A Valentine's Day of Family Fun

By Jeanne Benedict

Make the whole family feel special this Valentine's Day. Pack their lunches with red Valentine fortune cookies. Make a big heart-shaped pizza for dinner! Whisper sweet nothings into your children's ears as they drift off to sleep and create loving holiday memories for years to come. Wake up your kids with heart-shaped waffles. Follow my simple timeline for a Valentine's Day of Family Fun. Looking for a romantic night with your partner instead? Read here for our ideas for a Simply Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner for Two., Do you have any family traditions for Valentine's Day? Share them with the Celebrations Community. We can't wait to see your photos of handmade cards, holiday baked goods and heart-themed party decor! And, I'd love to help you out with any party questions you have for Valentine's Day or any occasion.

Food and Recipes

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Butter Almond Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 hard-cooked egg yolks, mashed
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Steps

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in cooked and raw egg yolks, almond extract, and lemon zest.
Gently fold in flour with a wooden spoon.
For pink hearts, add a few drops of red food coloring and mix thoroughly. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
Roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness on a floured surface. Stamp out hearts with cookie cutters and arrange on prepared baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or lightly browned around the edges.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Decorate with icing and Valentines sprinkles! Makes about a dozen.

Tips

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7:00AM Wake Up To a Lovely Day

Let your children know how much you love them.

Place a red rose on your child's nightstand along with a Valentine's Day card.

Draw hearts in red lipstick on the bathroom mirrors that say, "I love you!"

Play love-themed music to put everyone in a holiday mood!

7:30am Make A "Heart-y" Breakfast

Tell your kids to wash up for breakfast, so they find the heart-shaped soap you put in the bathroom.

Make heart-shaped waffles for breakfast topped with strawberries and whipped cream.

Remember to put Valentine's Day fortune cookie in the kid's lunchboxes.

8:00am Bring the Kids to School

Bring a box of Valentine's for your child's classmates.

Give the teacher a box of chocolates and a little something sweet for the specialty teachers, crossing guard and the principal!

10:00am Bake From the Heart

For those who have a busy day, bake a batch of Butter Almond Heart Cookies the night before. I've included a tasty recipe below!

12:00pm Enjoy Lunch with your Valentine!

Meet your spouse or that special someone for a romantic lunch.

If the weather is nice, plan an impromptu picnic in the park.

3:00pm Pick up the Kids from School

Tell the kids that you have to run an errand and surprise them with a trip to the ice cream parlor!

Play a silly love song CD in the car.

4:00pm Send Some Love To Grandma & Grandad

Get your kids on the phone and call your family to wish them Happy Valentine's Day.

Remember to send an online card to family and friends the night before.

5:00pm Dinner á la Heart

Make heart-shaped pizza! Pick up some pizza dough in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Follow the package instructions for rolling out the dough and have your kids shape it into one big heart or individual size portions. Spread pizza sauce on the dough, your favorite toppings, and cheese hearts made from slices of cheese stamped with heart-shaped cookie cutters!

Decorate the Butter Almond Heart Cookies with icing and Valentine sprinkles for dessert.

7:00pm Take A Cozy Bath

Sprinkle heart-shaped bath soap confetti in the tub.

Surprise the kids with fun red bath paint.

Lay out their new holiday pajamas on the bed and tell them to hurry back for lots of snuggle time.

8:00pm Sweet Dreams

Whisper sweet nothings into your children's ears as they drift off to sleep to create loving holiday memories for years to come.

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