valentines decorating with kids

Valentine's Day is all about candy. And not just the sugar-coated corn-syrupy stuff. I'm talking eye candy. So many things people can do to make their surroundings beautiful and sweet and all things lovely and lovey. Such as:

photo: efrandesigns

photo: hgtv

This year I turned the reins over to my kidlets for decorating our house for Valentine's Day. Just wanted to see what would happen. What happened, and continues to happen everytime I look around me: happiness at kid-dom. And some laughter. 

Exhibit A: Non-color-scheme flowers and a nearly empty candy dish. (I must admit slight disappointment that the bottles are in the correct order. Don't you think "U heart I" would've been better? Dah well. Maybe next year.)

Exhibit B: Our handmade felt "cookies" lined up against the verrrrrrry back wall between some shelves.

Exhibit C: A heart-shaped hot pad hanging (festively? one must assume) on the fireplace. Alone.

Exhibit D: An impromptu snowflake-style heart (which looks suspiciously like a buffalo skull or some creature out of Star Wars) taped prominently to the living room wall. Welcome, esteemed guests.

Exhibit E: Nearly-backwards-facing hanging heart.

 Exhibit F: Simple, individually decorated brown bags for our family Valentine's mailboxes. Note the sticker remnants on my 7-year-old son's. A typical get-this-over-with-quick boy. (Just like his dad...see far right example.)

I think this kids-decorate-for-V-Day might be a new tradition around here. The results are priceless. And I guess I can always turn to pinterest and the bloggy world for eye candy, anyway.

Happy Friday.

super easy valentine decor activity

Raise your hand if you love surfing the cyberwaves for inspiration and good ideas.

(Forgive me if the going is slow from here on out...hard to type with just one hand...)

Raise your other hand if doing so, on occasion, gets you a little discouraged with the overload of possibilities and, consequently, you end up doing nothing. Nothing at all 'cept heading to the fridge for something cold and delicious. Like pudding. Mmmmm...pudding...

Actually, put your hands down; that's just getting awkward for everybody.

Enter: the Super Awesome Hanging Valentine Window Craft (patent pending), guaranteed to underwhelm. Takes 20 minutes, is completely free, and rocks the neighborhood.* 

Step 1: Draw hearts and/or other Valentine-y stuff on flattened coffee filters (we also use the filters for disposable popcorn bowls for family movie nights).

Step 2: Let your kids color said hearts until you have enough. We did 20.

Step 3: Tape colored coffee filters onto fishing line or floss or some smallish thread that's been pre-cut to run the height of your window.

Step 4: Tape the top of your line onto the top of your window moulding. (Tip: Using painter's tape makes husbands happy.)

Step 5: Tape the bottom of the line under the windowsill.

Step 6: Repeat for as many strands as you have.

Annnnnd...you're done. Easiest project ever.

Happy Valentine's Day season. Are you feeling underwhelmed yet? Good. Then my job here is done.

*Disclaimer: I use the terms "rocks" and "neighborhood" verrrrry loosely. And by "loosely" I of course mean "not necessarily true." Which also translates to "total lie." 

Happy Saturday.