Simple Valentines
A Simple Valentine's Day with @Erika.Aanne
Today we draw inspiration from lifestyle blogger and mom-extraordinaire, Erika Wiens, on how to have the perfect, and simple, Valentine’s Day. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted originally, but knew it would include her hubs, dessert, and drinks—what more does a girl need?
Here is Erika’s advice on having a simple Valentine’s Day at home.
I’ll let you in on a little secret – Nic and I don’t celebrate Valentines day. In fact, looking back I believe the only time we ever did celebrate it was when we were on separate continents… but that’s a story for a different time.
It’s not that we have anything against the day, I actually think its really fun and any excuse to dress up, have a nice meal and spoil your loved one is fine by me. But our anniversary is December 27th – and since we rarely celebrate on the actual day due to the holidays, we typically push it back to January meaning that by the time Valentines rolls around – we don’t really feel the need to celebrate.
This year has been different though – I got super sick over the holidays and have been down and out for almost all of January too, so we haven’t found time to celebrate yet, which has brought us right into February.
I decided that this was the perfect year to celebrate V-day for a couple of reasons – 1. As stated above, we haven’t had time to celebrate being married for five years – which meant we were long over due for some type of date and 2. I had a great idea for it!
When I started to brainstorm how we would celebrate I knew it had to be a few things – budget friendly, unique and something that Nic would find both cute and silly since that’s what he likes (hence why he married me). I came up with this idea of doing the entire evening on $100 and then making what is typically a pretty girly holiday into something more rustic for my farmer husband (stay with me and I’ll explain.)
Why have a budget you ask? I typically go over the top with holidays, celebrations etc. Which can be fun but also means I sometimes lose sight of my end game – which in this case was to celebrate Nic and I. I knew that if I set a budget it would reign me in, plus Nic is pretty easy to please so I knew he didn’t need anything too fancy.
Having a budget meant I needed to get creative since I wanted some décor, food and something fun to drink. I had originally thought we would do dinner together but lets face it – we have three little kids so that wouldn’t have been romantic OR relaxing. Next idea please! With supper being off limits I figured we would have to do something after the kids went to bed... which led me to my perfect plan.
Once I knew that we would need to celebrate when the kids were asleep I came to the conclusion it was going to be drinks and dessert. I had originally wanted to make Nic a charcuterie board (he loves them and I really enjoy putting them together) but with the evening turning more “sweet” I thought I needed to get creative with it. I didn’t want to stray from the simplicity of a charcuterie board so I decided to make a dessert themed one – complete with candy, cookies and of course chocolate. (For the record – this was really yummy and super easy to put together!)
Then came the décor – the big question. How to make a very pink, heart shaped, mushy, over the top holiday into something that my keep it simple, doesn’t like throw pillows on the bed husband would enjoy. I knew it had to be in our back room which has a very country vibe to it and is Nic’s favourite space in our home. This is what inspired me to make it a rustic valentines. Once I knew how I wanted the date to feel it all came together - I borrowed some deer sheds from my mom, dug out my tea lights and found these cute wooden hearts at a craft shop to sprinkle across the table. Throw in some faux fur some twinkly lighting and we were set!
This was a lot of fun to plan and put together, I loved having a budget because it made me get creative and to go a more simple route then I typically would do.
Maybe I’ll make Nic plan next years celebration… stay tuned friends!
Charcuterie Board
This can be used with a cutting board, wooden tray, or anything large enough to neatly organize all your treats!
Faux Fur Rug/Table Runner
If you don’t have a table runner, don’t sweat it! There are many ways you can decorate your table, including cutting out paper hearts or running to your nearest dollar store for décor inspo.
Fairy Lights
Fairy lights make such a difference and instantly make any space feel so cozy. Especially if your date night is after the sun sets, they provide the perfect amount of ambient lighting for romance.
Mason Jars
Taking inspiration from things you already own, such as mason jars, can add a crafty and simplistic feel to your date night! Not to mention how cute they are.
Placemats
Finish everything up with some placemats. If you’ve chosen a theme and can find placemats to match, wonderful! If not, just use some you already own.
Treats
Simply stroll down to any grocery or dollar store and browse the candy isle for inspiration on creating your Valentine’s Day charcuterie board. Erika found all things pink, red, and white, then topped hers off with some cookies and chocolate.
Erika’s Tip: “This doesn’t have to be complicated! Just have fun with it.”
Wine
Lastly, the wine! The finishing touch on a perfectly simple Valentines is a good bottle of wine, or anything you like.
Not sure where to start for your simple Valentine’s Day? Follow these simple steps:
- Set yourself a budget. This is so important and will help you stay on track. Remember, your celebrations are less about what you spend, and more about quality time with those you love!
- Come up with a theme or idea you want the evening to be around. Deciding on a theme will make choosing your menu and décor that much easier!
- Try to use things you already own. Re-purposing your items will help stay within your budget, allow you to be creative, and maybe get some new use out of everyday items!