Dear Kathy,
Valentine’s Day is practically here and I don’t have the extra money to make it special for my family. I’m really down about it. It’s always been my favorite holiday. Do you have any suggestions?
“Barbara”
Dear Barbara,
It doesn’t take a lot of money to make the day special for your family, just a little creativity. Buy a heart shaped cookie cutter and some red food die and start the day off with heart shaped pink pancakes. For an extra special touch, get a paper doily, cover the pancakes with it, and sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar over it. When you remove the doily (carefully), you'll have a pretty lace design.
Buy small heart shaped boxes of chocolate for each of your children ($1.50 each) and send them on a treasure hunt to find them. Bake a pink and white checkerboard cake for dessert or layer vanilla and strawberry ice cream with oreo cookie crumbs for a delicious ice cream cake.
Buy some construction paper, markers, glitter glue, and pink, white, and red ribbon to do a Valentine’s craft with your kids. If you’re feeling very inspired, think about doing a paper mache Valentine’s art project with them - messy, but so fun. Brainstorm with your kids - tell them that this year you'll be doing something extra special. Set your budget and see what they come up with.
Whether you choose one of the afore-mentioned ideas, look up some others on the internet, or walk through a crafts store like Michael’s for inspiration, your holiday will be as special as your creativity flows. I have no doubt that your family will remember this Valentine’s Day with nostalgia in the future. Please let me know how things work out!
All my best,
Kathy
