Valentine’s Day and Quality Time

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and it has us all thinking about our loved ones – kids, spouses and significant others!

 

We were joined in The Motherhood by Ulli Kammler, brand manager at Dr. Oetker USA, to talk about spending quality time with these VIPs in our lives, as well as discuss some romantic tips for planning an evening at home with that special someone.

 

Dr. Oetker is headquartered in Germany and its Ristorante pizza is Italy’s #1 frozen pizza brand. This thin-crust pizza is available in the U.S. in six unique varieties! Popping a Dr. Oetker Ristorante pizza in the oven for a candlelit evening at home is one way to prepare a quick, romantic, restaurant-quality meal without the restaurant prices.

 

 

What have you done for Valentine’s Day in the past?

 

Many participants shared their memories from Valentine’s Days gone by.

 

Sarahviz had a sweet story to tell: “My fave Valentines Day: (cheesy but true) … My (future) hubby and I drove from NC to Myrtle Beach for Valentines Day weekend in 1998. Sitting on a swing, on the beach, in the middle of winter, was when I realized I was in love with him…”

 

Magpie added, “The first year that iPods came out, my husband got me one because he KNEW I would love it. The phone rang at 2:00 in the morning on the 14th because my sister had just had a baby – so he gave me the present then – he was so excited. As was I. Nine years ago. I still have that iPod, though I don’t use it.”

 

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your kids?

 

JustPrecious shares the love with her kids, who “always come downstairs for breakfast and find their cards and little gifts waiting for them.”

 

Added Shannon Ott, “We have 2 girls, and my husband always gets valentines for his “little valentines” too…. it is so sweet that he goes and picks out cards and treats for them all by himself!”

 

“This year we made mailboxes for all three children, so I think we will all just make valentines for each other. It will be nice to get away from gifts and candy,” said Karen of 3G2S.

 

For a more interactive Valentine’s Day with younger kids, Julie Bouf shared a cute idea: “On Valentine’s Day last year – [my husband] played Candyland with my daughter with real pieces of candy to grab up if you landed on one of the candy spots.”

 

And for those with older kids, ThisFullHouse suggests that you “let them plan and cook the meal for the night! My kids LOVE doing this and, well, some of the menus they come up with are epic!”

 

Are you planning a special meal or romantic night at home this year?

 

“My husband loves my meatloaf,” said mommycosm. “I don’t make it often b/c the kids don’t love it and the leftovers usually go to waste. Maybe I can make him a mini-one … [but] we have pizza once a week. I would love to find a frozen pizza we all enjoy.”

 

Jen Parsons “loved the idea of ‘no distractions’ night; no TV, no phones, etc.” – so you can keep the focus on each other.

 

Stacy Uncorked said that she and her husband “usually snuggle on the couch and watch a movie together.”

 

LZ also keeps it low-key, with “early bedtime for the kids, dinner together *at the table*, fire, movie” – while ThisFullHouse approaches romance with a “no jeans, no sweatshirt policy.”

 

Emily suggested mixing things up by using “a different room in the house for dinner – so setting up a picnic on the coffee table with candlelight, or even just turning off all the kitchen lights and eating only by candlelight.”

 

 

And thinking outside the box, Shannon Ott said, “We like to play travel games in bed… like Yahtzee, etc…. it’s a lot of fun.”

 

How to maintain a romantic mood if you can’t go out or get the kids out of the house for the evening?  MomConfessional suggested, “Put the kids to bed early or occupy them with a movie to get some alone time.”

 

Any Valentine’s traditions to share?

 

Dagmar and her husband avoid the day (and crowds at the restaurants) altogether – “it’s just too busy. We try to get out a night or so after that.”

 

On the other hand, Melanie Feehan and her family indulge themselves a little: “We always have chocolate pancakes on Valentine’s morning. It’s the one time of year that we go a little overboard on the sweet stuff.”

 

“I love making everything into hearts,” added Charlene. “Making the bread of sandwiches into hearts, mustard in the shape of a heart on a sandwich, heart pancakes for breakfast, cutting strawberries into little hearts.”

 

For Joey Fortman, it’s less about the food and more about how the food is served!  She said, “A few years back I bought these cute plates from Target, and ever since then I put them away, but bring them out on Valentine’s Day.”

 

JodiG noted that the fun isn’t always just at home – her daycare “has an all-red food party – strawberries, jello, cranberry juice, etc. So fun!”

 

And Melissa brought it home with romance, saying, “We always drink champagne out of the toasting glasses from our wedding!”

 

Tips for a romantic evening at home from Dr. Oetker

 

– Don’t just heat up the kitchen—start a fire or light candles to set the mood

 

– Find the perfect wine pairing for your Dr. Oetker Ristorante pizza

 

– Turn off all unnecessary distractions, which means no TV or texting at the table

 

– Break out the fine china and a tablecloth to create a fine dining atmosphere

 

– Dress up just like you would for a fancy restaurant

 

– Set the stage for romance with a soundtrack for the evening

 

– Adjust lighting to help create a relaxing and romantic mood

 

– Dust off your dancing shoes and make your living room a dance floor

 

– End the night with a decadent Italian dessert, preferably one you can share

 

– Let the night unfold and enjoy the special occasion

 

More about Dr. Oetker

 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Dr. Oetker, it is a fifth-generation family-run business headquartered in Germany.

 

On finding out that the Dr. Oetker pizza in the U.S. will be made with the same ingredients that it is made with in Germany, co-host Dagmar (who grew up in Germany), said, “That is so great to know and makes them the No. 1 choice for me then. That’s one thing about German products I can get here that I love — I can always count on the best ingredients in them because things in Germany are just in general made more healthy/nutritional.”

 

Dr. Oetker Ristorante pizza is Italy’s #1 frozen pizza and sells in more than 30 countries.

 

Ristorante pizza is available in 6 varieties throughout much of the Northeastern U.S. and features fresh, high-quality ingredients on a thin crispy crust. Priced from $4.99 to $5.99, Ristorante provides Italian restaurant style pizza taste without restaurant style prices.

 

Dr. Oetker Ristorante pizza is available at Roche Bros., Shaws, Giant, Weis, Shur Fine, Stop and Shop, ShopRite, Big Y, Foodtown, King Kullen and Market Basket.  You can look up locations here: http://www.oetker.us/en/faq/wheretobuy

 

For more information, visit www.oetker.us

 

 

See the original Talk here: http://tmotherhood.wpengine.com/talk/show/id/62152