At Home Date Dinner for Valentine's Day

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Not sure how to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? I highly suggest making a ‘Simple but Special’ meal and having a lovely night at home! This can be as a family, with your sweetheart, or with some friends.

You can do this a number of ways depending on who you will be celebrating with. Here’s the basic formula.

Festive Tablecloth

+

Candles

+

Simple but Special Homemade Meal

That’s it!

Let’s dig into it a bit more.

Festive Tablecloth + Candles—

You do not need to buy any new tablecloths or candles. Pull out something you have and find a way to make the setting festive—pinks and reds in most any combination work well, cut out a few paper hearts to layer under your centerpiece, maybe add a faux flower in a vase.

For the candles, you can use one big candle in the center, a bunch of taper candles in candlesticks, or anything in between. Again, you do not need to go buy anything new. Since it is one dinner, and meant to be a low-key night, don’t stress about it. It’s fun to pull together what you have and make something festive from it.

Simple but Special Homemade Meal—

What is a ‘Simple but Special’ homemade meal, you might be wondering? It’s something I’m hoping to talk more about on here, but basically it is a meal you wouldn’t normally make on a weeknight. It takes a bit more effort to prepare or maybe needs a long time to simmer. For our family, we love to make Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs. It is not hard, but it does take a bit more time because it needs to simmer. The results are always amazing, and it feels special and a bit fancy.

A few other ideas that come to mind are

Any of these meals, served with a simple salad and maybe some French bread would make for a lovely meal!

In terms of dessert, you can make a cake or cookies, or to keep it simple, pick up a bar of high quality chocolate and divy it up accordingly. (These Hu chocolate bars are my absolute favorite, and they have no vegetable oils or lecithins in them!)

Other Thoughts / Variations—

For families, make sure to plan ahead with your meal so it will be ready when your family normally eats dinner. If there are things you can prep the night before, that would be a huge help. While you are cooking, enlist your spouse to entertain the kids for a bit to keep them from asking for 10,000 snacks while you are trying to concentrate :) or have your spouse help cook and put on a movie for the kids or maybe print out a few Valentines’s Day coloring pages they can work on before it’s time to eat. Definitely enlist the kids to help clear off and set the table. My daughter loves to pick the plates and silverware. My son loves to assign where everyone will sit. Ha!

For an at-home date with your spouse, put the kids to bed a bit early and have a later dinner just the two of you. It’s so nice to have time to talk together and connect, but it isn’t always feasible to get a babysitter. This is a great way to enjoy time together without going out. We try to have an at-home date on Friday nights. We feed the kids something simple—macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti noodles with a jar of sauce, and then I put the kids to bed while my husband makes a special dinner. Then, we light candles and enjoy a meal with no one asking how much more they have to eat before they can be done. :) Wine or cocktails are a nice touch too.

For friends, enlist everyone to bring something for the meal. The host can make the main part of the dinner but have someone bring salad, someone bread, someone a dessert. If someone loves to decorate, assign them to the tabletop decor. If someone is your wine or cocktail connoisseur, put their talents to use. What are friends for if not to gather together for a special meal that everyone contributed toward. Light the candles and linger over dinner, or head to the living room to play a game or watch a movie.

I hope you have the most lovely, special Valentine’s Day at home this year!

My Favorite Historical Fiction Shows and Movies

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Historical Fiction has always been my favorite genre for both reading and television/movies. When in doubt, I turn to a good period piece. So, I thought it would be fun to share my list of favorites with you all!

North & South

2004 TV Mini-series

I don’t even remember how I came across North & South, but I’m so glad I did. It has become my favorite, even surpassing Pride & Prejudice! Margaret Hale and John Thornton are both endearing characters and you can’t help but love them each in their own way. It’s totally worth a watch!

Pride & Prejudice

2005 Movie

Keira Knightley captures the character of Elizabeth Bennett so well in this Pride & Prejudice adaptation. She is playful and lively but also intelligent and bold. Matthew MacFadyen is perfection as Mr. Darcy, a bit shy, gentlemanly and proud, and sooo endearing! Together, they bring these characters, and the story to life really well, and the rest of the sisters and Mr. Bingley add to the overall effect. This movie is endlessly re-watchable, in my opinion.

Little Women

2017 TV Mini Series

I love this version of Little Women so very much! Each of the sisters is so well cast! It is beautifully filmed and captures the overall spirit of the book and the characters pretty accurately, in my opinion. I haven’t seen the newest version of Little Women, but it will be hard to top Maya Hawke as Jo, as far as I am concerned! I would highly recommend it if you enjoy the Little Women story.

The Durrells in Corfu

Keeley Hawes is a gem amidst an amazing cast of oddballs in The Durrells in Corfu. The setting is beautiful, the story line is silly and sometimes heartfelt but not overly sweet. It’s full of good laughs and offers a good escape from reality. You can’t help but want to go visit them. The description on PBS captures it so well. (I also loved Keeley Hawes in Upstairs Downstairs!)

Emma

2009 TV Mini Series

Romola Garai captures the character of Emma so perfectly! She is a bit ethereal and spoiled but so lovable, and the mishaps that ensue because of her matchmaking attempts are comical. I really like how the story unfolds between Emma and Mr. Knightley, and Mr. Woodhouse adds an additional layer of absurdity/hilarity. (The 1996 movie adaptation of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow is also worth mentioning.)

The Help

When I read the book, I laughed; I cried; I loved; I hated. The Help movie adaptation is no different. It does a great job of capturing the character’s personalities within the overarching story. It is very well cast, but Bryce Dallas Howard just nails it as Hilly Holbrook, and you can’t help but love Jessica Chastain as Celia Foote.

Call the Midwife

I love the show Call the Midwife, and yet I have to offer a fair warning that it can be so sad! It is beautifully done and so heartfelt and touching, but some of the issues they deal with are challenging and vulnerable and many an episode had me sobbing. So maybe only watch if you have no one to see after or don’t mind having red eyes when they do see you.

And here are a few honorable mentions:

Mansfield Park

1999 Movie

I recently re-watched this version of Mansfield Park, and I was really struck by how well the main character captures Fanny Price as she asserts her heart and her wit in this endearing tale of love.

Sense & Sensibility

2008 TV Mini Series

I watched this adaptation of Sense & Sensibility on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed it! I would like to watch it again sometime soon.

Jane Eyre

2011 movie

I don’t particularly love the story of Jane Eyre, but I think this version of it is well done, and I would watch it again.

So tell me, do you have any favorites from this list, or any you think I should check out?

 

Opening photo by Peter Lewicki on Unsplash



Spooky Halloween Movie Favorites

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My sister is a movie connoisseur and horror movie aficionado, so I asked her to share with us her top 10 Halloween/horror movies. Here they are, in no particular order.

Cabin in the Woods

A group of college students go on a vacation to a cabin in the woods, while unbeknownst to them, they are part of a bigger plot in a sacrificial game. This movie plays off typical horror tropes without making your eyes roll when the characters do the complete opposite of logical reason. It’s a fun watch, especially with friends, but beware the end if you are especially sensitive to body horror.

Rosemary’s Baby

I had to add this one to the list, not only because it is a great movie, but I am going as Rosemary for Halloween! Set in 1960’s New York, Rosemary and her husband move into a new apartment with peculiar neighbors. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, she finds her neighbors interfering with her activities and it leads her to suspect there is something not quite right about her baby. Mia Farrow puts on a great performance, which was especially impacted by her being served with divorce papers on set. If you have ever had creepy neighbors, this one will resonate with you.

Beetlejuice

I rewatched this recently and forgot how delightful it is! The story is simple: A couple who die in a car accident find themselves confined to haunting their former home. When an outlandish family from New York moves in, the couple is determined to scare them away but are unsuccessful. A mischievous spirit offers to help but it soon turns out he is more harm than good! The costume and set designs are whimsical and quintessential Tim Burton (before the weird CGI phase). I think this is an easy watch even if you generally avoid scary movies.

Halloween (1974)

What’s an October movie list without a good ol’ fashioned Halloween movie? This classic is set in Haddonfield in 1978 where the infamous Micheal Myers escapes from a mental asylum and returns to his hometown to scare the pants off teenagers and babysitters combined. What makes this John Carpenter film so great is his use of music, which he writes himself. If you live in the suburbs, prepare to get goosebumps when any leaves rustle or there’s a noise outside in the bushes.

Veronica (Spanish, 2017)

One of two films on this list that uses a Ouija board as a way to talk to a father on the other side, Veronica is a teen scream set in 1990’s Spain. During a solar eclipse, Veronica and her friends use a Ouija board which leads to an evil spirit following Veronica home. The visuals will creep you out, but this sleeper hit will definitely be enjoyable during Halloween time.

The Thing

Another John Carpenter film! Hooray! Set on a remote scientific research base in Antartica, a team of scientists are interrupted when a mysterious dog shows up and is most certainly not what it seems. After attacking the other dogs and two humans, the camp figures out the dog can assume the form of its victims. A younger but still bearded Kurt Russell leads the crew of men who try to figure out who is human and who has become… The Thing! The special effects combined with the music will definitely wig you out, especially after the transformation scene.

Alien

This is one of my favorite horror movies! While answering a distress call from an alien ship, the crew of the Nostromo discover a nest of eggs. After one of the eggs opens and a creature attaches itself to one of the crew members, the rest of the crew realize there is something much more sinister on board. The famous breakfast scene will definitely make you jump back in disgust, but the film is a classic that influenced numerous horror movies in years to come.

Hush

A women living in an isolated house in the woods is visited by a masked man who plans to play a murderous game of cat and mouse. The most intriguing part? The women is deaf and mute. This film might lean more towards the thriller category, but it will leave you on the edge of your seat regardless. This is a Mike Flannigan film, who I feel came out of no where and is making a name for himself in the horror movie scene.

REC

I am not a big fan of found footage films, but REC is by far one of the best of the sub-genre. Another Spanish film, but this time we follow Angela, a news caster who is shadowing the fire department for the night. When they answer a call for a disturbance at an apartment building, they are quarantined inside because there just so happens to be a woman infected by a virus that gives you murderous tendencies. You might remember the shot for shot American remake, Quarantine, but please feel free to skip that version.

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Another Mike Flannigan film, I also think this movie is a lot of fun with a few scares that really spook the pants off of ya. Set in 1960’s LA, a widowed mother works as a fake spiritual medium out of her home. Trying to add more potency to her act, she inadvertently invites a demonic spirit who takes hold of her younger daughter Doris. The original Ouija film was garbage, but this prequel is definitely worth a watch!

I’m adding a few of these to my list for a weekend movie night with Dylan. Do you have a favorite Halloween movie? Would you add anything to this list?

Date Night Idea: Go See a Tree Lighting

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It's getting to be about that time when people are pulling out their Christmas decor, and usually the day or weekend after Thanksgiving a lot of towns have a tree lighting of some sort to kick things off. What better way to kick off your own festivities than to head out to one for a fun date?! Swing by a coffee shop beforehand to get some hot cocoa, and then duck into some nearby shops afterward to do a little shopping and warm up a bit.

If you are in Minnesota, here are a few tree lightings I found. To check out all of the holiday related events around Minnesota, check out Explore Minnesota. If you go to Fairs & Festivals, you can search for Christmas, Holiday, or Lights to see what's going on near you.

Anoka Christmas Tree Lighting

Holiday Lights in the Park in St. Paul (You don't even leave your car.)

Hometown for the Holidays in Stillwater

Inver Grove Heights Tree Lighting Ceremony

Taylor's Falls Lighting Festival

Tree Lighting in City Square Park, Waconia

{Image via Flickr}

Date Night Idea: Listen to an Old Radio Broadcast

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Image via Fab.com

Image via Fab.com

When Dylan and I were dating, he set up a really fun date for us around Halloween. He set out a bunch of candles, dimmed the lights, and then we listened to an old radio broadcast of Dracula. The crackle of the old time radio recording and the story content made it seem extra spooky.

Looking back, this was one of my favorite dates . It was so simple but also really unique. I think it would be really fun to do again one night after we put Finn to sleep. It's the perfect, at-home date idea.

If you'd like to try it, here are a few sites where you can find old radio broadcasts.

  • Dracula, The War of the Worlds, The Immortal Sherlock Holmes, and a bunch more from The Mercury Theatre.

  • Best of the Radio Years, Edgar Allen Poe on Spotify.

  • The Lone Ranger, Secrets of Scotland Yard, CBS Radio Mystery Theatre and more from Archive.org