In the spirit of Valentine's

This year, I suggested to Hubby that we skip the gifts for Valentine’s Day and just celebrate with a romantic dinner out. I’d like to say my motivation was a noble one, but the truth is he is really, really hard to buy for. And he is an amazing gift giver who always finds just the right thing. Between Christmas, V-Day, Father’s Day, and our anniversary, it feels like a never-ending cycle. Every 2 months I am racking my brain to think of some thoughtful, personal gift that will show just how much I love and appreciate him. It’s too much pressure, people!!!  Also, I feel like we are really, really blessed and there isn’t much I need, so it seems wasteful to give gifts just because we’re “supposed to.”  

Still, I wanted to do something special to celebrate the day and share the love not just with Hubby but also with the boys.

I came across all of these great little ideas that add up to what I hope will be a great way to recognize the day as a family. Instead of a brief exchange of gifts and cards, we have a special evening planned and I think this will be my second favorite Valentine’s Day ever. (First place goes to the year we got engaged.)  All of these are easy things that get the whole family involved. I am not good at planning for "minor" holidays or getting super-crafty (exception made only for my kids’ birthdays), so trust me when I say none of this requires extensive time or planning.

First, I got the idea from my neighbor to decorate the table for V-Day. I picked up some cute stuff at Target (spent less than $10) and after lunch the boys helped me get the table all decked out. When we were running errands this morning, Zippy asked if we could buy red balloons to decorate. That reminded me of an idea I came across yesterday.  We’re working on notes to each other and by dinnertime everyone will have 3 balloons on his chair, each containing a special note. Zippy can’t wait to pop the balloons later. I’m pretty sure he’s more excited about popping the balloons than reading the notes.

Zippy’s note to his brother: “Bee, I love how you play and rubbing your back like I did today.” Awwww!

The boys love special treats and helping in the kitchen, so when DailyBuzz Moms featured V-Day desserts a couple of weeks ago I printed out the recipe for Strawberry Angel Cake Dessert.  Hubby isn’t big on chocolate, but he and the boys love berries. See how thoughtful I am? This dessert is a mix of jello, strawberries, whipped topping, and angel food cake. Preparation was very kid-friendly - the boys helped tear up the cake into pieces and Zippy assisted with the mixing. Zippy did a preliminary taste-test before the dessert had a chance to set and reported it tastes like “yummy yogurt.” Sounds good to me!

Last, but not least, a little something special just for my sweetie. I used the kids’ bath crayons to graffiti our shower with special messages. The shower now looks like a high school toilet stall (Ellie + Hubby = 4-ever!) which he’ll hopefully get a big kick out of.  (Credit for this idea goes to How Does She?). Then, after the kids are in bed, we can curl up on the couch and watch the HBO documentary “The Loving Story” which I’ve had marked on our calendar for weeks. 

All in all, I think we’ve captured the true spirit of the day – just enjoying each other and remembering to express our love. This could be the beginning of a sweet tradition.