Valentines Give-away-Through Weekend

Welcome to all of you who have made your way here via one of the blog posts I have running at Hearts at Home. The first is a fun, biblical, Valentine’s exercise that teaches about the famous love chapter in I Corinthians that you can do with your family. If you haven’t read it, you can do so by clicking here. The second is just a zany way to serve Valentine’s Day dinner. It is especially a treat for small kids. Check it out by clicking here.

I always loved Valentine’s Day as a kid. The candy, homemade sentiments, school parties and secret admirers. And I still love it as much today.

How about the rest of you? Any fun ideas, activities, recipes or crafts that you care to share with your bloggy friends out in cyber-space?

I am actually looking for some inexpensive sweet treats to deliver to the neighbors in our new neighborhood. Can any of you help? You might just win something!!!!

This week, to one happy commenter, I’ll be giving away a copy of my book A Life That Says Welcome; Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others along with a jumbo dark chocolate bar with dried cranberries and macadamia nuts. Yum! My new favorite!!! Don’t panic. You have all week to comment.

I have a busy week with a son who knocked his tooth loose at basketball and had to undergo an emergency root canal today. Along with that, I am still playing catch up from the trip Kenzie and I took (All prayers greatly appreciated, by the way!!) Also, we speak again Friday night at Hugs and Kisses (a women’s and pre-teen/teen event complete with a coffee and chocolate buffet!!!) at Peace Lutheran in Shelby Township-Detroit area. So, needless to say, not a lot of time for blogging this week! So, I will leave this post up all weekend and I’ll choose the winner Monday morning. 

We are waiting to hear your Valentine’s ideas. Recipe, craft, activity, gift, etc….Comment away…..

I-so-heart-you-all-blessings,

Karen

13 Comments

  1. When my son was in day care we made rice crispy treats and used a funnel to shape them, then wrapped in foil and added a message “flag” like a Hershey’s kiss.

  2. Karen,

    It’s Caroline and I am back with another idea for you. I wanted to give you the link to one of the best websites I have found and use for free printables. For Valentine’s Day I would recommend the free printable Microwave Popcorn cover. Here is the link:

    http://www.alenkasprintables.com/freeprintables/spring/val/microwavepopcorn.htm

    There are free printables for coupons (where you can edit the text). I am going to print a few for my little ones for Valentine’s for things such as a special ride out with Mom. Library outing alone with Mom. It doesn’t have to cost money!

    Also, the site has great printable boxes, candy wrappers etc…all free and she updates it each season.

    Take a peak. It is well worth perusing and utilizing.

    Love and blessings,

    Caroline

  3. I have always loved Valentines Day as a child! I remember my dad taking my sister and I into the store every year to let us pick out the candy of our choice.. such a wonderful memory to this day! I hope to give my children memories of their own that they treasure!

    BTW… I too would love to be entered to win your book! What a generous heart!

  4. I have just started doing the fun stuff. I plan on making pancakes in the shape of hearts. Tinting my dd milk pink, dipping strawberries in choclate for my hubby. I have bought a few small goodies and of course cards. I am not crafty so probably won’t do any.

    Would love to get a one of your books. Look forward to seeing you at the national Hearts at Home conf.

    Blessings,
    Tricia in Ky
    [email protected]

  5. Hi karen:
    This is a great idea – to give Valentines to your neighbors. I’m a pretty basic kind of gal and I love cookies. Who doesn’t? I love baking a couple of different kinds of cookies (chocolate chip, double chocolate, and peanut butter) and then mix and match in small plastic bags. I love to be crafty so it would be fun to make different Valentine tags and attach them to the bag with ribbon to seal the bag shut. so cute. And like I mentioned before.. who doesn’t love cookies? Plus, they are inexpensive to make from scratch. Dressed up a in a cute little bag with a cute tag and ribbon would be a very inexpensive sweet treat for any neighbor and it would be such a blessing to give out!!!!!
    have fun deciding what you are going to do!!

  6. A couple of years ago, my daughter and I made multi-colored, heart-shaped crayons. We filled a silicone candy mold (with 10 or 12 heart-shaped sections) with broken crayon bits (all paper peeled off, of course). Then we baked them in the oven until all of the crayon bits were melted. Once they were cooled, we popped them out of the silicone molds. We used double sided foam tape to attach them to little cardstock valentine hearts that said something like, “You make my life colorful!” They were a big hit, and it was nice to get rid of some of our broken crayon bits!

  7. CHOCOLATE LOLLIPOPS:
    a) Simply place a bar of chocolate in a resealable plastic bag and microwave one minute at a time on high power until just barely melted. You can also melt the chocolate by placing the bag in a pot of simmering water. For white chocolate, only use the water method.
    b) Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper and lay down a lollipop stick, popsicle stick or half of a straw.
    c) Snip a small hole in a corner of the resealable plastic bag. With the chocolate, draw a heart shape around the top part of the stick or straw and then fill it in.
    d) You can decorate the still-warm lollipops with shredded coconut, nuts or sprinkles.

  8. I love to take pictures of my three daughters each holiday and make something that the grandparents can keep and get out every year. They love to compare how much the girls have grown each year. It can be something as simple as a framed picture with them all dressed in red or something more complicated like getting clear glass or plastic plates and adhere the girls picture to the back and then decoupage valentines material over the back of the plate and their photo. Grandparents love stuff like that – I usually make an extra one for me too!

  9. Hi Karen!
    Ok, so I wish I were super “crafty” but I’m not. On those occasional times I am, well, those are few and far between, so I am going to give you a link to the most awesome, coolest, greatest food site there is! –Hungry Girl. (No, I don’t work for the site and I’m not receiving any benefits, I just think it’s THAT wonderful!) The following link will take you to a Valentine food list. If you like what you see, click around. **Hint, I’ve read your past blogs and know you lost weight. Well, so have I and this site is geared toward, LOW FAT alternatives and she even gives weight watcher points for all the recipes on her site if you are doing Weight Watchers. The site graphics are nifty too.
    So, enjoy the site and I hope you find something worthwhile.
    I have made a bunch of her recipes and they are great! She has TONS of recipes and different ideas for treats. Plus a lot of her recipes make only a few servings so you could search for an item you’d like to try and see if it would work for your neighborhood gift-giving. Her blueberry muffins are awesome. To make them “pink” substitute cranberries instead of blueberries.

    http://www.hungry-girl.com/hgsearch.php?keyword=valentine

    Enjoy! :)

    -Amy

  10. Hi Karen, I have a super simple cookie treat that I grew up on and now my kids love. Get a package of sugar cookie dough (the slice and bake ones); slice according to directions and put candy red hots on them. Bake them until just about done. Let cool. They are chewy and have a hint of the candy red hot. They are great and fun; my kids put smiley faces and silly stuff on them. These are great for Valentines and Christmas.

  11. Karen,

    I have stored this idea my friend did for Christmas gifts to save for Valentine’s. Take a look at what an easy and low cost gift it would be…you could put them straight in treat bags too for more saving:

    http://hogwash3.blogspot.com/2008/12/need-last-minute-gift.html

    I also love to make homemade brownies. King Arthur flour has the best recipe for them and they are always a hit…I use off brand flour and chocolate chips from ALDI here to save money and they are divine!

    I will check your blog again to see what you end up making as I am always seeking new ideas.

    Blessings,

    Caroline

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