Amaryllis or Iris- Both of these flowers are perfect for the artists or actors you know. Amaryllis is dramatic and the iris is inspiring.
Carnation- To be blunt, many women view carnations as a "filler flower," but if you know this person likes carnations go with yellow or pink. These express cheerfulness and gratitude respectively.
Gardenia or Day Lily- Symbolizing joy and enthusiasm respectively, these are great universal flowers to brighten anyone's Valentine's Day.
Lilac- Have a serious case of puppy love? Lilacs are the symbol for first love. Your spouse or fianc?will giggle.
Orange Blossoms- Do you have a friend or significant other trying to get pregnant? Or one that has recently become pregnant? Orange blossoms are the symbol for fertility.
Orchid or Hibiscus- As would be expected, orchids and hibiscus symbolize delicate beauty. Depending on the person, this can either be touching or somewhat offensive.
Pansy, Yellow or Red Tulip- While all these flowers are gestures of love, the pansy is the least strong, and the red tulip is a great first declaration. Yellow denotes a hopeless romantic devotion.
Rose- Red roses are the ultimate gesture of passionate love. If you have only been dating a short time, this is too strong a gesture. White roses are a symbol of purity (making them particularly popular at weddings). Pink roses symbolize friendship. A mixture of red and white denote unity, making them perfect for a married couple of many years.
Sunflower- These unique flowers show adoration. You can't help but smile when you see a sunflower.
Chocolate
Melting Chocolate- Because chocolate is very delicate to heat, you have to melt chocolate slowly, well-removed from heat. Always heat chocolate over low heat or it will quickly become an unappetizing mass. Use a double boiler, or place the saucepan with chocolate on top another saucepan with boiling water on the stovetop. Keep in mind that chocolate will continue to melt even after removing it from a heat source, so be careful not to overcook.
- Unsweetened chocolate will easily liquefy when melted, but sweetened chocolate must be continually stirred.
- Chocolate flavored coating contains cocoa and vegetable oil, rather than cocoa butter. Coatings are popular because they are easier to use for things like dipping, but the taste and quality are nowhere near real chocolate.
Cherry Bubbles
Sweeten bath-time for the kids or for yourself with this delicious recipe.
Ingredients
1/2 C. unscented shampoo
12 drops cherry fragrance oil
2 drops red food coloring
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C. water
Directions
Mix together the shampoo and water in a jar. Add the salt and stir again until the mixture thickens up. Add the cherry oil and the red food coloring and stir the mixture thoroughly once more. Bottle the mixture until ready to use in your bath. To use; add 1 Tbs. to running bath water. Soak as desired.
Crafts for Kids (Compliments of our RSVP writer Sarah Potts)
Valentines- Go out and buy a bunch of colored construction paper and have a "card making" station. Have scissors, heart patterns, stickers and markers supplied so the kids can make their family and friends Valentine's Day cards.
Candy Lollipop Flowers- This is a great and non-messy activity for children. All you will need is wrapped heart-shaped lollipops that you should be able to find any where in the seasonal section, green chenille stems and scissors. First have the children start at the top of the lollipop stick (just before the end of the sucker) and tightly wrap the chenille stem in a coil around the lollipop stick. Once this is done, cut off the extra chenille. You can use the extra piece or another piece of chenille and wrap this around the stem as well to make the "leaf," just make sure the leaf is secure. There you go- your child can now have a fun bouquet of little hear shaped flowers to give to anyone.
Foam Love Letters- Give your child the gift of love this Valentines Day. These easy to make foam letters spell out the word "love" and would be adorable in any little girl's room. Click here for how to make!
Rose Valentine Coffee or Tea Mug- Here's an inexpensive Valentine's Day gift that you can make yourself for your special valentine. It is easy and it is fun, any child could make this for his or her mom. The Web site provides the free, full-sized rose stencil pattern (at right) - or you could use your own romantic theme. Click here for how to make!