This is where Valentine’s Day comes in! For most of society, the day is associated with romance. For me, it simply gives character to a monotonous time of year. Just as twinkle lights illuminate the dark month of December, the bright reds and pinks add a spark of charm to get us through a dull period.
My husband and I rarely do much for Valentine’s Day. Crowds are obnoxious, and dating happens year-round. Sometimes we use it as an excuse to give gifts, but there is no obligation to do so. Throughout the first couple weeks of the month, however, we find little ways to celebrate love as a family. On February 1st, my kids wake up to a heart posted on their bedroom doors with a notes detailing something I love about them. Every morning they find a new heart until they receive a small Valentine’s Day goodie bag waiting for them on the 14th.
What is especially fun this time of year, are the crafts! Who doesn’t have core memories of making popsicle stick picture frames and heart-shaped cards for their parents? Does anyone else get that warm fuzzy feeling when they recall a scene of dripping glue bottles, spilled glitter, and scraps of red, pink, and white paper scattered across a school table?
Remembering it for yourself is one thing. Imagining it as an adult may cause a conniption. What is it they say? Glitter is the herpes of art supplies?
However, mayhem is not necessarily required for arts and crafts with small children. The other day I wanted a creative activity to try, but lately, I’ve struggled to keep up with housework. I didn’t want additional chaos added to my life.
As it turns out, this dilemma is the perfect opportunity for washi tape.
These suncatchers are easy peasy to make and look adorable displayed in windows. Go wild in choosing washi tape designs, and have fun lining different patterns across the hearts. As an added bonus, you can still achieve that traditional Valentine’s Day glitter without leaving your house in a wreck, thanks to sparkly designs currently available at Michaels.
To get started on these beauties, you’ll need to gather a few basic supplies:
Themed washi tape
Glue stick
Scissors
This print out on colorful construction paper or cardstock:
To begin, use your colorful cardstock/construction paper to print out the hearts. Each print will make one suncatcher.
Using the outer lines as your guide, cut out each heart. Next, you will cut out the inner heart. To make this easier, fold your heart in half and follow the inner line just as you would make a normal paper heart.
Next is the fun part! Lay strips of washi tape across one of your heart cutouts. Play with any designs or patterns that inspire you!
You can cover as little or as much of the heart as you want. When finished, run a glue stick on the surface of the heart (on the non-sticky side of the washi tape). Cover your heart with the second heart cut out. Trim any access washi tape from the edges.
Press the sticky side of the washi tape to your windows, and enjoy these lovely suncatchers!
Valentine’s Day is a relatively minor holiday, but it’s one I look forward to every year. February is generally my least favorite month, and Valentine’s Day adds a little happiness to hold us over until the arrival of spring. Not to mention, celebrating love is fun, and now that I have kids I’m particularly eager to make it special. Every year I put little heart-shaped notes on their doors each night for the first two weeks of February. While it’s a simple gesture on my part, the kids love waking up to a new note in the morning, and express great disappointment when I inevitably forget a day. I love how the traditions of Valentine’s Day prove that it’s the simple things we do for one another that have the biggest impact.
But let’s talk about what we really love about Valentine’s Day: Chocolate.
Spare me the diamonds. The cards are nice. Flowers I love. But what I’m really eyeing this time of year is a box of candy. Preferably big ones that I’m not expected to share. I think kids 100% agree with me on this, though I don’t want to dwell on what this says about my level of maturity. So we also make yummy treats to enjoy throughout the month of February. Usually, we’re decorating sugar cookies in the shapes of hearts, X’s&O’s, and flowers. Other times we’re in the kitchen dying different desserts pink, red, and white.
Today we enjoyed a “hot love potion” beside a cozy fire. My daughter went bonkers at the sight of pink hot chocolate, and it amazed my son to discover strawberry milk exists.
White chocolate and strawberry milk may not be everyone’s favorite flavors (especially combined), but this concoction actually turned out pretty well. In fact, I rather enjoyed it!
More importantly, the kids guzzled it down and loved it. This is definitely a recipe for those with a child-like sweet tooth, or grownups looking to impress that special little person in their life.
I mean really. Pink hot chocolate is fascinating.
Hot Love Potion
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup White chocolate chips
- 1/4 Cup water
- 4 Cups Strawberry milk
- 3 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Red food coloring (optional)
- Whipped cream
- Valentine's themed sprinkles
Instructions
- Add chocolate, water, and sugar to a small saucepan. Melt over medium-high heat, stirring consistently until the chocolate is melted and the contents are well combined.
- Add strawberry milk and vanilla to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately.
- For a bolder color, stir in food coloring. Pour into mugs, top with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Originally posted February 2021
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