4 Valentine’s Treats

On the 14th February we celebrate Valentine’s Day! St Valentine is the patron saint of lovers – so this magical day is a special day to celebrate the people we love. The Snow Sister and Ice Harvester, and the Tower Princess and Ruffian Prince know a thing or two about romance… So they decided to share their favourite 4 Valentine’s Treats – ways they show their appreciation for their special loved ones to remind them how amazing they are!

Hey little Ruffians, I’m the Ruffian Prince. I met my special lady on quite the adventure. Now, our story wasn’t easy. In fact, when we first met, she hit me in the face with a frying pan! Can you imagine? Anyway, we journeyed across the land all the way to her kingdom. We fought angry horses, thugs, palace guards and a scary mother-in-law – but by the time we saw the floating lights, we knew that the real journey was to each other.

Awww, Eugene! Hi Sundrops, it’s the Tower Princess. We were so lucky that we found our new dreams. And on Valentines’ Day, we want to celebrate our love story. I love making things, so I’d love to share some of my ideas with you – from baking to card-making, there’s a lot you can do to show your love!

We agree! I’m the Ice Harvester. Me and my ginger sweet love fought long and hard to find our way to each other. And even though we now know that love will thaw a frozen heart – It’s still nice to remind each other how much we care.

Hi there! Snow Sister here. What can I say? IT’S TRUE LOVE! And of course our love needs nothing but each other but who am I to pass up an opportunity to eat more chocolate?? We enjoy treating each other on Valentines’s Day, so buckle up and listen to some of our favourite ways of saying those special three words!

Valentine’s Cards

I think I’ll take this one, as I just can’t trust anybody else’s drawing abilities. I mean really, is my nose THAT hard to get right?!

So Blondie and I like to exchange Valentine’s Cards on this special day. It’s a way to really put into words how she makes me feel, li-ter-a-lly! I start with an A4 piece of paper. Usually purple or yellow, because I know how much she likes those colours. I fold it in half to make a card.

Now’s the fun part – decorating your masterpiece! I’m talking paint, I’m talking chalk, I’m talking realistically anything I can raid from the tower. Draw a nice, classic design that says “romance”. I personally like to go for a heart with our initials on… Or maybe a rose? Or if I’m feeling particularly confident in my drawing abilities, I’ll draw a scene that reminds us of a treasured memory we share.

Then, you gotta open your card and spill out your heart in word form. Sometimes I like to write my message on a different piece of paper – so I can take as many attempts as I need to make sure I get it right. You know, sometimes it’s an off day for me, it doesn’t usually happen. But I’ve learned with Blondie that I’ve gotta be prepared for anything.

Once I have my words as perfect as my hair, I’ll stick it into the card I’ve already made. Try writing a poem about how they make you feel, or tell them how wonderful they are, or simply say you love them no matter what. Finally, you’ll have yourself a perfect Valentine’s Card to give your love.

Valentine’s Chocolates

Oooh Ooooh I want to talk about this one! I consider myself something of an expert on the subject. My sister and I love chocolate, and I’m always stuffing it into my face…

So traditionally, people give their special loves chocolate on Valentine’s Day for a couple cool reasons! My favourite one being that when you eat chocolate, it releases a chemical in your brain – the same chemical that is released when you feel love! And I definitely know that they’re connected because I LOVE chocolate. Makes total sense.

You may see lots of fancy chocolates in heart shaped boxes at your local market… But I think you can make something even more special at home!

For this Valentine’s treat, you will need strawberries (because they’re delicious), chocolate (obviously) and some optional decorations – like sprinkles, or different coloured chocolate, or jellybeans, or cookie crumbs, or carrots, or – Ok, maybe not carrots. I get a little carried away talking about this stuff.

Take your milk chocolate (or your plant based alternative!) and chop it up into little pieces. Then melt it all in a mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water – You’ll need a grown-up to help you with this! You can mix it with a tiny bit of butter or coconut oil to make it even more GOOEY for the dipping process.

Once you have a bowl of beautifully melted chocolate goodness, take your biggest strawberries and dip them in! Hold them by the green stem and dip them about three quarters of the way up. And then – it’s time to decorate!

Now, while your chocolate is still warm, you can sprinkle on your cookie dust or small decorations – or, you can do what I like to do (I like it ’cause it’s messier) and let your chocolate strawberry set – then melt some white or dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top. It’s very fancy. It will probably take you way fewer attempts than it took me.

And voila! Chocolate treats for your love that are technically a fruit so you’re not allowed to call it “unhealthy”. What more could you want for your love?

Valentine’s Flowers

Flowers gleam and glow, don’t they? In fact, I’m only here because a sundrop fell from the skies and grew a magical golden flower that healed my mother! It also gave me my powers, so flowers really are special. As well as making excellent hair accessories, they also make a wonderful gift for your Valentine!

Flowers are excellent communicators, you know. Different species and colours of flowers can represent different things! The language of flowers is called “floriography”, and you can learn more about it here.

So when trying to create the perfect bouquet, it’s thoughtful to research what flower means what! The traditional flower to give on Valentine’s Day is a red rose. Red roses represent love and romance, their story tracing back to the greek gods Aphrodite and Adonis!

Other flowers that represent love are:

• Dahlias – these represent a lasting bond!
• Peonies – these represent a happy partnership.
• Carnations – these come in a range of colours which all mean something different:
  • Dark red for deep love and affection
  • Light red for admiration
  • White for pure love

It’s also important to consider the person you’re buying for and what they might like – if they have a favourite flower, for example. I know the Snow Sister likes sunflowers! You could also choose a flower based on your love’s favourite colours.

Taking all of these things into consideration, I’m sure you’ll be able to build the most beautiful and personal bouquet for your love, making this Valentine’s Day the best day ever!

Valentine’s Adventures

My love and I fell for each other after a crazy adventure together – and since then, we’ve only had more and more of them! Maybe this Valentine’s Day, you should go on an adventure with your true love? It’s doesn’t have to include reindeers, eternal winters, giant angry snowmen or rock giants – thankfully – even just going out and doing something you love together will work.

A traditional way to go on a “date” with your Valentine is to take them out to dinner! Is there a nice restaurant near you? It’s a great opportunity to take some interest in their preferred cuisine. Perhaps their favourite food is carrots – and there just so happens to be a carrot stall at the market just down the street… That would be a great place to go! This one applies to reindeers AND people.

You could also take your date to a royal ball, or a coronation perhaps. Both my partner and I have multiple left feet so dancing is a little messy, but we do enjoy trying – after all. Why have a ballroom with no balls? Going out dancing is a wonderful way to spend time with your partner!

You could try doing something that neither of you has ever done before. It’d certainly be an adventure! Perhaps seeing a movie that neither of you have seen, or taking a walk in a place you’ve never been and exploring? You could even do something more energetic like rock climbing or swimming or running away from wolves! Although be careful with that last one. They can be vicious.

We enjoy sledding down the north mountain together, going on a row-boat around the fjords, a reindeer ride up in the enchanted forest, ice-skating, gathering the family for hot chocolate and charades, or staying up late and watching the Aurora Borealis light up the night sky… The only limit to your adventures is your imagination and courage – something that my Valentine is not short on!

We hope that we’ve all given you some inspiration for ways you can express your love this Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s to a romantic partner, friend, family member or pet – everybody deserves to know how much they are loved and how important they are. This day and everyday!

Written by Fiona Lynn