Last Updated on January 26, 2019
Valentine’s day is my favorite holiday. I don’t necessarily need to go out for dinner or get an expensive gift from my husband. In fact, I honestly don’t mind if we do anything at all. The reason I love Valentine’s day is because I love to stock up on all the heart shaped things that stores sell. You name it, and they have it in a heart shape and are selling it around Feb. 14th! So, I go shopping!
I have heart shaped cake pans, a heart shaped pancake griddle pan, a bundt cake pan that has hearts on the top of it, heart shaped cookie cutters, and ice cube trays that make heart shaped ice, and heart shaped molds to make heart shaped sugar cubes! I stock up on gift bags with hearts on them, and heart shaped sprinkles, and anything else unique that I can find with a heart on it! I love all of it!
The reason I like to collect all of this heart “stuff” is because I love to use it throughout the year. I look for random opportunities to give a gift or make a meal or a cake that is heart shaped, especially for my husband or children. So I guess you can say I try to celebrate Valentine’s Day every day! The weeks before and after Feb. 14th are just my opportunity to stock up for the year!
On a cold day we serve hot chocolate with whipped cream and heart shaped sprinkles or heart shaped marshmallows. I’ll choose to cook lasagna in a heart shaped pan or I’ll bake a cake in the heart bundt pan. On a Saturday morning I make heart shaped pancakes. If my daughter is having a rough week, I fill a gift bag decorated with hearts with her favorite body spray and lotion. When my son has been working a lot, and I haven’t seen him much, I put a bag of chocolate kisses on his pillow. When my husband comes in from working out, I fill a glass with heart shaped ice cubes and fill it with water for him. If I know someone needs encouragement, sometimes I will put a small candle, a tea bag and some chocolate kisses in a clear gift bag, tie a ribbon around it, attach a heart shaped card to the ribbon and give it to them when I see them next. I look for any excuse to use my heart shaped purchases!
The heart shape symbolizes love. I want love to be my theme. Love for others. Love for my family. I want them to know they are loved and cherished. When people come into my home, I want them to leave feeling like they were loved.
Life outside these four walls can be really hard. There is pressure and stress, and the people who walk through my front door are sometimes tired and weary. I want my home to be a haven. I want to celebrate and love on people, especially the precious people that have been loaned to me for a few years–My husband and children.
Stocking up on hearts once a year is something I look forward to! It’s just one small way that I can prepare to love on those who have been placed in my care!
Beautiful! This is a wonderful perspective and encouragement. Thank you