Random Hearts.

 

Happy Leap Year babies! Last day of February and all I have are random photos taken in the city. We also had a snow day but I'll share those photos next month! LOL! I did manage to sneak in a snowy valentine stoop! I love valentines graffiti and decorations and if you're lucky you'll find quite a few spots in the city that are decorated with hearts as well as bodegas covered with flowers. Oh how I love flowers! The Oculus had a red ball installation for Chinese new year, and the High line hotel never gets old. So here are a few moments of mine captured in the heart of New York City! 

Valentine's Day 2023.

My husband told me the other day that some of his coworkers wives are really hating the Miley Cyrus's song "I can buy myself flowers." I can see why because of the independent words written in that song. Luckily I'm one of those cool wives who honestly doesn't give a crap about what I get. I'm in my 50's and to be honest I pretty much buy myself what I want without having the need to ask, but I do admit that it's a heck of a surprise when Jon gives me a card with such beautiful words written inside. And that's good enough for me! I don't flowers but I do love dates to the city and that's exactly what Jon is so good at. He loves taking me out to the city and this valentines day we kept it simple with capturing a photo of us to remember that so much love is just spending time together. Loving each other and paying attention to each other. It's always the simplest gifts of love that are the most precious and meaningful. Not the material things. Okay, if you count seeing a broadway show or going to a museum materialistic I don't think it is. It is entertaining and that is something I'll remember going to as opposed to any piece of jewelry. Whether you have a significant other or not I hope that everyone had a nice valentines day.

Peace, Love, Chelsea.

New Yorkers sure go out for every holiday including Valentines day which is such a beautiful way of expressing their love not only for their loved ones, but for their city as well. Chelsea is one of my favorite boroughs - after all, I did name my youngest daughter after her and we absolutely love coming to this spot where she goes all out for every season and this year it looked like this! This peace sign has become an epic photo op for every occasion, and emblem on W 22nd street and no matter how many times I see this photo shared on Instagram I never grow weary of it. Every New Yorker or out of towner takes the same photo but my excuse is the fact that I have friends and family who live far, far away from here and they continue to remind me to share my love of NYC. These flowers are everything! 

A Little Valentines Day Message....

 

As my husband and I have gotten older Valentine's Day for us has become low key with spontaneous outings. We don't go all out for each other like we used to in our 20's showering ourselves with material gifts, flowers or chocolate but mostly with love letters. What we've realized in our 50's is that our love has become even more sentimental. Our love for others has become stronger. Sure we think of us but mostly we think of our children first. We think of our friends and family and anyone who may be having a rough time when it comes to this holiday. It can be the most romantic but also the most hated. Misunderstood and lonely for some. I just want others to know that you are not alone. Never alone. You have you. Love you. Take care of you. Make time for you. Find things that bring you joy that revive you with energy. Love is always there. It's in your heart. It's in your mind. You just have to know it, because it's always been there.  It took a serious love for God and a marriage to realize that I've always been loved. For me. Love is a beautiful thing and we have the choice to make it a beautiful one for ourselves and for others. Look for the lovely on this day and all the days of your life. 

So no matter what -  celebrate your love today. Whether it's for yourself or with your spouse, your family and friends. I wish you the best of today. And know that your are the first person in your life to be loved...by you. Remember that! 

 Happy Valentine's Day my darlings! 

Peace, Love, & Happiness Installation.

Here's hoping that the month of February treated y'all well and that y'all felt so much love this month than ever before. In spite of all the snow we got in the east and all over the country (71 percent of it!) I hope that everyone survived and endured the unusual freezing temps (especially in Texas.) I wish y'all more peace, love, and happiness in your future and in your lives. I hope that the next 10 months will bring more blissful moments. I hope that spring will come faster that we expected. I hope that each day we wake up we will have a good attitude and have positive days. I hope that your days are bright as all the snow we had. I hope that the worries of the world will be less on your shoulders. I hope that no matter where you are or where you live that you will find joy in all that you do, and with all that you see. 

**Peace, Love, and Happiness art installation is located at Pier 17. More photos below, and if you look at the last photo it's even more beautiful in the evening when it's overlooking the Brooklyn bridge.

What Valentine's Day Means To Me.

So I decided to do a little bit of an "early spring cleaning" and grabbed my little storage box where I store all my memorabilia such as cards from every occasion, playbills, concert tickets, photos, etc. As I was looking through this box I stumbled upon a ton of valentine cards that Jon gave me. I remember when he used to give me a card and send me flowers on Valentines day when I used to work as well as when I decided to be a stay at home mom. We always exchanged valentine gifts for the first few years of our married life, but as the kids got older life and age crept up on us we don't really do the gift exchange anymore. Since my kids have grown, especially my girls I've realized that even though cards, flowers, diamonds, and candy are dandy and all...valentines day doesn't have to be all about that. 

To All The Lovers Out There On Valentine's Day....

I just wanted to share some of my words as to how we've managed to keep our love alive for the past 20 plus years. Express love, and kindness to your significant other not just on valentines day, but every day. Sure there are times when our spouses annoy us, and believe me our ups, and downs come in waves. Some have come in a deep trough, and some have been close to the shore where the are easy to mend.

February Lovin'!

Happy February everyone! I can't believe we are already in the month of February and because it's a short month know that it's going to go by real fast! There are so many things I love about this month. I love that it's all about love and like Christmas gives us the opportunity to give and share our kindness to others. 

I Love........

I love Valentine's day. It's a pretty big deal to me because it is all about LOVE. I mean...everyday should be all about love, but on this particular day is when I tend to express it the most. It is the day I get to express my love for my friends, my kids, and my husband. It's the next best thing to our anniversary. I love to write letters.

100th Day Of School On Valentine's Day.

For the past couple of weeks I had been wondering how Noah can decorate his t-shirt for the 1ooth day of school. Well, instead of telling him how to decorate it I asked him what he'd like on his shirt. I am really glad that I have come to let my kids be independent in making their own decisions. This is obviously an easy one because it's about a t-shirt, and not about something serious! I remember when Chelsea was in first grade, and decorated her t-shirt with heart stickers. Sure it was my idea, but she really liked it.

"Fill The World With Love."

One of the things I miss about living in Utah is listening to the spoken word on a weekly basis by attending the temple. Temple square in the center of spirituality. The Salt Lake Temple had copies of the spoken word from that week, and when I got into the habit of attending the temple on a weekly basis I would always make sure I grabbed one on the way out. I can't even begin to tell you the strength I received every time I would read it. Lloyd Newell's thoughts were so inspiring, and always wanted to make me a better person. And you know something, I believe at times it did.

I remember the type of person I was ten years ago while I attending the temple on a weekly basis...softer, kinder, and super duper patient as opposed to where we live now. There are times now when I feel a little rushed, and let's be honest...hard, and bold. Don't get me wrong, I'm still the nicest person you can ever meet, but luckily I catch myself in the things I say to those I come in contact with whether it's my neighbors, strangers, and people at church. I go through major withdrawal when it comes to not going to the temple as much, and till this day have not become used to not going. Attending at least five times a year is probably better than nothing, but man do I miss attending every week! I never want to come to a point and say, "I'm used to not going as much." If anything, I miss going to the temple once a week. I'm so grateful that the Philly temple will be opening up in september so that I can go every week. I always strive to watch my actions, and even though I'm not perfect I will recognize my shortcomings, and work hard to not let it change me completely! It's been tough not being able to go to the temple as much as we'd like, but the memories of all the good things I did while living in Utah, and all the spiritual experiences I felt at the temple will always be etched in my mind. Especially listening to the spoken word. Luckily we can access it online today with just a click of a button!

As I was organizing one of my folders of old newspaper clippings from the church news, and various handouts I received from church throughout the years I stumbled upon a stack of the spoken word pamphlets. There was one in particular that caught my eye, and goes very well with the purpose of this post, and how i feel about the world today. No matter how hard life gets, or how ugly the world may seem, I know that I can make it beautiful for myself, and my family, and fill my thoughts, and actions with love. 

Lloyd D. Newell said, "Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love blesses both giver and receiver, and resounds in hearts forever." He continues with saying, "It's true that we're all born with differing interests, capacities, strengths, and weaknesses. But one thing we all need is to receive and give is love. We need it in order to grow into the kind of people we're capable of becoming. More loving, more courageous, more loyal. All virtues have their root in love." 

How true that is. 

My children, no matter how much they may drive me crazy keep me grounded when it comes to joy, and rooted in love. They are the solid footing to my everyday life, and because it's Valentines Day weekend want them to know how much I love them, and how I would do anything for them to keep their hearts happy. 

There's a quote I shared in this old post five years ago ( gosh my kids look young!), and it reminds me of what Valentines Day means, and how expressing love to one another is important. It is my hope that no matter how hard some days may get that I will always look at it positively, and always, always express those three words, "I love you" to my family every day. 

Happy Valentines day weekend! 

Heart Attack!

Making gifts for my kids and sending cards to friends, and family has always been a priority in my life. Especially when I know it will benefit them both spiritually, and emotionally. I am extremely grateful to all of you who participated in being a part of Sierra's heart attack. It was all worth the effort. The calling, sending texts, and messages via Facebook. The printing, and scurrying around to find photos of Sierra together with the friends that responded to my messages. Reminding them time, and time again to please send a message as quick as possible because I need to mail it soon was all worth it! Even with a toddler by my side! I even delayed mailing it for a couple of days, because there were about three awesome friends who have known her since middle school, and they wanted to make sure it was written perfectly. I also wanted to make sure she received a note from them. In my eyes the outcome was perfect, and I couldn't be more pleased. (See photo above :-)

She received it just in time for valentine's day and called to let me know she received it. Well, first she sent a text to let me know how speechless she was when she opened it up,  and then called me a few minutes after. She asked how long it took for me to do all that. I said about a week. Luckily I enjoy scrapbooking, calling, typing and writing otherwise I'm not sure if I would have had the heart (or the time) to do something like this. She felt really special and loved, and it felt sooooooo good to do that for her too. The fact that there were notes inside the box from friends she hasn't talked to in two years (or more) made her entire year!

Because Valentine's Day is my second favorite holiday next to Christmas I love sending out cards, and the kids enjoy making Valentine's cards for their friends. Sierra's heart attack took precedence over handmade valentines this year so I ended up buying some love note flat cards. 

How wonderful it is for someone to send a love note, or a message to let them know that they are being thought of. It truly is a great feeling to acknowledge someone in love...especially on Valentine's Day. 

I now end this post with this message I wrote four years ago, and have a Happy Valentine's Day weekend! (insert heart emojis here!)

a day & an evening with my valentines.

My valentines day started out perfect. Waking up to the bright shining sun after spending sick days vegging out on the couch was heaven! While the girls were at school, and hubby at work I took Noah out to a nearby park, and we had a blast. 

He loves this little park with the merry go round. You don't find too many of these nowadays, and even though it was surrounded by snow and mud that didn't stop him from having a good time. 

He's the boss of the playground! 

It's kind of hard to choose which was the best part of my valentines day when you have two adorable men loving you all the time. I had such a blast with my little man, and as soon as Jon got off work we went straight to The Pop Shop for some grub. 

It kind of helps recovering from the flu because I really wasn't hungry until about 7pm. I saved my appetite waiting to eat this delicious food. My favorite was the dessert! You can never go wrong with a classic banana split. 

It was simple. 

It was quiet. 

It. Was. Perfect! 

I have to say that this was one of my best days ever! 

its valentines day.

It's been a crazy week being sick and all, and I have to say that resolving to stay away from devices such as the phone & the computer was the best thing. I didn't really miss it, and it felt so good to be taken care of by my kids. Even though they have a lot on their plate right now they set their own issues aside to make sure their mom is okay.

And I am.

I have been spoiling the kids buying cupid hearts from Dunkin this past week. I hardly ever buy them except on special occasions. What I really should be doing is baking sugar cookies, and I think that'll be next on my list once I feel 100% better. It's kind of hard to do that since I don't really bake that much.  For now I'll just get store bought! 

I love cards! No matter how weak I may still feel I managed to send out cards to those I love and care about. I do this every year, and it is scary to say that snail mail is becoming a lost art. 

Not with me!

I stayed up late finishing up Chelsea's valentines day cards. She wanted to do them with me, but fell asleep. She gets so giddy when holidays come up. Especially one that deals with candy. She had fun while I tried to capture the perfect shot. She didn't want her arm looking too crooked. It's the same card she did last year, but whoa...she looks a tad bit older! I think we'll do this every year to see how much she's changed throughout the years, or at least until the kids get tired of eating snickers!

As much as I forced myself to write, glue, cut, lick, mail, peel, making and sending valentines because I'm still getting over the flu...it was all worth it. I didn't throw any big party for my kiddos, but they know that those three simple words "i love you", and a huge hug will suffice.

*Candy, donuts, and brand new Toms are a bonus too*!

*Happy hearts day*!

Happy hearts day.

I love valentines day, and always look forward to this day with my kiddos. It's so fun when you have little ones to make valentines with, and get crafty with them. This year I found this example of a valentine on Pinterest, and since Chelsea loves snickers more than suckers...she wanted to do a picture valentine with the snickers candy.

We also did goodie bags and filled them up with dove chocolates for her teachers. I also made a few and handed them out at church this past Sunday to a few of my 'special friends'. There are so many free printables on pinterest, and I ended up printing these. 

Last year I gave the girls these bowls filled with cookies and candy, but these year I put all of their various goodies inside these heart shaped felt bags.

 They are easy to make and there are a ton of tutorials on how to make them on Pinterest. Okay...you can tell how much I love Pinterest. I do. There are so many fun, and crafty ideas to share on that site. I am getting a craft disorder, and love getting ideas from Pinterest. 

I hope that y'all had fun in making valentines with your kids, and if you don't feel crafty enough to make anything...that's okay. Just give someone a hug, or just simple say, "I love you."

Happy Valentines's Day from me!

My Five Lovely Valentines

Today, we recognize the heart to be the very center or our life and strength. And so we still, on that very same day, February 14, show the love in our hearts for one another through the exchange of cards and gifts:

 May we always remain warm-hearted:

  embracing, kind and gentle;

 May we always remain big-hearted, caring, compassionate and generous.

And may you and your loved ones have a Happy Valentines Day!