There is little doubt in my mind that come Valentine’s Day I’ll be dining at one of Tutta Bella’s restaurants with my three guys. We’ve done this on a few Valentine’s Days now and it’s become a bit of an easy Seattle Valentine’s family tradition-the hardest part is deciding if I’ll have tiramisu or gelato (They get it from Bottega Italiana and that’s my fave!) for dessert. I love the idea of Valentine’s Day and celebrating love and the kids want to be included so the hubby and I don’t mind having date night on another night and hanging out with them. The boys and I have been a clash of wills lately and I know it’s all part of growing up, but sometimes I miss the days when they were small and I was the center of the universe. So a Valentine’s with all my guys eating pizza sounds absolutely perfect and maybe you might find some ideas here too if you’re looking for Seattle Valentine’s ideas with kids in tow.
I am also drawn to gifts that give back in some way and I saw the coolest thing from Seattle Space Needle and I hope they do it again one day. For $100 they had something where you could write a message to your sweetheart to be projected on the Needle and the proceeds were donated to the American Heart Asssociation-this my favorite type of gift because it’s ephemeral, it’s heart-felt and it helps others. If you’re local and haven’t been up the Space Needle, just heading up to the top is a fun Valentine’s Day date, especially if the sky is clear. We used to love the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle with the Lunar Oribitor dessert but the Space Needle has since been renovated and although the restaurant is gone, the updates like the revolving glass floor are really cool.
The Sky View Observatory downtown is also a great place to visit if you want to look out at the city.
Another gift that gives back that I’ve bought for my kids is a Pike Place Market charm. If you’ve been by the Pike Place Market lately and seen all the construction, it’s because they’re expanding towards the Waterfront and a beautiful brand new building will be open this summer. The Pike Place Market Foundation has been selling charms that will be placed near the new building and I think they look a little like the love locks people put on bridges and I am a hopeless romantic so I’m excited for my guys to see their names in the market for years to come. The proceeds from the donation help the Pike Place Market Food Bank, a senior’s center and a preschool among other causes and I love that something that will mean a lot to me and my family will help other people too.
On Valentine’s Day, I’ll also be headed to Pike Place Market and there are so many fabulous local finds there-I’ve noticed more and more tulip stands popping up lately so I might be tempted to pick some flowers up for myself. The Made in Washington store, Chukar Cherries, and Delaurenti’s all have great chocolate selections and Pappardelle’s Pasta has it’s famous chocolate noodles. Fran’s Chocolates is also within walking distance and I always like to see what they’ve come up with for celebrations. And my guys always love it if I come home with Le Panier macarons.
And with only a few days left, I have to remember to help get my kids’ Valentines’ things together. I think we’ll do something handmade but I haven’t figured it out yet. One year we made these love bugs but this year they want to do something different.
If you have any ideas I’d love to hear. How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day?
(PS. One more thing-I just saw that Sur La Table is starting to have personal chefs that can come to your house to help you throw a dinner party??!! And there is availability in Seattle on Valentine’s Day….Has anyone tried this?)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)