February 14^th is traditionally the most romantic day of the year – yet if you have small children and no baby sitter or if you haven’t got a “Valentine” you might feel left out.Why not take up the chance of a celebration with the people you love instead?

You could invite a few close friends, or have a Valentine’s tea with kids. From activities to games and party decorations we’ve put together some Valentine’s Day ideas for a fun filled day.

Valentine’s Party Decorations

A few simple decorations are sure to put everyone in a cheerful mood! Fill a few Valentine’s party balloons with air or helium to decorate your house. Illoom balloons glow in the dark and will create a unique party atmosphere.

Spruce up your table with red confetti and tea lights.

Valentine’s Day activities

Sealed with a kiss

If you have children they might enjoy making cards in the run-up to February 14th, so get a few craft supplies and let their imaginations run wild! They can send them anonymously to classmates or friends.

(Not so) romantic poetry

Children could also try their hand at poetry. Why not let them complete the last two lines of “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue…” and transform this old love poem with any original or funny ideas! Try these two examples to get the giggles started and creative juices flowing:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Onions stink
And so do you

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Cashews are nuts
And so are you

Home baked treats and party food

Why not bake some love themed treats and share them with friends and relatives? For tasty home-make treats, check out our Valentine’s Day recipes. They will make great party foods, or a thoughtful gift for your partner. Our Jammie Dodgers Recipe, Valentine’s Chocolate Hearts Biscuit Recipe or Tasty Chocolate Truffles Recipe are all easy to make so kids can help you too.

If you’re having a party, you could cut your sandwiches in heart shapes with a large cookie cutter and have plenty of pink and red foods (cherry tomatoes, pizza, strawberries and so on…).

Valentine’s Day Games

With a little imagination it is easy to give traditional party games a Valentine twist. You could play musical statues or musical bumps to love songs or make a pass the parcel package with heart shaped sweets or chocolates. Here are a few more hearty games:

Heart hunt
Hide chocolate hearts, small packs of love hearts or chocolate coins around the house or garden.

Guessing games
A simple variation to a traditional guessing game! Simply fill a jar with heart shaped sweets and have guests guess how many hearts are in the jar. The person who comes the closest without going over wins the jar of candy.

Broken hearts game
Cut large hearts out of red card. Making sure each heart is unique, cut the hearts in half, making a zig zag or jagged edge. Give each party guest one heart piece and tell them to find their match by finding the other half.

Movie date

If there are just the two of you, why not stay in and have an intimate movie date. Snuggle up together with a romantic film and a pack of popcorn. If you have kids why not pop on one of Disney’s classic love stories like The Little Mermaid or The Lady and the Tramp?

More Valentine’s Day ideas…

For more Valentine’s Day ideas, read the following articles:

Surviving Valentine’s Day – Whatever your situation – single, in a new or long term relationship, this article will give you tips and advice on how to make Valentine’s Day a success.

Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts – Whether you’re experiencing the first flush of love or enjoying the adoration of your soul mate, we have put together its top ten gift guide for Valentine’s Day. From the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift – a diamond engagement ring – to a romantic walk in the country, there are ideas to inspire you and delight your loved ones.

An ideal Valentine’s cookies recipe

Card shops are ablaze with red hearts, roses and Love You teddy bears; florists are taking early orders; and restaurants are booking up fast. Yes, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

Why not spread the love and bake some delicious heart shaped Jammie Dodgers to mark the occasion?

These Valentine’s cookies are not just tasty but look good too! They are perfect to share with with your kids, neighbours, friends or work colleagues on the 14th of February. Home-made Jammie Dodgers will make a cute romantic gift for your partner too.

The recipe is simple and ideal to keep the kids busy over half term, all you need is a bit of time, patience, some heart shaped cookie cutters and a few ingredients – listed below.

My nine year old son baked these on his own. Smaller children will love to join in too.

For more easy Valentine’s recipes take a look at our Valentine’s Chocolate Hearts Biscuit Recipe, Tasty Chocolate Truffles Recipe, or Peppermint Cream Sweets Recipe.

To make 12 to 14 Jammie Dodgers, you will need:

• Two heart shaped cookie cutters (about 6 cm and 3 cm)
• 200g (7oz) of plain flour
• 25g (1 oz) of custard powder
• 50g (2oz) of caster sugar
• 150g (50z) of butter softened and cut into small pieces
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of water
• 5 tablespoons of raspberry jam
• Icing sugar to decorate

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 160C (fan oven 150C) / 350F/ gas mark 3. Grease two baking trays
• Mix the flour, custard powder and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture to make tiny crumbs (you can use an electric mixer if you have one)
• Stir in the egg yolk and mix into a smooth dough – knead the dough with your hands when it becomes too stiff. You might need to add a little water if your dough is crumbly. It needs to have pastry like consistency
• Roll the cookie dough out on a surface sprinkled with flour and stamp out large hearts with your cookie cutter
• Cut out little hearts from the centre of half of the large hearts using the small cookie cutter and transfer the shapes onto baking trays. Squeeze the trimmings together and roll out again. You should have 12 to 14 of each shape
• Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until they are pale golden. Loosen them with a knife and leave them to cool on the backing trays
• When completely cold, spread jam over the whole cookies, top with the heart stamped ones and dust with icing sugar

Your home made Jammie Dodgers are ready to eat. Enjoy!

If you’re looking for Valentine’s day gifts, why not check out our Valentine’s balloons, Valentine’s teddy bears and chocolates? For more gift ideas, read our Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts article.

Love and romance are in the air – the new 2012 Valentine’s Me to You Teddy Bears are in!

The collection pictured above features the popular grey Tatty Teddy with patches in an assortment of styles and sizes and would be perfect to  deliver your romantic message on the 14th of February this year.

Me to You Tatty Teddy and My Blue Nose Friends in numbers

Me to You was created in 2000 by Stephen Haines who launched his Sussex based company – Carte Blanche, with a portfolio of just 12 cards. Tatty Teddy – the cute character behind the brand – became an instant success.

Over 75 million Me to You plush bears have been sold since 2000.

My Blue Nose Friends was launched in June 2008 as a range of collectable cuddly toys. In total, nearly 6 million pieces of plush have been sold, enough to fill all the seats at Wembley Stadium over 60 times.

Find out more

To find out more about the heart warming story of Tatty Teddy and how he was thrown out with the rubbish read our Me to You Teddy Bears page.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Want to make this Valentine’s Day a special one? Check out the following articles:

Surviving Valentine’s Day – Whatever your situation – single, in a new or long term relationship, this article will give you tips and advice on how to make Valentine’s Day a success.

Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts – Whether you’re experiencing the first flush of love or enjoying the adoration of your soul mate, we have put together this top ten gift guide for Valentine’s Day.

For those who are planning to propose on Valentine’s Day:

Marriage proposal ideas – Thinking of getting down on one knee?  Our guide to unusual ways to ask your loved one to marry you, may give you some great ideas.

These heart shaped biscuits are quick and easy to make but with some simple decorating they will look great too!  A fun Valentine’s recipe that will make a tasty gift, these biscuits are also perfect to make with children and share with the family. Yum!

For more delicious treats to make and share with loved ones on Valentine’s day and other occasions, why not also try our Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe or Triple Chocolate Brownies Recipe?

This Valentine’s recipe will make 16 to 20 soft chocolatey heart shaped biscuits.

You will need:

 For the biscuits:

• 190g of plain flour
• 100g of cocoa powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
• 250 g caster sugar
• 200 g butter or margarine softened
• 1 egg

For the icing:

• Ready to roll fondant icing
• 3 tablespoons of apricot jam

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 180C (160C for oven fan) or gas mark 5 and butter two baking trays
• Using a wooden spoon or a food processor, cream the sugar and butter until smooth.  Add the egg and mix well
• In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder
• Bit by Bit add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture to form a soft dough
• Using your hands, roll a small ball of dough (about one tablespoon) and place on the backing trays.
• Flatten the balls into round biscuit shapes with the back of a spoon (use a wet spoon if the dough is sticky). Make sure your biscuits are not too close as they will expand slightly
• Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. When cooked, place the biscuits on a cooling rack

For the icing:

• When the biscuits are cold, roll out some fondant icing and cut into hearts with a small heart shaped cookie cutter
• Brush your biscuits with warm apricot jam and stick the icing hearts on top

That’s it – your heart shaped cookies are ready to eat!

If you’re looking for Valentine’s day gifts, why not check out our Valentine’s balloons, Valentine’s teddy bears and chocolates? For more gift ideas, read our Top 10 Valentine’s Gifts article.

Browse the collection on our web site and choose yours – they’re already selling fast, so I would recommend you order now. You can book your delivery for Valentine’s Day if you don’t want to have your bear delivered right away.

With a wide range of teddy bears available in different sizes with different messages – you’re sure to find something to suit both your budget and the recipient. Some of our favourites are:

Boyfriend Boxer Shorts Me to You Bear – A 6″ (15cm) standing bear wearing boxer shorts decorated with small hearts

Husband Boxer Shorts Me to You Bear – Our first “husband” Tatty Teddy stands 6″ tall and wears boxer shorts decorated with small hearts

Me to You Bear Holding Fiancée Heart – The first “fiancée” Tatty Teddy sits 10″ (25.00cm) tall, and holds a red satin heart with a fluffy red border. The heart is embroidered with the word “Fiancée” in silver letters.

Large Me to You Bear Holding Hearts Banner – This popular bear sits 12″ (30cm) tall. With his arms outstretched, he holds a banner made of red satin hearts embroidered with the words “I Love You This Much”.

Standing I Love You This Much Me to You Bear – An updated classic this bear stands 10″ (25cm) tall, with his arms outstretched. He wears a red T-shirt decorated with a sparkly heart and the phrase ‘I Love You This Much’.

Giant I love You This Much Me to You Bear – Perfect if you want to make a memorable impression on Valentine’s Day, this giant Tatty Teddy stands a whopping 28″ (70cm) high. It has shaggy grey fur on his body, patches on his head and feet and a blue nose. His arms are stretched out wide and he carries a string of five red fabric hearts. The hearts are embroidered with the words “I Love You This Much”.

Enjoy!

From traditional teddies to singing bears that will serenade your loved one, you’re sure to find a teddy that will fit their personality!

See below for a selection of my favourite Valentine’s Day bears this year – choosing only four was quite hard!

I’m Yours Singing Teddy Bear – This delightful singing teddy bear measures 28cm (11″) seated and is made to high standards by Gund. He has super soft honey coloured fur and wears a red spotted bow tie. This teddy holds a red felt envelope – perfect to slip in a romantic message. He sings Stevie Wonder’s song “Signed, Sealed, delivered, I’m Yours” while moving his head and mouth when you press his paw. He is cute, fun and romantic… how could they not fall for him!

I Love You This Much Tatty Teddy Bear – our most popular Valentine’s teddy this year, this irresistible Me to You teddy bear sits 9″ (23cm) tall, with his arms outstretched. He wears a red T-shirt, decorated with a white heart and the phrase ‘I love you this much’. A perfect romantic keepsake for all.

A traditional Valentine’s bear, Brighton is a 40.5cm (16″) white teddy bear by Gund. He has ultra-soft white fur and pellets in his upper paws and bottom to keep him sat up straight. This lovable bear has a brown stitched nose and wears a checked organza bow around his neck.

Soft and cuddly, this Love You Bear With Red Heart is 12″ (30.5) cm tall and is made to high quality standards by Gund. He is made of silky beige fur and has a cream fur snout and inner ears. This loveable bear wears a red bow around his neck and holds a red velour heart embroidered with the words “I Love You”. Perfect to tell them how you feel!

If you want a little inspiration to help make Valentine’s Day extra special why not check out the following articles?

• 7 Top Tips For A Romantic Valentine’s Day
• 9 Romantic Gestures to Impress Her on Valentine’s Day
• Need Help With Marriage Proposal Ideas?

A word of warning before you read on, by the way. I am about to be shamelessly prejudiced here, cynical and will no doubt be talking about a stereotype that doesn’t fit every single man out there – and to those sensitive, caring individuals (who, I’ve been assured, do exist) I apologise in advance.

But let’s face it; the majority of single men on Valentine’s Day (at least those that I’ve met over the years) are on to a winner.

For a start, they won’t be banished to the spare room, given the silent treatment for a month, or even have to apologise if they forget about Valentine’s Day altogether.

If they do remember and decide to make a romantic gesture to the attractive, yet single (they’ve checked), new account executive in marketing, they could earn Brownie points that will last for months.

Finally, as Valentine’s Day can cause even the most confident and happily single women to have a little wobble about loneliness, single men have a fantastic chance of getting lucky on Valentine’s Day – or at least getting a date.

So, if you’re male and single, what’s not to love about Valentine’s Day?

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For Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas, remember to check out our selection of Valentine’s Day balloons, Valentine’s Teddy Bears and chocolates.

Red XO Valentine’s Day Balloon – a striking 45cm (18″) square balloon with a red background decorated with pink and deep red hearts. It shows the greeting “Happy Valentine’s Day” in white letters at the centre. A fun surprise for men and women alike! Perfect to get you in their good books!

A great fun gift for all ages, this large Love Monkey balloon follows the outline of a monkey and measures 33″ (82.5 cm). It shows a smiling monkey with a curly tail waving his arms. The monkey wears white shorts decorated with pink and red hearts. An ideal light hearted gift to celebrate Valentine’s Day, this extremely popular balloon is back after being discontinued last year.

This large Love You Double Heart Balloon is sure to impress – it measures 76cm (30″) and consists of two joined up heart shaped balloons. Both hearts are decorated with circles and small hearts in pink, white and red. One heart displays the greeting “I love you” and the other “Be Mine”. A perfect romantic gift!

Finally for those who are planning to pop the question on the most romantic day of the year why not try our Will you marry me balloon? Perfect to help you propose, this 18″ (45cm) balloon has a wide silver border decorated with whimsical white swirly patterns and small hearts. It has a large red heart with the words “Will You Marry Me?” in its centre. For more inspiration check out our Need Help With Marriage Proposal Ideas? article.

Want to make Valentine’s Day extra special this year? Read our 7 tips for a romantic Valentine’s Day article to find inspiration!

Although I’m now happily married and know that if the queue at the card shop is too long, my husband won’t bother with a card! – I still remember how I felt as a single woman in the days leading up to the 14th of February.

Even though I was quite happy being single, I always wondered ‘Will I get anything?’. In truth, I didn’t really want a card covered with doe-eyed puppies, from the bloke down the road who I’d been trying to avoid since he sent me a soppy Valentine’s card the previous year.

But an empty doormat on Valentine’s Day still made me feel a little lonely. Especially as everyone else I knew always seemed to have a boyfriend to send them flowers and take them out.

So, here are some ideas for surviving Valentine’s Day as a single woman.

Why not get together with other single friends and celebrate your freedom? You could even throw a party for singles only – if it’s a mixed event, you never know what might happen!

Or why not just treat yourself? After all you know exactly what makes you feel good. You could order a takeaway and open a bottle of your favourite wine or even champagne. Toast the fact that you haven’t had the hassle of any Valentine’s gifts or queuing for cards.

Has anyone any other ideas?

What is the best gift you have ever received?

This year for my birthday, my husband took me to the Newick Park Hotel and country house for an overnight stay and beautiful meal, with champagne in our room on arrival. He arranged babysitters and it was just perfect, which made up for my ‘interesting’ Christmas present….(see below)

What is the worst present you have received?

Christmas 2007 – random last minute presents from my husband, worst of which was a figurine of Sawyer from LOST. What on earth was he thinking?

Who is the most difficult person you have to buy for?

My husband’s uncle. His tastes are quite high brow and I always struggle to come up with anything appropriate.

Do you enjoy buying gifts?

I enjoy giving gifts that show that someone has taken some time to think carefully about what the person would really like, and made it really personal to them. It doesn’t have to be expensive.

What is your top gift buying tip?

Don’t leave it until the last minute!

What are your favourite gift web sites?

Our Polaroid Guest Books make fantastic wedding, anniversary or birthday presents as they capture the event in pictures alongside handwritten notes from the guests, making a really personal gift.

Biography

Helen Rankin owns Instant Forever a company that supplies photo guest book packages for weddings, christenings, leaving dos, parties and corporate events. For more information visit www.instantforever.com or contact Helen on 0845 094 1311.