Love

Holiday #20 Valentine Ideas

How Do I Love Thee?

Valentines weekend is here!  There are so many choices to enjoy with your sweethearts, which ones will you choose?  As our family grows, we find more and more ways to enjoy family get togethers, outings, and special holidays.  So many family traditions have been created and to pick just one is so tough!  What helps us narrow our choices down is simple- we have our Family Fun Box.

The Family Fun Box is where everyone writes down his or her own idea of “Family Fun”on a piece of paper.  The ideas then get stored in the Family Fun Box.  For Valentines day, everyone will write down their event of choice to do as a family.  We will then have someone pick out one slip of paper and announce which activity the family will enjoy together during the weekend. This way, everyones voice is heard and respected. We use our Family Fun Box and Pad for regular get-togethers with extended family, too!

So now that you have the decision maker in place…what are some ideas for the weekend? Check out these Valentine hot dates:

February 3-16: A Valentine Date with Disney See Lady and the Tramp spark a romance and adventure in the classic El Capitan building. Plus, see Mickey on stage before each show. You can also arrange a candlelight dinner in advance. Daily, check their website for show times. Adults, $14; kids, $11.; VIP seating with complimentary coupon, $28. 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (818) 845-3110. www.elcapitan.go.com

Disney.com

February 11: Valentines Day Doll Tea Party In Pottery Barn: A special tea-time in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Get your lil sweetheart dressed up and bring a favorite doll or teddy bear for stories, crafts and refreshments. The tea would be fun to do after a Valentine luncheon. Saturday, 3 or 4 p.m. tea-time. RSVP required.

February 11: Lakeshore Learning Valentine Mailboxes Kids (3+) make Valentine mailboxes free. Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. No reservations necessary. This is a fun grandparent event. Lakeshore provides all the materials and environment to get messy, grandparents can then focus on the time spent together in creating a valentine mailbox.  They can then grab a sweet treat together at the local ice cream parlor when done! www.lakeshorelearning.com

February 14 Valentines Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with someone special or the whole family at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The Aquarium will be open until 9 p.m. on Valentine’s Day and will feature a unique, one-stop Valentine’s Day experience. Explore the Aquarium at night with its elegant lighting and the opportunity to see the nighttime activities of the animals. Gaze at mesmerizing sea jellies, watch the giant Pacific octopus, and see mysterious sharks.  For an additional charge, they offer a full-course, gourmet dinner. Advance dinner reservations are highly recommended as it sells out early. Cost for dinner is $62 for adult and $52 for child (includes Aquarium admission). Admission: Just $14.95 per adult (12+) and $13.95 per child (3-11) after 5 p.m. (free for children ages 0-3 and Aquarium members). Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. (562) 590-3100.  www.aquariumofpacific.org

aquariumofpacific.org

February 16: Kisses in the Kitchen Kids prepare “Sealed With A Kiss” muffins, Candy Bar Cookie Pops and Chocolate Scotcheroos. Bring your sweet tooth! Thursday, 5-7 p.m. $45 first child, $20 for siblings. Young Chefs Academy, 15435 Jeffrey Road, #132, Irvine. (949) 679-8390. www.youngchefsacademy.com/irvine

youngchefacademy.com

Through February 20: Melt your Valentine on the Ice. The temperature is heating up and Southern California’s outside ice skating rinks are fading out of season. Before they are all gone, take the family to enjoy a refreshing skate on the ice. Find information for Irvine Spectrum’s rink here, La Mirada’s synthetic rink here and Mision Viejo’s Kaleidoscope rink here. The Mission Viejo rink closes February 14.

ocregister.com

If you are looking to whip up some sweets at home, good ole Kelloggs Rice Krispies has a whole slew of creative ideas for Valentine Treats.

Ricekrispies.com