Valentine Ideas

I know a lot of you lovely readers out there are hooked on Pinterest.  I have yet to travel down that road.  Maybe some day.  For right now, my version of Pinterest is doing image searches on Google.  I particularly love searching for images from Country Living.  I love their pictures and their ideas are adorable.  When I grow up I want to be a Country Living photographer! So without further adieu ... a few crafty ideas from my latest Country Living search. 

Is that some lovely eye candy or what?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Enjoy this fun day!  

Love on your family! 

Go HERE for a few ideas how!

Hugs from the Old House Kitchen!

photo credit: craftyavenue.com

Queen of the Castle -- "Valentine's Day"

We're back near the beginning of the book.  We started on week 17 of Queen of the Castle: 52 weeks of encouragement for the uninspired, domestically challenged or just plain tired homemaker HERE (in April of 2010).

Since Valentine's Day is next Monday we're going to switch chapters around a bit so this week chapter 6; "Valentine's Day".  Next week we'll do chapter 5. 

In this chapter Lynn, the author, shares with us a few stories and a list of fun things to do with your family on Valentine's Day.  I'll share a few of Lynn's and some of my own ideas that I'll be doing for my family.

Sneak into their rooms in the dark of night and leave a bag of treats by their beds.

Tint the breakfast oatmeal pink (oatmeal recipe HERE) and throw in a few cinnamon candies.  Serve with strawberry yogurt smoothies! (homemade yogurt recipe HERE)

Write a greeting to your hubby on the coffee filter.  (We don't drink coffee, but I'll be leaving him a little love note in his lunchbox. Don't tell him, though. K?)

Make an all-red dinner: spaghetti or pizza (we order pizza on Valentine's Day -- I don't cook on V-Day!), strawberries, cherry cinnamon applesauce (recipe HERE), fruit punch.

Make Valentine cupcakes!  White cake mix, frosted in white with red and pink sprinkles on top is what I'll be making!

Give your hubby a back massage as you watch a movie together.  Better yet, watch your wedding video or look through your wedding album!

Make your children Valentine Coupon Books.  For each child cut two sheets of construction paper (light pink, or white, or whatever light color will work) into quarters.  Stack them together and staple at one side.  Write "Valentine Coupon Book for _____" (fill in the blank) on the cover.  (Use a red marker!)  On each page write down a fun treat or activity for them.  Examples are:  drink chocolate milk with dinner,  stay up 30 minutes past bedtime,  play a game with mommy,  day off from school (that only works if you're a homeschooler, I think the schools would frown upon little Bobby trying to redeem such a coupon *wink*),  plan and make (or help make--depending on age) dinner,  pick the movie night selection,  etc.  You get the idea.  They love it!  I did this a couple years ago and my kiddos are asking for it this year!   (You could do this for hubby, too, if you like.  Although I think you may want to change it up a bit. *smile*)

Lynn reminds us that we need to give ourselves this little valentine...
"For enduring all the family's winter colds and science-fair projects, you deserve a valentine yourself.  Repeat after me:
*I am doing an important job by loving and serving my family.
*I am demonstrating to my family what love is.
*The service I am providing my family is priceless.
*I am helping my family members know they are precious.

Taking care of our families can be exhausting work (I don't have to tell you that).  But I believe God will bless our efforts in ways we can't even imagine.  By devoting our energies to our families, we are giving them a gift of love and security beyond measure."

Let's remember the following verse for our husbands, our families, and each other.

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Valentine's Day Ideas

Since I love ya'll to bits and pieces I thought I'd pass along some fun Valentine downloads from my bloggy friend Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm. 

Go HERE to download a yummy cookie recipe and some cute little birdie Valentine tags!

Go HERE for a tutorial for some adorable flower pins.  

I think I'm going to give these a try this week!