LIFESTYLE | VALENTINES DAY AT HOME

Joe and I will be spending V-Day at home this year - in all the years that we have been together, we've only celebrated out twice (the last one was at The Coal shed) so this will be back to old traditions.

Staying home does not have to be anti-climatic, it can still be filled with romance, atmosphere and love. Here are some ideas for making your home celebrations a bit more than the usual Saturday night on the sofa.

Food
Joe is a Pizza fiend (his words) so I thought that's I'd make homemade Pizza in the shape of a heart with heart shaped pepperoni. To make him extra happy, I will spice it up with a few jalapenos and chili flakes.

My big love (other than my husband) is Cheesecake, so that is what I will make for dessert - New York Vanilla to be precise!

Drink
Now just because we are at home doesn't mean we can't treat ourselves a bit. I'm not suggesting that we break out the Cristal, but if you are partial to a bit of fizz, you could always go for Cava or Prosecco.

I'm partial to the Codorníu Rosado Brut NV or if you aren't a fan of pink fizz the Codorníu Brut NV (£9.99). Joe isn't really one for fizz, he's a Red man, when it comes to wine, and would be happy with a Lindemans Cabernet Sauvignon or Campo Viejo Tempranillo Rioja.

Atmosphere/Decor

Something I have always wanted to do on Valentines day is have an indoor candlelit picnic on my lounge floor. To help transform it to a romantic I love the ideas of loads of candles, flowers and rose petals.

As red roses are actually quite expensive I think red tulips are a lovely alternative.I also love this Red Rose Diffuser by StoneGlowCandles - the red rose stem immersed in the diffuser is such a lovely touch too.

Entertainment

Apart from the obvious 'entertainment' that you hope will happen on V-Day, it is also an opportunity to take the chance to really listen to each other. Turn off the TV, sit down and really talk, not just about how your days were, but like you did when you were falling in love. What are your hope, dreams, favorite memories. I think sometimes life gets so busy that these sorts of things get overlooked. A great way to get this going is to play The Art of Couples Conversation.

Music
Every couple has their songs, so make a soundtrack for the night that remind you of each other...

A song we listened to on his iPod in the dark when we were getting to know each other..

Theme tune for the first year of our relationship..

A night that reminded us we were meant to be together...

Our first dance...

What we walked down the aisle to...

Song that remind us of our honeymoon...

Valentines Day is just once a year, and you should love and cherish each other every day. Sometimes it is the little things in life that really matter, like the unexpected hug, a secret smile or a lovingly made cuppa and to help facilitate the latter here is your chance to win matching cat mugs for you and your loved one.