I was never one to buy into the sappy manufactured romance of Valentine’s Day. I spent too many years as a single person who hated all things Valentine to do a 180 once I got together with Mike.

Does being part of a couple make you suddenly appreciate a stuffed monkey wearing a “Be Mine” t-shirt, holding a satin heart?

No, no it does not.

Once the kids arrived though, Valentine’s Day started to mean something else. Forget the jewelry and the $75 prix fixe dinners with your significant other, Valentine’s Day is now about things the kids appreciate. Like homemade cards, extra big kisses, special treats you’d never let them eat on a normal day and one more reason to tell your kids how much you love them.

Last year, I wrote a love letter to my girls for Valentine’s Day. This year, I feel like they are each other’s Valentines.

I’m okay with that because honestly my heart is fullest when I watch the two of them together, dressing up, singing songs from Frozen, pretending to ice skate by sliding in their socks. These are the things I want to remember and I want them to remember too.

Blinkbuggy (that’s the online baby book I recommended awhile back) is allowing people to make limited edition Valentine’s Day cards, paying only what they wish to pay at purchase. The cards are in line with Blinkbuggy’s whole baby book concept, which marries photos with information (like dates, milestones, and anecdotes) so you can remember more than your kid’s face when you look back at your family’s very special moments years from now.

Because if you are anything like me, you always think you will remember but you don’t. Funny quotes, words mispronounced wrong, extraordinary feats you think will be ingrained in your brain forever. But the truth is, there are far too many of those things to remember without being recorded. I don’t even remember to write them down when I say I’ll write them down. Or I’ll go to write something down and with pen in hand, I realize I’ve already forgotten. Isn’t that the worst?

I came up with Harlow’s favorite things to do with Mazzy in her Valentine’s Day card up top and then I asked Mazzy for her own answers for her card to Harlow (edited a bit to fit in the space). And just because he’ll always be my first Valentine (even though we used to be resistant to the holiday), I made Mike a Valentine from the girls too.

Mike and I are allowed to be total saps when it comes to the girls.

For the rest of the week, the Valentine’s Day graphics will be available on Blinkbuggy, for only the price you want to pay. Just enter whatever price you think it’s worth— that’s their valentine’s gift to you. It’s homemade (sort of), super easy and perfect for parents who want to send something special to their spouses or the grandparents. (Actually, I should totally do this for the grandparents— why didn’t I think of that until just now??? Doing that as soon as I finish this post!) You can create and mail a high res digital file that can be blown up to 8X10, if you wish to print it out. Or you can just send your card over email.

Better than a monkey holding a satin heart, right?

Unless there’s chocolate involved.

Then I will take that too.

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