If you haven’t already acquired enough sweeties, pink-frosted cupcakes and chocolates to send yourself into a coma, can you really say you’re prepared for Valentine’s Day?
Then again, you may find it more satisfying spending the day setting fire to all the photos of your ex, or ignoring the day completely (hats off to your iron will if you can tune out all the frothy commercialism!).
I discovered that having children reignited a slow-growing flame of – let’s not say *love* but at least appreciation of the holiday. It’s a day to celebrate hearts and cuddles and sugar highs and fluffy kittens with a heart that wasn’t broken by that guy you once dated who waited until the first day of the holiday to break up. Not that I’m holding a grudge.
So…celebrate! Do some arts and crafts with the children – there are some cute ideas on Red Ted Art. Write a sweet nothing Post-It note to your partner (I personally find “Thanks for unloading the dishwasher” really romantic). Share a cupcake with your toddler. My most memorable Valentine’s gifts are one I received from my parents as a child. (Or, eat veggies – as my friend Tula suggests in this “Dear Kale, I think I love you” post.)
There’s nothing wrong with letting love rule, as long as you skip the roving violinist.
Some other cool posts I found from BMB members – a random selection. If you wrote about Valentine’s, post your link!
* Aprons and Heels threw a Valentine’s party for 21 toddlers (those are her pizzas pictured!)
* Expat Mum compares Valentine’s here and in the US in a guest post
* This Mid 30s Life contemplates what she’d like to receive
Picture credit: Aprons and Heels
About Jennifer Howze
Jennifer Howze is the Creative Director and co-founder of BritMums. She blogs about family travel at Jenography.net, tweets at @JHowze and Instagrams at @JHowze. Previously, she wrote the Alpha Mummy blog at The Times and as a journalist has contributed to The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, Budget Travel, CNN.com, Allure, SELF and Premiere, among others. She won The Maggie Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for a health article in Seventeen magazine.
maggy, red ted art
Tuesday 15th of February 2011
Oh and here is a cheeky Post V-Day Photo: https://project365club.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/46-valentines-day-remains/ Maggy x
Elsie Anderton
Tuesday 15th of February 2011
oh for goodness sake, insert the words "value" and "than" so that my previous comment makes sense. I'm clearly too overwhelmed with Valentine's Day love to type!
Elsie Anderton
Tuesday 15th of February 2011
I wrote about Valentine's Day with a man who doesn't show his emotions or flood me with flowers. He does something much better though, that I more that I would a diamond as big as the Ritz (ahem, sort of). http://babylonlanetales.com/matchstick-men-and-matchstick-cats-and-dogs
Caroline Job
Tuesday 15th of February 2011
We are all about LOVE in your lunch box! Here's the link to our blog post at Lunchbox World http://lunchboxworldblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/happy-valentines-day-lets-put-some-love.html
maggy, red ted art
Tuesday 15th of February 2011
Aaah thank you so much for the mention! Much appreciated! And great v-day round up! Maggy