Fab and Frugal Valentine’s Day

Sweethears Candy BoxI love holidays.

One of my favorite holidays of the year is Valentine’s Day.

One of my favorite memories of this special day is back in grade school when my classmates and I would deliver valentines and candy to each others’ “mailboxes” (cardboard boxes or large, manila envelopes decorated with hearts and labeled with our names) and then during the last hour or so of class, we’d have a big party and open up our valentines.

The party almost always involved Hawaiian punch, heart-shaped cookies with sprinkles, little tubs of vanilla ice cream eaten with small wooden paddles (remember those?), and lots and lots of candy.

Ice_Cream_tubAfter about 20 minutes of blissful gorging, the party would usually devolve into pandemonium as we got high on sugar and started running around like madmen.

Good times.

Now, as an adult, I try to hold onto that giddy feeling that I had as a child on Valentine’s Day.

The day should be graced with things and activities that make you happy.

Most of the time, these are simple pleasures that don’t cost a lot of money.

flowers for V-dayLike a bouquet of cheery flowers…

Theo Chocolate BarsOr your favorite candy bar…why not have two?

Iced Animal CookiesOr your favorite cookies from childhood…

Valentine's MessageOr leaving a loving note for someone special…or discovering a loving note left for you!

Marcus and I spent Valentine’s Day appreciating each other and doing things that we both love: eating excellent barbeque, viewing awesome art, and seeing a movie at the theater.

It was a beautiful day. And it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Hope your Valentine’s Day was wonderful too!