Valentine’s Day

Can you believe is that time of the year again? Honestly, I can’t get over the fact that 2018 is gone. It was a tough year for this mamma, but it was was also a time for self-discovery and reconnection. I am ready to celebrate life, family, love, friendship, and opportunities.

So, here we are, Valentine’s Day 2019!

I truly love this particular celebration, but I have to be honest and admit that it makes a bit overwhelmed. For starters, there are so many children in our community that we want to show how special they are. But there just isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish everything we want to.

We’ve been part of a local homeschool group for years, and this is certainly one activity that my daughter, now daughters, enjoy most. A time for exchanging cards, candies, and sweet messages. We all bake cookies, make special heart-shaped meals, eat twice the amount of chocolate (well, at least I do!), and most important, spend quality time together.

More About Us

I was never a big holiday-spender. As a matter of fact, I can say that I am not a great spender at all. Except when it comes to children.
Back in my home country, it was really hard to please my 13 nephews and nieces with a single young woman budget (yes…that was years ago, and I was young then 🙂 ). But it was never because of them. They never made it hard for me, they never even asked for anything. But of course aunt Rosie wanted to surprise them, and she needed to be fair. So off I went shopping during my lunch break for a whole week, trying to match ideas, prices, and fairness. It was really challenging and exhausting, but it was totally worth it. Nowadays, I sit in front of my computer after everybody goes to bed, and do most of my shopping online. I can find great deals, compare prices, check reviews and make more conscious and educated shopping decisions. Don’t you love technology? I do! (well, for the most part of it…).

Sweet Holiday

Now, can someone explain to me why this holiday has to be intrinsically related to candy? If you have multiple children attending a variety of activities, as I do, you might end up with tons of unwanted candy. As a matter of fact, we went to this event where they organized a bunch of fun activities and games, and one of the games was to guess how many candies there were in a large jar; whoever guessed the correct or close number, would keep the candy-filled jar. Honestly, I lured my children away from that game. They are already all over the pace without sugary food, they definitely don’t need any kind of stimulant! That’s very sweet (literally!), but no thanks. Anyhow, at the end of the party, they chose the winner. Yay! Then came his mom with a desperate look (perhaps a mix of happiness, pride, and panic!) and asked ‘What in the world will I do with 987 candies?’.  We all looked at each other and laughed, including her. Good thing she had a good sense of humor.

Yummy Valentine’s

I’m sharing a few ideas that I used to make the people I love feel extra special on Valentine’s Day.  We started the day with some yummy heart-shaped eggs with toast and turkey. Simple, healthy, and no sugar!

Not to betray the sweet tradition, I baked heart-shaped mini cakes and brownies to share with our friends. Even though this is not sugar-free, you have the option to adapt your recipe for a heartier diet, such as gluten-free and such. Just prepare your best batter and bake in heart-shaped baking pan.

Treats

Do your children have too many friends to acknowledge? Here are some simple and quick ideas.

• Crayon hearts. You can finally find a use for all those broken crayons you keep finding around the house. ‘Undress’ them (that’s how my 4-year-old describes it), then break them into smaller pieces. Mix all different colors and fill up each heart of your baking pan or silicone mold. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Put the pan/mold in the oven for 20 minutes. Then let it cool down completely. If you are using a mold, please make sure it is safe to go in the oven.
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• Heart leaf tree cards (not pictured). All you need for this project is construction paper, scissors, glue, and markers. You can draw and color the tree trunk and glue the heart-shaped leaves. Super easy and fun. 

Love

No matter what you choose to do on Valentine’s Day, just remember that spending a good time with people you love is what really matters. No gifts, art, and crafts, fancy dinners can replace a special moment. And although I enjoy all these heart-shaped treats and red-pink activities, the special moments should not be linked to a holiday, but to the true color of your heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day!