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One Top Knot Mama

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How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your Husband

January 25, 2023

Disclosure: If you click one of my shoppable links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I appreciate when you use my links to shop!

It’s the first big holiday of 2023. Celebrating Valentine’s Day with your husband can be a special and memorable experience! Forget all the chaos of the kids for the day…(at least try!) and really focus on each other. Whether you stay in or go out, here are some examples for how to celebrate the most romantic day of the year with your husband. No matter how you decide to spend your Valentine’s Day, make sure to enjoy it together!

10 valentine's day ideas in 2023

FUN FACT

John and I actually MET on Valentine’s Day, back in 2005. I was a freshman in college at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and had a job interview at Hollister. It was a group interview with 2 other girls…I skipped my Psych 101 class to go to this interview. It was snowing, I had to walk across the 6 pack (dorms) and traipse through the snow to get to Assembly Hall where all the freshmen parked their cars. I somehow arrived at the mall early enough to go to the women’s restroom and use the hand dryer to dry my hair and bottoms of my pants. I was a mess. And I’m sure I looked like it too!

At 4pm, the interview was supposed to start, and the other 2 girls and I just kept making awkward eye contact. All of a sudden, this guy came out of nowhere…wearing a double popped polo and ripped jeans and flip flops. (That was the hot style back then, remember?) And IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. This guy with crystal blue eyes looked right at me. And I knew. I just KNEW. He would be my husband.

He gave the interview, he was actually the store manager…and the whole time I just tried to keep it together. To act cool, because it was Hollister, after all.

I couldn’t even tell you what his questions were or what my answers were. I remember Mr. Brightside by the Killers playing, and Howie Day’s Collide, and those songs were immediately filed away in the soundtrack of my life.

After the interview was over, I called my mom to let her know how it was…and all I remember telling her was I just met the guy I’m gonna marry. She said, “Ooooh, boy.” (You can even ask her, this was all in our wedding too!)

And that was it. I was smitten. Later that evening, I was back in my dorm room, and I had a call from a number I didn’t recognize. It was John calling to tell me I got the job! My heart was racing, instantly got sweaty and clammy and out of breath. Somehow I accepted and immediately ran down the hall to my friend, Maegan’s room, screaming and letting the whole floor know (I’m sure), that I got the job with the hot guy at Hollister.

And so our story began on February 14, 2005. It is a super special day for us, maybe more so than the regular Valentine’s Day celebration participants.


Here are some ideas to help you make your Valentine’s Day celebration extra special:

10 Valentine’s Day Ideas

  1. Instead of dining in at a fancy restaurant, get it to go and order all your favorite things. Steak, lobster, sushi, go all out! Depending on the weather, set up a picnic and share your meal on a blanket, or even in your backyard. Light some candles, and enjoy a meal together other than the kitchen table or the couch. If it’s cold out, set up a blanket in the living room, turn the lights down low, light some candles, the fireplace, really set the mood to be with each other (after the kids are in bed, of course).
  2. Dust off and bring out your wedding photos/videos and reminisce about your special day. Favorite memories, most vivid memories, funny moments, etc. 
  3. Make your own dinner, like homemade pizza. Put all your favorite toppings on and have fun in the kitchen together. Share a glass of wine or two together, play some music and dance in the kitchen. Find my favorite homemade pizza recipe HERE.
  4. Game Night! Pull out some board games and let the competition begin! Serve up some Valentine’s Day themed treats in between. Try this fun Cupid Crunch Mix from @ThisMamaLoves. Or go all out with this Valentine’s themed Charcuterie Board from @MamaCheaps. You can’t go wrong with sweet AND salty snacks.
  5. Start off first thing in the morning and write 10 little notes (or more or less, you decide) and hide them all around the house, like the bathroom, garage, fridge, etc. And on each note name one thing you love about him. Bonus if he does the same and hides notes for you! This will keep you in anticipation all day!
  6. Go on a walk together, play a game of tennis, basketball, something athletic to get your sweat on.
  7. Movie Night – choose a movie together (or you each choose one and have a double feature) and cuddle up on the couch with some dinner or popcorn or dessert. (Valentine’s Day is a super cute all cast rom-com)
  8. Take a cooking class as a couple or with another couple or two! Order tickets before the big day so you make sure to have a reservation. Google “Couples Cooking Classes near me” and see what is around your area. 
  9. Order dessert from 3 different restaurants and bring it all home. Just splurge on desserts. It is Valentine’s Day after all. 
  10. Come up with your own cocktails. Get creative at the bar and make your own Valentine’s Day drinks. These can be mocktails too! (Shirley Temples, anyone?) Bring out the blender if you wish and have fun!

*BONUS: Have a music night! Everyone has a soundtrack of their life. Take a trip down memory lane and play your favorite tunes, and just sit and be with each other. Talk about what you think of when you hear each song. Play the songs on YouTube on your TV if you have a Smart TV, and watch the music videos while you reminisce. My husband and I do this monthly, I swear, it’s so fun!


Shopping for Valentine’s Day

Set the mood for love with these finds I rounded up from Amazon. A lot of these have Prime availability so they will be delivered super quick. 

TARGET

valentines day style at target under $38
CLICK IMAGE TO SHOP

TARGET

target valentine's day decor under $20
CLICK IMAGE TO SHOP

AMAZON

valentines day decor
CLICK IMAGE TO SHOP

AMAZON

valentines day women's sweaters from amazon
CLICK IMAGE TO SHOP
valentines day gifts for kids from amazon
CLICK IMAGE TO SHOP

Check out even MORE Valentine’s day decor, style and gift ideas at my Amazon Store and my LTK.it.

Hope you enjoyed these ideas and have a happy Valentine’s Day!

RELATED POSTS

  • Funny Valentine’s Day Card for your Husband
  • Weekly Roundup of Valentine’s Day Deals
  • Valentine’s Day T-shirts

Leave a comment if you tried any of these ideas or products! Thanks for hanging out with One Top Knot Mama ❤

10 valentine's day ideas in 2023

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Meet Jackie

Hello! I'm a wife, mom of 2 boys, coffee and wine lover who lives in the Nashville, TN area. After growing up in Chicago and moving to St. Louis for 6 years, we decided that Music City was our new home! I have a neurological illness, called CIDP, that has turned my life upside down, and I have created this blog to have a little spot on the internet to share with you my life as a busy mama who loves to shop, eat, drink & be merry! So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and enjoy your time with me here at One Top Knot Mama. Cheers, friend!

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Five years ago today — January 6, 2021 — I was lay Five years ago today — January 6, 2021 — I was laying in bed with my two little boys, just 4 and 8 years old, and we watched something unfold on TV that I never imagined they’d see in their childhood.

I can still remember the way the room felt.
Heavy. Confusing. Quiet in a way that didn’t feel safe.

They kept asking me questions I didn’t know how to answer — questions no child should have to ask about their own country. And while I tried to be calm and reassuring, inside I felt scared… heartbroken… and honestly, a little shattered.

That day changed something in me as a mom.

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How quickly “normal” can feel uncertain.
How much our kids absorb — even when we wish they wouldn’t.

Five years later, my boys are older — and so much more aware of the world around them. We’ve had countless conversations about kindness, respect, truth, and what it means to do the right thing when it’s hard.

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Hope.

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I can’t erase what we saw.
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Here’s to raising kids who heal what’s broken instead of adding to the damage… who stand for good… and who know that the future is something we hold — and protect — together. 💛
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