Valentine’s Day – BabyCostsMoney

Toddler Love.

Published on February 14, 2018February 14, 2018 by Darlene Dee3 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Once upon a time, when I was young and punk rock, I thought that Valentine’s Day was a stupid made-up joke. I have never cared if I ‘had a Valentine’ or made a big deal if I DID happen to be in a relationship on February 14.

But I ADORE the kid-version of the holiday. I can’t get enough silly puns and sugary love. Still Hallmark, but harmless. (And I am 100% behind Galentine’s Day because that shit is genius.)

Somehow this year, Babystar found out about Valentine’s Day. I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the forty million times we have been to Target in the last month. Plus it’s a NEW Target, so I don’t yet know where all of the ~~land mines~~ seasonal aisles are located. (I know now.)

We explained all about Valentine’s Day (the kid version) and she wanted to make Valentines for her friends. So sweet. But of course we just moved over 1500 miles away from home so none of her friends are nearby. She talks about them every day and tells us about things that happened ‘yesterday’, but she also knows that Colorado is VERY FAR AWAY from where we used to live. I wish I knew what was in her awesome Toddler Brain.

Babystar chose a pack of Trolls (of course) Valentines from Target ($2.50) and she made her Valentines. And then we mailed them to her friends ($6.86), some of whom are babies and will not even understand the whole postal system thing. But hopefully they will still like looking at the cute Trolls on the Valentines.

Best of all, she made Valentines for all of us too. I helped write the names, so I got a sneak preview, but they have been in her microwave waiting for Valentine’s Day. OMG THE CUTEST.

Um, can someone tell me the best way to get crayon off a table top? I’m tired of scrubbing.

RAISNG BABYSTAR: $26,101.93

Oh My Darling, Valentine.

Published on February 14, 2017April 9, 2017 by Darlene DeeLeave a comment

I belong to a chapter of MOMS Club International (and I just paid my annual dues which are $25 but really $26.80 if you pay online and I paid online). This month our MOMS Club decided to have the kids make valentines to bring to a local assisted living home. This is the same place where my motherfreaking rockstar Teenager hosts a weekly ‘art club’ because she is an amazing human with nothing but kindness in her soul and also because she has to do a community service project to earn her IB diploma. Anyway. I have not met these seniors but I have heard a lot of great stories and I want them to have wonderful valentines from the adorable children in our club.

Something always comes up, right? On the day that we planned to make the valentines, one mama couldn’t leave her house because her children had turned into flying monkeys from Oz. Another mama had an exorcist-like vomit situation going on. Another mama had a baby that set the house on fire. Probably. I think the remaining children wrote an avant-garde musical and went on tour. Or something like that.

Unfortunately, hardly anyone showed up last week when we were meant to make the valentines. Babystar was actually the oldest of the only three children there, and she was all about the markers for approximately three of the one hundred twenty minutes. She created a stunning work of art. (The other two were a bit too young.)

Babystar loved the stampy markers at Nook last month and clearly remembered them because she basically reenacted that super fun marker time. Except these were not the right kind of markers. Whoops.

This past weekend I went to Micheal’s to find some of those stampy markers and some age appropriate valentine-making supplies. So basically, foam hearts and stickers. They were out of valentine stickers so we got animals and cars and stuff. I used a couple Micheal’s couponS and the total was $22.03. I did get one small pack of heart stickers at Target for $2.99.

We made some valentines. I know some other mamas in the group made some valentines. At least we won’t show up empty handed. If we run out, Babystar is A+ at blowing kisses.

RAISING BABYSTAR: $14,683.49

Happy Heart Day!

Published on February 14, 2016April 23, 2016 by Darlene DeeLeave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the lovers! Whether you love people or places or you just love LOVE, today is for you. Cheers and smooches to you all!!

(I used to despise this made up holiday. It doesn’t even make sense. Saint Valentine was an early Christian martyr who denounced the Roman gods. He literally got famous for dissing Cupid. What a crappy mascot.)

I have embraced the fun of it all this year. I woke up before the family and created some Tangible Love for when they wake up. I hung heart streamers and a love letter on Husband’s bathroom mirror. He will be so surprised because I never ever ever remember Valentine’s Day. Ever. Whoops. Maybe I can convince him that it was all a long con leading up to this Valentine’s Day so I could make sure he was REALLY surprised this year.

The Teenager has her three best friends in town for the long weekend. I decorated the dining room with towers of sweets inside glass cake stands and candy hearts for all. Look how pretty! (And I cannot eat even one bite of any of it! Stupid dairy-free, wheat-free diet! It’s a good thing that Babystar is so sweet. She is my Valentiniest Sweet today, since I can’t eat the donuts or muffins or cookies or chocolate.)

(Oh right! I can eat the strawberries. Yum.)

And I even decorated Babystar! I created a Valentine’s Day outfit out of clothes from her dresser. Who knew she had so much pink?! I dressed her in a pink onesie underneath a long sleeve heart onesie. With jeggings and ruffly socks, a pink and white striped cotton hat, and even a pink diaper.

Who am I? Am I a sappy Valentine’s Day lover now? Or is my poor mommy brain just mushy from lack of sleep?

RAISING BABYSTAR: $5,908.01