Valentine's Day Family Dinner

Do you have a fun family tradition for February? Is there some activity you purposefully do to invest in and encourage family time?

Joe and I always make sure that we get our Valentine date—whether we put the kids to bed and order dinner in, or make reservations and go out for a special evening. But, five years ago, we were looking for ways to move the emphasis off of the “love factor” that kids are inundated with when Valentine’s Day rolled around. What started as a fun evening has turned into a yearly tradition that focuses on family togetherness and laughter.

We originally kicked off the family dinner with this idea online here Cupid's Crazy Cafe: A Family V-Day Dinner - The Dating Divas and Joe and I have a blast putting on some type of a mystery dinner for the kids. Each year we come up with a restaurant theme and then a funny menu. We don’t make anything gourmet or time-consuming but it’s packed with FUN—because the idea is that the kids have no idea what they are ordering for each course. Guaranteed, there will be lots of laughs when their order arrives! I set a fancy table and then Joe puts on an apron and becomes Crazy Cupid (think tough guy Waffle House cook). He’s such a great sport! Take a look:

What do you do to encourage family time this month? We are praying for your family to be strengthened in February and we’d love to hear from you!