Valentine’s Day is a great way to show your love and appreciation for those you care about and even treat yourself. It doesn’t always have to be romantic! Here are some date ideas and activities you can do with friends, family, a significant other and some yourself!

1 Baking heart shaped sugar cookies ( no cookie cutter needed )
A pretty easy recipe to follow that would definitely be made with lots of love!

For a replacement cookie cutter in case you don’t have one, you can make one with foil wrapped then shaped into a heart.

Directions
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( or 2 teaspoons for a sweeter flavor )

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F /190 degrees C , then mix the baking soda , flour , and baking powder. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar and butter until soft then beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the other contents into the egg mixture sparingly. Once blended, roll the dough into a ball , then flatten to 1/8” thick , use the cookie cutter for a heart shape, or draw a heart shape using a knife. Now, the cookies are ready to be baked for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden.

2 Dinner and Gift exchange
Having dinner together , if it’s making it or going out, is a nice gesture and definitely romantic or just intimate! Having a gift exchange with dinner is perfect for Valentine’s Day , flowers or stuffed animals make great gifts.

3 Going out to the mall
The mall is great for going out with friends or on a date! A cute idea is to go to build a bear and pick out bears for each other and decorate them, or take turns buying small gifts for each other at your favorite stores.

4 Have a cookie/cake decorating contest
Show off your art skills by having a decorating contest! A fun competition that can be done with 2/3 people or in teams. Have one person be the judge or make it a timed contest , whoever gets the most done wins!

5 Make Photo Books or scrapbooks for each other
A cute way to show your love for them is by making photo books or scrapbooks for each other so you can celebrate the shared memories.

6 Have a movie night
Binge watching your favorite movies is a fun, relaxed activity especially for Valentine’s Day. There are many romantic movie marathons going on.

7 Write a love letter
Writing a love letter for someone can mean the world to them. What may seem simple is actually very creative and the person who receives it will appreciate it. You can even write a love letter to yourself about what the favorite things about you are, self love is just as important!