Five fun ideas for Valentine’s Day

Are you a last minute Lucy? (Sorry to the Lucy’s out there!) Have you waited to come up with something to do this, YES, this Friday, Valentine’s Day? Well if so, here are a few ideas that won’t break the bank

1. Family dinner out, make it pizza.

No sitter? Or are you like us and want to take the grandkids out for Valentine’s Day so your grown kids can go out? No problem! We made reservations at Gabatoni’s which won 2nd place in my Top Ten Places to eat in Springfield blog.

One of the best things about Gabatoni’s besides being my favorite pizza is that they decorate to the max. You can bet on a Valentine’s Day it will feel just right!

Do you have a favorite pizza haunt? Pizza is always a cost effective way to dine out as well. One large pizza can usually feed four or five for under $30.00. Win win!

2. Heart jewelry

Again, this doesn’t have to be a heavy hitter for the pocket book, just a pretty piece of jewelry with some meaning to it. If there is a memory attached to it, even better!

One of my favorite heart jewelry pieces that I have is a mother-of pearl necklace. I bought it for myself (Happy Valentines day to me from me!) I bought it in Muscatine, Iowa at a museum. They referred to the area as “the gold rush of the Midwest”.

Mother of Pearl was found in the clams and mussels along the Mississippi River in Muscatine. The discovery made Muscatine the Pearl Button Capital of the World!  The Discover History & Industry Center in Muscatine highlights this history in their fascinating museum.

3. A Day Out!

Go where you ask? Do what? It doesn’t matter, whatever you enjoy! My friend Janna mentioned to me last year that she and her husband were taking Thursday’s one summer and exploring local things that they never got to. I thought how cool! Keith and I love doing this. The other day, we went to a farm toy show in Paxton, Illinois that our friends the Maxwells had told us about. It was a show we had never been to and a day away from the farm and the cares of tax time and such.

We ate at a fun restaurant with friends we don’t see often enough and stopped at antique stores something Keith loves to do. I shopped in a cool boutique in the town of Arthur, Illinois and enjoyed every minute. It is fun to enjoy days like this just like back when you were dating. When was the last time you did something just because it was fun?

Do whatever your passion is! A day away for Valentine’s Day can be romantic and therapeutic!

4. Homemade Valentine or Note

Maybe the budget just doesn’t warrant going anywhere, or buying anything. There are years when that is the case. Or too be honest sometimes it isn’t money, it is just finding time. Time these days seems harder to come by than cash. You would think getting older there would be more time but it just isn’t so. My mom used to tell me, “When you get older time goes faster.”

I laughed when I was younger, but now I find she was telling the truth. I hate to admit it, but she was right! Anyway, a note from the spouse with heartfelt words can mean more than any store bought Valentine can ever do. Something funny, a private message that only the two of you know can spark a smile that reaches pretty deep.

5. Do something nice for someone

A Valentine doesn’t have to be a sweetheart. The story behind Valentine’s Day is about love. St. Valentine, a priest from Rome in the third century is who the holiday is named after. According to the BBC website, “Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers. Valentine felt this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret. When Claudius found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. There, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed “from your Valentine”.

Do something kind for someone you care about. Write a note to a friend. Take dinner to someone sick. Call a loved one. Love comes in so many forms, Valentine’s Day is all about love, it doesn’t have to be a romantic love. Celebrate it from your heart in your own way. You will feel good just doing something kind on this heartfelt day of love.

These are five ideas to get you thinking as Valentine’s Day approaches rapidly! I hope this helped!