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"V" Day Is Almost Here!
by Jennifer Dennard
February 10, 2009
I
t's been circled for weeks on my calendar in bright red pen -
Valentine's Day
is nearly upon us. What to do? Where to go? What to wear? Who will babysit? As a working
mom, it's nice to have an official, designated day to go out and have some fun with my husband.
Otherwise, date nights seem to take a backseat to everything else going on in family life.
I think it's a
wonderful opportunity to tell the friends and family in your life how much you love and appreciate
them. And now that my daughter is getting older, I'm going to enjoy the day even more as we make
cards, bake cookies and eat way too much sugar!
Some families find it a great day to spend time together. A friend on
Mamasource.com tells me she and her family often go to the
movies - family-friendly of course - and enjoy the nearly empty theater and the relaxed feeling of
not having to rush around for a babysitter and reservations.
A few friends have shared their favorite
Valentine's Day
ideas and experiences:
* A complimentary couples dance lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studios
* The Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Dante's Down the Hatch on Peachtree - romantic, with great
fondue
* A family-friendly trip to The Waffle House somewhere in town that offers
tablecloth/jukebox style dining on
Valentine's Day
. Come to find out, a Waffle House in Johns Creek did just this last year:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/02/13/buzz0213.html?cxntlid=inform_sr
* Staying in to cook dinner and watch a movie were mentioned by a few friends. A soon-to-be
married couple I know takes this idea one step further. The guy cooks for the girl - he does the
shopping, comes up with a menu totally new to both of them, cooks, and prepares the dining room.
She doesn't see a thing until it's time to sit down and eat. They've been celebrating this way for
years, and think it really cuts down on the stress associated with trying to get a reservation at a
pricey restaurant.
* One of the sweetest treats was related to me by one of my daughter's preschool
teachers: "One of the nicest things my husband ever did for me on
Valentine's Day
was to sneak into my classroom the night before and decorate it with balloons, streamers
and hearts. I loved it, and the kids enjoyed it too. I'm pretty sure he followed up with a bouquet
of my favorite yellow roses."
Need help finding a babysitter on the big day? Several readers have shared a few
suggestions:
Ms. Lala's Treehouse in Marietta is offering
drop-in childcare with special Valentine's Day activities from 3 to 10 pm.
Kids' Stay 'n Play (Roswell, Gwinnett and Dunwoody) also
offers drop-in childcare.
And many area churches may also offer special nursery care that evening for a small fee.
Please share your experiences, ideas and tips with other
Atlanta Woman
readers by leaving a comment below!
