Valentine’s Day is coming up and I want to share some of my ideas to make it a little more fun!  As I got going on this post, I realized I had gotten really carried away…I had so much I wanted to share!  I was afraid it was just too much to read in one post (since we are all so busy!) and I went back and edited it down to my favorite six ideas.  Check back the next two Tuesdays for additional Valentine’s Day posts!  Enjoy! 

NOSTALGIC     When I was growing up, there were some ‘given’ items my grandmother would always have on hand…like, fried potato sticks in a can or candy that looked like orange circus peanuts.   These were items she could purchase at the local discount store that was within her walking distance – since she never learned to drive.  Every year around Valentine’s Day, one item she was sure to have on hand was a big box of chocolate covered cherries…the kind with the super gooey centers.  As a tribute to my grandmother, I am serving my own version of chocolate covered cherries (minus the gooey center) – now a standard on Valentine’s Day.  Simply dip some fresh strawberries in melted chocolate…I added slivered almonds…yum :)

REFRESHING     Forget the sugary sodas or diet drinks this Valentine’s Day.  Try a refreshing glass of water lightly flavored with fruits and/or vegetables.  I like cucumber flavored water – adding a few raspberries to give some Valentine’s color!  Just let the water sit overnight for a wonderfully subtle flavored water in the morning…a refreshing change from soft drinks.

SALUD    If a more potent drink is you or your sweetie’s preference on Valentine’s Day, shot glasses fashioned from ice are a ‘cool’ way to deliver it.  These were made from a shot glass mold sold by Fred Flare, but if you wanted to be inventive, you could make your own from two disposable cups  – one inside the other .  To make them a little more romantic, I floated a couple of flower petals in the water before freezing.  Salud!

CREATIVE      If champagne is your beverage of choice, be sure to save those cages!  I guess chairs fashioned from champagne cages are nothing new, but I only recently became aware of this activity.  There are even established competitions on the best designed chair!  Who knew?  You may want to start your own competition!  For my first creation, I designed a chair with a heart-shaped back in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.  To make a basic chair, all that is needed is a leftover champagne bottle cage and some pliers.  Fun!  This may have started a whole new interest in champagne drinking for me :)

SURPRISE     Don’t forget the kids.!  Valentine’s Day is on a weekday this year and a strategically placed note in a lunch box is sure to brighten a little one’s Valentine’s Day.  (Some of my best work has been slipped into a grammar school lunch box!)

Anything a little different from the usual can make your child’s lunchtime special.  It has been a long time (longer than I want to mention) since my kids have been in grammar school…but, one of my favorite things to do for them was to make surprise packets from brown paper.  I would cut two identical shapes from brown paper.  On one, I would use the sewing machine to make a decorative pattern.  (If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can hand stitch.)  I would then sew the two pieces together – leaving a small opening to insert treats.  After enclosing the candy, raisins, etc., I would sew up the opening – totally enclosing the items between the two hearts.

The fun part was that the packet had to be ripped open to reach the treats inside!  If your kids are new to this, you might want to stamp the words “open me” or “rip me open” on the outside so they aren’t hesitant to do so.  If you are a room mother (like I was), these make great party favors for the class Valentine’s Day celebration.

If you would rather give something nonedible, another great little surprise are these really fun temporary tattoos I recently found online.  Key word here is temporary!  These are sure to put a smile on your littlest valentine’s face!

THOUGHTFUL     I originally made these cute felt hearts last year after I found easy directions to make them on Purl bee. I filled them with candy and slipped them into the packages I sent out to the college students for Valentine’s Day.

Since then, these cute little items have found a much more valuable use.  When heading to the gym after work, earrings worn during the work day are tucked into these felt pouches as a way to protect them and to keep them from getting lost.  Now, I make them to give to others as jewelry cases.  They are also great to house odd buttons…a thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift.

I enjoyed sharing some of my fun Valentine’s Day ideas with you.  I am also sharing at The Inspiration Gallery & Craftionary.   I hope you will try one or two…or, be inspired to create something new.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jackie