Valentine's Day was a bit of an afterthought this year, what with getting home from Hawaii just prior. And getting the flu. We brought a stomach bug home with us and it has taken pity on nobody. Abby is the last one to be affected and is home from school today. Progress on the kitchen has completely stalled while we all work on getting our mojo back.

I did absolutely nothing Valentine-y for those I love the most. I guess we figured a trip to Hawaii was gift enough. We did spend one night pulling together a last minute homemade Valentine for the girls to give to their classmates, however. Tom wondered (as he always does) why I couldn't just settle for store-bought cards, but they just feel so impersonal to me.

So I stole (borrowed) this idea found via Pinterest. While the idea wasn't original, it fit the bill of being personal and homemade.

They are rice crispy kisses, molded with a funnel and then wrapped with foil with a simple printed verse attached. And they hardly took any more time to put together than it would have to hand print 40 names on generic cards.

Parent's were invited to join Sarah's Kindergarten class for a party, complete with songs and brownies and ice cream. I was able to watch the kids open their Valentines and witness first hand what appealed to them. 1) Must have candy/treats. If it didn't, it was cast aside quickly. 2) Must be unique. One kid hand painted his cards on plain paper. They were so cute and while I may have appreciated the extra effort more than the kids, they did take a few extra moments to look at the card. 3) Must have the element of anticipation. If they have something to open—an envelope or a box—they really had a good time revealing what was inside. Oh yeah. And 4) fake tattoos. For some reason those were a hit.

Hope you had a fabulous Valentine's week!