Homemade Valentine's Day Fun

A few weeks ago we began making Valentine's Day cards, but the excitement dwindled after the ongoing fights over the scissors and baby girl applying glue to her hair like one does with hair gel.

Fast forward to Valentine's eve, at the 11th hour we are trying to produce a surprise love party for Village Papa, make dinner and manage the play doh party that's permanently taken over the table in our eat in kitchen. We still have nothing to contribute to the preschool treats basket...

...jr cookie monster pleads for me to make a few last shapes with him. Then I see 'IT', the idea lights up the room like a lightning bolt: play doh necklaces! Of course. So we mold our hearts out, excited for the next activity: baking a chocolate love cake.

Our batter was 'Your Basic Chocolate Cupcakes' from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World; I was in substitution-heaven because half the stuff the recipe calls for was not in our cupboards and you know I love substitutions. Wee chef insists it has to be a cake, so mama searches for the bundt pan.

By the time papa comes home the playdoh necklaces are drying on the windowsill, cake is baking away, we've scrawled a message on the chalk board and the kids are bathed!

The hyper-homemade-creation-frenzy icing on the cake melts all over me when jr cookie monster gives the sister and I a show-and-taste from his preschool loot - which includes: homemade cards from all his friends and teacher, homewrapped chocolates and cookies and his sweet memories from a great day.