Fill This Month With Love, For Free

As January comes to an end, the approaching tax season + a very small end-of-the-month paycheck has challenged me to find inexpensive ways to celebrate the month of love.  I am actually grateful for the challenge.  "Seasonal" aisles turned from  

red & green

to

red & pink weeks ago,

and my mind automatically went to, "What am I going to do?  How am I going to decorate?  What am I going to give?  What about a Valentine's party?"  I imagined going through a checkout with all of the items I'd need, and realized that I could easily spend all of my money on this holiday.  It felt like Christmas, in February.  As much as I would like to support local businesses this month, with no budget I was forced to shift my thinking away from what I'd buy and toward how I could celebrate the month for free.  

I declare that it is possible to fill this month with love and lasting memories, for free, with  

Love Notes.

Hide them, or leave them out in the open.

materials:

anything to write with

+

anything to write on

mirrors
{look what katie found}

acorns
{blue purple and scarlett}

toilet paper (OR paper towels, coffee sleeves...)
{jumbo coffee morning}

napkins (OR tissue...)
{see this incredible post at just something I made}

rocks
{blue purple and scarlett}

Hidden Hearts.

Don't point them out.  Just let your loved ones find them.

materials:

an eye for everything heart-shaped

Heart Origami

Try folding a grocery ad into a heart.

I wonder if I could fold one of my husband's shirts into a heart...

In books
{vintage french hen}

In toys
{lego}

On the way to the car, OR near the front door
{the paper butterfly}

{this would be sweet on someone's pillow}

When It Comes To Food

Any food made from batter---pancakes---can be shaped like a heart.

You can cut your food into the shape of a heart---cheese, bread...

OR

You can arrange the food in the shape of a heart---spaghetti noodles, vegetables on a plate... 

Random Acts of Kindness.

All you need is a recipient.  You can do something kind for someone as you go about your own day.
print yourself a reminder:

{courtesy of twiddler house}

{courtesy of photography by amber}

an idea list can be simple:

{spread kindness}

Find or Share Ideas

HERE , courtesy of SpreadKindness.org

+

HERE, courtesy of RandomActsOfKindness.org

More ideas to come!

A.