Valentine’s Day Inspiration for Home & Family

Cupid’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re looking for some inspiration, I’ve got you covered! February is a big month at our house, because it’s the month Baby Bright was born AND the month we were chosen to be his parents. It’s also my husband’s birthday as well as Valentine’s Day–all in the same week! For our first Valentine’s Day with Baby Bright, we celebrated with an “All You Need is Love” brunch on the weekend before Valentine’s Day. It was such a fun and unique way to share some time with friends during our favorite month!

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Whether you want to have a small family gathering or just create a little something special for yourself or your family, it can be done on a budget and without investing too much time.

The year before our Valentine’s brunch, we’d spent every dollar we had on our adoption process, so affordability was key for us. I also didn’t have much time to plan, so I purchased an invitation I could print on my own from Etsy and then ordered inexpensive party supplies and decor items from Amazon and Target.

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I’ve linked up some similar items I found online this year, all of which could be delivered right to your door. For our brunch, I used heart-themed napkins and plates as well as these gold plastic utensils (which I ended up LOVING and highly recommend to glam things up a notch)! I also picked up some felt, pom garland, some tissue paper poms, and these cute Valentine’s Day activity mats. I hung two adorable heart-themed “dream catchers” that Target no longer carries, but here’s this year’s model, which is actually BETTER than the ones I have!

Even though we are not throwing a party this year, I still stocked up on Valentine’s Day themed paper plates and napkins, because those are items we use anyways, and it just makes the “season” more fun! I also reuse the decor items (mostly in our kitchen, because that’s where we are before and after school every day).

This year I stocked up on even more decorations so that I could also deck out my classroom (I returned to the classroom this year after twelve years in corporate. What a year to return, right!?) My students really enjoy it, and we spend A LOT of time there, so why not make it fun!? I usually take my Christmas decorations down by January 1st and have my Valentine’s decor up by January 15th (at home and school!) so we have plenty of time to enjoy it!

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Want to get a little fancier than heart-shaped garland? For our little love brunch, a dear family friend made the glass hurricane centerpieces on the kitchen island (above). They are easy to make for any occasion and can be used over and over again. I used them last year at a pre-pandemic baby shower. You can read about that event HERE. The hurricanes are filled with confetti paper, artificial roses, and a few artificial fillers, all items you can find on Amazon and have on your doorstep within 24 hours: hurricanes, flowers, confetti filler, and willow branches.

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This year’s brunch will be much smaller, but fresh fruit, breakfast casseroles, bacon, bagels, donuts, and of course, Bloody Marys and mimosas are always a hit!

Even small gatherings can be taken up a notch with some items you may already have on hand (that could probably stand to be used more often anyways)! Our brunch party recipes were not extravagant (ok, my mother-in-law’s recipes, because honestly, she saved the day and made almost everything….and it was DELICIOUS!!), but we did serve each dish in every piece of silver, crystal, and china we could find, all given to us by our mothers and grandmothers. This was obviously a big hit with the family, but our friends were super impressed, and it was fun to get fancy!

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Party or not, let’s talk about this sweet little outfit above! A big part of holiday fun for me is dressing up the kids! For the party last year, I bought Baby Bright, Goose, and Cowboy matching bow ties from Etsy. Here are some that look similar!

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We don’t just dress up for just parties though–I usually try to throw a DIY photo shoot in the holiday mix! Last year I purchased these adorable “Kisses 25 cents” bandanas on Etsy for the dogs, and since the items I purchased for Baby Bright the year before were a little big, he wore them again last year!

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Valentine’s Day offerings for boys are scarce and stock is typically low, so BUY EARLY. Now that BB is soon to be three, there are even fewer options! Those of you shopping for 0-24 months, for either gender, will have better luck. Carter’s is great for the holidays because they are so affordable. For outfits that are only worn a few times, they are my go to online store! I love these unisex pjs from Carter’s, and how about this precious ensemble for baby girls?

Target is another affordable option. If you like something more subtle, this pink button down can be worn in spring and summer as well, and it’s only $12.99! In the not quite as subtle department, this construction truck pj set from Old Navy is currently in my online shopping cart. Girl moms have more options, like this precious corduroy navy and hearts dress!

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I did get Baby Bright some new Valentine’s Day pjs this year from Carter’s, including the ones I mentioned above and this sweet unisex set with hearts on the knees. I wish he could still wear the one piece outfits he’s wearing in these pictures! He has outgrown them, and I could not even find any for boys 0-24 months this season to link for you!

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Last but not least in the fashion department, let’s not forget about us!! Last year, I planned a fun and casual DIY photo shoot, so I ordered this cute heart sweatshirt from Pink Lily Boutique. It’s roomy, cozy, and warm, and I will be wearing it again this year!

Mr. Bright never has nor is he ever going to wear anything Valentine themed. For our DIY photo shoot, he wore the same pink shirt he wore for our wedding in 2014! BUT, if he was willing, I would definitely order this sasquatch t-shirt because it seems an accurate depiction of his approach to Valentine’s Day–ha!

Ok, back to home decor…. I usually don’t decorate my whole house for the “smaller” holidays like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, mostly because of the investment of time and money. I have all of my past party decorations up now for a bit of festivity in our kitchen, but I am seriously considering adding some subtle punches of color in a more sophisticated fashion in some other rooms this year!

There are some GREAT deals out there on throw pillows (which I consider the EASIEST way to add some hints of holiday color to your home)! I am LOVING these pom trimmed blush pink stunners and these blush boho lookers on Amazon!

PS If you haven’t branched out your Amazon shopping sprees to home and fashion, you should absolutely give it a try. Speedy shipping and free returns to save me a trip from rummaging through Home Goods and Stein Mart? Sign me up! For the record, I still do love to go to Home Goods (with a mask and social distancing), but whenever I have time to go, my husband is with me, and he usually starts the event with, “Is this the store I hate?” HA! Anyone else have a husband who hates home decor shopping?

I hope this post was helpful to you, friends! Leave me a comment below if you plan on incorporating any of these ideas or have some of your own you’d like to share! And if you haven’t yet, please follow me on IG and subscribe to my newsletter below!

xoxo Mary