Planning Your Valentine's Day Party

Valentine’s Day Parties Made Easy
Love is in the air! Pink and red hearts fill the halls, cupids float to the ceilings, and the smell of chocolate candy can’t be missed. It’s officially the sweetest time of the year: Valentine’s Day. With all the love that accompanies this holiday season, plan a Valentine's Day party but keep the stress at bay. More Than Paper has put together a list of tips to help make sure this Valentine’s Day is easy. 
 
Tips for a Stress-Free Valentine’s Day:

1. Forget about expensive Valentine’s Day décor – There are plenty of DIY options or hit up the Dollar Store. One easy DIY option that we love is to cut red and pink hearts out of construction paper and then string them together with red/ white twine vertically. Create a dangling garland that makes a statement. 

2. Send a cute invite!  Make sure to send your invitations at least two weeks in advance and request that your guests RSVP.  You will want to know how many kids need valentines and the number of valentines each guest should bring to exchange. We love these invitations by Boatman Geller, they’re perfect for a Valentine’s Day party. 

  

3. Get valentines!  Do you want your child’s Valentine’s Day cards to look out of this world? With  Blast Off Valentine's Day Exchange Cards, they definitely will. Personalize these cards for your child by adding their name to the front of them. Another adorable valentine option is the Peace and Love Valentine’s Day Exchange Cards. These cards are beyond trendy and sure to make an impression this Valentine's Day!

Keep it simple! What about a pizza, heart-shaped cookies, a fruit platter in the shape of a heart, and sandwiches cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter? Easy peasy! Step up the way you serve with one of our serving dishes. We love this Valentine’s Day-themed platter by Kelly Hughes Designs. Made of Thermosaf® resin, they are shatterproof, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, and oven safe for warming up to 300°

Have a Valentine Bag decorating table for a creative activity for your guests – Carry all of those precious valentines with you as you head out the door with a DIY bag.  At the party, lay out crayons, markers, or colored pencils to give your guests a chance to personalize their valentine's bags before they go. Another great addition you can offer your guests for their valentines bags is personalized treat bags and bag toppers! One of our favorites is the Monster Valentine’s Day Treat Bag and Topper from Little Lamb Design. 

With these tips, you’re sure to throw the best Valentine's Day party! What are your favorite ideas? Share them with us on our Facebook page or at the comments section below. 

Options for Valentines on Valentine's Day

As you carefully put away decorations for one holiday, do you start thinking about pulling out your decorations for the next?  We can’t get enough of the holidays and so we just let one roll right into another!  Valentine’s Day is, of course, February 14^th which at the rate things are going will be here shortly. 

In an effort to be really organized in 2021, it’s never too early to start thinking about options for Valentine’s Day.   Want to do something beyond the drug store selections? There are some really cute ideas, and with a little advanced planning, you can get your kiddos adorable Valentines that will wow the classroom and their friends.  Here are 6 ideas for Valentine’s Day in 2021.  

 

1.     Exchange Cards are smaller than greeting cards.  Typically, they are about 3.5 x 5”, though we have some options that are 2 x 3.5” (like a business card size!)  We have dozens of styles from which to choose – from hearts, princesses, castles, and cupcakes to alligators, baseball, trains, and dinosaurs – your child will surely find one they can get excited about giving.  Each can be personalized with your child’s name.  They are an affordable option for a personalized printed valentine! 

 

2.     Valentine’s Day Stickers are perfect for the do-it-yourself types.  Order clear plastic treat bags (find on Amazon or your local craft store) and get some wrapped candy in bulk.  Insert the candy, tie, and finish with a personalized sticker.  We have round and square shaped stickers in so many designs!  Will it be mermaids, hearts, or stripes? Or one of our other hundreds of options? 

3.     Treat Bag & Topper Cards are sold as sets – they include both the clear treat bag and the personalized printed card that goes on top.  Insert candy, pencils, or items from the dollar store in these clear bags. The printed front and back cards arrive scored, and you simply fill the bag, fold and staple the card to seal it all up!  It’s easy to distribute in the classroom and kids love it. This is definitely a great choice for those that are looking for something a little extra. 

 

4.     Gift Tags are a great option if you are doing larger-sized gifts for Valentine’s Day.  These tie well to gift bags and look polished.  We have dozens of design styles and they can be personalized with your last name to give as family gifts or your children for individual gifts. The choice is yours! 

5.     Photo Greetings are a great way to send Valentines! Did you skip sending your annual holiday card in 2020?  If you missed it this year and wished you had sent one, consider sending your friends and family a Valentine’s Day photo greeting card instead.  We have a bunch of options with various styles, colors, die cut shapes, and ways to make it yours.  Even if you did send holiday cards in 2020, consider getting a few photo greeting cards to send to a select group of relatives.  Especially for those who haven’t been able to see their friends and family, these Valentine’s Day photo greetings might really brighten someone’s day!  

6.     Non-Photo Greetings. Not everyone loves a photo greeting so if you are looking for a simple card or greeting for Valentine’s Day, we have options for you, too.  

With a little planning and ordering in advance, you can really make some cute Valentines in 2021.  What option will you choose this year? What is your favorite? Are there any ideas that we missed? We would love to hear from you on our Facebook page or in the comments below.  

Valentine's Day Gifts from the Heart

Marriages and relationships go through ebbs and flows, ups and downs, and are ever changing. When our children were much younger and we were growing our business, there wasn't a whole lot of extra time for each other, which made every moment together that much more important.  Showing each other you care in the smallest of ways can make a large difference.   Going the extra mile means everything.

If you are lucky enough to be in love, use Valentine's Day to celebrate it! At More Than Paper, we have 5 last minute ways to show your man you really care.

1. Write a love note.
2. Wake up 15 minutes earlier, make coffee and breakfast for your hubby.  Serve breakfast in bed! 
3. Leave him an unexpected note in his car, briefcase, or wherever he will find it during the day while you are apart! Let him know you miss him and look forward to seeing him tonight.
4. Create a photo scrapbook, or assemble pictures of the two of  you when you first started dating. Try to recall that young love and spark you felt in the beginning by reminiscing. 
5. Make a list of all the "tasks" around the house that your husband does not like to do. Write out a few "free passes" that he can redeem during the year to get out of them. (For example, your husband really protests changing dirty diapers. You know he should get over it, but you'll give him a free pass, and next time he can redeem and not have to change one.  It's really a win for you because as everyone knows, there will be plenty of opportunities to change diapers but one free pass will make him feel like he wins!) 

Above all, take a few minutes to remember what this day should truly be about.  Not chocolate, candies, flowers, and gifts, but a day to show appreciation for the ones you love.   The littlest thing can go a long way!

Valentine's Day Heart Whoopie Pies

We subscribe to Martha Stewart Living and delve into every issue the minute we have a chance (which we admit can be a few days or weeks after it arrives!)  In the January/February 2014 issue, there were loads of Valentine's Day ideas (if you have time to turn your paper clips into heart shapes, that is!) and a few recipes we'd like to try (slow cooking beef seems easy and low-maintenance enough.)  But we were truly excited by this easy Valentine's Day treat recipe: Whoopie Pie Hearts with Raspberry Meringue! YUM and CUTE.

Photo by Burcu Avsar for Martha Stewart

We are hosting a party for our kids on Valentine's Day so these will be just perfect.  We'll serve them up on our personalized Valentine's Day platters, like this one by Boatman Geller (works great for birthday parties, too!)

Or this personalized platter also by Boatman Geller!

Head on over to Martha Stewart for this recipe and other great recipes and craft for Valentine's Day coming up next week!

Guest Blog Post: Libby O

I am honored to be a guest blogger for More Than Paper's blog, Inspired, today! My name is Libby and I write a blog for PSA Essentials called PSA Stamp Camp. I was introduced to More Than Paper four years ago and have been a customer of their stationery and personalized gift products ever since.  In preparation for Valentine's Day, I ordered a bunch of Valentine's Day goodies! 

My daughter attends a preschool and they've requested we bring in Valentine exchange cards.  More Than Paper has a huge selection, way cuter than the drug store variety, and I fell in love with the photo cards.  I received a proof quickly and my order shipped in the mail next week!   They turned out cute, didn't they? 

My 20 month old son goes to a day care and I thought I would get the names of the kids in his classroom, write them on Valentine's Day exchange cards, and slip them into to their diaper cubbies!  More Than Paper has a huge selection of boy Valentine's (again, way cuter than the Batman drug store variety....) Connor is into trains now, so this one was perfect! 

I am hosting a Valentine's Day playdate and am working on some favor bags filled with candy and a few items from the dollar store (stickers, Play Dough, markers and such).  I ordered these adorable stickers to attach to bags! 

I was really happy with how fast I received everything and the personal attention More Than Paper gave me when placing my orders.  I got an order confirmation, proofs, and a shipping confirmation all in a timely manner.  Everything looks great, too! 

So I recommend you shop their Valentine's Day products and get your treat bag stickers and exchange cards before time runs out! Avoid the last minute dash to the convenience store and score some really cute ones here. 

Thanks for having me today! 

Classroom Valentine Exchange Cards

Valentine's Day is around the corner and our kids are getting ready by bringing in their shoe boxes.  At our school, you are required to bring in a shoe box and 24 classroom exchange valentine cards on the big day. It's such a fun afternoon when you bring the box home and read all the cards from classroom friends. There are plenty of options at the drug store that you can score last minute, but with a little advanced planning, you can get some REALLY adorable ones at a GREAT price here at More Than Paper.   

During this holiday, which is usually a sea of girlie colors like pink and purple and girlie motifs like hearts and flowers, we have some great options for boys.  From trucks, lions, dinosaurs, airplanes, trains and many more, More Than Paper has a great selection of valentine's cards for boys. 

It's no surprise that we also have a tremendous selection for girls.  From ballerinas, heart candies, flowers, horses, fairies and princesses, we have something for every girlie girl.   See our selection here! 

  

So what style will you choose for your little one to pass out this Valentine's Day? Tell us what you favorite one is here.  Be sure to order some for the grandparents, aunts, uncles and other friends who aren't in the classroom, too.  It's a great way to brighten someone's day with "happy mail."