How to celebrate Valentine’s Day in lockdown

Arguably the most romantic day of the year, this year’s Valentine’s Day is going to be a little different. After all, the romantic meal for two at your favourite restaurant isn’t an option this year and you can definitely kiss goodbye to the idea of whipping your loved one off to New York for the weekend!

But we love a bit of romance here at Mini Mixers, so we will not be beaten. We’ve come up with a few simple ideas for ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved one, despite the current national lockdown.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at home

OK, so it might not be the most romantic of settings (depending on your home, I make no assumptions) but celebrating Valentine’s Day at home can be a real feast for the senses if you do it right.

With nowhere to go and nothing to do, it’s time to break out your creativity and have some fun. Here are just a few of the ways we’ve come up with to spend some quality time with your loved one.

1. Whip up a romantic meal – cook something you wouldn’t ordinarily create as a special treat. Organise yourself in advance by adding the vital ingredients to your weekly shopping list. Treat yourself and your loved one to a really special meal – and better still, cook it together to add some extra romance. Got the kids hanging around? Include them in the special dining experience too or order them their own treat from the local pizza takeaway and let them camp out in their own rooms for the night – it’ll be a special treat for them too and you’ll have some alone time (fingers crossed).
2. Decorate your home with hearts and flowers to mark the romantic day – hang banners, sprinkle confetti, arrange a beautiful bouquet of flowers and lay out some chocolates. Go the whole hog to make the day special without leaving the house. We love these gorgeous decorations, available online.
3. Turn your living room into a ballroom, whip out your best sequinned outfit and dance your partner round the house. Because when was the last time we were able to get out for a dance? If ballroom isn’t your thing, create a kitchen disco and boogie to your favourite tunes. It doesn’t matter, just spend time together. Kids will love this too if you don’t mind some company!
4. Plan a spa afternoon. Why not create a sanctuary in your own home by lighting aromatherapy candles, pampering each other, enjoying a bubble bath and taking turns to give a back massage? Check out Etsy for a huge range of gorgeous pamper kits and luxuriate the day away together.
5. Have a romantic movie night. Order your favourite takeaway then lock the door on the outside world. Snuggle up, tuck in and watch a romantic film together. Treat yourself to some post-meal snacks and just relax for a few hours. Share a blanket, hold hands and enjoy each other’s company – how often do you manage to do that in real life?
6. Organise a games night. If having fun is your thing, why not break out all the board games you haven’t played for years and game the day away? Playing board games together can be fun, intimate and entertaining (as long as you’re both good sports!) and it might just remind you what fun looks like (it’s hard to come by these days, right?)
7. Our favourite, for obvious reasons, bake up something special to mark the big day. When it comes to baking for Valentine’s Day, the possibilities are endless! So many incredible recipes, so many gorgeous decoration ideas. You know your own skill level so choose something that’s easy to bake, fun to decorate and delicious to eat. Try out this simple recipe for gorgeous shortbread heart biscuits:

125g/4oz butter

55g/2oz caster sugar

180g/6oz plain flour

Small amount of icing sugar for dusting

Seedless raspberry jam for filling

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth.

Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm thick.

Use a small heart cutter to cut out the biscuits and place onto a baking tray. Dust with icing sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, sandwich two biscuits together around a delicious splodge of seedless raspberry jam and, hey presto – gorgeous Valentine biscuits to give away or enjoy together.

Romance will win the day!