Happy Valentine's Day!
This day hold so many different memories for me. As a kid, it was of my most favorite days in school! My mom would take us to pick out our favorite themed Valentine's Day cards or if we were feeling extra crazy we would handmake them. At school we would always make super cute and unique "mailboxes" and then we would hang them up on the chalkboard and deposit all of our personalized cards into our classmates mailbox. Sometimes we even had homework the night before and the only assignment was to create a "mailbox" at home.
I would always try hard to find an outfit that was approbate for the holiday which meant a lot of red, pink and purple! (can you tell that I am a #festivefanatic)?
In high school for the most part it was a fun holiday to spend with your girlfriends, and occasionally I had a boyfriend who would take me out for dinner. (Soooo funny to think about 10+ years later). ha ha ha high school "love".
In college I remember it was the first real holiday that (my now husband) Miguel and I celebrated together. (This photo collage (from my scrapbook) was our first Valentine's Day in 2006. He bought me hot pink fish for my fishtank - and they lasted FOREVER).
We spend the day at Jillians playing arcade games and went to dinner at California pizza Kitchen which was in the mall in Norfolk.
As we got older, we quickly realized that it was not a holiday that (for us personally) we wanted to celebrate. Don't get me wrong- I am not anti- V day by any stretch of the imagination- we just aren't the type to spend money on flowers or chocolates. I am not a fan of flowers, I'd much rather have a plant that will last longer. (Who am I kidding, I can kill a succulent- but at least I try). So we normally just stay home and make dinner and watch a movie.
As a teacher, It was a day I always looked forward to. I remember so vividly celebrating these holidays in elementary school, so I strived to make sure that my students felt that same excitement in my classroom. I would find fun math activities that related to Valentine's day for them to complete. We would find fun movie clips that talked about the history of the holiday- and then we also just watched fun and silly themed movies too. The treats were passed around and the entire school just had a fun and festive feel on Valentine's Day!
Now that Sophia is here, I want to start celebrating the holidays with her so that she can too have such fun memories of them as she grows up. Last year she was just 10 months old so I just dressed her in super cute outfits and #tookallthepictures.
This year we will be spending the day with all of her girlfriends at gymnastics and going to v-day lunch. This weekend we will be celebrating with a "Galentine's Party)! We will have a photo booth for all of the kids and their mommies. We will be making a fun craft and exchanging valentine cards (Minion themed because she loves the minions).
Miguel and I decided that tonight we will celebrate after, Sophia goes to bed, with Tapas!! Nothing fancy- ha ha ha just some of our favorite appetizers that we can warm up in the oven, and we will catch up on all of our favorite shows. (I know, don't be too envious of our hot plans)! We are excited nonetheless.
What fun memories do you have of Valentine's Day growing up?
How do you celebrate it now with your significant other?
Are you a flowers or chocolate type of person? (or both!!)
I cant wait to share the photos and details form our Galentine's Day party- its going to be a HIT!
