Valentines Day

I know that several people in this country think that Valentines day is a greeting card company holiday...  I get it, I understand that there is a number of people out there that take it far to serious...  From the unhappy women that don't get what they are expecting, to the men that shell out a ridiculous amount of money for they're women only once a year..  I feel the same as many about the whole "you should show the person that you love all year long instead of just one day"...  But I am also a sappy chick, who thinks that in the case of these silly holidays they are a great thing...  I feel that as Americans we work our asses off...  And to have a few fun days to look forward to a year as in Valentines day, St.  Patrick's day, Easter whatever...   Is not a terrible thing..  I think that children should have something to look forward to as well..  When it comes to these  holidays I think it is what you make of it..  I think that teaching your kids the right way to celebrate  the holidays and to not take them so seriously is an okay thing to do...   Reading them a story about where the Holiday came from and explaining to them that it is fun to decorate and have a special day to GIVE their love is not a bad thing, I think that doing it this way will help make them understand that it always should be about giving not receiving, a message that in this day in age is becoming obsolete!!  If we teach our young ones to celebrate these holidays in a healthy way,  I don't feel  there is anything wrong with letting them partake in the Valentines day goodness.. 

With that all said, I step off my soap box and give to you some really cute ways to celebrate with the kiddos...  And a few great things to do for your lover.  All the following ideas  are easy on the planet and your pocket book!!!!


Kiddos:
Sweets:  Cut them out..  Don't make Valentines day all about chocolate and candy.  Our society is stuffing sweets down our kids throats every chance we get for the Holidays.  No wonder why there is so much child obesity in this country..  Go to the dollar store and grab a bunch of cheap art projects for them to do,  you can save them and rehang every year as decorations..    If you are going to go the candy giving route I would try to lean towards fair trade chocolate, see my post about fair trade chocolate..  Or maybe a sugar free sucker..  Here are some alternatives to sweets that I am sure the rug-rats will love....  When they are at school handing these out the other parents will be sorta happy about it too!!

Granola bars
fruit snacks
heart shaped sandwiches
make some sugar free cookies or muffins
Pencils
Make macaroni or beaded necklaces for friends!!!
Make some homemade pink playdough and decorate bag with some twine and a valentines day cookie cutter

 Here is a easy Playdough recipe:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
beet juice

Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of the vegetable juices to make green, pink, and orange.


You can make some homemade crayons and go grab a bunch or $1 store coloring books...  

Here is how to make the crayons:

1. Gather up all of your broken crayons, and cut them into small pieces. (An adult will need to complete this step.)
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
3. Fill the muffin tin with an inch-thick layer of crayon pieces.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the wax is melted.
5. Allow the tin to cool; then pop out the crayons, and they're ready for use.

Tips:

1. If you don't have a muffin tin to devote to crayon making, you can line your regular muffin tin with foil cups.
2. Candy and soap making molds can also be used to create fun, shaped crayons.
3. Recycled crayons make a great no-cost gift or

Give them something special that they have never had before,  but for goodness sakes stay away from the candy!!!


Valentines:
Now I feel that at the end of the day these are not that terrible..  I mean they are using a renewable resource..  But you can always go the electronic way and have your child help you choose a cute e-card to send out to their friends and family.


Decorating your house:  Before having children I was a crazy consumer of paper valentines and other holiday decorations..  While I was teaching I bought a bunch of stuff to decorate my classrooms..  The whole less is more thang and I didn't see eye to eye back then..  More was more... And I know how much my kids in the class loved walking into a crazy decorated class room..  Seeing them get all excited tickled me pink..  Now that things have changed with me and I am more aware of effects of such mindless consuming I Definitely have changed my ways.  I still love to decorate but I limit myself to a  few things like hand towels and stuff that I can keep for years to use instead of all those cheap paper cut outs..  Our family has a tree in our home that is used for decorating for the holidays..  I got this idea from this great store in Neveda City and now it is very important to my girls to see it decorated...

For the Loved one in the home, yo man....  Main squeeze, Boo, Babycakes, Shnookems, you pick up what I am putting down...  I am a tad old fashion with this, I tend to make him dinner and get him drunk on wine..  But if you want to change it up, here is some sweet little ideas!!!

U Complete me Pillows...  Or any other sweet messages you can find.. 
I saw this and am in love, I know my man would think this is sweet..  Just get some cheap ikea pillowcases and some iron on transfers and you are golden!!!
Cute idea here is how to do it....
http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/home/2009/1/30/valentine-freebie-iron-on-pillowcase-transfers.html  

Where to buy Transfers!!!!
  

Most fabric and craft stores have iron-ons..  They will at least have letters for cute little pillow talk messages!!

This one I must get for my man, and this site is great

http://irononstation.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IOS&Product_Code=isex1&Category_Code=isex

http://www.proworldinc.com/heat-transfers/holidays.html

There is always the coupon book, a neck massage, some cuddies you feel my flow ;)!!!
here is a site to do printables to make them look more official!!!
http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/free-printable-love-coupons.html

Basket of Handsoming tools...  
Put a cute little basket together with some homemade soap, and a essential oil cologne blend, some homemade shaving cream and a new swanky razor...  Here is a great homemade shaving cream recipe

Home made shaving cream recipe

Ingredients
45 gms cocoa butter
30 gms base oil such as grapeseed
20 mls liquid castille soap

How to make:
Melt the cocoa butter and base oil in a large pyrex bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Once melted allow to cool, or put it in the fridge until just the edges start to solidify!
Whisk with an electric whisk, then add the liquid castile soap.
As you continue whisking it will increase in volume, the cocoa butter will cool and the mix hold itself as a foam.
Put into jars and label

To Use:
Scoop a little out and mix with a little water to make a lather.
The cocoa butter and oils are soothing and nourishing while the castile soap makes it gently lather and stops the blades getting clogged up.
You can add essential oils to the mix such as lavender for healing.

Here is a great place to look for some cool vintage inspired razors!!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89362201/razor-wood-handle-mach-3-walnut-wood?ref=sr_gallery_25&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=razors&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade


For a suit man like I got, here are a couple cut items
My husband wears cuff links and here are a couple cute ideas

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90759774/personalized-initials-cufflinks-rustic?ref=sr_gallery_10&sref=&ga_ref=auto&ga_search_query=cufflinks&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83118408/valentines-day-personalized-carved?ref=sr_gallery_21&sref=&ga_search_query=cufflinks&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

If he is a tie wearer here are some super adorable ties

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81860786/bowler-hat-guy-handmade-denim-necktie?ref=sr_gallery_15&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=mens+neck+ties&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=5&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55502857/crop-circles-necktie-silk-necktie-in?ref=sr_gallery_30&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=mens+neck+ties&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=6&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54196551/mens-necktie-tie-school-band-musical?ref=sr_gallery_26&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=mens+neck+ties&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=9&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade


For your friends and family, go the food direction and nothing can be better!!!!
Get some valentines day tins and make some cookies, or a couple loaves of sweet bread, brownies, homemade truffles...  Whatever..  Nothing says I care and I was thinking of you like homemade baked goods..  Little to no waste and you are golden ;)

  Here is my Apricot Thumbprint recipe, it is a yummy cookieish bite...  They are wonderful with tea in the morning or a after lunch sweet!!!

2 cups spelt four
2 cups brown rice flower
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 tea salt, course kosher is the best
1 tea ground cinnamon
2 table spoons flax seeds
1 cup safflower oil
1 cup grade b maple syrup
2 table spoons brown rice syrup
Apricot preserves


Preheat oven to 350
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, minus the preserves..  Form into balls about tablespoon in size.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.   At this point I like to press my thumb down in each making a little preserve pool...  Add about a teaspoon of preserves in the prints...  Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown..  Let cool on rack entirely before serving...  Makes about 3 dozen of these glorious little nibbles!!!


If you have and tips to share please leave a comment, and tread lightly pals!!!  “If you like what you see I’m sure you know many other like-minded people that would also appreciate this information.  Please forward this to them and ask them to subscribe to my blog.  There is nothing that motivates me to keep pushing these posts out than watching my subscriber list grow and I can’t do it without you!!!!”