this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

People seem to either love or hate Valentine's Day.  I've always thought of it as a fun day to celebrate the special people in my life. With that in mind, here are ten lighthearted (and fairly inexpensive, if not free) ways to celebrate Valentine's Day.

1. Hide hearts around the house with things you love about your family members written on them.

2. Skip the restaurants, they'll be so crowded anyway!  Cook a nice meal at home, or if you really want to eat food that someone else prepared, try the mall food court, it'll probably be pretty empty.

3. Surprise your valentine with a coupon book filled with things such as "good for getting out of one chore", "you choose what's for dinner" or " you choose the date night".

4. "Heart Attack" a friend by covering their front door with a few construction paper hearts and a treat on the doorstep.

5. Make valentines with your kids to deliver to some unsuspecting people, perhaps your spouse's co-workers, the staff at your doctor's office, or go for a walk and hand them out to whoever you meet.

6. When making valentines with your kids, remember that simple is a-ok.  Cut out some construction paper hearts and just let your young ones color them.

7. Incorporate as much red and heart shaped things as you can into your Valentine's Day meals.  Use cookie cutters to shape sandwiches or try your hand at making a heart shaped pizza.

8. Write a special note to your grandparents and/or parents telling them how much you appreciate and love them.

9. Take your kids on a red scavenger hunt (outside or just in your own home) to see how many red things you can find.

10. Make a list of everything you love.  From your significant other to your favorite food.  Keep it in a special place and read it next Valentine's Day.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?