Valentines Cop Out?

I'll probably get slaughtered by all my crafty Pinterest friends for saying this, but I guess I must consider Valentines Day one of the "Lesser Holidays."  The reason I say "I guess" is because I noticed how much I *haven't* done in preparation for tomorrow.  I didn't buy Valentines for my son's kindergarten class, I didn't plan sweet little cookies and I didn't pack a surprise card in my travelling-husband's suitcase.  Oops?

I love, I mean LOVE, pretty things, making pretty things, giving pretty things.  But, as I have discussed ad nauseum, I find that getting into the swing of the school habits is hard.  And that includes giving away Valentines cards.

So, whatever, last night it occurred to me that it would be very sad indeed if Tucker went to school and had nothing to give his classmates.  He is a generous giver.  But, he's not old enough to be responsible for his own Valentines Day stuff.

In order to avoid an extra errand to buy easy fill-in-the-blank cards, which FYI I would 100% endorse and do myself if I had planned ahead, I decided to quickly cut out hearts from pretty two-sided paper I had on hand.  On the front I wrote "To:" and on the back scribbled out "Happy Valentines Day! " (Tucker will fill in his friends' names and sign his own name this afternoon, in theory).  It was so, so easy, took about 15 minutes, cost nothing beyond what I had already spent on the paper, and turned out marginally cute.  I feel that even a bare minimum effort looks so much better when there is pretty paper, or some sort of embellishment.  Even plain white card stock hearts decorated with a small border of black-sharpie-pen polka dots would have been sweet.  "Pretty" is in the details, right?

Part of my goal with the blog here is to talk about how doing something "Okay" really is okay.  [My name is Tara, and I am a recovering perfectionist.]  And I feel like this post is important to me (well, I mean, this isn't life changing or anything) because in the age of Pinterest (which I love dearly), it is easy to get into that guilty mommy mode where you think that every kids' mom is making these and you are the only one who sucks and doesn't love your kid enough and isn't dedicated enough to his educational and social experiences.

Besides, let's be real.... these Valentines are going into the trash on February 15.  Oh wait, you all do that too, right?  Sneak stuff into the trash and hidden paper recyling area while your kid is at school, right?

Listen, if I have to tell myself and tell you, my sweet reader-friend, 100 times a day, I will do it.... Ditch the mommy guilt!  It is pointless and a lie and you are a good mom.  I am pretty sure.  Okay, go hug yourself and eat a cookie.  Smooch!

PS.  For the record, I do not throw away the uber-thoughtful Valentines cards that my brother's wife sends to the kids each year.  Last year, I kept them on our  mantle for weeks and weeks.  They were so sweet, had unusual art and just meant a lot that she made that kind of effort.  I later put them in my kids' "to keep" boxes.  And that is saying a lot, as I am ruthless with the paper stuff that I *don't* keep.  Her cards for this year are ready and waiting to be opened, on the mantle.