Our Valentine’s Day.

I’m a few days late (!) but thought I would write a bit about our Valentine’s Day. On Sunday, the kids made some handprint valentines for family. They were so excited — basically, they are really excited anytime paint is involved. I saw these on instagram and thought they were perfect!

A few years ago, I started gifting small Love Baskets to the kids on Valentine’s Day! This year, since we’re doing no spend… I used a gift card that I had stored away for the contents of the baskets! And then ended up putting everything in a regular plastic bin to save money — they didn’t even notice it wasn’t in a cute little red basket. They each got a little shirt (or dress), a book, a craft (or toy), a snack plate/cup, a few pieces of candy, and a fun kitchen appliance! I bought the adorable mini waffle makers and donut makers for $4 and they were such a hit!

Javi ended up having a 2-hour delay because of snow on Valentine’s Day which was fun for us! Unfortunately, it meant that his Valentine’s Day party was postponed until 2/15 so he was a bit disappointed. But once he was off to school I put out an activity for the girls that I had prepped the day before.

This is a sweet idea for sensory play at any time of the year but fun to add a holiday-themed touch. I put baking soda into a bunch of silicone molds plus a drop of food coloring and filled them with water. I popped them into the freezer overnight. Once at the sensory table, I gave them some droppers and vinegar and when they squirted the vinegar onto the baking soda ice cubes… they fizz! It’s a fun experiment and they’re always amazed.

Right before lunch we wanted a sweet treat so the girls made m&m cookies! I really want to bake with them more — being in the kitchen was a goal Lola set for herself for 2022!