Having a family Valentine’s Breakfast makes kids feel special, too

It doesn’t take much effort to serve up a really special Valentine’s Day breakfast to the family, and the kids will really enjoy any of the ideas below.
Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts out of your morning toast, and spread thickly with strawberry jam.
Make a heart-shaped fried egg, placing a metal cookie cutter into your greased frying pan and breaking the egg into it.
Cut a heart shape from the centre of a slice of bread using a cookie cutter. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan, then place the bread into the pan. Break an egg carefully into the hole and fry them both together, turning carefully when the egg is nearly set.
Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of your breakfast pancakes. Serve with a knob of butter, a drizzle of maple syrup, and some red berries.
Serving up hot chocolate or a frothy coffee? Fill almost to the brim of the cup, then carefully lay a paper stencil with a heart-shape cut from the centre over. Sprinkle gently with cocoa powder or icing sugar. Serve immediately.
You can put almost anything on your kids’ plates in a heart shape – even baked beans!
Serve up a pink breakfast smoothie.
Cook up a delicious bowl of oatmeal and swirl a red heart in the centre with strawberry jam to serve. Try our special occasion oatmeal or our vanilla oatmeal with a cherry twist.
Spoon some natural yoghurt into a bowl and drizzle a honey heart over it. Now fill the centre of the heart with granola and outline the yoghurt with berries. Pretty and delicious!
Get the kiddos involved, and let them be a part of the cooking or preparation process. It’s always a special time, and you may be surprised at what they are capable of doing on a regular basis!
Most of all the ingredients, use a lot of hugs and kisses and let the laughter flow most of all!

The meaning of rose colors

The following are the rose colors and the general meanings they convey.
Red – Love, beauty, courage and respect
White – Purity and innocence, silence or secrecy, and reverence or humility
Pink – Appreciation, thank you, grace, perfect happiness and admiration
Dark pink - Appreciation, gratitude
Light pink – Admiration, sympathy
Yellow – Joy, gladness, friendship, delight, the promise of a new beginning
Orange – Desire and enthusiasm
Red and white - Given together signify unity
Red rosebud – Purity and loveliness
White rosebud – Girlhood
Thornless Rose – Signifies ‘Love at first sight’.
So as you are choosing your roses, chose wisely … You could send the wrong message.
There are plenty of local florists who will be able to offer you a multitude of elegant choices!

The history behind this “day of love”

Ever wondered how February 14 became, the day on which we celebrate and explore love in all its many ideals, Valentines Day?
There are many differing opinions on how Valentines Day started.
One story say that when the Roman Empire reigned, a festival every February was held in honour of the God of Fertility and during this time, young men would choose their mate. When a Emperor named Claudius came around, he outlawed all marriages in fear that the men would not be able to fight. Young couples still fell in love though and still wished to marry and they took these desires to the Catholic Bishop Valentine who, understanding love, began to secretly marry couples. When Claudius found out, he had Valentine arrested and ordered put to death. While waiting in jail, Valentine began exchanging letters with the jailers daughter and soon had fallen in love with her. The day he was to be beheaded, he wrote her one last note and signed it: From Your Valentine.
Another story points to Christianity in 496 A.D outlawing the pagan Lupercian Festival and replacing it with a day in February to honour the martyr St. Valentine.
A third story as to the origin of passing out cards stems from a French Count who was captured and imprisoned in London. From his cell he wrote his wife letters, including a passionate set of poems which he sent to her in February.
At the turn of the century, a new form of Valentines Day card appeared the Penny Dreadful. Up until this point, cards were relatively expensive but the Penny Dreadful changed all that. They were just what the name implied, costing only one cent and completely bad. The cards were cheaply made, the artwork was amateurish and the colouring was uneven. On top of that the verses printed on them were not the most romantic of prose. They were more often insults, taking swipes at old maids, teachers and the like. Still their low cost kept them popular for years.
For hundreds of years, Valentines Day has been a day of symbols. You can hardly go through the day without seeing a rose (as a symbol to Venus, the Goddess of Love), images of doves and lovebirds (who mate for life) or hearts. The heart was thought to be the centre of all emotion. People believed that when they gave a heart, they were truly giving all of the love and emotion that they possibly could give.
Its past aside, Valentines Day is the second the most popular card sending holiday just behind Christmas with one billion a cards sent a year. When the calendar turns to February, we start to think of love. February has for centuries been designated the month for lovers, with the primary celebration being on February 14, St. Valentines Day. We send cards, flowers, and candy and our children give out Valentines in school.
Valentines Day reminds us to tell our loved ones just how much we care about them.

Valentines Day in other cultures just as sweet

Japan’s celebration of Valentine’s Day has a unique twist. On February 14, only the women give gifts of chocolate to the men. Some of these gifts, known as “giri (obligation)” chocolates, are given to bosses, male co-workers, and male classmates and friends. A special gift known as “honmei” chocolate is given to the womans sweetheart.
But fear not! The men reciprocate on White Day, March 14. On this day many men return the gift of chocolate by giving the women chocolates in a white box. If the gift is given to a girl friend, sometimes a gift of flowers or white lingerie is substituted or added.
White Day is said to have originated because a company that made marshmallows urged the men to repay their Valentine gifts with white marshmallows. Originally the day was called Marshmallow Day but was later changed to White Day. Candy companies joined the ranks by making white chocolates.
In China, The Night of Sevens is sometimes called Chinese Valentines Day. This day is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The day is also called The Festival to Plead for Skills. On this day, young women show off their skills in homemaking and make wishes for a good husband.
The Brazilian equivalent of Valentines Day is the Day of the Lovers (Dia dos Namorados) and is celebrated on June 12. The day is one day before the Feast of Saint Anthony known as the marriage saint.

TOP TEN Romantic Valentine’s Gifts

Valentines Day is the one day a year where we get to show our loved one exactly how much we love him/her. Show your love with a special gift a one that comes from the heart and will last a lifetime. Here are 10 of the best both inexpensive and expensive. But remember Valentines Day is not about money it is about sharing your love with one another.
From spending a little moola to a LOT of moola (think Paris!) the key to a successful gift is the thought that is put into it. Gifts that are purchased that afternoon and delivered with a smile later that night don’t seem to go as far as one that was planned and thoughtfully executed…
1. A handmade Valentines Day card – a handmade card says much more then a shop bought one and will let your partner know exactly how much they mean to you.
2. Fresh flowers – the key to this is how they are delivered. You could have them delivered to his/her place of work, don her apartment with them, or a single red rose with a ring attached to it. What can be more romantic.
3. Chocolates – we are not talking about a box of roses, but more personal. Personalized chocolates are all the rage on Valentines Day and can be bought anywhere.
4. Plane tickets to Paris – Ah the city of love. Which girl would not like this one?
5. A romantic candlelit dinner – for two. Cook his/her favorite meal light some candles, stand the wine in ice and light background music will set the scene perfectly.
6. Jewelry – a heart locket for her with a photo of the 2 of you in side, or a piece of jewelry with a message on it. May be an engagement ring (hint, hint.)
7. Love songs – put together a compilation of both your favorite love songs.
8. Say it with words - Write him/her a poem about how much he/she means to you. If you can’t write poetry give him a book of poetry instead.
9. Lingerie – this one is for both of you to enjoy.
10. Picture perfect - have a favorite photo of the 2 of you blown up and mounted onto a nice frame.