favorite in our house!)
- Go on a picnic at a park (or even in your backyard!) (our engagement happened on a special picnic at a park in May!)
- Take a walk and instead of listening to music, talk to each other. This is a GREAT time to discuss the future, or plan goals for the rest of the month to tackle together
We Have a Crew Valentine’s Convert Ideas
- Go on a nature hike with your crew (they make backpacks you can wear your toddler in to hike with if they can’t walk the whole time! I couldn’t find our specific one but THIS ONE can hold a child up to 42 lb – according to the description – is fairly affordable, and has decent reviews!)
- Bake and decorate cookies – such as these sugar free oatmeal cookies (or another dessert) together
- Draw on the sidewalk/driveway a background scene (such as clouds, or a balloon) and have everyone lie down with the image. Take a picture together and keep as a special, lasting memory!
- Make a homemade trail mix with everyone adding an ingredient, and everyone can enjoy! (This could include dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips (sugar free if you want), the magic is in the creativity you could use here!)
Planning a special Valentine’s Convert day this year? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear your plans to make the holiday more couples or family oriented.
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
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