valentine's 2014

We have been doing a lot of kid-involved crafts around here preparing for Valentine's Day.  That means we have a ton of good memories... as well as a house that looks like a tornado ripped through it and a frazzled mommy.  But first of all, how cute are my valentines?

No handmade valentines for the kids like last year, but they didn't mind.  I had these out when they woke up and they each had a breakfast candy and pink milk.  The best part of Christmas is the look on the kids faces when they come downstairs first thing in the morning.  I decided every holiday should be like that.

They helped me cut out and then decorate sugar cookies (thank you Trader Joe's pre-made kit).

I found this tutorial on making boxes and it's so easy I don't think I'll ever buy another gift box.  Seriously.  I know these look a little wonky, but it's only because I made them in 5 minutes.

So this is what everyone's presents looked like.

Some little gifts for daddy, beef jerky chocolate and a turkish coffee maker.  Random?

We gave all of these away before I remembered to take a picture, but I would write things or draw pictures in white crayon and have the kids watercolor over it.  Then they (Max) wrote messages on the back.  I so wish I would have taken a picture of the card he wrote to his teacher.  He literally wrote out, "Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Max".  He's incredible.  I barely have to show him examples of any of the letters anymore.

Last, but if time has anything to do with it, certainly not least... superhero valentines for Max's class.  I shamelessly copied these and found some more superhero logos here.  Max was so happy about them and excited to give them to classmates.  There was a rule that we weren't allowed to write kids names on them.  I get it, if you forget a kid that would be sad.  But because of that, I totally blanked on including a To and From.  It wasn't until Max got home from school and showed me all his valentines did I realize I didn't write "From Max" on any of them!  Epic Fail!  Now no one knows who they were from... I'm sad.  I feel like writing the school, but I think that gets filed under "crazy mommy".

Happy Valentine's Day!