By Erica Barton
Valentine’s Day is next week, and it’s a day to not only let your significant other know how much you love them, but also a time to let your children, friends, extended family, etc. know that you are thinking of them. In my opinion, while flowers and candy are lovely, there is no better way to do this then by giving them something that is homemade.
You might be thinking to yourself – “I don’t have the time, expertise, patience, etc. to make something.” I promise you that you can! Here are a few easy ways to celebrate Valentine’s Daywithout spending a lot of time (and money):
Homemade cards – This is perhaps one of the easiest ways to show the people in your life that you care. Have your kids make homemade cards for mom, dad, grandma or grandpa (a cute idea is having them trace their handprints on the card). Another idea is to create your own card and “coupon book” for your significant other, filled with coupons for everyday things that will make them smile, such as “One coupon for taking the kids out for breakfast on the weekend so you can sleep in” or “One coupon for doing the dishes every day for 2 weeks.”
Pinterest – I am a Pinterest addict – seriously! It is the perfect site for finding DIY Valentine’s Day craft projects. Create a Valentine’s Day board and pin all of the things that you find onto the board so you can go back to them when you have the time. It’s free to sign up (www.pinterest.com), and very easy to use. Just type “Valentine’s Day” into the search bar and check out all of the awesome possibilities. Some great ideas I found include a DIY Valentine’s Day card holder for the classroom, heart puppets using brown lunch bags for the kids to make, and handmade heart “pockets” to fill with candy or small toys that you can personalize.
Food – You don’t have to be a trained chef (or even a good cook in my case) to make cute treats for all of the Valentines in your life. Before the kids go to school, why not make them heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast,
or pack a heart-shaped sandwich for lunch (either using a heart-shaped cookie cutter or just free form!). Make your significant other their favorite dinner, or make chocolate-dipped strawberries together. Very easy and romantic!
When it comes to creating a heartfelt Valentine’s Day without spending a lot of time and money, the possibilities are endless!! Even if it is just giving your loved ones a big hug and kiss and telling them how much they mean to you, you really can’t go wrong with ideas from the heart.
Erica Barton is a stay-at-home mom who lives in South Orange with her husband and two kids, Ally, 6 and Josh 4.
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Nidhi Tomar said on February 6, 2013
Looking forward to using some of these pointers this Valentine’s Day!
Leanna said on February 8, 2013
I love these ideas! It’s so easy to get caught up in the commercialism this holiday brings, but these are all wonderful ways to celebrate and to get the kids involved. Thanks.