Happy Valentine's Day!

Last year I had an early Valentine's photo shoot with the girls, sent out Valentine's cards, blogged about doing crafts and treats, and made little Valentine's goodies for our friends.

This year I made cookies out of a box, grabbed the nearest pink clothes I could find and told the girls to smile pretty...about 5 minutes before naptime.

Maybe next year I will step up my game.

So thankful for my Original Valentine, my fabulous husband, and for my Little Valentines, my precious daughters.

Enjoy spending the day with those you love!

Valentine's Day and bonus posts

I used to hate Valentine's Day. I'm not much of a romantic, so I've always thought it was a silly holiday that didn't have much use, except to make people fat, and to remind single people that they don't have someone to make them fat.

But now that I'm a mom, any break from the ordinary is welcome. A pink, sparkly day and an excuse to dress up and do a craft and eat chocolate and go on a date with my husband...now that's my kind of holiday. 

I have TWO bonus Valentine's posts for you. One is from last year, one is new.

Super Easy Valentine's Day Treat

Super Easy Valentine's Day Craft

Are you sensing that I like easy? Seriously....easy crafts and cookies. It's where it's at.

But really, Valentine's Day is about LOVE. And I need some help in this department. I need to learn to love. To love more, to love better, and to love without expecting anything in return. To love as my Savior loved. To love my husband for who he is. To love my children even in the daily grind. To love my friends and family even when I would rather not make the effort.

My big Valentine

My little Valentine

My littlest Valentine

All the hard parenting and good housekeeping and healthy meals and date nights and Instagrams and girl's nights mean nothing, if I do them without LOVE.

I really like The Message version of 1 Corinthians 13:2,

If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.

Super Easy Valentine's Treat

I don't bake very often. I leave it to those more experienced and better equipped than me....ya know, people like Publix and The Great American Cookie Company. Those people rock.

So if you don't bake, never fear, this requires practically no skill, and is still a very easy and delicious treat, that even a 3 year old could make (and did.) Thank you Pinterest for the idea!

You'll need:

Pretzels....preferrably the little square ones


Hershey's kisses (only the hugs variety are allowed in our house)


M&M's of the appropriate season/color

Place the pretzels on a baking sheet.

Put the kisses on top of the pretzels.

Stick them in a 200 degree oven.

   

When they start to look sort of "melty" (now you understand why I don't bake), take them out and stick an M&M on them and push down slightly so they look all pretty. 

Cool, and devour. If you're impatient like me you can stick them in the fridge.

Happy Valentine's Day!!