Valentine's Day Countdown~14 Days of Love!

I am always looking for ideas to make 'life' a little more fun. As a mom of two, I want my children to have special memories of growing up and remember fun things we do as a family. I want them to carry on some of our family traditions when they become parents.

Growing up, my mom always did a little thing called "The 14 days of Valentine's Day". It was a fun countdown to V-day! Every day we received some sort of little 'gift'. Sometimes it was on our pillow after school, by our bed when we woke up, etc. I remember how fun and exciting it made the long winter months. It seems winter really drags on here in Idaho. It stays snowy and cold for a long time, so any excuse to add a little brightness and excitement to the dreary winter days, I'm all for it!!!

Over the years I have carried on the tradition and brought the fun Valentine's Countdown to our house!!...But, I add a twist! My girls can only participate in this fun activity IF their chores are done and their room stays clean! I have tried many ideas to help motivate my girls to keep their room clean, and many ideas have failed. They are great at doing EVERYTHING else I ask them to do, but not their room. So, them knowing that there's a special treat waiting makes them very motivated to help in anyway possible-SCORE!!!

I feel Valentine's day is about love, not about candy. I do give my kids candy on some of the days, but I also give them things they can wear, use, and play with.  I also try to incorporate service in our countdown. I feel like teaching my children to serve others will be the best thing I can teach them and SERVING OTHERS=SHOWING LOVE FOR OTHERS!

Last Year's Gifts

Here are some fun ideas I am using or have used in the past~
*Of course they'll get fun girly stuff-chap stick, hair bows, jewelry, journals, sunglasses, etc. (If you have boys~you can give them cars, legos, dinosaurs, etc...I only have daughters-Hahaha!)
*Make a cute crafty Valentine for a few days--"Hugs and Kisses", "You're a Sweetheart", etc. (I have found a ton on different blogs and I have included a few printables also)
*One day give them  cupcake stuff (cake mix, frosting, decorations, etc.)
*Another day sugar cookie stuff (of course we will deliver goodies=service)
*Give someone a "heart attack!!"~Cut out and decorate a bunch of hearts and stick them to someone's front door!!!
*Crafty stuff (beads for bracelets, loom bands, puzzles, ceramics and paint, etc.)
*Clothes or Socks (dresses, shirts, leggings, etc.)
*It's halfway through the school year~Do your kids need something new?  My kids need new pencils, tablets, and folders-so I got them some fun colorful ones! I have also gotten them flashcards and made file folder games
*Give them a nail file and new nail polish and have a 'pedicure party' day!!!
*I also give my kids practical stuff like a new toothbrush (my kids absolutely love getting one), body wash, lotion, hairbrush, etc.
*A 'Birthday For Daddy' Day (My husband's birthday is v-day, so we'll make him a b-day treat, decorate, wrap presents, make cards, etc.)
*"Send Love to Someone Day"-Get fun paper, stickers, glitter glue, paint, etc and make cards to send to loved ones (grandparents, cousins, missionaries, friends)...This would also be a good day to have you kids do something fun for their classmates (assemble and write valentines, etc)
*Give your kids a movie ticket and take them to the movie theater or set up a fun movie night at your own home
*Buy Valentine's fabric and make your kids something special (pillowcase, skirt, blanket, etc.)

It is so fun to think of new, fun ideas and to carry on this tradition year to year.  As soon as Christmas is over, I am excitedly looking for awesome deals to use for my countdown.  You can spend as much or as little on your treats.

 This year, I decided to do a few days less expensive, so I made a few cute baggie toppers to fill with treats.  I cut out the cards and glued them to scrapbook paper and stapled them to snack sized zip top baggies. The clipart I used came from www.mycutegraphics.com.

 

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***I also included my husband in the countdown this year...some days he gets the same treat as the girls, other days he gets something different...(a can of honey roasted cashews with a tag saying "I'm NUTS about you!" Or his favorite Mountain Dew with the saying "I DEW love you so much!")  You can be as cheesy as you want--haha!