• Now that I have kids, Valentines day has taken on a whole new meaning. It is not just about romance, but about love in general. All different kinds of love. And of course, I love my children. Even though I tell them how I love them all the time, it never hurts to tell them in different ways. So this year to celebrate the holiday I have come up with fourteen things that I love about each of my kids. Each thought was written on a small slip of paper that I cut into the shape of a heart.

    Starting February first (or anytime prior to Valentines Day) my husband and I will give each of the kids one of their hearts. You can absolutely give them a small piece of candy or small dollar store gift with each heart if you choose, but I opt to skip that and just concentrate on the reasons why we love our kids.

    If you want to spice things up, you can hide each of the envelopes each day and have your kids search for their little surprises.

    For the big day, we have a small something for our kids to open up. If your kids are old enough you can have them join in the fun and write things that they love about their siblings, or you. This is just a small way to take the focus off the commercial stuff and more on the relationships. I want my kids to know and appreciate love, and not just be focused on getting a valentine card and candy.