2012 Valentine’s Day Guide

Note: I may earn money or products from the companies, products, or links mentioned in this post.

Last year I started a Valentine’s Day guide for those who have trouble coming up with new ideas to do and new and creative gifts for their spouse. Sometimes you want to find something within your budget, sometimes, you want to be extravagant. Whatever mood you may be in this year, there is something for everyone here. Whether you are shopping for ideas for your kids or your spouse, for either Valentine‘s Day or ANY day, this is the place to come to for tons of ideas!

I know not everyone is into Valentine‘s Day and those that aren’t are entitled to their opinion of course. But I guess I am a romantic at heart. Sure it’s one of those “Hallmark Holidays” but that doesn’t mean you have to treat it as such. I look at it as another day to show your spouse (or your children) how much you care. Sure you can do that every day, but the honest truth is a lot of people don’t. They get caught up in work, motherhood, and just plain life. Valentine‘s Day reminds us to take time to show love to our spouse, our children, and our friends. Don’t let this year go by without showing love to someone special in your life!

• Decorations for Your Home

In just a couple of days it will be February and if you haven’t already started decorating your house, February 1st is a good place to start! Here are some ideas for you to use in decorating your home and making the love shine through!

Rose Wreath
This beautiful wreath is made out of paper. Yup you heard right, paper! Those who are crafty will have tons of fun  making this and seeing it hang on their door. I’m sure you can use the same idea for the roses and make something else with them as well. I just love this idea! Credit goes to: I’m a Yarner.

Heart Lanterns
I just love this idea for making your home pretty and romantic! I found this on Pinterest and thought it was such a great idea. You could use it to set the mood or just to decorate a pretty room. You can buy one on Not on the High Street for $14.75.
Paint Chip Garland
When I was little I thought it would be fun to collect the paint samples whenever we went to the local hardware store. I never knew what to do with them but I figured one day I would find an idea. I don’t have them anymore, but I did find this awesome heart garland idea from Everyday Celebrating. All you need is a heart hole-puncher, needle, thread, and the paint samples!

• Cards & Printables

Homemade Calligraphy Cards
Looking to give your spouse or someone you love a special card? Try these beautiful homemade calligraphy cards from Sparrow Nest Script. She has a whole section of beautiful Valentine‘s Day cards in her etsy shop. These would also be perfect to send to a deployed spouse!

“How Do I Love Thee?” Card
In this card, there is an ” I love you” for every day of the month. The Dating Divas came up with this cute idea and it’s something you could do any time of the year as well. Very creative!

Also try these FREE printables and cards from From the Tortoise and the Hare.

•  Ideas for the Kids

Melted Crayon Valentines
I found this cute idea for valentines on Pinterest! You just cut up some old crayons, put them in a heart-shaped muffin pan, heat them in the oven at 230 degrees for 15 minutes and then once they’ve cooled you pop them out and attach them to your valentines. You can see the rest of the directions through pictures here by Cotton Candy Castle on Flickr. The words on the valentines say: “Happy Valentine‘s Day for “crayon” out loud!” How cute is that?

Thumbprint Valentines
I saw these adorable valentines on Pinterest and just had to share. super sweet and easy to make, these are sure to be a hit with your kids! For the full directions and for more ideas see Brown Paper Package‘s post. You can also see an idea on how to make thumbprint hearts from We Heart it.

“I Love You This Much” Card
This is the perfect card that can be made by a child for a parent. It’s fun, quick, and easy to make too! I saved this idea from A Day in My Life because I thought this would also be cute to send in a care package or give to a parent for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. The cool thing about this? It’s made by tracing your own child’s hands. How sweet!

“You Are My I Love You” Book
This cute book is the perfect gift to give your child for Valentine‘s Day! Several lines from the book: “I am your parent; you are my child. I am your quiet place; you are my wild. I am your lullaby; you are my peekaboo. I am your good-night kiss; you are my I love you.” Comes in hardback or board book on Amazon.com.

• Gift Ideas for Your Spouse

Alphabet of Our Love
I love this gift idea so much I have been considering getting it to give to my own husband! I love how creative it is and that you can make it yourself or buy it from Monika’s etsy shop. The cool thing? not only could you get something like this for Valentine‘s Day, but it would also make a good Anniversary gift too! Found the idea on Pinterest from The Twinery. The etsy shop price is $30.00.

Deck of Love
Another idea I found from Pinterest – this deck of cards shows 52 reasons why you love your spouse. Not only is this creative, but it’s also recycling old cards that you may not use anymore. This is definitely something that would become a beautiful keepsake for years to come! Credit for this idea and for tips on how to create it go to The Paper Vine.

Lucky Us Key Chain
I found this idea on Pinterest as well. It’s not not specifically a Valentine’s Day gift, but I think it would be a very sweet and sentimental gift to give. The Pat’s Design etsy shop describes this item best: “A great way to celebrate your special days and carry them with you. A wonderful gift for a loved one, A beautiful keychain with two pennies. I will find your lucky penny year (birth year, favorite year, year you met, year your baby was born, or the year you got married) let me know which years you want and I will do my best to find the pennies for you!” Only $18.00!

Pewter Heart Wall Hanging
What better day to give a gift like this than on Valentine‘s Day! A beautiful, solid heart that can be customized with whatever text you want. Whether it’s a quote about love, your names and wedding date, or something else, this will look beautiful hanging on your wall or in your room. You can buy it on Lisa Leonard Designs for $41.00.

All About You Basket
This is seriously the perfect Valentine‘s Day gift! It’s customized to fit you and your spouse AND it’s homemade! List the things you love about your spouse and find an item that goes with it. For examples and how to make it see The Dating Diva’s site.

Marc Jacobs Heart Bracelet
I have to admit, when I saw this being pinned on Pinterest, I immediately added it to my wish list. I know I will probably never get it because it is expensive, but I do love looking at it! I don’t know how many men will read this, but seriously guys this is the perfect gift to get your wife, fiance, or girlfriend. You can get it for $128. on the Marc Jacobs website.

• Gifts for the Military Family

Deployment Cookies
In order to get the idea for this one you just have to look at the picture. This is perfect for a deployment package and you can make them yourself or have a local bakery do it for you! To see the full picture click here.

Promise Prints
You may recall that I posted about one of these poems on my post “A Military Wife’s Promise.” Well, I did a little research and I found out that you can BUY these poems in print and not only is there one for each branch, but there is a husband’s version too. Just buy one for $12.50 on To Love a Soldier’s etsy page and frame it!

• Food Ideas

Having a Valentine‘s Day party or just looking for ideas to cook for your love? Here are some of my favorites!

Bubbly Valentine Love Potion (non-alcoholic)

Rice Crispy Heart Pops

Yogurt-Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Roses

Chocolate Chip Stuffed Raspberries

 

Valentine Chex Mix

 

Heart Pancakes

 

Valentine Pizza

 

 

 

•  Romantic Ideas

I’ve Kissed the Ground You Walk On
I found this idea from The Dating Diva‘s and I just love it! It’s cute and romantic and something you can use anytime, not just on Valentine‘s Day. A wonderful way to surprise your spouse!

Rose Petal Candles
I found this idea on Pinterest. It was originally pinned as a wedding idea, but I think this would add a romantic touch to a candlelight dinner or a special night. All you have to do is buy the petals, the glass vases, and the candles if you already don’t have those items. Idea is from Noivas & Etc.

•  Reader’s Ideas

A couple of weeks ago, I asked my blog readers for their Valentine‘s Day ideas or things they did for Valentine‘s Day each year. Here is what they said!

Notes for Your Husband

“One thing that I have wanted to do every year and I might just do it this time, is a note to my husband each  day starting on Feb 1st until Feb 14th.” -Kristi @ Extraordinary Moments in an Ordinary Life

Couple’s Massage

“Our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple we went and got a couple’s massage. It was so wonderful I decided it should be “tradition” since massages can be kind of pricey it made sense to at least have one day of the year to look forward to one! However, I will admit that by the third year we were unable to get one and we didn’t last year either, but I still stand by the idea and say it’s a good one. Maybe this year I’ll get a nice little surprise from the husband in the couples-massage department.” -Courtney @ The Weiffenbachs

Valentine’s Day Care Package

 

 

 

 

 

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