Thursday, February 11, 2010

Dragons and Cupids and Tigers, Oh My!

Raise your hand if you knew Valentines Day 2010 was the same day as the Chinese New Year.

It's a dilemma for someone who loves holidays as much as I do to decide how to handle a double decker kind of day.

One year Matthew's birthday fell on Easter. Obviously, we couldn't not celebrate both, so instead we turned Matthew's party into an Easter Egg hunt. Then there was the year I graduated with my doctoral degree during Mother's Day weekend. Graduation isn't exactly a holiday, but after three years of rigorous work and giving birth to a dissertation, I intended to celebrate like it was a national holiday. My mother, mother in-law, and I compromised. We celebrated graduation and motherhood while receiving manicures and pedicures from a local spa in Athens, Georgia.

So snubbing the Chinese New Year simply because we Americans can out commercialize the rest of the world didn't seem right.

Luckily, the Chinese love the color red as much as Cupid.
Matthew and I decided on a compromise for his classmates. Traditional red Chinese envelopes made from felt (not paper) and filled with a mixture of Chinese tokens and good old fashioned American chocolates. Kids get their much anticipated candy and China, a civilization dating back somewhere around 67,000 years, gets the respect it deserves.
And don't think I won't milk this one on Sunday night when I suggest we eat Chinese food for dinner. How about you? What will you be doing on Valentines Day? And, are any of you Celebrating the Year of the Tiger?

Signing off until tomorrow...

17 comments:

Heather @ HouseofShine.com said...

What a fun and cute idea!
I'm still struggling to come up with a cute but fairly easy Valentine idea for lily's classmates aside from the requisite box of paper that is always a fall back.

Ideas?

Heather @ HouseofShine.com said...

Oh and Claudia you should have added SNOW to your title today because we are getting SNOW in Texas today!!!!

I woke up this morning to a little more than an inch and it is still coming down! I can't believe they haven't cancelled the schools yet!

Cristine said...

One of the boys' teachers always sends home little red envelopes for Chinese new year. But no candy. It's forbidden in the boys' school.
This year we're doing v-day cups, crayons and coupons for FREE bowling at Brunswick zone (the link is up on my blog - www.more4momsbuck.com if you want the coupons too)

Also, for the next 2 days I'll be leading the class game of pin the heart on cupid. Let's home it all turns out well.

As for our v-day celebration. Not too sure, but I will be opening my my bottle of Chocolate-Vino (chocolate wine) for dessert.

Have a great day everyone

Peggy said...

Heather, not sure what you are asking for... "the requisite box of paper?" How can I help you with ideas?

If I was a comedian... what a great line to have the Chinese year of the Tiger (Woods, that is).

As for Valentine's day... we will be at a v-ball tournament in Schaumburg IL.... very close to IKEA.... maybe Sissy will be out a game or refing... and DH and I can do some browsing!

I went shopping at Kohl's yesterday and bought all my 'loves' a little treat!

Heather said...

Thanks Peggy for helping me clarify.
I'm saying I don't want to do the "requisite box" of cheapie Valentines with the cheesy pre-school characters on them. I'd rather do something homemade and fun but I basically have 24 hours to make 20 Valentine's so time is of the essence!

Cheryl Houston said...

Well, my boys are taking some REAL creative Valentines to their class. I picked up two boxes of pre-made Valentine Nerds at Albertsons. One card says, "Love the Nerd your with." and the other says, shoot, I can't remember. The tiny box slides into the tiny card (I tore a bunch of the little suckers).

Mom of the Year. I know! Try not to be jealous. :)

Snow- SNOW! Forgot where I was this morning. Wait- yes- I did move back to Texas. You're not in Utah, Dorothy.

Chinese New Year- well, maybe we'll squeeze in a mention but I'll be lucky to celebrate Valentine's Day! Busy, busy, busy.

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Cheryl, You are hilarious!

Heather... let's see, what could you do in a pinch?

Maybe a small sheet of stickers with a note stapled to it that says, "I'm stuck on you."

You could put red lipstick on Lily and let her kiss some white cardstock. Then just cut them up, write SWAK, and call it a day.

More expensive, but always a hit are balloons. I'm pretty sure you'd be the hit of the class if you walked in with red helium balloons.

This is fun. It's like a Free For All Friday, but on Thursday.

Peggy said...

Heather, What supplies do you have on hand? Are you giving a treat with the valentine?

http://www.freekidscrafts.com/printable_lollipop_valentines-e207.html

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-cards/

One thing to remember at your daughter's age, the 'kids' wont be reading the card.... the treat is most important. I always go back to the 'baggie' treat I showed you guys at TASTE OF USA... top the treat bag with a folded over 'tag' and staple to the top... use stickers, markers, google eyes...

Above are a few places to start you off.... I got a million ideas, and would be willing to give you more if you can't get anything from those two sites.

Let me know if you need a visual of the treat bag... I'll whip you up something and post it to my blog! :0).... what to do when it's only 8 degrees out!!!

Katie said...

For Valentine's Day I will be going with two girl friends to see the movie Valentine's Day. A lot of my friends are going out of town this weekend, but on Friday night before they all leave we're having an opening ceremony party for the Winter Olympics! I'm bringing their Valentine's treats to that event.

Here's what I did for Valentine's Day:
At Target in the dollar bin they had $1 pink, red, and white mailboxes. I decorated the outside of the mailboxes with stickers, cut out hearts, and with paint pens to personalize them to each person. Then on the inside of the mailbox they'll find their valentine as well as some heart cookies. Nothing too grand, but fun for them and me!

Since it will also be the Chinese New Year, maybe I can convince my friends or order in Chinese before we go see the movie...hope so!

Chaotic Kristi said...

we are celebrating VDay the way Texans celebrate everything.. with a BBQ cookout!

Heather... red card stock, punch out pics of your childs face from pics and make postcards from your child?

Claudia @ Highlowaha said...

Ooh, I love the idea of those small treat bags Peggy made for us at Taste of USA. They are super simple, but look great.

That gets my vote.

Cheryl Houston said...

http://partyperfectblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/shower-perfect-baby-shower-for-twins.html

Heather- about the third pic down is a cookie in a bag with the over the top seal thingy with a heart punched out with fabric behind it... you can make it your own.

Heather said...

Thanks guys for all the ideas!

Peggy those sites were awesome!

I think I might go with the simple but fun Lollipop flowers from the Family fun site!

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-cards/best-valentines-day-cards-834796/#Lollipop%20Flowers;10

I think I can hammer out twenty of those in no time flat.

Brian K. Root said...

I'm enjoying my 2nd snow day in a row here in southwestern VA. We really don't have much snow, but the roads are pretty iced over and it's been about 15 degrees the past few days.

Anyhow, I made chocolate covered pretzels and choc. covered oreos yesterday for an upcoming Relay for Life fundraiser. They are so easy and quick to make.

Why not do the same for your kids' valentine's treats? You could sprinkle on some red sprinkles or make them more colorful for the kids.

...And I must say I do love the Chinese New Year. I'm ashamed to say I didn't even realize it was creeping up on us.

There's another "holiday" approaching us that some of us student affairs folks should be prepared to acknowledge. Next Weds., the 17th, is International Student Housing Staff Recognition Day. (Or, as I call it, RA Appreciation/Recognition Day.)

Danko Family said...

I'm raising my hand! I knew the 2 holidays shared the day...not sure how I knew that, but I did!

Not sure what the hubby and I are doing on Valentine's Day. We aren't much for the Hallmark-type Holidays. The military has a 4 day weekend because of President's Day, and I'm sure we'll enjoy plenty of family time...for a change!

I made the Fortune cookie Valentines for the boys to share with their buddies tomorrow. I put a smartie in the middle because the kiddos definitely love the treat!

Heather said...

Brian I'd love to do dipped chocolates but alas the rules at school are strict and nothing homemade can be brought in and everything must have an ingredients list!

So...I think I'll do the lollipops and then we are already signed up to bring cookies for their party so I'll be scouting out some fun ones tonight at the grocery store.

All this I say with the caveat that we now have over 4 inches of snow and they expect us to get 8 inches by days end then temps to drop over night...with no snow plows/salt trucks etc...we may be stuck at home tomorrow and all this fun brain storming for nothing!

Robin said...

I did etsy Valentine's for Ada (4). You color them yourself and it went to charity. Everyone else hand made them.

How did you make the envelopes?

FWIW, I like the bottom color.