8 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Baby
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Richard and I have never celebrated Valentine’s Day the traditional way. My birthday is two weeks later so we either wait to do something then or combine the celebrations in some way—usually a trip somewhere. Hey, any excuse to travel, right?
Well, with a 7 (almost 8) month old, it’s a little harder to plan some grand winter adventure as spouses. So, we’re keeping it low-key this year and since its Ellis’ first, we decided to celebrate as a family—and I’m sharing some of the ideas we have brewing to make the day (well weekend after) special!
1. For the Love of Breakfast. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. It’s a meal you can’t really mess up (or you can but it still tastes good) and even the healthiest ones provide a little comfort to start the day. For the holiday, we’re going for the heart-shaped pancakes and heart-shaped watermelon for Ellis. We put the pancake batter in an empty water bottle to help shape the hearts on the pan and a heart-shaped cookie cutter works well on the watermelon. And trick for teething babies—cold watermelon kind of acts like an edible teether (but of course, babies should be monitored to prevent choking).
2. Dress Up! I’ll admit, I spend most my days in workout clothes (sans the workout) or PJs. Playing with an infant all day (usually on the floor) doesn’t really inspire me to get creative with my wardrobe. So, I’m going to take any excuse to get a decent shower in, dress up, and go out with the fam.
3. Update the Family Picture. You’re already dolled up so might as well commemorate the day! One of my New Year’s resolutions is to take more pictures. Ellis changes daily and I want to savor every moment if I can. Don’t have anyone to take them? A tripod and camera remote go a long way! Plus, it’s fun.
4. Take a Walk Down Memory Lane. Richard and I haven’t ventured into the city in months. Mainly because taking the baby was always anxiety inducing. However, we’re starting to get this parenting thing down a little bit and are more comfortable taking her to new places. So, if weather is decent, we plan to show her some of our old dating stomping grounds in NYC. Bubby’s for brunch, a walk on the High Line, maybe a little shopping? Having a baby shouldn’t stop your adventures. Yes, they require more planning (and patience) but I think it’s worth it.
5. Family Play. If weather isn’t kind to us (which is 100% possible in the Northeast), we’ll keep our fun inside with some Valentine-themed games. Ellis really likes sensory toys—like water bottles filled with glitter or beads or a box filled with different items and textures. Her favorite is the Jell-O dig where you pretend you’re Jim Halpert and hide some toys in Jell-O for the baby to dig out. It helps with their fine motor skills and honestly, who doesn’t want the excuse to play with Jell-O. Tip: use sugar free Jell-O just in case some gets ingested and a lighter color so it doesn’t stain their hands.
6. Nap. Hey, parenting is exhausting, so instead of spending the weekend cleaning or running errands, grab some much-needed z’s together when the baby does.
7. Movie Night. Ok this is more for Richard and I, because Ellis rarely pays attention to what’s going on on the tv screen—unless someone is singing which I can get behind. But we’re big movie buffs and we haven’t had much time to sit down and finish a movie together in awhile. So after the baby goes to sleep for the night, pop one in and cuddle up. Hey, it might lead to something else! 😉
8. Bedtime Reads. We’ve been trying to make it a habit of reading to Ellis every night before bed. She’s hit or miss and sometimes she’d rather chew on the book than listen to us read it to her, but we want her to enjoy books as she gets older so we’re going to keep at it. Plus, the girl already has a full bookshelf so they need to get used! Target has some cute ones out right now—I picked up “Where Is Baby’s Valentine?” and “My Fuzzy Valentine” since both have different textures throughout.
Have any ideas to add to the list? Add in the comments!
-J
