Candy, candy everywhere! I don’t know about you, but it seems like every holiday has become a candy fest, including Valentine’s Day. My sons don’t give nor receive just one valentine, but at least one from each member of their respective classes, resulting in nearly 30, which today are usually candy valentines. So, the last thing I want to give them is more sugared treats. However, realistically I do not have the will or time to go Martha Stewart. These two ideas have been hits in our home in the past without requiring the dentist or more than an hour of my time:
(1) I LOVE to use this website to create customized FREE puzzles in just minutes. My boys love to answer questions and search for clues just about them. I have created puzzles and word searches titled: “10 Things I Love About You.” There are many formats to choose from including: word search, traditional criss-cross, mazes, cryptograms, number blocks, hidden messages and more. Print the final product on red or pink paper, and you have a gift!
(2) I will take an old jar, put a fun personalized label, and fill it with 5 or so papers each with a memory or moment that the individual child shined through. In a busy family of five, often times the daily grind eats away at the quieter moments to reflect. By creating an appreciation jar for each boy once a year, this gift gives us those quiet moments of appreciation. Finish by decorating the jar with big red or pink ribbon, and now you have a Valentine’s Appreciation Jar.
Now, I have no doubt that at least one of my sons would initially prefer a jar full of Peppermint Patties (and I have been known to throw a couple in) to a jar full of papers, but upon reading the first memory, the real fun begins.
Do you have simple non-sugared Valentines’ traditions? Please share with me!
