I love to do a couple of things for my kids. I don’t sign them up for eighteen different activities and ferry them around. I’m not cut out for homeschooling, or even child care (teachers and child care providers are my heros BTW). The things I’m stuck on doing for my kids are baking their birthday cakes, and making their Valentines. I started searching pinterest for ideas sometime around boxing day, and promptly did not a damn thing until last week. I had my choices nailed down to either this, or a cute Valentine with pop rocks. I couldn’t find anywhere to buy copious amounts of pop rocks, so I went with the glow sticks. I also found an awesome idea for printing cute Valentine labels for fruit (Orange you glad you’re my Valentine?), but I struggled with the logistics of getting Emma to carry 20+ apples, oranges or bananas to school. I may have to file that one away for grade 3 or so.

I designed the Valentine using Stampin Up’s My Design Studio software and had them printed at the photocentre of my local Wal-Mart. I should have had them printed at Staples on cardstock, but I was pressed for time, and Wal-Mart is open later.

I cut them out. All of them. By hand. I will try to remember for next year to do this more efficiently, like with a die in my cuttlebug, or hire oompa loompas or something. I bought the glowsticks at Michaels, they cost $1.50 for a tube of 15. Once all the Valentines were all cut out, I cut slits into the card at the top and bottom of the heart and threaded the glow bracelet through. I thought I would be super smart and put the connectors on them first, and well…

 

Glow bracelets are slightly more fragile than I originally thought. On the bright side of things, I only broke 4 out of 30…so far.

Finished product:

  

Added bonus: sucking up to teacher by not giving a room full of children MORE sugar.