Don't Break the bank this Valentine's Day...

 

 I was watching a local lifestyle show the other day and saw a segment about Valentine's Day gift giving.  The first gift shown was a diamond necklace for $100 - very pretty but a bit pricey for a Valentine's Day gift.  Next up was a Bose iPod docking station for the man in your life for - get this - $299.  (note: my husband thought this sounded like a great gift for him!)  These are both lovely gifts but it got me thinking about Valentine's Day and how it's almost turned into a mini-Christmas.

I've always thought of February 14 as a day to show those we love a little extra affection, not buy them another huge gift.  If you are young without a mortgage and college tuition to pay, it's one thing, but for the rest of us I think it's really easy to go overboard and try to keep up with the masses.

So, what's a girl to do if she doesn't want to spend a king's ransom on the one she loves?

I'm a fan of some good old 'lovin' from the oven'.  Like these heart shaped brownies.  You can make your own brownie mix or use a boxed one - they all taste good.  Bake them like normal, let them cool and cut the heart shapes with a heart shaped cookie cutter (check your local dollar store).  Bonus: you can munch on the scraps that are left after cutting the shapes!  I don't know anyone who doesn't love a little homemade treat.

Most people I know (especially men) love a homecooked meal.  Skip the busy, over-priced restaurants on Thursday and eat in.  It can be as simple as spaghetti and salad or very elaborate.  But you definitely don't need to break the bank.

A fun breakfast is also a hit.  Heart shaped pancakes. Heart shaped biscuits. Strawberries. I pretty much cut everything into a heart shape on the 14th.

I think it's fun to have a little treat waiting at the breakfast table for the kids.  Some fun ideas that won't break the bank:

• Small toys: yo-yo's, bubbles, Polly Pockets, matchbox cars, crayons, watercolors.
• Candy: just a bit though as most Valentine's the kids give out these days include a piece of candy (why??) and I don't want to turn this into Halloween.  I usually buy a big bag of the holiday M&M's and put some in a cellophane bag tied with a pretty ribbon.
• Gift cards: For older kids.  A $5 or $10 card from the local ice cream shop is really fun.  We love itunes around here and I will get the pack of 3 $10 cards and divvy them up between the husband and LM.  (he gets two cards, she gets one).  
• Coupon books: Make your own with coupons for things like a day at the park, a no chore day, you pick dinner night, pajama day, etc.  You can be really creative and spend no money and the kids (husbands too) will love this!

There are a million ways to show your love and not break the bank.  And your loved ones will be just as happy as if you had spent oodles of money on them.