You know what’s hilarious? Typically, I am not very good about giving gifts on Valentine’s Day. But for whatever reason, I decided to make a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for the blog and then a week before Valentine’s Day, I was like, “Hmmmm… maybe I should get my kids and my husband some of the gifts I am recommending other people get their kids and their husband…”

My favorite part of Valentine’s Day was seeing the kids surprised faces in the morning, when they walked into the living room and saw presents at their seats at the table. I had already given Mazzy the Comfy, but I wanted her to have something to open on Valentine’s Day, so I got her a mom-daughter journal with prompts.

I had already given Mazzy the Comfy, but I wanted her to have something to open on Valentine’s Day, so I threw in the Mom-Daughter journal. Harlow got the Rubik’s cube she requested, but then didn’t want to mess it up. I think part of the reason she wanted one is because she’s a perfectionist and wanted to have it already solved. I also got her the shiny heart purse that I put in my gift guide.

Mike got the scratch-off classic movie poster, that’s supposed to be a bucket list of 100 great movies. What’s funny is that I assumed the classic movies were going to be old movies like Citizen Kane and Gone with the Wind that we might not have necessarily seen, but instead it’s movies like Silence of the Lambs and Avatar, so we can scratch off pretty much every single one. It was a “we’re old” moment, for sure.

This is what Harlow wore to school today:

As with every holiday, Harlow is ALL IN. She had me buy this dress especially for Valentine’s Day and has been planning her outfit for weeks. Those are her birthday party HEELS, you should know. Last night, I went out and came home after she was asleep, but she had the whole thing laid out neatly on the couch. So freakin’ sweet.

In case you are curious, Mazzy wanted to wear a shirt that was the opposite of Valentine’s Day and opted for a black Wonder Woman t-shirt.

Harlow was upset that nobody was wearing red with her, so I put on my bright red coat. On the way to school, Harlow messed up her Rubik’s Cube and got upset. I tried to explain that’s what’s supposed to happen so you can solve it but she was not buying it. Mazzy volunteered to take it, claiming that she had a friend in class who could fix it. She said she’d return it to Harlow at some point during the day and I honestly thought the whole deal was a recipe for disaster. But then, just five minutes after I brought Harlow to class, before I had left, Mazzy ran in and gave Harlow the fully solved cube. I guess she really did have a friend who is good at it! Harlow was thrilled, held up the cube like it was Simba in the Lion King and said, “Mazzy is awesome!!!” which is the nicest exchange they have had in weeks.

When I got home, Mike had filled all the vases in our apartment with roses and Mazzy was eagerly waiting to start our mother daughter journal. She had us pick out special pens and we took turns filling out the first few pages of prompts. I’m not allowed to reveal what’s inside but her first page already made me cry happy tears.

Tonight, we are getting together with friends tonight for pizza and wine. I am bringing a box of chocolate chip cookies that I always covet but never purchase at a coffee shop near my office. Then later, if we get home early enough, we will all be watching the premiere of Zombies 2.

Sounds like the perfect Valentine’s Day to me!

If you prefer to celebrate V-Day with a healthy dose of love and romance, I suggest you read “26 How We Met Stories” which I put together from my favorite responses in the Remarkably Average Parents facebook group. They are amazing. There’s one remarkably average couple who got engaged before they met in real life!

For those of you going on ski vacations this holiday week (or contemplating it for the future), I put together a comprehensive post called “How to Raise Kids who Love Skiing.” It includes all my best advice for how to get your kids started, what gear to use, choosing the right ski resort, how to make ski vacations more economical, etc. A lot of my insights are thanks to Mike, who is the king of logistics and creating travel plans that put as little stress on the kids as possible (happy kids = happy parents). He really keeps our family’s needs in mind. Becoming a “ski family” is a commitment, but it really pays off in the long run when you have a sport you can all do together for years. Our big reward was during our last ski trip when Mazzy said she loves ski vacations more than any other kind of vacation.

I hope everyone has a great Valentine’s Day and a great President’s Day weekend!