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Monday, February 10, 2014

Ideas for Valentines Date Night In :: Cold Stone Creamery + FREE Printables


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Valentines Day is fast approaching and everyone is starting to make plans for the big lovefest. Are you looking for a fun and easy solution? Well then you are so in luck! Some of you may be planning an extravagant night out and looking forward to getting all dressed up while others may be looking to do something a little more low key for the evening. This year I personally decided on the low key option. I'm talking a cozy, romantic fun evening at home: a Valentines Day movie & dessert night! How does a favorite movie, yummy snacks, cocktails & an ice cream cake sound? Now that's what I'm talking about. Pretty good right?!

I am so excited to have partnered with Cold Stone Creamery to bring you these ideas on how you can have a comfy cozy Valentines Day "Date Night In".

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Cold Stone Creamery ice cream cake, free valentines printables, black and red decor

wine glasses, heart shaped coasters, red serving tray, strawberries on wine glass


"Date Night In" is one of my favorite ways to have "a date" as it can be made into anything you choose and can also be as fancy or as casual as you want but making it EASY is key. Today we are choosing the comfy, cozy option. Super kick back and chill. So here's a few things to remember when planning a Valentines Date Night In!

Location is key!
Choose an area of your home where you want to get all cozy for the night. I chose the living room as this is where we usually hang out, watch TV and sometimes eat dinner. (ok well maybe a LOT of times eat dinner here, but no judging! lol) With that being said, it was only natural to set up our date night fun on our coffee table as we can get all cozy, pop a movie in, munch on appetizers and snacks, exchange love letters /gifts and then have a yummy dessert! This is a perfect night in to me. To keep it easy on yourself, make sure to use items you have laying around for this fun night . . . be frugal and keep it simple.



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Simple menu of your faves!
I would plan a small menu of your favorite snacks that you like to munch on while watching a movie for your date nights. For this particular evening I chose a simple cheese, summer sausage and cracker tray. I simply bought the items at the store so there was no cooking and got a little creative with the cheese and sausage by using a mini heart shaped cutter to add to the fun. Grapes complimented the tray and were added to make sure we got our fruits in. ;) I also had a bowl of strawberries on the wine tray because it went well with the custom ice cubes I made.

We also love our sweets, so a fun, tiny tray of M&Ms & sweet tart hearts made their way to the table, so we could grab them as we wanted. Using some of the festive mini serving pieces we own already makes this date night just a wee bit fancier, don't ya think? ;)

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Make sure to pick up your favorite bottle of bubbly, cider or simply have some infused water in fancy glasses to give the evening a more romantic vibe. I made heart shaped ice cubes and put tiny bits of strawberries in them before I froze them & then added it to our glasses for a bit of festive-ness! It's all in the details and remember, . . . the details can be simple and easy.


wine glasses, heart shaped ice cubes, strawberries on glass, heart shaped chocolates
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The best tip I can give to you is to pick a dessert that is not only delicious but is one of your faves as well. One of our 'go-to' dessert places is Cold Stone Creamery so that's what we wanted for this night too. We tried the new 'They Call It Truffle Love' cake. It is moist layers of Red Velvet Cake and Fudge Truffle Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings wrapped in a rich Fudge Ganache. Can I get an "oh my YUM" is it gooooood! You must check it out on the Cold Stone WEBSITE as it really IS that good. 


heart shaped ice cream cake
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Add a personal touch.
When deciding on a movie to watch for the evening, why not choose one that you've seen already, together on a date out, one that means something special or just simply one you want to watch for the one hundredth time. The one we chose, we had seen already on one of our fun date nights, so it was a perfect choice for reminiscing.
 
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If you are having a hard time thinking of the perfect gift to give, simply write a love letter using the FREE Valentines card you can download. Whatever you choose to do, make it special. Make it unique. Make it from the heart. After all, that's the only thing that matters on this day.


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Utilizing FREE printables.
You will want to print out the FREE Valentines mini party pack, I designed for you all, and put it into action! I LOVE this little party package as it's a "mini" version of the ones I sell and who doesn't just adore all things mini? I thought so. ;)

I designed it with just enough items for you to decorate your Valentines "Date Night In" table AND also provided you with a Valentines card so you don't have to run out & find the perfect one. How cool is that? 

When you download the file it will have two pages: one with the FREE Valentines Day card and the other page will have four toppers/tags, four party flags and then a half page of decorative paper to use for anything you like. Here are some ideas I came up with and how I used them . . . 

Use the toppers/tags for a tag adorning a gift. It makes a nice decorative touch to a tiny candy bag. The tags as well as the flags can be cut out and taped to a lollipop stick or toothpick & use it to decorate your food items.


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The scrapbook paper can be used for a variety of different purposes: use it to lay on a tray before placing food on it, cut out hearts & place around your table or hang them. I cut out two heart shapes from the paper & used them for coasters for the wine glasses. Use your imagination and have fun!

Take this opportunity to write down how you truly feel about someone in the Valentines card. A handwritten note is always a treasured keepsake so take this as your chance to tell people what they mean to you.

 
black and whire stripes, heart shaped coaster, FREE Valentines scrapbook paper, heart shaped chocolate
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I hope you have gotten some fun ideas from this and will use the FREE printables to help in your planning. Make sure to check out the amazing ice cream cakes at Cold Stone Creamery and also follow them on Twitter and Instagram so you can stay updated with anything new they come out with.

So are YOU going to have your own Valentines Day "Date Night In"? Please leave a comment below and tell me what it is YOU have planned. Will you be using these printables? 

I hope whatever you decide to do, that you have a fabulous Valentines Day! xo


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This is a sponsored post in which I received product/compensation from Cold Stone Creamery. However, all opinions are strictly my own.
Are you loving the "eye candy" here? Then join me over on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or check out more designs in my Etsy shop
 
I would love for you to connect with me by email or become a blog follower too! {on the right sidebar}  Looking forward to seeing you again! :)



39 comments:

  1. Wow and wow!!! Laura you are an endless supply of wonderful ideas. You always share everything to have the perfect presentation. And you never leave out a thing and cover it all to the last detail. I could not ask for anything more to have the perfect valentines day for all those i love. Excellent guide to those who are at a loss for what to do. Encore!!!! Susan.

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    1. thank you so much for the sweet words. I appreciate it & it totally made my day! Thanks for being a fan! =)

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  2. very nicely done. makes me want to run out and get that cake!!!

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  3. This is gorgeous! That cake looks so good. I love all of the details you pulled together. I will definitely try some of these

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    1. why thank you kristal, I appreciate the kind words. I hope you do get to try an idea or two & make sure to grab those printables if you need them. ;) Happy day

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  4. What a sweet date idea! I love all of the Valentine touches such as the shaped cheeses and straw flags wrapped on the champagne glasses. The cake looks delicious and the perfect addition!

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    1. thanks Natalie! I really love to add those little touches & glad you are a person who appreciate the little details, as I feel they can make a celebration. The cake was oh so delish & hopefully you can try it too. Thanks for the love.

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  5. That cake looks amazing. Wish there was a Cold Stone Creamery in Pensacola!

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    1. ahhhh wow what a bummer you don't have one nearby! It was good but maybe you can utilize an idea or the printables nonetheless. Thanks for following! =)

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  6. Great, approachable ideas! What a lovely date night you've designed. That cake looks SO good!

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    1. Thanks Ashley, I was trying to make sure I set up ideas that were easy to re-create so I appreciate you saying this. The cake WAS good, hopefully you can get one sometime. Thanks for following. =)

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  7. Great ideas....the cake looks so yummy :) and the printables are so cute too!!!!

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    1. Thanks so much Blanca, the cake was AHHHHHHmazing! Hope you get to use the printables for your celebration. Have a great day!

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  8. So much fun! Thank you for the ideas and the fab printable!

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    1. you are so welcome girl! Glad you like them & have a FAB Valentines Day! =)

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  9. Love this cozy set up, Laura! {and the free printables!} ;-)

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    1. Thanks Chris, I appreciate that! Thanks for checking it out. ;)

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  10. Love all of these ideas! The best part is that while they are fabulous together you can make a special moment by even using one or two of them. And you can't go wrong with Coldstone! :) You are so talented Laura!

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    1. Oh girl, you made my night, you are too sweet & this is such a great compliment - thank you so much Lisa! xoxo

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  11. Wow, Laura, this is fabulous!!!!! And, I am an English teacher who does not take her exclamation points lightly. It is so nice to meet you. Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving such a sweet comment. No wonder you do not crochet...you are too busy doing all of this. I love it and look forward to following your blog. ~Kelly

    unDeniably Domestic

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    1. hey kelly, thanks for stopping by! That is so nice of you & I so appreciate the love you left as every comment means so much to me. Thanks again & hope you enjoy checking out the blog. ;) ~ laura

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  12. Laura, what a great post! Great date night ideas and super cute printables! Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us!

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  13. yum yum love coldstone cakes!! and i want to eat all that heart shaped cheese. love how you set everything up and the colors you used.

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    1. right Kristin, Cold Stone ROCKS. Period. And yes the heart shaped cheese was good, why does everything taste better when cut into a cute little shape? ;) Thanks for checking it out. ;)

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  14. Date night in sounds lovely! I'm all about the simple too. That cake, oh my!!

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    1. that cake was totally an "oh my" and OH YUM! Yes, cozy & simple date nights are the best! Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

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  15. Super fun ideas Laura! Wish I would've seen these free printables before putting together my plan. So great!

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    1. thanks Jessica! I appreciate you saying that & maybe you can use the printables next year! ;)

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  16. Such lovely ideas :) Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful inspiration! This can also be a fantastic way to celebrate an anniversary or any other romantic event. Love it!

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    1. Why thank you Nicole, you are so sweet and so glad you enjoyed this post! Thanks so much for stopping by & I agree, this would be great for an anniversary . . .anytime there is love involved! ;)

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    2. Ooohhh...that anniversary idea is awesome! My hubby and I are celebrating 15 years in July. I'll have to file these for future use!

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  17. Very creative - ALL the great ideas on one display - Cold Stone should be proud of your efforts

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    1. Thanks so much for the compliment, as I try to deliver fun ideas that can be duplicated as well. Glad you enjoyed it & thanks for coming by.

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  18. How beautiful! The presentation is stunning! Two amazing businesses collaborating....I will be sharing this on Facebook for sure.....Chris Smith, Centerville, OH

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