A Valentine's Party

We've been having lots of fun with Valentine's Day coming up. The kids look forward to little gifts in their mailboxes. Their most recent present was a funny sucker I found that makes your mouth look like this: he he he

Yesterday, Pottery Barn Kids hosted a Valentine's Tea for girls and their dolls. I heard about it several weeks ago and promised Emma we could go. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now: Don't promise things to your kids until you have a reservation!! Sadly, when I tried to register...they were completely full! (it filled up the minute they announced it)
So...plan B was to host our own tea at home. I invited Emma and Isa but, of course, Elliott didn't want to be left out so he helped plan it too.

First we made some tea. The hubs and I drink tea all the time (having a huge tea stash is one of the pluses of owning your own tea company), but the kids never get to have any so they were excited!! I made pots of Earl Grey and this special Rooibos tea that has pink candy hearts in it. (in the picture below I'm putting the loose tea into a 'make-your-own' teabag)

Next I had to dig out my Valentine's decorations. I've had an entire plastic bin full of heart shaped lights, doilies, plates, and decorations for years...and never used them! So...it was time to go all out and I tried to use most of what I have.
I set everything up in the girls' bedroom. The kids (okay...and me too) LOVED how it turned out. They felt so special to get to have all this food and pretty setting for them.

The girls wanted to wear pink and Elliott got to wear one of Daddy's ties.

The lights in the background were a mixture of two strands of heart lights (one was all white and one was a red and white combo) and two sets of smaller light strands (a red and white strand and a hot pink strand that I put in a glass container).
I hung the lights using my favorite little Command Strips that are supposed to be used for keeping cords straight (after realizing tape wasn't keeping them on the wall). I also stuck one of these handy-dandy strips on the ceiling to hang the pink and orange shade (from Ikea).

The kids begged to make special Valentine's cookies or a cake...but I couldn't get very fancy with the food because we still don't have a working oven. Emma went grocery shopping with me and picked out a cute little cake for the tea. Then we had Girl Scout cookies, crackers and cheese (Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits are kind of my new obsession), strawberries and the best red anjou pear I've ever had. (I planned on bruleeing the pears...but someone used my kitchen torch for a house project and now I can't find it.) They were delish anyway!
I also made a cheese dip using the most random recipe but it sounded (and was) good. It was from a cookbook sent as a campaign piece from one of our State Senators. I guess it was an effective piece because I've kept it for years...and I voted for him. :)

I had a couple different styles of hearts and I used white electrical tape to hang them from the chairs for a fun little 'loving' touch.

The kids each liked one of the teas...but if you ask them what their favorite part of our party was they'll all say it was the cake!

It was so fun making them feel special and...even though it was a lot of work...it was well worth it. How are you celebrating Valentine's Day?