Win Valentine's Cards & Photo Plaque from Shutterfly!

I love my Grandmom.  She is sweet, loving, thrifty, and also extremely hard to buy a gift for.  At age 85, she always insists that she doesn't need or want any gifts. Yet, when my sister recently surprised her with a custom photo book of the family, my Grandmom was completely tickled pick.

No matter what age you are, there's something special about personalized books, plaques and cards.  It shows you put a little extra thought into the gift or card by adding a personal touch. Shutterfly wants to help you make this Valentine's Day extra special with their custom Valentine Day card selection & photo gifts.

They even have 4 x 6 cards (as shown above) that are perfect for your kids to give out to their friends.

Shutterfly is kindly offering to give one of my readers a Valentine's treat of their own! One lucky reader will win:

50 – 4x5 Valentine Stationary Cards (small classroom size cards)  

and a 5.5x5.5 Desktop Plaque

 Enter by using the RaffleCopter Widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please see my full disclosure / sweepstakes rules here.

Bananas, Stickers & Valentine's Treat Idea

Whenever my little guy feels crafty, we open up my big drawer full of supplies and look for inspiration. Yesterday, I spotted some make-a-face stickers that we had left over from a book. Instead of smacking them on paper, I saw a big bunch of bananas and let him bring our bananas to life.

Here's a look at our stickers (above). I don't remember which book they came from, but I found some inexpensive make-a-face-stickers from Oriental Trading that you can buy online.  Even if this particular project isn't your cup of tea, make-a-face stickers can be used for so many different crafts, that it's a good staple to have in your craft supply stash.

My son had fun choosing his stickers and designing the banana face.

What would you think if you walked into someone's house and saw these sitting on their kitchen table?  I think they're pretty funny. This activity was easy, kept my son busy for a while and was completely mess free!

You could easily turn this craft into a Valentine treat by adding "I'm going bananas over you!" stickers as shown here on Twig and Thistle, or the "I'm bananas for you" bag topper by Peonies and Poppyseeds.

Kid's Crafts and Activities for Valentine's Day

Welcome back to Day 2 of the ABC's of Valentine's Day. Once again, I'll be highlighting different kid-friendly crafts, recipes and activities for toddlers, preschool and elementary school age kids.  Let's get started with letter K!

K is for Krispie - As if Rice Krispie treats weren't good enough... when you put them on a stick, cover them in chocolate and add Valentine sprinkles they get even better! Continue here for Valentine Rice Krispie Pops 

L is for Love - Show your love to someone special buy making a mobile of Translucent Hanging Hearts by MarthaStewart.com (Image Credit: MarthaStewart.com)  

M is for Memories - Footprint and Handprint crafts always seem to be treasured by Moms.  Make new memories by turning your child's thumb print into a 'Thumb body loves you' Valentine by Brown Paper Packages

N is for Nature - Upcycle toilet paper rolls into adorable Valentine Butterflies - via Kaboose

O is for Oh so fun! - Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without some chocolate. Heidi's Recipes shares a Chocolate Play Dough Recipe that looks good enough to eat. Continue here for Heidi's recipe.

P is for Printables - My friend Meredith from That's My Kind of Party has gathered 18 ideas for FREE Valentine's Cards that you can print at home. With 18 ideas, how could you not find something for your child's class? Continue here for Valentine Printables.

Q is for Questions - Turn a simple 'Twenty Questions' game into Valentine fun via Baby Center

R is for Recyle - Turn your old crayons into new heart shaped Valentine Crayon Hearts - via Disney Family Fun

S is for Sculpt - Mold Sculpey Clay to make Fingerprint Heart Pendants - via A Girl and a Glue Gun

Stop by tomorrow when I highlight T for Treats. It will be a collection of Valentine treats and heart healthy recipes that you won't want to miss!

ABC's of Valentine's Day: Kid Crafts, Recipes and Activities

It's funny how things change in life. Before the kiddos came along, I'm sure I thought Valentine's day was all about me. What little surprise will I get? Where will we go to dinner? What will I wear? But, now that I'm a mom, it's about the giving vs. the getting.  Don't get me wrong, I would love a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Valentine's Day, but it has definitely become a family celebration - and that's okay. 

This week, I'll be focusing on the ABC's of Valentine's Day. What does that mean? Throughout the week, I'll be highlighting different kid-friendly ideas for Valentine's Day from A-Z. I will be including crafts, recipes and activities for toddlers, preschool and elementary school age kids - with a few ideas for moms mixed in as well.

Let's get started!

A is for Art - Everyone knows the traditional ways to use crayons for art, but for a unique new twist, try this Melted Crayon Art using crayon shavings.

B is for Bag - You've probably heard about 'Sensory Bins' before, but you have to check out this  Valentine sensory bag craft.

C is for Chocolate - This Chocolate Milk Bath Recipe is the perfect cure for the winter blues.  If you can't get to the Hershey Spa to experience the real deal, this is a nice, calorie free treat for a hard-working mom. Continue here to read: Chocolate Milk Bath Recipe

D is for Doily - I truly love being the mom of boys, but every now and then, I see a blog post which makes me wish I had a little girl to craft with. This is one of them! Check out this blog post to see how to use a pre-washed t-shirt, a doily, and some fabric paint into a totally adorable t-shirt for your little girl. Read more about these DIY Valentine's shirts here.

E is for Eyes - Recycle those old toilet paper rolls and make these adorable Heart Shaped Binoculars.

F is for Filter - If you want a completely unique Valentine for your kids to hand out at school, take a look at these Heart Coffee Filer Zipper Pulls. They are fun, fashionable and functional!

G is for Glitter - Grab your glitter, contact paper and construction paper to make this Glitter Window Heart Craft with your Preschooler!

H is for Holder - Kid's typically come home from school with a bunch of little Valentine Cards from their classmates. This Valentine Card Holder is really easy to make, and it helps to keep all of those little cards organized too! Continue here to read: Kid Valentine Holder Craft

I is for I Love You - Beth from Living Life Intentionally shares a simple idea so that everyone in the house feels loved. Read more about her 'Why I love you doors' here

J is for Just let them lead the way - Isn't there a famous saying about the best intentions that seem to go astray?  When it comes to Kid's Valentine Cards, maybe it's just best to let your child lead the way! Read more about this with B-inspired Mama.

Check out my other posts for more Valentine craft ideas:

Day 2: More Valentine's Crafts & Activities for Kids

Day 3: Valentine's Recipes for Kids

Day 4: Love & Vintage Valentine Printables

Day 5: Valentines Wall, XOXO, Yummy Pastries, and Wild Zebras!

Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers participating in ABC's week too.

Art Education / Krissy at B-Inspired Mama, Cardboard Box Creations / Here Come the Girls

Children’s Music with Art / Debbie at Rainbows within Reach, Coffee Filters / Adrienne at The Iowa Farmers Wife, Crafts & Art / Maggy at Red Ted Art, Crafting on a Budget / Tammy at Housing a Forest, Paper Plates / Kelly at Domestic Goddesque, Toddler Crafts / Cerys at Rainy Day Mum, Upcycled & Recycled Crafts / Esther at Craft To Art