We are not big celebrator's of Valentine's Day. I think we may have been when we were dating and first married but as Ethan wisely spoke in Valentine's past, "Valentine's Day is for those who don't treat their loved ones the way they should every single day of the year." I'm not gonna lie...I still like the pretty aspects of the holiday...love notes, conversation hearts and all. So, to protest Hallmark but honor the day of love, I came up with the idea that we get each other gifts but they have to be homemade and we can't spend more than $10. In fact, the goal was to spend as little as possible. And this is what we did...
I made him his favorite, homemade cookies: oatmeal creme pies. They take several hours to make but the result is SO TASTY (but incredibly unhealthy!) I also bought him our favorite wine from Trader Joe's. It's "cheap" but we like it. (Of course, I won't have a glass since I'm preggo...just throwing that out there for those who may wonder haha.) It's pink and the low price tag allowed it to fit into our tiny budget. I also found a DIY I had to try for homemade scratch cards. I made Ethan two and gave him (8) different options that ranged from things like "Meal of Choice" to "Video Gaming Night with the Wife" (because he's always wanted to game with me but I have no desire haha.) I told him to choose wisely because some are better than others. ;)How much did his gift cost?Eggs: $1.89 // I had all the other ingredients in my cupboard except for eggs...Heart-shaped cookie cutters: $1.98 // One for Kaiden and one for me...too bad he didn't want to participateWine: $2.49Paint $1.39 // I had all the other necessary supplies except the metallic paint.TOTAL COST: $7.75
My first gift that I opened was a seed packed for Cilantro! That was enough to bring a smile to my face. Then he had me open up our front door and I saw his homemade planter box! Ethan's gift is proof that he knows me so well. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I would take a seed packet or plant over a dozen roses any day of the week. Last summer I had potted Cilantro and Basil to see if I could handle gardening and recently, I've been telling Ethan how I want to plant my own tomatoes and other herbs. I'm so excited to start my little seedling and in a few weeks transplant them into this awesome planter box. We don't have much of a yard so this is perfect.How much did Ethan's gift cost?Seed packet: $2.34Plywood: $5.55 // He already had the thicker wood on hand and just needed the plywood for a divider and bottom. (He drilled wholes in the bottom for drainage.)TOTAL COST: $7.89I'm thinking this may become a tradition for us. It's a great way to figure out how to use what you have, stretch your dollars and think outside of the box! Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day!PS. I'm not going to do a Friday Foto Faq this week because I've been extremely busy and I haven't had the time to compile the info I wanted to for this next post. I'm hoping to resume them again next week!