Some Unique Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Valentine's is a day usually thought of as one where candy, flowers, and jewelry are given as tokens of love. While there's nothing wrong with giving gifts, it shouldn't be just about exchanging material items. Spending time with your children creating home-made Valentine's cookies, cards, or decorations can turn out to be a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Since Valentine's is one of the most romantic days of the year, if your children don't already know the story of how their mom and dad met, telling them can make a special day even more significant. Decide to have a family night and pull out old photographs, showing your children that once upon a time their parents were young too. It can turn out to be an entertaining endeavor.

Sitting down to view the video of your wedding is a way to emphasize what an amazing day it was when you stood up before your loved ones and friends and exchanged vows with your spouse. Taking a walk down memory lane can be a fun experience. Seeing deceased loved ones can help children feel closer to relatives they might never have gotten the chance to meet or ones they did know and miss.

If you're the creative type that wants to do something more hands on with your kids, then make some tasty treats together. Nothing says yummy more than fresh baked cookies Baking sugar cookies in the shape of hearts and having your kids decorate them with frosting or sprinkles can be a fun way to whip up dessert. If you're in a gift-giving mood, then package some up and go with your kids to deliver them to the lucky recipient or recipients. 

Creating Valentine's Day cards can be a very thoughtful way to say you're thinking of someone. By taking red, pink, or purple construction paper, have your kids unleash their creative talents. Cutting out hearts or using stickers can inspire beautiful and meaningful cards that can be given to teachers, loved ones such as grand parents, aunts or uncles, or even older neighbors who might have lost their significant other.

Another wonderful gift to create for a loved one such as a grandparent is a Valentine scroll. Start by taking white construction paper, white canvas, or a piece of 8 by 10 white poster board if you're going to frame it. Decide on a design of flowers, hearts, or even use acrylic paint so your child can make hand prints Write something meaningful then have your child sign the bottom. You can roll the scroll up and tie it to secure it or place it inside a picture frame for hanging. Decorating your home is a way to get into the spirit of the holiday.

A unique idea is to take some waxed paper, cut it into the shape of different sized hearts and then have your children use pastel colored markers to color them. When they're done, make a small hole at the top and use sewing thread to hang them in front of a window. When the sun shines through, it will give an illusion similar to stain glass. Whether you decide to do craft projects, bake Valentine desserts, or just spend some quality time with the entire family, it's also important to remember to set some one-on-one time aside for your spouse.

Get a babysitter and go out for a romantic dinner and some dancing or plan to see a romantic movie together. If you'd rather stay in, then pop in a DVD such as The Notebook or Dear John and climb bed together to watch it. You don't have to spend a lot of money on loved ones to make them feel special and appreciated.