I want to share this idea with you because I think it will completely bless anyone you may know who has a husband in the military. Last year, I wanted to do something for my sister-in-law as she prepared for her husband to go out to sea for five months with the Navy. I don’t usually get gifts shipped out on time, but was proud of myself when my gift showed up the day his ship set sail. The gift idea entailed buying a white paper gift bag and titling it “Sara’s Deployment Kit”. I also glued various road maps to the outside of the bag to reflect a travel theme. On the inside, I put a variety of goodies that I thought would help her get through those months. Inside the bag I included a note with a list of all the items and how to use them. When using this idea, change up the items to reflect the interests/needs of the person you are giving it to. Here is what I used:

• pocket calendar-to count down the days
• slippers-to wrap yourself in comfort
• package of mesh bags-for easy clean-up (my sister-in-law has three kids)
• ceramic cup with tea bags-to help you relax at the end of a busy day
• stuffed frog prince-to remind you of your true love
• tissues-when you miss him even more
• aspirin-when the day didn’t go so well
• chocolate-just because
• book with daily devotionals (from Billy Graham)-to remind you that God is always with you
• small garden kit (seeds and those soil discs that expand with water)-to brighten your day

Can Valentine’s Day be done on a budget? I am writing to say that it can! My hubby and I, thanks to my creativity, had the perfect Valentine’s Day with out hardly any spending. This is how we did it…

The fact that V-Day fell on a Saturday this year just happened to add to the perfection of the day. Brad and I woke that morning and greeted each other with a big V-day smooch. Love was already in the air. We started the day with a chilly morning walk with our labs-Bailey and Brandon. I started some hot water for our return home. We went a good mile and then headed back inside. Our faces were the only thing exposed to the cold air and were numb at that point. After warming up, I began making us a breakfast feast. As with any occasion or holiday, it was tempting to eat out. I had planned my menu a couple of days before along with my table setting. I wanted to save money, so I decided to create my own restaurant-style breakfast complete with the restaurant-style look.  This was my menu:

Egg and Cheese Casserole (find my recipe here)

Fresh blueberries and strawberries

Cinnamon rolls (purchase from your local bakery or use Pillsbury)

Apple juice (frozen, from concentrate)

As far as gifts, we kept them simple as well. My hubby loves to kayak and fish, so I painted him a picture of himself doing just that at a local lake. I also bought him a $2.49 chocolate valentine that was in the shape of a bass fish. It said, “You’re a keeper”. Needless to say, he loved both gifts. So much so, my gift was a new set of paintbrushes so I can paint more pictures of him kayaking.

The rest of the day involved just spending time together doing our favorite things. Here are a few activities we do on the weekends that do not require money.

1. Visit the local library. This is my favorite thing to do on the weekends. I can find good reads on everything that interests me.

2. Window shopping. Our window shopping involves looking in our favorite shops and finding things we can make at home. Brad happens to be a woodworker and I am handy at sewing. This makes for a good combination when you are in need of something that you don’t want to have to buy.

3. Watching movies. Another great reason to visit your local library! At each weekly visit, I bring home movies for the week. There is a large variety ranging from the vintage (black and white) to the farily recent (1-2 years old). The best part is the movies are free to rent for a whole week!