Over the last 2 weeks on my Instagram feed, I’ve been sharing unique and fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. As I’ve already posted about, we don’t make extravagant gestures to celebrate this holiday but I try to do small things to have fun with the holiday and make this commercialized holiday a little more personal!
Date Night Outfits
Make a Statement
I love this red dress from H&M last winter-it’s cute, cut well and actually comfortable! Here I’ve paired it with black tights, patent leather heels, a leopard clutch, and a tortoiseshell sparkly statement necklace. Dresses are also my go-to for work because, with the addition of a few accessories, you pull it on and are ready to go!
Pop of Color
I love a monochromatic look with a pop of color! Here I’m wearing black pants, a black turtleneck
!) or similar from J.Crew Factory | Black Mock Turtleneck – Nordstrom 1, Nordstrom 2, Amazon.
Dinner In
Staying in and making dinner together? Here’s an outfit that’s cute, casual and will keep you warm!
Will You Be My Valentine?
A creative way to give a unique Valentine is to find old ones at antique stores. The messages in these vintage Valentines are more simple and sweet than the cards in stores today and they are far more affordable, like $1-$2 each. If you find a few while you’re out antiquing, stock up and then you can give them in years to come (or, if you’re like me, you might buy a few and then forget where you put them the next year)! You could also give some and keep some to use as decor – put them in picture frames to put up around your house in February or turn them into a garland to hang up across your fireplace mantel.
One of my favorites! 
Dinner In
Since the kids were little, I made heart pasta at some point during February. This is a simple thing you can do to make your family feel special! I’ve found these at World Market and Aldi in the past. I also found them on Amazon today and they are the exact brand I found at Aldi! To make this a meal that adults can enjoy as well, for the past several years I’ve made Pasta Bolognese. This year, I made Ina Garten’s Weeknight Bolognese because it looked delicious and wouldn’t take too much time. I’ve found that I love all of Ina’s recipe’s so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with this one and I was right! See below for the after photo!
Chocolate!
I know that chocolate for Valentine’s Day is a cliche but check out your local chocolatier for unique gifts and support your local business. In Kansas City, we have Christopher Elbow! Each of his chocolates are like little pieces of art. I found these cute heart chocolates this year – they are so cute and the flavors so unique!
I hope you enjoyed my round-up for Valentine’s Day – outfits, Valentine’s, dinner, and chocolate – simple ways you can make this commercialized holiday a little more personal! Let me know if you use any of these ideas – I hope you have a LOVE-ly Valentine’s Day with your loved ones!