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Christmas is just a memory now, and when you took down your lights and tree you may have taken down your holiday wreaths as well. Perhaps your home is looking a little bland these days, and in need of a little festive color and decor? Although Christmas is long gone, Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching! Nothing adds Valentine’s Day cheer like reds and pinks splashed throughout the house, adding sweet charm and announcing the arrival of the season for made just for sweethearts! So this Valentine’s Day, why not attempt your own Valentine’s Day wreath to replace the Christmas one you took down?

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It’s hard to think of good Valentine’s Day gifts for men.  I mean, you can’t fall back on flowers, chocolates and jewelry with them.  But the Love List Challenge could turn out to be the perfect gift – and all you’ll need is a pen, paper and 10 minutes a day.

I got up this morning – grumpy and out of sorts.  It was cold and sleeting outside and my oldest son had just missed his school bus.

As I was pulling my coat off the hook to take him to school, groaning inwardly, my husband came down the stairs and offered to take him instead.  I was so relieved!  This girl doesn’t do ‘cold & wet’ very well before coffee… While they were gone, I started getting the other 3 boys ready for school – signing papers, making lunches, and searching for shoes.  When my husband got back 30 minutes later, we were all still running behind.  I was flustered and starting to fall apart just a little bit (Just put your shoes where they go buddy, so mommy won’t have to crawl around the house looking under furniture!).  But in the space of 10 minutes, he managed to melt away my craziness, and had me laughing and relaxed.

I honestly don’t know how he does it!  He just walks in, pours a bowl of cereal and starts very seriously discussing my Kindergartener’s drawing entitled “Move Feutr” (Movie Theater)  He grins at me across the kitchen and his eyes crinkle warmly.  A knowing smile just for me.  A best-friend smile.

This is something I love about my husband – how he can save me from my grumpy self every time with his silly dad antics.  How he can walk into a rushed morning where all I’m thinking of is we’re still missing a shoe, and he just freezes time for a moment to enjoy a secret joke.  It’s just one thing I love – because really, there are so many.

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Some of the best holiday decorations are made out of the most unlikely objects, take for instance this Valentine’s Day idea for a whimsical Valentine’s Day banner!  This Valentine’s Day, all you need is a dollar store nearby to get the ball rolling on a unique and whimsical holiday craft! A Playing Card Valentine’s Day banner is the perfect Valentine’s Day craft for kids that is not only bright and decorative, but quite educational as well! By completing this craft, not only will you have a colorful, heart filled banner to fancy up your home, but your children will learn patterns, ordering, shapes, sorting and counting too.  Even better? This whole experience can be enjoyed for around $3.00!

Sound too good to be true? Just take a peek below at the simple supply list and directions. The first thing you will want to do is gather your materials, then gather the kids around for some educational and decorative Valentine’s Day fun!

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There is no denying that crafts are fun to whip up. And we all know that cheap crafts are even more fun. But FREE crafts? I just don’t think there is a word for that! It is not often you get the chance to create a fun and unique craft for zero, zip, zilch, but with today’s craft, you will! This year, why not give the sweethearts in your life a Paint Chip Valentine?

How many times have you walked through a home supply store past the paint sample swatches and your eyes felt like that of a kid in a candy store? The bright hues and thousands of swatches at your disposal can be quite intoxicating! Well to make your own Paint Chip Valentines, you will need to pay a visit to your local home supply store. Easy enough right? Take a peek at a few other supplies you may need:

Simple Supply List:

• Paint Chips (Sweetheart colors like pink hues are best!)
• Black marker
• Ribbon (optional)
• Hole Punch (optional)

Now remember, paint chip samples are free, and we want to keep it that way. If you have dozens of Valentines to make this year then this craft may not be ideal for you. Try to keep it to half a dozen Valentines, which is typically the amount of color samples most people take when shopping for paint. We don’t want to go crazy and clean out the samples!

Directions:

• Take your strips and include the simple message of I “heart”, + a characteristic about the recipient in each box as shown.
• Cut off the rounded edges (and as much of the type as you can or want).
• Add an optional hole and embellish with a ribbon or string.

That’s it! Your Paint Chip Valentines are now ready to give! They are a sweet reminder of what the people in your life mean to you, and can be used as bookmarks or just tucked away for future reminiscing later. This is such a simple, inexpensive, and unique gift that packs a punch without breaking your budget. Is there anything sweeter than that?

So stop by your local home supply store, dig out a marker, and get working on your own Paint Chip Valentines! Your recipients are sure to be charmed by them!