Keep Valentines Day Simple, Sweet, And Inexpensive

Photo Source Suat Emans

As I taped up the Valentine's Day care package to send to my oldest son, who is in his second semester of college, it brought back so many memories of what I did for Valentines Day throughout the years when my son's were younger. It's more difficult to give little boys Valentine gifts than little girls. There are so many cute little chatskies for girls. Once boys out grow the traditional Valentines candy and little stuffed animals it becomes a little bit of a challenge. I always tried to buy them meaningful gifts like books, a journal, or something they were collecting at the time.


As my son's grew I decided to make Valentines Day a day filled with little things that expressed the love that my husband I have for our sons rather than focus on the commercialized Valentines Day gifts. So throughout the day I would make and leave them little tokens of love.
Here are a few simple,sweet, and inexpensive ideas:

Photo Source

Write your child a love letter-One of my favorite things to do is to cut out a traditional heart from red or pink paper, just like in elementary school, and write them a love letter on it. They  may be embarrassed at the time, but my boys have saved them all. And in the future it will be a written legacy of how I felt about them when they were little.


Pop a note in their lunch box-I would write them a Valentines note and put it in their lunch box too. Fast forward a few years and now I text them on Valentines Day and tell them how special and loved they are.

Source Betty Crocker

Surprise them with food hearts-If Valentines Day fell on the weekend I liked to surprise them and make heart shaped pancakes. Or when they came home from school brownies would await them in the shape of a heart.{still going to do this this year}
                       

Photo Credit Kraft

Family Dinner & Dessert- 
I have the most decadent, simple, chocolate, knock your socks off dessert recommendation ever! Your family will love this restaurant style dessert with the gooey chocolate center. These Molten Chocolate Cakes have become a special family favorite. You can find this simple step by step recipe at Kraft. Try making homemade whipped cream for the topping instead of store bought it makes this dessert even better. Its simple take heavy cream and whip it with a hand mixer adding sugar to taste.

Take the time to plan and make a special family dinner with your kids. Sometimes we even break out the champagne glasses and have sparkling cider along with some candle light!

Again simple, sweet, inexpensive gestures that include family time are the best gifts of love we can ever give or receive.

Do you have any special things you make or do with your family to make Valentines Day special? Please share your ideas with us!