Given that it's early February and many of us are wrestling with the "what do we do now?" question as the snow days stack up (if the 10-day forecast is correct, we may have more forthcoming...SORRY!), I thought it would be a perfect time to roundup some ideas for Valentine's Day. It turns out there are some really great ideas swimming around in the archives; enjoy these free printables, crafts, treats, and relationship lessons.

1. The core of everything is relationships! These 4 simple love lessons are a really good place to start.

2. Isn't it amazing that the world is filled with so many beautiful free printables? I used #1 and #5 last year and will return to these 14 awesome free Valentine's Day printables for the girls!

3. If you have a kid who loves to focus on projects, these rosebud Valentine's are simply adorable (sorry, old photo skills don't do it justice!).

4. Here's a fun roundup of 10 lovely Valentine's Day craft and treat ideas.

5. Here are 3 easy Valentine's Day treats you can make with kids; I think I'm going to make the cake this year. YUM. CAKE.

6. If you want to create a treat that's a little fancier, try these Valentine's fudge cakes. YUM.

7. We keep things simple and don't really do Valentine's gifting in our house, but here's a cute idea for Valentine's Day color themed card kits -- you may be able to assemble this from craft scraps in your home (what's old is new!).

8. And here's an article I wrote a while back on creative ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day.

Today, Lindsey shares 3 easy Valentine's Day treats to make with your kids (also, be sure to check out these awesome free Valentine's Day printables!):

I used to hate Valentine's Day, for all of its forced romance. But my children have made me love it: their enthusiasm for decorating the house, for hand-made Valentine cards, and for sweets is utterly contagious.

It's that last category that they probably love most. What kid doesn't!? Red and pink is my favorite color combination, so I make sure that features on almost all baked goods. Here are three (super easy!) favorites that Grace, Whit, and I love; they all make for fun projects for the kids:

1. Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks. Melt milk or white chocolate over a double boiler (put one pot inside a larger one with some water in it) to gently melt the chocolate. Stir frequently. When the chocolate is melted, dip pretzel sticks one at a time. I use a spoon to bring the chocolate up the pretzel until about 2/3 is covered. Twirl the pretzel to cover all around and place pretzel on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Shake sprinkles over the still-soft chocolate. Put them somewhere cool (fridge works, but so does a basement) to harden. These look cute standing up in a cup or glass.

2. Pink rice krispie treats. In a large saucepan melt 3 tablespoons of butter and then add 4 cups of mini-marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallow becomes liquid. Add drops of red food coloring to your desired level of pink or red and stir to blend. Add 6 cups of rice krispies and mix together until they are all coated and sticky. Press into a 13 x 9 pan (I spray my hands with canola oil) and let cool. Sometimes, I cut these out with a heart cookie cutter.

3. Heart cake for breakfast. It's now one of my traditions to present Grace and Whit with cake for breakfast on Valentine's Day. I know it's not nutritious but the sheer joy on their face is worth it; I love it and imagine they will remember those mornings for a long time.

I use yellow boxed cake mix, but I always doctor it a bit, using 4 eggs instead of the 2 the box calls for and substituting milk for water and melted butter for oil. It tastes delicious! You don't need a special pan to make this cake.  Make one square (8x8) and one round (8x8) cake (the box makes two layers so it's the perfect amount). Once the cakes are baked and cooled, cut the circle into halves. Turn the square so that one corner points down, towards you. One half of each circle goes on each of the top two sides of the square. Voila, a heart! Frost accordingly!

Image credits: Lindsey Mead

I'm a designer and DIY enthusiast, but I also believe in efficiency. And when it comes to Valentine's Day cards (and producing about 40 of them for Laurel and Vi's classmates and teachers...sometimes the girls have the steam to make them and sometimes not), there are so many great printables out there that I see no need to create work for myself! Here are 14 (actually, more than 14) awesome FREE Valentine's Day printables. Your biggest challenge will be deciding which ones to blast through your printer. WIN.

1. Pick from any or all of 4 adorable woodland creatures.

2. Pop this super hero printable into a frame, or cut up the icons for individual cards.

3. I heart these modern blue and red cards.

4. Your kids can practice the alphabet with this cute printable.

5. Extreme couponing of the affectionate variety.

6. For those (like Laurel) who are obsessed with mustaches.

7. Six simple and sweet printable cards.

8. A treats printable for my fellow typography nerds.

9. We go together like pie and whipped cream (and several other pairings that are making me hungry).

10. Eight adorable retro printable cards.

11. DYING over these 7 Star Wars cards!

12. A great printable for the bookworms.

13. Rainbow loom bracelet tags = brilliant.

14. Adorable paper airplane printables.

Image credits: all images via sourced links above.

Wow, what a weekend. Poor Vi has been suffering since Wednesday and we're still not out of the woods. It's been a challenging several days, but also included a major revelation. I'm wishing all of you and your little ones excellent health! Meanwhile, here are some handy/fun ideas to consider in this week's Weekly Blueprint:

February 13: Pack Valentine's for school. If Valentine's prep has fallen off your radar, don't fret! Check out these free, fast, and adorable robot printables. And if you're volunteering in your kid's class for Valentine's, arm yourself with a few of these cute classroom party ideas.
February 14: Hug or call someone you love. I'm planning on recording a short Valentine's video greeting from the girls to email to the grandparents.

February 16: Bring your baby to enjoy some art.

February 16: Katherine Stone educates on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

February 17: The Mitten, brought to life.

February 17: Come garner great ideas during a live chat I'm leading on taking 10 minutes for yourself every day.

February 17: A technicolor singalong.

February 17-25: Perfect for Bugs Bunny fans.

At your leisure: Print and hang some new family photos. (Personal goal: get photos of Violet on the wall before her first birthday next month!)

At your leisure: Engage in some preventative medicine -- whatever works for you, whether it's a yoga class, upping your vitamin C, or going to bed an hour earlier.

At your leisure: Make some comfort food. Like this easy, cream macaroni and cheese.

At your leisure: And if you've been having a tough go of things as we have, make a yummy sweet treat. I think it's time for me to make these peanut butter bliss cookies.

Today, Paige (also of Mudroom Boston) shares a beloved book, good for Valentine's Day or any day:

"Mr. Hatch was tall and thin and he did not smile." And so begins the story of Mr. Hatch, a lonesome man who leads a gray and dreary life. He leaves his house at precisely 6:30am for his job at the shoelace factory every day, sits alone and eats his cheese and mustard sandwich for lunch every day, and stops at the grocery store for a fresh turkey wing for dinner every day. And then one day, a day unlike every other day, the postman changes Mr. Hatch's world when he delivers a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates, complete with a special Valentine's note. "Somebody loves you," the note says. But who?
In Eileen Spinelli's Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch (our favorite Valentine story that we read year-round), we get a peek into how someone's whole life can change with one simple expression of love. As soon as Mr. Hatch reads that note, his world becomes more colorful and expressive -- captured perfectly by illustrator Paul Yalowitz -- as he begins wearing polka dot ties, helps out neighbors in need, throws backyard parties complete with homemade brownies, and laughs like he's never laughed before.

But just when we think all is right in Mr. Hatch's life, the postman returns to admit that he delivered the box to the wrong address, and suddenly Mr. Hatch's new found joy disappears (as does the color from Yalowitz's illustrations). And just when you want to jump into the pages of Mr. Hatch's world and say, "but WE love you, Mr. Hatch," the many people whose lives he touched in those few brief days of happiness band together and show Mr. Hatch exactly what he means to them.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is a story that has brings tears of empathy and joy. With its simply written story and expressive pictures, not only does it teach that saying "I love you" can change someone's life, but that opening up to other people can change your life, too -- an important lesson for kids and grownups alike.

Happy February! While I don't pay much attention to Valentine's Day from a commercial standpoint -- Jon and I don't exchange gifts -- the day does offer a fun inspiration point for crafts and food around our house. (Plus, I love the colors red and pink!) As I've mentioned before, I adore Pinterest and decided to round up 10 pretty craft and treat ideas that caught my pinning eye. Oh, and if you need a Pinterest invite, drop me a line and I'll be happy to send you one! Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Crafts

1. I love the simple and chic of this pop-up Valentine.

2. Brilliant. Turn your collection of random broken crayons into Valentine's that will craft it forward.

3. Pretty heart ornaments.

4. Pinned from my archives: crepe paper rosebud Valentine's cards.

5. I'm tempted to make one of these DIY scratch off cards for Jon. So cute!

6. A pretty printable Valentine's book.

Valentine's Day Treats

7. Red velvet brownies. YES.

8. Easy cut out cupcakes.

9. You could totally serve this as a healthy Valentine's Day snack.

10. Figs for Valentine's Day? Brilliant and easy. Also high in fiber.

All images via Pinterest.