| This Valentine's Day, send your heart to school | | | | your child dislikes sandwiches, try cutting cubes of |
| with your child. Instead of packing her usual brown | | | | hard cheese and ham or turkey with a cookie |
| bag lunch, surprise her by creating a miniature | | | | cutter. Add a container of strawberry yogurt or |
| Valentine's Day celebration for her to enjoy. | | | | strawberry gelatin. Fill a plastic container with fresh |
| (Remember that even though Valentine's Day is | | | | strawberries and whipped cream for dipping. For |
| typically a "pink" day, boys enjoy celebrating the | | | | dessert, pack a heart-shaped brownie or cupcake |
| day of hearts and love too! Simply adapt these | | | | with pink frosting and sprinkles, or pack a few |
| instructions for a more masculine feel...use a blue | | | | cookies frosted with pink icing. (Grocery stores |
| bag and maybe a blue napkin.) | | | | have a variety of individually wrapped snacks for |
| If your child carries a lunch box to school, skip it | | | | Valentine's Day if you are short of baking time.) |
| today. Use a white lunch sack instead, or find a | | | | For a healthier dessert alternative, simply |
| pink or white colored gift bag. Write your child's | | | | sandwich a few graham crackers together with |
| name in bold letters with a thick, red marker. | | | | strawberry flavored cream cheese. |
| Decorate the sack with cute Valentine stickers. | | | | Include in the sack a large pink napkin folded into |
| Using red card stock, cut out a pair of identical | | | | a rectangle. Write the words "TABLE CLOTH" on |
| hearts. Make sure the hearts are the same width | | | | the outside with the red marker. Write a sweet |
| as the sack. Hold the hearts on the top of the | | | | Valentine's Day message on a white plastic spoon. |
| sack, one in the front and one in the back. Punch | | | | Wrap the spoon in a small pink napkin and tie with |
| two holes in the middle of the hearts, using a hole | | | | a piece of red curling ribbon. For a finishing touch, |
| puncher, about an inch apart. Be sure to punch | | | | throw in a small box of conversation hearts. |
| through to the sack as well as the hearts. Set the | | | | After packing the lunch sack, attach the hearts to |
| hearts aside. | | | | the top with a long piece of pretty ribbon. Simply |
| Now you can begin the Valentine lunch. Try to | | | | tie the sack closed by lacing the ribbon through |
| pack only pink-colored foods. Begin with a carton | | | | the holes and tying the ends into a pretty bow in |
| of strawberry flavored milk or a strawberry | | | | the front. Your child will be delighted when he |
| flavored smoothie. If your child likes to eat | | | | opens his Valentine lunch and you will be admired |
| sandwiches, cut the prepared sandwich into a | | | | by his classmates and teachers. |
| heart shape using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. If | | | | |