Three Things + 1 : Lots of Love (and giveaways)

I usually make the kiddo's some heart pancakes and hubby and I will go out for a nice dinner.
Carol

We started this tradition last year after my son was born 3 months prematurely. He was released from the NICU after 70 days in late January. On Valentine's Day I made cut out hearts and frosted them in pink and red and took them to his "first valentine's" the NICU nurses. We plan on continuing this tradition every year.

We don't do too much. My hubby and I try to get out to dinner either the night before or the night after--not nearly as crowded. Usually we exchange cards, sometimes presents, sometimes not.

I all depends on whether the dh is home or deployed! Deployed means lots of early planning and mailing cards and love notes to wherever he is at the time. Home means hiding notes around the house and a nice dinner...and probably something chocolate for dessert. Either way it is nice to take a big time out and just let him know how much he means to me.

I don't know what it is but I am more excited about Valentine's Day this year than I have ever been. I've made cards to send, hung a heart wreath on the door, and put out what few decorations I have (table runner and paper banner)!

I love Valentines Day! Starts out in the morning with a fun pink breakfast for the kids - strawberry cereal that turns the milk pink, pink cream cheese on bagels, strawberry milk. When packing lunches, I throw a little Valentine heart candy into the lunch with a nice little note wishing them a Happy Valentine's Day. While the teenager outwardly professes embarrassment, she inwardly LOVES it!! I do keep a little bit of Valentine's candy around the house during the season, but made the decision a long time ago when the kids were little to not have a lot of it around. They don't like chocolate much anyway, although their Momma sure does!! (another reason to keep it limited for fear I might eat all of it!) The tradition in my family was always to give/receive a little gift at valentines. As a Mom, my gifts are usually either a new book I know they will enjoy or a christian CD they have been wanting. My sweet, sweet husband prepares a wonderful made to order Valentines Dinner for all of us and we top of the day with a yummy Valentine's decorated dessert!! He also usually treats me to tons of roses - I think the record number of roses he has surprised me with is 6 dozen!!

I don't really do anything special. My husband & I usually just exchange cards and maybe a small gift. We always get out son a small gift. Nothing extravagant.
{vicki}

We make valentines for family members had have an all pink/red food day (or as much as possible!) -- Last year we started off with pink heart shaped pancakes with strawberries -- yum!

Alex and i make heart shaped sugar cookies and decorate them. The best part though, is going to Party City and picking up a bunch of the inexpensive red heart mylar balloons. There is just something magical about those things :)

I don't really have any Valentine's Day traditions, as I don't really have a Valentine. But I recently tried the bokeh technique of adding a black hood with a shape cut out of it on to my camera and it totally worked!! I think I may have tried the heart too, which was why I remembered it. I should pull that out again. :)Very cool print!

Every holiday, for me, gets more special now that I have kids. I always make them special Valentines treats to give to their friends. And as they get older they help me with making their own Valentine cards. I usually make special treats for them at home, too. And they get Valentine's gifts from mommy & daddy. The whole day is about love :)

Hi Ali! My kids and I have been making marshmallow lollipops dipped in candy melts and decorated with sprinkles. They have been a hit in both preschool and now in elementary school. We even went further with it last year and matched the colors of the melted candy/sprinkles with each child's valentines (I have three school-age kids and they always have different Valentines). For example, my son who had Scooby-Doo cards dipped his marshmallows in purple candy melts and we used bright green and blue sprinkles -- tied with matching ribbon, it looked very cute!
check them out on Family Fun here http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50307
Take care and best wishes with the rest of your pregnancy!

For the past few years, I've been making homemade valentine's for my four boys and my husband. Last year, I made them each a small heart-shaped mini-album telling them three reasons why I love them. This is the perfect holiday to be creative and make something homemade!

We love to stay at home and celebrate as a family. I usually make a favorite dish for dinner. My husband and I will then pick another day (our regular date night is Sunday nights) to have our very own 'Valentines Night' :)
God's richest blessings with your new addition - yeah, another one to LOVE!!!
Janine

years ago my husband got a tacky red box with a BIG flower on it, i think we are going on 8 years that he has filled the same box for me. Now, my two kids have their own box, my son's box has a cute little tie on it and my daughter has a BIG flower just like me. He fills it with all sorts of sweet treats for us. Last year, my daughter demanded we go out to eat and all of us get dressed up, ties, dresses the whole bit but we had a great time.

Each of the girls get a red carnation from their granddad--they love that special attention. There are heart-shaped cookies with special decorations to make and decorations for the windows to put up. It's a nice holiday in the middle of the cold winter days.

These giveaways are great! My oldest son is just big enough now to cut out heart shapes w/ his own scissors so we will probably make some Valentines of our own as well as some heart shaped cut-out cookies for his teachers and the kids at school.

my husband and I go to the same place he took me to on our very first Valentine's Day...I love tradition & we always reminisce about what we ate, what we talked about, etc.

For Valentine's Day, we all share a favorite story about each other over hot cocoa. I must note that our little girls are 3 and 5 so the stories we hear are quite entertaining!! Thanks for the fun!!
AmyC

We usually have a special dinner with the kids and I make them each their own heart cake for dessert. The sweetest thing is when my husband pulls out gifts for the girls (which I have no idea what they are) and to see thier faces. It reminds me of when my dad sent me my own flowers when I was a little girl...I was only 6 but I will never forget it!! Thanks! Dawn H