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

We give small gifts to all the children in the family. Right after Christmas, during the post-holiday sales, we pick up small & meaningful gifts for each child. For the cousins & friends who live far away, we have a big production where our kids wrap & pack the gifts & write little notes to include. We go to the post office & use the self-service machine to ship all the packages --- our kids just think this is the COOLEST thing ever. We let them touch the screen & then adhere the printed posted to each package. The adults get cards (oh, I wish I could say they are home-made!). Bottom line, I LOVE Valentine's Day - it helps break up the dreary-ness of winter, here in bleak Chicago.

I make fun frosted (with sprinkles of course) cookies with my son and i make my hubby a craft/mini scrapbook with photos of us from the year:)

I love V-Day! I do a scavenger hunt with my kids and at the end they get a gift from me. Something I think they will love, usually they do!
We have dinner together as a family on Valentines day, last year I made heart shaped meatloaf with red gravy.. but dh & I go out on the weekend before or after for a private celebration.

Here are some fun, simple things to do to celebrate Valentine's Day - or any day - and show your family you love them at every meal:
pour pancakes into the shape of a heart; top a bowl of oatmeal with a heart made of berries or raisins; use a pair of scissors to cut each slice of bread into a heart shape - just use a 'corner' of the slice as the bottom of the heart, then throw the cutoffs outside for the birds Valentine's Day feast; serve open-face sandwiches for lunch with a heart drawn in mustard on top of the lunch meat; serve hotdogs with "XOXOXOXO" or "I 'heart' U" written in catsup; decorate a bowl of ice cream with words or a heart written in chocolate syrup; and if your DH or kidlets carry a lunch to school/work, use markers to write little love notes on the outside of hard boiled eggs (my now-grown son LOVED this). These unexpected LITTLE surprises for your loved ones will reward you with great BIG smiles. And what could possibly be a nicer Valentine's Day present for you? Hope you enjoy them!
Dori
Proud Army Mom

Beautiful shares today Ali!! Thank you!! I just LOVE that print - so cool!
I TRY to live everyday like its Valentine's day ... always telling those I love that I love them and randomly doing something little to show them, be it a note in their lunch or a treat on their bed when they get home. The kids usually get little chocolate treat, but that's really about it.
My Nana, however was married on Valentines day ... how romantic is THAT?!!!

Valentine's Day is my little boy's birthday ~ he's my valentine baby even though he's turning 8 this year LOL So each year we celebrate his special day with cake and presents. Both of my boys get tons of yummy chocolates. I also put together valentine themed goodie bags and cupcakes for Maxwell's classmates. It's always a fun time of year!

Actually we don't really celebrate valentines day, my dh thinks it's too commercial and it's more meaningfull to celebrate our 'dating-anniversary' earlier in February.
I kind of agree about the commercialism but I think you can still celebrate valentines day without buying stuff. So I usually slip a handmade card in the bag he takes to work ;-)
We try to celebrate our love a little every day, between us and our bunny, who completes our little family of 3.

I've enjoyed reading some of these comments. Valentines Day isn't really celebrated the same here in the UK. It doesn't really involve children - all about the adult love! I usually exchange cards with my DH and sometimes get the boys to stay at their grandparents so me and hubby can have a lovey-dovey evening. I tell him no flowers though as they cost about 10 times more for the 14th!
This year though I think it would be lovely to write a little love note for each of my two boys (as was done by someone posting earlier). Thanks for all the ideas and chance to win FABULOUS stuff!

My two girls and I make Valentine's for their classes together. The girls also wake up to a small gift waiting for them on the kitchen counter. If it's on the weekend, we make a nice breakfast, but if it's a school day, I stick little love notes in their lunches.

Even at the age of 20, my son continues to be my Valentine. Since he's away at college I won't be able to make him heart shaped pancakes for breakfast,but I will be sending a care package of Valentine inspired goodies!

My husband makes a fancy, multi-course dinner for me! (this is his big annual cooking event, and he takes it seriously). I make cards for family and my girlfriends. This is one of my favorite holidays!

Let's see - we make our own valentines for our classmates, family and friends. We decorate the kitchen and buy lots of fresh flowers for different areas. We just planted/forced paperwhites which should bloom between now and the 14th. I make special cards for each of our kids and my husband. We plan a special dinner where the table is set in all red and we have treats at the table. And we read a book called "Saint Valentine" retold and illustrated by Robert Sabuda.

I love Valentine's Day because of my boys. We usually plan something special. I have three beautiful boys and they are far apart in age so they all help out differently. The eldest, he's 15, sets the table and choose what we will eat.
The youngest is 5, he will decorate and OU and HAAAA all through the house at the decorations.
The 9 year old will help me cook whatever the eldest decides.
Then we all sit together and usually we will give the boys a little gift, wether it is a message from both my husband and I, or something that we can do as a family.
I always make my husband homemade chocolates and he really enjoys that.
I love Valentine's day as a family day to show everyone how much they mean to you. We should do it everyday but Valentines helps us do it on a grander scale.
Annie

My 3 kids each wake up to a handmade valentine from me. I usually leave it somewhere they will find it upon waking. I have put them over their beds, on their bathroom mirrors, and last year I taped to to the toilet seat (my boys especially loved that one!) They start talking the day before about where they might find them...the anticipation is as much fun as the discovery.

Everyday is like valentine's day with my husband!

Well, since this year will be hubby's and my first year as husband and wife on Valentine's day, I was thinking of starting something new! In the past, he has made dinner and set the table with candles and roses... another year he made a trail of rose petals from the front door to the bedroom and on the bed was a dozen roses and a stuffed lion holding a heart shape box of chocolates... I think im going to do something for him this year... not quite sure what though! something romantic to get him back for all the things he has done though for sure!

Hi Ali,
Love that photo!
My son will turn 2 on Valentine's Day! Our traditions have been a bit different since then. My husband and I try, if at all possible, to fondue after the kids are in bed on Valentine's Day.
Thanks,
Kasey

To me it is just a reminder of how blessed I am with the love we have in our family and extended family. I try to extend the love throughout the year with cards and reminders throughout the day. But I love the pinks and browns for the day. This year we will have a grandchild to add to the love. Cant wait. Thanks for your inspiration. Pam

Valentine's - i leave it to my hubby. I just believe that its one of the days in the year that he is responsible for. As for my children (I have 2 boys and a girl), i never fail to send them a card thru the mail.

We love making our valentine cards. I pull out all love related stamps, stickers, glitters and all my scraps and kids go to town. It is so fun to see all these different cards all beautiful and personalized. mari