As my son sat back in the orthodontic chair, his hands were clenched to his side. I could tell his breathing in and out was nervous, shaky. His knees were bent to help him maintain his calm. They were fitting him for top braces and an expander since he has jaw issues. While we knew this day was coming, he was nervous. I could see the tears welling up in eyes when he first sat in the chair. I was sitting on the bench off to the side attempting not to make him more nervous by continually asking “are you okay?” and thinking in my head that I would do anything to take this away from him. When we left the appointment, instructions for the week ahead in hand, and knowledge that it would take awhile for him to get used to his new gear, I saw my son struggling to smile. For the next week I didn’t see him crack a smile because of the pain. The light was out of his eyes. He looked scared, unsure, and sad.
I was given a free stay at The Westin Seattle in exchange for this blog. You can enjoy a stay for a special SPIRIT 105.3 rate of $105.30 – grab your exclusive deal here!
I’m reminded this Valentine’s Day of all that we each carry inside of us on a daily basis. The stresses of life can build up and if we aren’t careful, they can crowd out the true joy we all have. I’m reminded more than ever how much we really need Valentine’s Day and February, the month of love. We need to be reminded to stop and love those around us. With the news of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, as well as 7 others dying in a recent helicopter crash, I am more acutely aware than ever that we have to live each day fully.
I’m so excited The Westin Seattle has partnered with me to help you make Valentine’s Day special for those in your life. We all need to know we are loved. Let’s use the month of love to:
- Create meaningful moments with our families
- Hold our families close
- Be Present
5 Ways You Can Make Valentine’s Day Meaningful For Your Family
Create a memory.
We did this by enjoying at Stay at The Westin Seattle. They know how to make a stay memorable. I had not seen my son smile in a week, but when we left The Westin Seattle he was reminded that he could smile. The more he smiled, the less it hurt!
I love that The Westin Seattle is so easy to get to, has seamless Valet-parking, a restaurant on site and rooms that just make you want to cozy in and be with your family.
We made our whole stay about being together as a family so we popped down to the Relish To-Go restaurant to grab food (cheeseburgers!), but then brought it up to our room for dinner, where we enjoyed a movie night together, introducing our kids to the wonders of Star Wars. You can choose the best movie fit for your family, just make it special! (Bonus tip: We brought our Roku with us from home so we could access our Disney+ app since we wanted to watch Star Wars, but the TV’s at The Westin Seattle do have built in streaming to connect your own streaming services like Netflix and Free HBO.)
We played games together and simply SPENT TIME. The entire focus was on time together, we didn’t let anything distract us. It allowed us to relax, breathe, and enjoy one another. My favorite part of staying at The Westin Seattle is that you feel like you are in another world far away and it allows you the opportunity to mentally refresh.
Bonus Tip: Here are some games that parents can all get behind because they are fun for all! I’d also add Monopoly Junior to this list.
Become a Noticer.
On our stay we talked about people in our lives that could use a pick me up or a little Valentine card of some sort. Who do you know around you that could use a pick me up? This is the time to open your eyes and pay attention. The right person will come into your path if you are watching. We talked about creating cards and cookies to share with these people. You could do cards OR cookies, or you create something else. The real point is just to take the time to notice people. When we are others-focused our own joy increases. My daughter decided she wanted to sponsor another child through Compassion International and my son decided he wanted to write a thank you note to The Westin Seattle for our stay. My daughter wrote one too. I loved watching them think about how they would give back.
Love Cups.
Start a tradition of sharing what you love about the people in your family. I’m calling it Love Cups. Basically, you can take red cups (or another color, but since it’s Valentine’s Day why not red?) and each person in the family writes down something they love about each member of the family and puts it in their cup. Then you read the things people have written about you and try to guess you wrote it. It’s just a simple way to be reminded how much you each matter to one another.
Put away technology.
We love technology, but put it away. At The Westin Seattle, we had a technology-free time. It helped us stay focused and present with one another. Play board games, play the cups game, sit and write cards for the neighbors, and just enjoy one another. I think we often forget how to slow down and simply enjoy life. This is the time.
All the Sugar.
Have some fun with your Valentine’s treat. How cute are these cookies that The Westin Seattle made? We added Hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles. It was perfect and we laughed as we were eating our cookie heads. It’s okay to splurge. Chocolate covered strawberries and shortbread cookies are an absolute must on my sugar list. Let each member of your family pick out their own, don’t make them share for once and just enjoy.
The good thing at The Westin Seattle is that you can go swimming to burn off some of that energy.
17 years ago my husband proposed to me on Valentine’s Day over chewy steak and potatoes. I don’t honestly remember his exact words. (Thankfully, I do remember saying yes. LOL) I remember being together and eating chewy steak and laughing that it wasn’t perfect. It was our moment, and it was special. That’s what Valentine’s Day should be about for your family. Create moments that are going to carry with your kids for years to come. Help shape how they view the month of love, keeping them focused on others, being present with family, making the most out of every day and creating lifelong memories. We only get a short time in this life, let’s live it to its fullest!
Not sure where to start? Give The Westin Seattle a call. They want to help you make memories for your family. You can enjoy a stay for a special SPIRIT 105.3 rate of $105.30 – grab your exclusive deal here! Plus, for a limited time ENTER TO WIN A Stay!
