Making Valentines with Children

Today I am sharing some of our favorite Valentine ideas. These are all things we've made in the past and enjoyed sharing with others. I hope you enjoy them and are inspired to make some with your won children!

   If your kids love stickers, this one will make them happy. Adding stickers to the bottom of Hershey's Kisses gets the kids excited to share them with friends. Read all the details here..
 

Kane Chocolate Hearts have been a February favorite for many years in our house. They can be filled with  candies,or turned into delicious desserts by adding pudding and whipped cream . You can even turn them into this sweet treat. Fun and delicious!

Making  your own chocolate cups to fill with treats can turn any day into a sweet one. See how we made them here.

We loved putting these treats together for school parties when the boys were little. I tried to find the link for the tags from Tomkat Studios with no luck, but you can have the kids make their own. The lollipops can be found here and the post on how to make it all happen here.

Another  project for those cold ,boring afternoons is making chocolate covered Oreos. You can pick up molds at most craft stores or on Amazon. With a few different colored candy melts, the kids will have a wonderful time creating their special cookies. Remember, they don't have to be perfect, it's all about the fun and love that goes into making them. I suggest molds with large areas to fill in with color,rather than the ones with tiny hearts. Here are a few of the molds I love.The Conversation Heart mold is for mini Oreos.

Large Hearts

Conversation Hearts

Lips

This  idea I found on Pinterest years ago. It also requires Oreos and melting chocolate. So cute and the kids really enjoy creating their own Love Bugs. It's a fun way to spend an afternoon with friends. 

Getting your children involved in the kitchen is a great way to introduce them to the basics of cooking,measuring,estimating and learning to share responsibilities as well as their treats! When they participate in putting together treats for friends,classmates or anyone else, they take pride in their work.What a wonderful way to spend time together.Have fun!

Sweets for Your Valentine

Valentine's Day is fast approaching so I thought I'd share some of my favorite sweet picks today. There are so many delicious goodies out there right now, and it wasn't easy to narrow it down to only a few,but I did. I tend to like to give things that are a little different and perhaps not the items you pick up at the local pharmacy. With a few weeks to go, you can still order some great edibles for the loves in your life.


You can't go wrong with candies from See's. They have been in business since 1972, and offer a wide variety of goodies.I love  this nice arrangement of candies in a traditional heart shaped box. Yum.

I've been a fan of Godiva chocolates since the days of planning my wedding. We gave them out as favors and I've been a loyal customer ever since. Always delicious and now, more affordable options than ever before. I love this set of three ...they make great teacher gifts.
  

I discovered this company two years ago and they quickly became a favorite. Big Little Fudge Company offers a variety of flavors,all individually wrapped,making them a great option to take to the office or for parties. You can also order tins like the one below.

If your sweetie likes to bake,King Arthur Flour's Baking Box is a wonderful gift idea. The flavor combination of chocolate and raspberries in this kit is perfect for Valentine's Day.It comes with all of the non perishables needed to bake a beautiful cake. They also have several other flavor options.

Perhaps my favorite sweet gift idea of the season is the new gift box from Georgetown Cupcakes. They've teamed up with Darcy Miller from Martha Stewart Living to create a gorgeous,mouthwatering assortment of cupcakes adorned with Darcy's whimsical art. Love, love ,love this! It's called Sweet Talk. So cute!

They also offer a beautiful pink heart box filled with a combination of some of their signature flavors. This is a win for the cupcake lovers in your life!

You can even create your own combination or go with one of the many they've put together for Valentine's Day.

Maggie Louise Confections makes some beautiful chocolates,almost too beautiful to eat, almost....

There is still plenty of time to find that extra special, unique gift for the ones you love. I hope I've given you some fun options to choose from! Enjoy!

Valentine Fun

With Valentine's Day only a few weeks away,I thought I'd share some ideas for classroom treats for your children to share with friends as well as some Valentine decor for their rooms. Allowing the kids to help decorate and  put together classroom treats lets their creativity flow.

When my boys were in elementary school, every holiday was a big deal. One year for Valentine's Day, I put together these treats for their classmates. You can read the original post .here. Simply fill candy bags with whatever goodies you like and  secure them to the shovels with a little ribbon. I found these shovels that come with "I dig you " stickers. This is a different, fun idea for class parties.

Need a quick favor for classroom parties? These are ready to hand out as is.

If you are like me, you love to place Valentine decorations around the house. One of my favorite things to do is grab some seasonal garland at the Target dollar spot and use it for the mantle and drape it along the tops of the windows in the kids' rooms. It's a quick,inexpensive way to add just a touch of the holiday into your home. If you can't get to Target, this one is very similar to what they sell.

If you want to convey a message rather than just have plain hearts, these are a fun too.

Another  idea that kids enjoy are these hanging hearts. I used to make my own,which was tedious and time consuming, but you can buy them at any party supply store. After my kids would go to sleep,I'd hang them in front of their doors so when they opened them in the morning,they'd have a fun surprise. Little things to start their day off on a positive note.

Speaking of positive notes, another  thing I did with my boys was to write something positive about them on paper hearts and tape them on their walls each day. These make life easier because they are stickers. I always enjoyed telling them how special they were or how much I liked certain things about them like their ability to make us laugh, their compassion, their determination,etc. It's a great idea for boosting self -esteem. Just write a little something special to them and hang these on their wall or wherever you like.

You can also pick up some really cute signs at any Target or craft store to place around their rooms, but I also find some cute ones online like this .

  With every passing season, we'd always display books that helped get the kids excited about the holiday and about reading. Children are more likely to grab a book when it is highly visible ,so we always made a point of having many of them out as part of their room decor. Placing a few hard covered favorites around is a great way to add some Valentine fun to a room as well as encourage a love of reading. Here are a few that we love and bring out every year. If you don't have any, borrow a few from your local library .

A Cranberry Valentine

Comic Valentine

Who's Your Valentine,Charlie Brown?

Leaving Valentine activity books in their rooms is a great way to get their minds going.

Word Searches

Mazes and Puzzles

There are so many inexpensive,fun ways to make Valentine's Day about more than just chocolate, though a little chocolate thrown into the mix is never a bad thing.  Allowing your kids to get creative, explore books and different activities while sharing all the things you love about them with them, creates memories that last forever. Get them involved, have fun and savor the special moments.

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Reese's Chocolate-Filled Bars

I recently spotted Reese's Baking Cups and Candy Pieces while shopping and thought I'd make some cookies with them. Once I got them home.I saw a recipe on the back of the bag for these bars so I made them instead. If you do make these, follow the instructions and use a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1 inch jellyroll pan...I did not, and while they were delicious, mine were definitely much bigger than they should have been. I also used old fashioned oats simply because that is what I had on hand, but I'm sure the quick oats are the better choice.If you cannot find the baking pieces,  use a small bag of Reese's Pieces and chop up some peanut butter cups. You can also adjust this recipe by using M&M's,peanuts or any other candy you enjoy. A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top would  add a nice finishing touch, or perhaps even a drizzle of melted chocolate. Next time,I think I will reserve a few of the baking bits to sprinkle on top after the bars come out of the oven  to make them more visible.If you love gooey,chocolate peanut butter treats, this one is for you.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter,softened & divided
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract,divided
2-1/2 c. quick oats
2-1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. cocoa
1/4 c. sugar
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1-1/4 c. Reese's baking cups & candy pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of your mixer, mix 1 stick of butter,peanut butter and brown sugar.

Add in the eggs and 1 tsp. of the vanilla. Mix until creamy.

Add in the oats, flour baking soda and salt. Mixture will be very thick. Remove and reserve approximately 2 cups of the dough.

Press the remaining dough into the sheet pan.(see the measurements for the pan above).

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining stick of butter.
Add the cocoa and sugar.

Add the sweetened condensed milk. Stir until combined ,smooth and thick.

Stir in the remaining 1-1/2 tsp. of vanilla.

Pour over the bottom layer of dough in the pan,spreading evenly over the dough.

Sprinkle with the Reese's baking bits.

Crumble the reserved dough over the baking bits.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

You can see how gooey the filling is...let it cool completely,cut into squares and enjoy.

**This is not my own recipe.

Children's Book Club Picks for January

If you know me or have followed along for a while, you know I am an avid reader and believe that reading to your children is one of the most important things you can do. In one of my posts last month, I suggested creating your own book club to encourage kids to read . If you missed it, you can see it here. Each month,I am going to suggest a handful of seasonal stories for those of you who would like to give them as book club gifts or want to share them with your own children ,grandchildren or any of the little ones in your life. Here are some of our favorite picks for January.

I'm a fan of anything by Jan Brett, but The Mitten is a classic. When a young child loses a mitten in the snow, it becomes a warm refuge for a variety of woodland animals. A wonderful story,with gorgeous illustrations, sure to warm the heart on a cold day.

  

The Snowy Day,by Ezra Jack Keats, was written decades ago, but still holds all the wonder of  that first snowfall each winter. This story brings back wonderful memories for me and I love sharing it with children. A must have for any child's library.

Steven Kroll's The Biggest Snowman Ever demonstrates how teamwork can help accomplish even the most daunting task. A sweet story filled with winter fun.

I loved these reading stories as a young girl and this one is a great introduction to the Little House Books for the new reader.Filled with family,chores,coziness and a look at life back in the day. A special winter tale.

Freddy is a fun character  with insecurities,determination and a love of sharks. Any of the books in this series will have the reader coming back for more. In this winter adventure, Freddy is facing his fears about competing in the class winter olympics. A great story about perseverance and believing in oneself.

  I hope this list makes your monthly Book Club for Kids choices a bit easier, and encourages you to continue to get your children excited about books and reading! Enjoy!

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