Now I know this is supposed to be a monthly newsletter, but this month you’re getting two!

Valentine’s Day is a funny one, isn’t it. A bit cringe, a bit cute, a bit overdone, and yet… I still love it. The American in me is simply too far gone. If there’s a holiday, I’m celebrating it. If there’s an excuse for cards, chocolate, and a bit of ceremony, I’m in.

So if you’re after a last-minute little pressie for yourself, your loves, or your littles, have a peruse below and order quickly!

For this very special 40th / Valentine’s date night, I’ll be layering on all the things that make me feel my best. This incredible DÔEN dress (slightly sheer, very sexy, with gold beaded fringe), lots of diamond dangly earrings, a rainbow gemstone bracelet, and last but not least, my favourite ruby double-wrap necklace.

I love styling it with one loop pulled tight like a choker, and the other long and loose. The contrast feels fun and a little sensual, and it’s the perfect finishing touch for a night on the town.

I get my love of ceremony from my mum.

She truly made magic in our home. Every holiday felt special because she treated it like it mattered. She created these childhood moments that were thoughtful and personal, and made us feel ridiculously loved.

On Valentine’s Day morning, I’d come downstairs and each seat at the table would have a little curated Valentine’s spread waiting. Handwritten cards, always with personal poems. Chocolate hearts. Soft toys. Little surprises that were small, but felt enormous. I can still remember the feeling of it. That sense that someone had gone out of their way just to make your morning beautiful.

It’s one of many traditions I’ve carried on for my own children.

I have three little ones now, two boys and a girl, and Valentine’s morning has become one of my favourite days of the year. When they come down to breakfast, there will be three little place settings waiting at the table. Valentine’s cards, colouring books, fresh markers, homemade marshmallows, and a few other bits and bobs. Nothing huge, just enough to make breakfast feel like a little celebration.

I’ll also put a little Valentine out for Stu, next to the coffee. We’re very much in the season of babies, and I love spoiling the children, but if anyone deserves a good morning, it’s Stu. So I want him to start his day with a few of his favourite things. A little love note, coffee… and me.

As much as I love celebrating, we haven’t gone out on Valentine’s Day in years. And honestly, I don’t miss it at all. We can go out any night, and we do often! But we’ve realised that a cosy night in on Valentine’s Day is genuinely better. No set menus. No time stuck in traffic. Just candles, good food, and a quiet evening at home.

Over time, this has turned into a slightly ridiculous tradition of caviar and blinis. Which sounds wildly over the top, but I stand by it. I’m not sure there are many things I love more than a heaping bite of caviar on a warm blini smeared with crème fraîche. Ideally, with a glass of something cold, candles lit, and the kiddies fast asleep.

Now, I know most of you don’t know me that well yet, and I promise I’m not always this extravagant. But there are just some days when a little indulgence feels like heaven. Valentine’s Day is absolutely one of them.

So that’s our plan. A little magic for the children in the morning, and a cosy, candlelit night in for the adults.

If you’re celebrating too, I hope you do it in whatever way feels most you. Even if it’s just chocolate and an early bedtime.

And if you are the going-out type, I hope you’ve managed to get a table booked at The Fat Badger. Because if there’s anywhere that could tempt me back out into the world on Valentine’s Day, it’s there.

I thought I’d share what I’m putting in the children’s little Valentine’s breakfast boxes this year, because this is the sort of thing I love doing and I know some of you will too. Just a few sweet, thoughtful bits that feel special and a little celebratory.

I’ve picked most of my gifts up from local shops: Indian Summer, The Real Flower Co. , Lucky & Gray, and The Palace Gardener. The breakfast baskets will be filled with wildflower seeds for us to plant together, a couple of lovely books I found while pottering around Burford High Street, colouring books, some new markers, and a few homemade marshmallows.

I’ve linked some similar items below in case you’d like to do the same for your little ones.

Shop For Breakfast Boxes Here

These two ruby necklaces are seriously dreamy. Simple, but so special, and both perfect as standalone pieces. Two different price points, two different ways to add a little ruby and gold to your life (or someone else’s, if you’re feeling generous).

The first is the more delicate everyday option. A 9k gold chain, attached to ruby and sapphire gemstones that have been hand-knotted on silk. It slips over your head, drapes beautifully on the collarbone, and has that easy “put it on and instantly feel polished” feel.

The second is my Valentine’s Day hero. The Ruby Bow Double Wrap. She’s bold, a little dramatic, and completely addictive to style. I love her so much I’ve made one for myself, because I genuinely couldn’t bear to part with her.

She’s special. She’s perfect. And she’s ready for a night out.