Blog Appétit

All I’m saying is it’s Friday. 

This post involves champagne and photos from a fun Valentine’s celebration.

And it’s totally worth the three minute read, especially if you’re still looking for the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day next week.

Each year I try to surprise Steve with little things such as notes hidden for him to find throughout the day, breakfast in bed, dinner reservations out, a scavenger hunt around town, etc. but this year we have been so busy with him starting his new job, planning a wedding, launching Bon Aprontit and the many things in between that we decided to space out our Valentine’s Day celebrations and do a few date nights here and there that didn’t involve too much heavy lifting on either end but more relaxing and enjoying time together. 

Also we’re those cheesy people that started dating the day after Valentine’s Day so we do extra celebrating this time of year;)

Can you believe it will be 7 years this Wednesday? Holy cow, where has the time gone?

If only I could figure out a way to have time stop and keep the champagne flowing like I did last weekend with Katie of Little Black Blog, Maya of Charmingly Styled, Jess of 26 and Not Counting and Sarah of The Kissing Booth. We had too much fun popping champagne, eating one too many desserts and catching up on life and all the exciting things everyone is up to.

Sharing some of the photos from our celebration and my top things to do this Valentine’s Day below. 

7 Ideas for Celebrating Valentine’s Day

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The Galentine’s Celebration

Grab the girls, a bottle of champagne and your favorite chick flick for a night in celebrating. You can dress it up like we did with some pretty flowers and decor or just keep it casual and enjoy the night with your favorite girls catching up.

The Casual Date Night

Nothing says the perfect casual date night like dinner and a movie. The other night Steve and I dined at one of our favorite restaurants in the area, Yard House, and then caught La La Land at Arclight Cinema in NEWCITY. (Which by the way if you live in the Chicago area and haven’t been to NEWCITY yet, you have to go. Steve and I basically live there between the Mariano’s, endless beer options at Yard House (and the fact that their chopped salad is the best!), movie theater and countless shopping options!)

The Fancy Date Night

Pull out the dress clothes and enjoy a night of dinner and drinks out. One of Steve and I’s favorite things to do when going on a formal date night is catching a live show (concert, the ballet, musical, etc.) and then grabbing dinner at a new place we’ve been wanting to try and drinks or dessert at a second location after. I mean if you’re going to go fancy you might as well go big, right?

The Game Night

Sometimes the best Valentine’s celebrations are spent with friends and family at a game night. Whether it’s a local trivia night or at someone’s house where everyone brings a game of their own, you never can go wrong with a good game night. 

The Potluck Dinner

Looking to celebrate with a crowd but don’t have time to whip on a four course meal for everyone? No problem. Ask everyone to get involved and bring over their favorite dish with a drink to pair. It’s always fun trying other’s go-to recipes or favorite dish they like to whip up!

The Food Crawl

This one may be my favorite. One year, Steve and I decided to do a little food crawl to switch up our typical dinner date. We did an appetizer at one restaurant then drinks at a second, dinner at a third and dessert at a fourth. It was such a fun night and made a typical hour long dinner last a lot longer while getting to try some new restaurants we’d been eyeing.

The Long Distance Date

Last but not least, I had to share one of my favorite long distance date ideas since I know there are so many people out there making it work via Skype and late night phone calls. (kudos to you btw). One of my favorite long distance date ideas was when Steve and I both picked a recipe and gathered all the ingredients ahead of time so we could cook it on our own while skyping. Once the food was ready we both turned on a movie we found on hulu at the same time and watched it while eating our dinner to feel as if we were watching it together. I told you we’re cheesy;)

Any big plans for Valentine’s Day? What is your go-to date night?

Special thanks to everyone for making this beautiful shoot come together!

Flowers |FTD Flowers

Champagne | Drizly Inc

The Space |Breather

Chic Paper Items| Paris312

Desserts and cookies | Goddess & the Baker

Adorable Valentine’s Day Card | Papyrus

Chocolates | Ghirardelli Strawberry & Chocolate SQUARES (sold exclusive at Target nationwide for Valentine’s Day)