Growing up, my family had a ton of ritual and tradition.  All sorts of stuff that we looked forward to. Christmas meant advent calanders, candles and wreaths, new PJ's, pinatas, and sleeping in my brother's room on Christmas Eve to try and stay awake all night. Thanksgiving meant that we would get to eat my Aunt Candy's broccoli casserole, tell everyone what we were thankful for and create plays or dance routines for the family in my grandparent's rec room. Easter always meant baskets, fancy dresses, hats and orchids (perfect for a fancy little lady like me). But Valentines Day was one of my favorites. And it was very simple.

I am so excited this year to start the Valentine's Day tradition that my mom did with us.

My mom would make a dinner that everyone loved. Sometimes that meant things didn't go together (think spaghetti and baked potatoes). The table would be decorated with hearts and pink and red stuffs. Everyone had a festive place mat and setting. All of it dripping with lovey sap. And everyone had a small bucket stuffed with goodies and valentines. The Valentines Day bucket, you know,  cousin of the Easter basket and the Halloween pillow case. We made valentines for each other and brought them with us to give out at dinner time. My mom always wrote the sweetest things to us. It always made me feel so good. And that's all there really was too it. A family dinner made extra special.

So the cool thing about keeping traditions with your kids is that they grow up and get crazy-super-all-kinds-of-giddy excited do the same with their own babies. Because they remember how awesome it was just to get a love note from their mom and have yummy dinner on chintzy heart shaped plates. And get an heart shaped eraser or a small heart shaped note pad. It's the little things that stay. Even something as simple as a dressed up family dinner.

So this year, The Pants Family Valentine's Day menu will be spaghetti w/meat sauce, broccolli and garlic bread (Mr. Pants would eat this every day, all day, if he could). Cupcakes with M&M's for decoration are up for dessert. And I've written a valentine for each of my people. Tomorrow, Mr. Pants will work on one for his daddy and sister. And Monday night (we have to celebrate a day early this year), our table will be all decked out with ooey gooey smooshy loveness.

And here's the cool part about this, the whole thing cost twenty one bucks and change. Food, decorations, little gifties. All of it. Can I get a what what! for dollar sections? And the Valentines are made from our own art supplies. And few things I just had around the house. I have had two small red planters from Ikea for about eleven years. I knew someday they would find a purpose. They are perfect for Pants and Plum's Buckets O' Love.

Do you have a Valentine's Day tradition?