Just because Valentine’s has come and went, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing left to celebrate in the month of February. There is still plenty to look forward to.

February is Wild Bird Feeding Month, National Cherry Month, Library Lovers’ Month, Responsible Pet Owner’s Month, and Black History Month. Plus you still have Friendship week, which lands the 21-27 and Tootsie Roll Anniversary on the 23.

So there is no time like today than to plan some extra fun for the month.

Make a bird feeder for the birds this week. Birds need help finding food during the winter and this is a great time to help. Find a pinecone and put peanut butter on it and roll it in birdseed. Find a place to hang it outside so you can see the birds enjoy the food. Make more than one and hang them all over the place.

Here is one more recipe for the birds. Take a saucepan mix 2 quarts of water and 1 cup margarine. Boil. Add 4 cups cereal like cornmeal, rolled oats, or grain. Mix in 1 cup  butter and 1 cup chopped fruit like raisins or dates. Pack mixture into plastic containers and let cool. Set bowls outside so the birds can enjoy it.

Take a trip to the store and find a neat bird feeder for your yard and install it so that you can feed the birds all year around.

Get books from the library to help you identify the birds that visit your yard. (This also helps you celebrate Library Lovers’ Month)

To help with National Cherry Month bake something new with cherries in it. There are many recipes out there that sound wonderful and would make a perfect treat for you and your family.

Make cherry jello and kool-aid. Cut out shapes in your jello with cookie cutters and make popsicles with the kool-aid. Take an ice cube tray and add kool-aid and cover it with plastic wrap and use toothpicks to poke holes in each cube and leave them in. Put in freezer and enjoy when frozen.

Enjoy cherry cheesecake. You can make one from scratch or by the box mix at the store.

Mix a cherry smoothie with frozen cherries.

Use dried cherries in your cereal or salad.

Websites for more information on birds and cherries:

Wild-Bird-Watching.com/

WhatBird.com/

Backyard-Bird-Watching.com/

Kraftfoods.com

AllRecipes.com

Theater Night -

Turn your living room into a theater. Don’t forget to include a concession stand.

For this idea you will need some poster board or construction paper, markers, popcorn, candy, drinks and a couple of movies.

Take your poster board and make a name for your theater. Take another piece of board or paper and list your movies and show times. Make extra signs too for the restrooms, exits and concession. For the concession stand list your items and a cost. Like $1 for popcorn, $2 for candy and drinks. Make play money and tickets to give to your guests.

Invite your guests through a hand made card and include the tickets and play money.

Turn your living room into a theater. Hang up signs in the house to tell your guests what time the movie starts and signs for the restroom, exits and concession. If you have a bar in your kitchen you can make this your concession stand or use a table.

When it’s time for the guests to arrive make sure you take their tickets and be ready to serve at the concession stand.

Have fun and enjoy the movie.

Valentine Peanut Butter Cookies –

Make your favorite peanut butter cookies and add Hersey kisses to them when they come out of the oven. It’s the best peanut butter cookies you’ll ever have.

Make a college –

Take a piece of paper and add words and pictures that tell your loved one what they mean to you.

Make a flower pot –

Get flower seeds and a small pot. Decorate the outside and add soil and seeds. The recipient can transplant the flower outside in their own garden to watch it grow all spring.

Be creative this Valentine’s Day and show someone how much they mean to you. A homemade gift can really speak to a persons heart.

Have a nice evening with a candle light dinner.

Find a recipe that you’ve never tried before but looks elegant and fun to make. Make it for your special person and set your table with candles in different sizes or shapes. Use the nicest plates you have along with a fork, spoon, knife and napkins. Champagne or wine glasses are great for drinks even if it’s just water or tea. Add confetti hearts or make your own out of construction paper. For place mats use 12×12 decorative paper.

Make a nice dessert to go with it. Chocolate covered strawberries or an inexpensive cheesecake.

Serve your loved one dinner and then end the night with a long walk together, a trip the lake, or a great romantic movie.

To learn how to set at table look here for instructions http://www.silverqueen.com/Sterling-Silver-Flatware/Set-Your-Table.asp

This is something you can make for your husband, wife or children. It’s a great project for everyone and something fun to receive.

Supplies:

Card stock or construction paper

Stickers

Markers

stapler or hole punch

And this link: Valentine’s Day Coupon (to use template you must have Word)

Valentine’s Day Coupon:

Redeem this coupon for __________________________________

From ____________________________________

­­­­

Use the template above to make the coupons. Add what you would like to it using your computer. You can add your own images.

Print them out and cut them. Print them on regular paper or colored card stock.

Take a piece of paper and cut out a rectangle a little bigger than your coupons. You will need two.

Take one of the rectangles and make this your cover. Add writing, stickers and drawings.

Put the finished coupons together and add the cover and back. Use a stapler to hold it together or a hole punch and tie it up with ribbon or string.

Don’t know what to write, here are some ideas:

Take out the trash

Make a puzzle together

Play a board game

Hugs and kisses

Back rub

Clean room

Dinner and movie

Make a tent together

Camp out inside the house

Play football

Put together a list of songs for your husband, wife or children that have a special meaning between the two of you. Like the first song you heard together,  danced together, songs you played at your wedding.  For the kids you might include songs that you sing together, silly songs or that show them you love them.

Include songs that your loved one will enjoy or just make them a mixed cd of new artists that they might like.

Add a cd cover that you made or print one out. You could also include a play list with the name of songs and artists.

Then take them and put them all around the house. Like in the sock drawer, pocket of a shirt in the closet that you know they will wear, wallet, inside the fridge on an item they will pick up, coffee pot or mug, on the mirror, on the tv or computer. Where ever you think they will find them.

Make sure you make a lot of them. They might be finding them for a couple of days if you hide them good.

You could use post it notes too if you wanted but sometimes they don’t stick very good.

Mirror love notes:

Get some draw erase markets and leave love notes on the mirror everyday. It’s really easy to do and they wipe right off with your finger or a paper towel.

Let the kids do it too. They will have writing and drawing on the mirrors but make sure you tell them only on the mirrors and put the markers in a safe place until you use them next time.

You can keep this going all year long too. Friends and family that visit can add their own special messages to you.

Notes of encouragement and love go a long way.

Valentine’s Clothespin Magnets

Supplies needed:

Pretty paper

Colored paper

1 clothespin

Magnet strip

Scissors

Glue

Embellishments – stickers, glitter, markers, brads, buttons, etc…..

Take the clothespin and trace around it on the pretty paper of your choice. Cut it out and glue it to the clothespin to cover one side of it.

Make a paper heart and cut it out. Any size you like any color you like.

Next take the paper heart and add a special message or embellish it with stickers, glitter or markers.

Glue heart to clothespin.

Turn clothespin over and add magnet.

You now have a Valentine magnet to put on your refrigerator or add to a Valentine’s gift.

Add it to a clear bag with ribbon for a final touch or anything you plan on giving as a present.

Here is another idea to help you out.

Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt -

Pick a location that you want to go for Valentine’s Day. A hotel, park, a restaurant, movie theater, trip, or wherever you want to take your family or loved one too.

Make a list of clues. Let’s say 14. Make them kinda tricky so that they won’t be able to figure it out so well at first.

You could say something like:

Start with a O

It’s black

Has 11 letters

Little Italy

Two Words

Fill in the blanks O_ _ _ E  G _ _ _ E _

Answer: Olive Garden

You your imagination. Use magazine, puzzle pieces, pictures of different objects that would give hints.

Get 14 cards, note cards, postcards, index cards or post it notes. Whatever you can write a love note one. You can get cheap cards just about anywhere. Hallmark, Wal-Mart, Target the Dollar Store. You can also be creative and make your own cards with stickers, markers, construction paper, glitter and whatever else you have on hand.

Send one card to them everyday of the week or put it on the dresser, lunch pail, backpack, wherever you want you loved one to find it. Sending a card in the mail is great because not a lot of people get mail anymore and this would be neat for kids to receive one each day. Now I realize that on Sunday you can’t send one so hid it somewhere in the house that they can find it. You can also do this during the week as well.  Send them to their place of work as well.

Inside the card you can say whatever you want. Be creative and have fun.

If you wanted you could put clues in them for where you will take him or her out for Valentines or pieces of a puzzle they will have to put together. Special stickers, candy, small toys, pencils, pens and anything small.

Start getting your stuff together now or you’ll run out of time. Have fun with it and don’t forget you got to do it everyday.

Come back for more ideas for Valentine’s Day.