Get your family closer this Valentine's Day

In just a few days, February 14th will turn on our calendars once again.  In many parts of the world, this means it's time to think about celebrating Valentine's Day.

There are quite a few people staunchly opposed to this "Hallmark holiday." It seems to have been created exclusively by retailers looking to profit from our mid-winter blues by enticing us to spend, spend, spend. Valentine's Day doesn't have to revolve around bouquets of roses and teddy bears holding hearts. It's so much more than that. Cardboard cut-out valentine cards are often quickly forgotten, but with a little creativity and thoughtfulness, this holiday can be made into a celebration that our families will find memorable.

Valentine's Day is meant for romantic love, and certainly, it is a nice day to take time to express your affection for that special someone with meaningful Valentine's day gifts. Some of us, however, aren't interested in that aspect of this holiday, and this is the perfect time to inculcate in these folks the long-lasting strength of love within the family.

Here are eight ways to make Valentine's Day more meaningful for your family.

 1. Fill a jar of love notes

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Repurpose a jar that once held a sweet jam into a jar that holds love notes for the family.You could have a theme for your jar - for example, "50 Reasons Why I Love Being Your Mum" or "20 Things Daddy Does That Make Me Smile."  These little love notes go a long way. Decorate the jar with tissue paper, magazine clippings, old calendar pages, and some decoupage. Although this gift is presented on Valentine's Day, it offers little words of affirmation for as long as the recipient wants to hold on to it!

 2. Craft a box of memories

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Upcycle an old shoebox into a box of favourite family memories. Encourage family members to write these memories down and contribute other sorts of memorabilia as well.  Children from preschool age on up can contribute the memories that mean the most to them, and they never tire of hearing stories from when they were babies and toddlers. You can even embellish your memories with photographs decorated on wooden logs photo holder as a memoir of the times gone by. Make plans to spend time together on Valentine's Day going through the box and discussing some of the best times you have shared as a family.

 3. Create a coupon book

Although some adults might find the idea of a coupon book to be a little bit trite, kids often see it as a fun and valuable way to enjoy some favourite activities. Parents can present coupon books by writing out coupons on beautiful notebooks to kids and vice versa, or everyone in the family could draw names and create a custom coupon book for the family member they selected. Of course, children will always look forward to the candy-eating festivities that normally accompany Valentine's Day, but how often is a heart-shaped lollipop really memorable. Memories are guaranteed when a child redeems a coupon for "one day spent with Dad at the park."

 4. Plant a seed together

We all love to receive blooming bouquets, but there is something special about giving a gift that invites participation from the recipient. Seeds blooming into flowers gives immense joys evident on the face of Baby Groot holder.

5. Enjoy a scrapbook day

Start a new family tradition centered around photographs from the previous year.  It doesn't matter if your family's picture archives are as simple as traditional, plastic-sleeved photo albums or as elaborate as an inscrutable sktechbooks; what's important is taking time to stay up-to-date on your preserving family memories. What better day than Valentine's Day to look back on the ways your family loved each other in the previous year?

In what unique and meaningful ways does your family celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you have some honoured traditions for this holiday you can share?