Mummy To Twins Plus One
Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Is it a celebration that you look forward to each year? Well, I used to before kids.
Now after three kids, it is a lot harder to be spontaneously romantic, or at the very least get to eat at a nice restaurant that doesn’t cater to my kid’s limited diet choices.
OH, how I wish to be somewhere that hubby and I can finally have an uninterrupted adult conversation, eat what we want and not have any whining at the table or for the whole duration of the evening.
Maybe this non-winging dinner out might morph into a kid-free weekend away somewhere? You never know right? Currently, I can only wish and dream about this nice idea.
Most people get the following for Valentine’s Day:
- Dinner out
- Chocolates
- Flowers
- Sexy lingerie
- Weekends away
- Maybe a date at the movies
These gifts are nice and lovely, however, the dinner out will not last, chocolates get eaten, flowers die, sexy lingerie is nice but eventually needs to be replaced, weekends away are great but if you have kids you might not be able to do this often, going to the movies to finally see an adult film is rare and again with the other point you need to have kids looked after to make it happen.
Here are my ideas of great Valentine’s Day Gifts that Keep on Giving
- Get help with the housework
Get a cleaner to clean the house every week or fortnight. Yep, this gift will give you serious brownie points and free up so much time. Also not arguing over who cleans what will give the family and the household less stress. A winner for all.
With the extra time, you can take your loved one out, or spend some time together doing whatever you want.
- Organise Monthly Date Nights
Find a babysitter that can look after all your kids to ensure that you take your beloved out every month to dinner or maybe a weekend away. You could engage a babysitting service or if you have family nearby then maybe they can help you out.
If money is tight and you cannot afford a babysitter, why not do a deal with some friends. Mind their kids when they go out and then they can do the same for you. This will make everyone smile as now both families get date nights every month.
Plan monthly date nights out in kid-free zones. One fun and unique date idea is a paint-and-sip session.
Prepared Meals/Meal Plans
If you’re a busy mum like I am, having meals that you just need to heat up or cook quickly is fantastic.
Freeing up time for the person who does the most cooking is another points winner.
Chef Direct by Marathon Foods – Have such a wonderful array of packaged foods that don’t need refrigeration. The food packs can also be taken on camping trips so great for getting away with the family and cooking some yummy food.
Some examples of the yummy food from Chef Direct are Lamb Shank Red Wine & Rosemary and Con Carne Mexican Mild Chilli Beef & Bean. There are lots more on offer.
Hello Fresh – Delivers fresh ingredients with recipe cards so you can cook your dinners. It is super quick, yummy and good for you, we’ve given it a go and was super impressed. Get the family involved and have fun with a different meal each night. The beauty of this is that it frees up time not shopping for ingredients (you don’t shop for anything it all gets delivered to you each week).
There are other meal kits and prepared food that you can get delivered. The above is only a few suggestions. Simply look up prepared meals and then check out what they offer and if it works for you and the family.
If you cannot do the prepared meals, make sure that you cook for mum (or the person that does the most cooking) on the weekend so that she can put her feet up. Don’t make her ask, just do it. Mums don’t get breaks, so finally having a nice meal cooked and relaxing with your feet up would be a nice change. Plus giving mum a break, every weekend will give you even more brownie points.
- Time for Project/You Time
You time is important… it is not selfish or silly, actually, it is much needed. Give your loved one a day a week to do what he/she wants to do. How about give them a voucher for each week or one that is recurring. So, say each Saturday after breakfast hubby takes the kids and then you can do something you wish to do. Read a book, write a blog post or just rest. This is truly a gift that will keep on giving and make you happier throughout the year. A rested mummy is a better mummy.
Don’t worry, if I get a nice bunch of flowers, I will not knock it back. A massage would be nice and much needed.
I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day and that the above ideas allow your Valentine’s Day to keep on giving all through the year.
You may also like to read:
Christmas-Themed School Holiday Fun
How to teach your kids the gift of giving
