Valentine Cards for Kids

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These cards, treat bag toppers, and stickers are so cute! If my kids were little, I'd have such a difficult time choosing which ones to get. Maybe when I have grandkids someday, I will be fortunate enough to be able to assemble cute little Valentines for them and their friends. :)

The types of Valentines for kids and their friends/classmates are endless. Here are 10 that thought were fun. Click on the titles or images to get details and see even more options.

All items are from Etsy.  Happy Shopping!

This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission, at no cost to you, for purchases made through the links in this post. Thank you!

Crazy Straw Valentine

Valentine Cards with Crayons

Magical Unicorn Cards

Goldfish/Candy fish Valentine Stickers

Dinosaur Valentine Cards

Owl You Need Is Love

You Rock

You Make My Heart Melt

I Chews You

I Dig You

Which one is your favorite? Do you prefer candy or non-candy Valentines? I think both are fun, but I know I'd probably want CANDY!!! 

DIY Candy Making Kit

Valentine's Day Farmhouse Decor

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Valentine's Day is such a fun day to decorate for. A few decorations make the day extra special!

If you love farmhouse style decor, Etsy has some super cute items for you to make Valentine's Day extra festive.

Beads and mini signs are perfect for styling tiered trays, and garland and pedestals are great for mantel decorating.

I love these decor items below, especially the mini rolling pins. How cute are those?!?!?

Happy Shopping!

This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you.

Farmhouse Beads Rae Dunn Inspired

 Sugar Bowl Beads

Mini Love Sign

8x8 Pink Love Sign

Heart Riser - 7x7

Pink Pedestal

Mini Rolling Pins - Set of 3

Mini XOXO Sign

Heart Garland

Heart Blocks - Set of 3

Literacy Musing Mondays ~ Valentine Bingo {Free Printables}

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Valentine Bingo

{FREE PRINTABLES}

 

 I know Valentine's Day is a few weeks away, but I'm sharing now because I'm usually behind on blogging about holiday stuff. :) I've created this picture-based Valentine Bingo for 6 players.

Directions

• Click on the links below to print your bingo cards. Each card includes the same pictures, but the pictures have been mixed up a bit.
• Print one extra card so you can cut out each picture square.
• Mix up the stack of picture squares each time you play Valentine Bingo.
• Show players one picture at a time, and have each player mark the correct space with a piece of candy. :)
• First player to mark 5 in a row wins!

February ~ A Month of Firsts!

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We experienced lots of firsts this month. By the first of February, we were able to say GOODBYE to our 3 1/2 year renting phase of life - yay!!! Unfortunately, for the first time I experienced moving with the flu. I was so miserable. :( So glad to feel great again!

First time to live in a neighborhood with a golf course. Didn't think I'd like it too much, but I'm loving all the trails and how hubby and I are walking together on a consistent basis. I think we're averaging about 18 miles per week. Feels so good. I definitely have more energy and feel better overall.

First time to FINALLY have white cabinets, and they're all throughout the house!! I've wanted white cabinets for my entire marriage, but the curse of orange oak seemed to follow me wherever I went. Even though I definitely have less cabinet space, at least the cabinets are white. :) It's also the first house in which I've ever had granite counter tops. Ooooh, feeling middle class fancy for sure!!

Less cabinet space led to my first ever china cabinet thanks to my sweet hubby. Even though the extra storage space was more of a "need" I still wanted it to look nice. I LOVE the way it turned out, and I only used items that didn't fit in my cabinets. For the first time, I have somewhere to display my milk glass which was passed on to me from my mom which used to be my grandma's. I wish my grandma were still here so she could see it displayed in my home.

First time to see 5 planets in the sky right along side the moon. It was really neat! Too bad Mercury, Mars, and Saturn wouldn't show up on my phone camera. Only Jupiter and Venus were bright enough and close enough, I guess.

First time to hike the San Tan Mountain even though I've lived SO close to it for 9 years.

First Valentine's Day in our new home.

And last but not least, on February 23, 2016 I published my first children's book, Mysterious Moon!! Though it isn't my first manuscript, it is my first published book - click on the link to download it from Amazon. :) Thanks!

Now, I'm looking forward to March and turning 40 - yikes!

This post contains amazon affiliate links. 

Pattern of Love True + Free Printables

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I love Valentine's Day. I love celebrating the ones I love. I love eating CANDY in colors red & pink! I love making this Taco Heart Ring for dinner every year! Most of all, though, I love focusing on what LOVE TRUE really is.

As Valentine's Day approaches, let us be sober minded about what true love is. As Christians we know that a true love model CANNOT be found in the pattern of this world. Just like the devil can appear as an angel of light, there are many things in this world that can appear as love but are anything but. And vice versa is true as well. For instance, disciplining a child, though it involves discomfort, is far more loving than spoiling which, for the moment, provides much pleasure. Pleasure and warm, fuzzy feelings don't necessarily = love.

The Bible is really the ONLY place we can go to find a pattern for a love that's true. And that's because it's the ONLY place where we meet the One who not only created love but IS love. :)

Pattern of Love True according to 1st John chapters 4-5:

Love comes from God.

God is love.

God showed his love toward us by sending his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

We can love God because He first loved us.

We show our love for God by keeping His commands.

If we love God, we must love others.

Be sure to read 1st John chapters 4-5 this Valentine's Day! Also, feel free to print these 10 True Love Bible Verses. I'll be reading through these with my kids on Valentine's Day. :)

Click here to print these verses.


Bonus: here's a free For God So Loved the World printable I made a couple of years ago. Follow this link to print if you wish.



Linked to WFMW

True Love

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Falling in love is easy.

Staying in love is a whole different story.

Why?

Why is staying in love harder than falling in love?

Well, I am no love expert, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that we base love on our feelings. Good feelings. Butterfly feelings. Romantic feelings. And if we're not feeling these feelings anymore, we conclude that we must not be in love anymore.

And then we believe the lie from the pit that we deserve better. That God would want us to be happy.

Covenants are no longer taken seriously. Till death do us part means nothing, and we divorce due to irreconcilable differences. Instead of mending what's broken, we discard those we pledged to love in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. And then we move on to something new. Something we think we deserve. Something that gives us good feelings. Butterfly feelings. Romantic feelings.

Selfish love at its finest.

I don't think God wants us to be miserable, in fact, based on His Word, I can say that I know He desires for us to be content, thankful, and joyful no matter what our circumstances may be. Most of us really don't want to put in the extra effort to stay in love though, and we really don't want what God wants. We want what we want.

I am not discounting that there are legitimate, Biblical reasons for getting divorced, and we can't control our spouses. However, statistics are far too out of whack even in the Christian community. Sadly, something is very wrong.

Another reason it's hard to stay in love is because maybe we weren't even "in love" in the first place. I think it's safe to assume that the world has no idea of what real love even is. Many mistake lust for love. I think there are WAY more people who are in lust instead of in love.

You find someone attractive. They make you feel all fluttery inside. Your needs and your wants are being met at the moment. Boom! You must be in love.

Not quite.

Love involves considering others interests above your own interests. This. Is. Hard. Especially after you say, "I do."

I am naturally selfish. True love does not come naturally. I need supernatural intervention.

What is true love according to God's Word?

*Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." ~Matthew 22: 37-40

*"As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." ~2 John:6b

*"This is my command: Love each other." ~John 15:17

To truly love is to choose to obey God's commands. We must choose to love even when we don't feel like loving.

*"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands." ~2 John:6a

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love is not rude.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not easily angered.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil.
Love rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects.
Love always trusts.
Love always hopes.
Love always perseveres.
Love never fails.
{1 Corinthians 13}

Selfless love at its finest.

Of course there are tons more verses about love. This list is barely the tip of the iceberg. The Bible is the place to go to find out about true love and what it means. The world is sorely lacking in this area.

I fall so short of the above list. Thank God for His mercy and forgiveness. My hubby and I aren't still together because our marriage has been easy breezy. We're together because we take our vows seriously, we want to please God, and ultimately we really do want to love each other.

I can't say that the lovey dovey feelings are always front and center. Sometimes, it seems as though they've been misplaced, but we can't rely on our day to day feelings to tell us to love one another. Feelings are fickle. They come and go.

I believe God's Word is reliable and by obeying His command to love one another, the feelings will eventually follow.

But in the meantime, LOVE even if you don't feel like it.

I am so thankful that my hubby has been faithful to love me through the worst of times and the best of times. I am thankful that his first love is God, so that in turn he can truly love me. I am thankful that he chooses daily to continue this journey of life with me no matter where it leads. True love is exhausting at times, but I am so glad we've stayed the course and have been able to see the blessings and rewards of staying committed to each other.

I think we are celebrating our 19th Valentine's Day together today. May we celebrate many more! :)

I love you, Babe. Happy Valentine's Day.

P.S. And thanks for the beautiful, bright, sparkly flowers (that are dyed) that made my kitchen so cheerful this week! Oh, and for the yummy M&M's, too.

Boundless Love

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Are you a celebrater, couldn't-care-lesser, or loather of Valentine's Day?

If this "holiday" disappeared off the face of every calendar tomorrow, life would go on for me. (I would miss red, white, and pink M&M's though.) But, since it is a day that our culture has set aside to sell a ton of junk and make lots of money celebrate love, I admit, I indulge and celebrate just a little.

I'm naturally a sucker for themes, cute stuff, PINK, and any excuse to buy and get gifts. :) So, yes, the Valentine isles at all of the stores whisper my name and beckon me to come hither.

I'm not a big fan of all the stuffed animals, but since my daughter LOVES them, I quietly endure standing in the Valentine stuffed animal isle as she oohs and ahhs over each and every one. After that, we move on to my favorite isle so I can ooh and ahh over all the pretty, yummy, and very unhealthy candy. Don't judge me. ;)

While many see this holiday as a guilt trip to buy their mate or special someone a gift, or as a holiday to be shunned because of it's so-called pagan roots, or as a holiday for whatever - you fill in the blank, I see it as a time to reflect on true love and what it means. And if you know me at all, you know where I am going to start, right?

Yep. With the Author of love. With the One whose essence is love. Though sinless, He loved me enough to take my place and suffer the wrath that was meant for me.

True love is boundless love!

Never ending.

Vast.

Limitless.

I came across this quote the other day and was reminded of how grateful I am that God's love is boundless.

Boundless love is worthy of a celebration - not just on one day but every. single. day. :)

DIY Valentine Bookmarks

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Need some Valentine inspiration? Well, I, along with other Schoolhouse Review Crew members, am participating in a Valentine's Day round-up for homeschool resources.  Stop by and take a look at all the wonderful ideas - the round-up will be live on February, 5.


If you are searching for a Valentine project that will really WOW the world with your art talent, you might want to keep looking. However, if you are in pursuit of an easy, low stress art project that your elementary aged kids can do by themselves, you may want to stay tuned!

 

We don't do a ton of traditional art in our homeschool, so Valentine Bookmarks counted as ART CLASS for the day! Plus, my 8-year-old daughter and I got to spend time together picking out paint chips. I don't feel too badly about taking so many because we are planning to paint her dollhouse pink and green over spring break. ;)

 

Here's what you need for this super easy and not-too-messy art project:

• paint chips or cardstock
• heart-shaped cut out if you have one
• ribbon
• letters and/or other stickers
• hole punch
• glue
• scissors

Here's what you do:

1. The only item we didn't have were the paint chips. For the other supplies, we used what we had on hand. The paint chips came with 7 blocks of color, but we thought that was too long. We cut 2 blocks off and 5 blocks seemed to be the perfect length. (One bookmark is made with scrapbook paper.)
2. Use your cutout to punch shapes in the paint chip or cardstock.
3. Add letters and other stickers if you wish. You can also glue onto your bookmark the hearts that you cut out of the paint chips.
4. Punch a hole at the top of your book mark and add ribbon. (Make a loop with the ribbon and stick the 2 ends through the hole in your bookmark. Then push the ends through the loop and pull tight, but not too tight.)

Now my daughter has cute bookmarks (she made most of them) to use when she's reading her favorite series! I can't resist using a couple of them, too. My daughter also wants to give some to her friends at church. :) These bookmarks would make a great substitute for those little Valentine cards.

*Bookmark idea was inspired by this picture.

If you want to make a fun meal with your kids on Valentine's Day, I recommend Taco Heart Ring. It's festive and fun and very yummy!

Homemade Strawberry Cupcakes

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I had a craving for real strawberry cupcakes. I didn't want anything from a box with those artificial bits of who-knows-what. I found a tempting recipe from A Southern Fairytale. And, I made them. :) Oh my, they are delicious!!

Two things I did differently:

1. I didn't use the optional strawberry extract.
2. I made different frosting.

I am posting my frosting recipe here, because it's my own simple creation. If you'd like the strawberry cupcake recipe click here. The pictures are absolutely beautiful!

 

I made these for our Valentine's Day dessert this year, and they really are amazing!!

 

Homemade Strawberry Frosting

Ingredients:

* 4 cups of powdered sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1/4 cup strawberry puree
* About 3 TBSP milk

Directions:

First, the night before you want to make the frosting, cut about 5-6 large strawberries into small chunks and sprinkle at least a tablespoon of regular white sugar over them. Let them sit in the fridge overnight. The next day, mash the mixture into a chunky puree. Hopefully, you will end up with about 1/4 cup of puree.

 

 

Now, beat the powdered sugar, butter, and strawberry puree together adding the milk as necessary to make it into the consistency you want it. I like my frosting to be a little thick so I can pipe it on the cupcakes without it sliding down the sides. I put my frosting in the fridge before I used it, so I had to add just a tad of milk to whip it up and make it smooth again.

Oh, this frosting was SO good. I could've eaten it all without cupcakes - it was THAT good. My whole family loved these yummy strawberry cupcakes with strawberry icing!!

Oh, I almost forgot - I know this frosting was enough to frost a dozen cupcakes and maybe a few more. But, I like to use a lot of frosting. :)

 

 

Here's what I did with some leftover strawberry frosting when I made it a second time - made graham cracker frosting sandwiches. Brought back memories of my childhood because this is what my mom used to do. :) YUM.

Linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Try a New Recipe Tuesday, Works for me Wednesday.