Our Favorite Valentine’s Day things!
Valentine’s Day has always been a fun time for us sisters to celebrate the little things we love. Each of us is sharing one of our favorite Valentine’s things—whether it’s a fun tradition, a sweet treat, or just something that makes the day special. We’re excited to pass along a bit of Valentine’s inspiration to you!
Grace: A Valentine’s Book! Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
Valentine’s Day is often about romance, but it’s also a perfect time to celebrate self-love and authenticity.
Stargirl (written by Jerry Spinelli) is a coming-of-age young adult novel about a free-spirited, unique girl named Stargirl. She stays true to herself, even though she doesn’t quite fit in with the typical high school crowd. The story explores the beauty and challenges of embracing individuality, navigating peer relationships, and learning to love who you are. Chosen for the month of love because one of the most important forms of love is the love we have for ourselves.
Emma: A Valentine’s Day Craft!
I am a fan of crafts! But with that being said, I am very picky about what crafts I’ll do. Let’s be real—sometimes the crafts I see online seem way too complicated, especially when you’re low on supplies or energy! So here are two of my favorite simple but fun Valentine’s crafts: Hearts in a Bag and Valentine’s Hand Trees. These ideas are easy to adjust for different skill levels, and the finished projects make sweet homemade gifts for grandparents, teachers, or neighbors.
CLICK HERE for my blog post all about these two crafts.
Eliza: A Valentine’s Day Tradition!
I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day for many reasons but mostly for the fact that I get another opportunity to celebrate all the many people I love in my life!
We’re just getting started over here with our little girls and Valentine’s Day traditions and I’m so excited to watch our traditions grow and evolve. Two traditions we’re starting this year are delivering a sweet treat to some family and friends and celebrating the day with a Valentine’s themed snack tray while reading our favorite Valentine’s Day books. Nothing too fancy but feels just right for us!
Faith: A Valentine’s Day Memory!
I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. A day full of love. As an elementary school teacher I am still knee deep in the Valentine’s Day box trenches. One thing that I love about the Valentine’s Day box tradition is that it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. In fact, this year, I’m providing a white paper bag for all my students to decorate as a fun class activity.
Growing up however, I enjoyed doing the elaborate boxes, especially with my mom. I have fond memories of me and my siblings going to the store or searching the house for supplies to create our own individual boxes. So whether you spend hours creating a big heart out of Amazon packages and tissue paper or a simple paper bag, it’s the time that you spend together that matters most.
Hope: A Valentine’s Day Recipe
My hottake is that Valentine’s Day is so overrated the older you get. I think it is because I grew up with incredibly fun traditions like making valentines for classmates and decorating boxes, to all of the sudden studying for an exam – talk about a letdown. My goal this year is to try and shift my perspective. Holidays as a college student can be hard if you get caught up in what used to be, so here’s one small idea to bring some joy into the day of love this year: a simple festive Valentine’s lunch for one! See recipe below.
Heart Shaped Chicken Salad Sandwich for One!
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of bread (your choice, I like whole wheat or white)
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 and 1/2 cup canned chicken (drained)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- A few dashes of sriracha sauce (adjust to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional add-ins: 1 tablespoon chopped celery, 1 tablespoon chopped grapes, or 1 tablespoon nuts (like almonds or walnuts)
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter (or scissors, if you don’t have one)
Instructions:
- In a bowl, mix the canned chicken, mayo, garlic powder, and sriracha sauce. Stir until well combined. If you’re adding any optional ingredients like celery, grapes, or nuts, mix them in at this stage.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Take your two slices of bread and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (or scissors) to cut them into heart shapes.
- Spread the chicken salad mixture evenly on one slice of bread, then top with the other heart-shaped slice.
- Enjoy your simple, fun, and festive heart-shaped chicken salad sandwich!
Feel free to adjust the add-ins to your taste or experiment with different combinations!
Now you’re probably thinking, “Hope… this is just a recipe for a chicken salad sandwich?” You are completely right, but this one is cut into hearts (do you see what I mean?). Your exact question is the whole point, it’s about finding magic in the mundane and finding ways to celebrate no matter what phase of life you’re in. Sometimes all you can do is make a heart shaped chicken salad sandwich because it is 7am and you’re running late, but who knows? That might just turn into your new favorite Valentine’s Day tradition.
