Splurge on a Romantic Dinner…at Home

When most people talk about Valentine’s day, the usual plans include a romantic dinner out. When you have children you have to find childcare for, this can quickly get expensive. My husband had the brilliant idea for one anniversary to put our kids down early for bed (they were all toddlers/preschoolers at the time) and we had a romantic dinner, just the two of us.

We picked one of our favorites that we do not get to do very often – steak. We grilled ribeyes and sauteed some mushrooms. I’m pretty sure there was another veggie, but I can’t remember. The steak and mushrooms are the standout in this memory.

We have also done things like make copycat recipes of our favorite restaurant meals. You can find recipes online for things like cheddar biscuits, shrimp linguine, and a particular pasta dish that had bacon, asparagus, and a spicy sauce.

A few ideas on how to make it work:

• One parent can tackle the bath and bed time routine while the other cooks dinner.
• Cook dinner together and then put the kids down right before you eat.
• If it is too much work to get a full meal together before it is too late, try doing a special dessert.
• If cooking is out of the question, you or your spouse could pick up a take home meal from your favorite restaurant to enjoy at home, you’ll still save on the tip and baby-sitter costs.

When you consider that a meal in a restaurant can run upwards of $50 (plus gas to get there and baby-sitter costs), you will probably find that you can create a killer meal at home and enjoy it in the intimate atmosphere of just the two of you.

More Valentine’s Ideas

Are you ready for some other Valentine ideas? I hope so! You will want to check out:

• Surprise Your Valentine Giveaway
• A Valentine Surprise Giveaway Your Will Love
• 5 Simple Valentine Gifts for the Mom With Young Kids
• Splurge on a Romantic Dinner at Home and a Giveaway
• Surprise Your Valentine with Fabulous Gluten-Free Treats
• Tips for a Frugal Valentine’s Day
• The Ultimate Valentine Surprise
• Valentine Giveaway Fairies to the Rescue
• 50 Fun Date Ideas
• Romantic Winds are Blowing Your Way for Valentine’s Day

Surprise Your Valentine Giveaway!

Now time for the Surprise Your Valentine Giveaway! We want to say “Thank You!” to Applebee’s for sponsoring one of our giveaways, with a $50 gift card, perfect for a Valentine dinner or a family dinner. You will want to check out their new kid’s menu, even if you leave the kids home! You can stay up with what’s new in the neighborhood by following them on Facebook and Twitter!

Also included in this Surprise Your Valentine Giveaway is a $200 Amazon Gift Card!

To enter this giveaway, you must be 18 years old and living in the United States. Winner will be notified by email, on February 4th and will have 48 hours to claim their prize before a new winner will be chosen.

Ready to enter?