Empty Wallet, Full Hearts; Our Broke Valentine’s Day.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with those who they love.

For us, this Valentine’s Day was a little different, there wasn’t any family to volunteer to watch the boys and well, we are slightly broke at the moment. We had budgeted only $25 for four people for our Valentine’s Day dinner. I can’t say that I wasn’t a little sour towards the idea especially in the days leading up to the 14^th. But you know what, last night was a wonderful night, no, there was no display of flowers, cards, or dinner at Benihana’s like last year, just a family of four enjoying each other’s company at Chick-fil-A.

If you read my latest post the boys and I frequent Chick-fil-A almost once a week, but daddy doesn’t usually join us, so it was a huge treat. And get this, we may have traded the boys toys for two ice cream cups while they were in the play zone…don’t tell, I promise they were well sugared yesterday.

Let’s go back to the start of the day,

Our Valentine’s Day began with the boys waking up to their door being decorated with 14 things that we love about them, one even said that they are “funky fresh,” why not, I was starting to get writers block…is that horrible to say?

I used pre cut shapes from the dollar section at Target.

We made daddy a sweet treat for his Valentine’s Day gift. I really wanted to do chocolate covered strawberries, but I struggle with buying berries in February. I will never understand why we celebrate Valentine’s Day with flowers and strawberries when neither are in season in February. Like where do these magical strawberries come from?

So we made heart shaped rice krispie treats, much more reliable and cheaper than strawberries, plus I have been craving rice krispie treats during this entire pregnancy.

Rice Krispie Treat Recipe:

1 bag of marshmallows (10.5 oz)

2 cups of mini marshmallows

5 tablespoons of SALTED butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups of krispie cereal

Grease foil lined 9×13 pan with nonstick spray. Melt butter and bag of marshmallows. Once melted add cereal and vanilla, then incorporate mini marshmallows (do not let them melt). Transfer mixture to pan and spread evenly. To help spread use rubber spatula with nonstick spray on it. Allow to fully cool for about 2.5 hours…if you can wait that long.

We used milk chocolate chips and about a tablespoon of coconut oil to dip the treats. The coconut oil will give you a nicer dip that will stay relatively shiny.

While we were making our treats we enjoyed Cupid Floats (scoop of ice cream with cherry 7up). My little guys didn’t enjoy it as much as I did. They typically say that carbonated drinks are spicy.

I’m posting this little craft that we did as well. What a perfect reminder of our first and greatest valentine.

I also, must say that the gifts you receive when you are broke, come from a very loving and tender heart. My amazing husband sent me on a crazy scavenger hunt (which he knows I hate scavenger hunts) in our home which ended at a USB that had a song that he had written and sung with a slide show of pictures to go with it…I KNOW bring on the water works right.

Our awesome Chick-fil-A also gave all their customers a free breakfast Valentine last night as well…what a sweet surprise.

Did I forget to mention that thanks to pregnancy brain and my toddlers sugar rush yesterday, I completely forgot to give my amazing husband his cards…oops. I will be filling them out right after this post.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Morgan