For your little loves

Hey, Lent is right around the corner and you know what that means, right?

Discovering fervent devotions to saints and blesseds you’d otherwise maybe not celebrate, of course. Because feast days!

(Kidding. A little bit.)

St. Valentine’s, Cyril’s and Methodius’ feast day is coming in hot in less than a fortnight, and for all you young lovers out there with a special little someone in your life, I have just the thing. (Emphasis on little.)

When we were young, my dad would give each of us a carnation or a special card for Valentine’s Day in addition to what he did for my mom. I remember this with great fondness and looked eagerly forward to the day I would have a. a daughter and b. a husband to be her daddy valentine. Now I have both.

We were down at my parent’s house close to Valentine’s day last year, and I mentioned, with wistful nostalgia, how sweet it had been for my dad to have practiced this with his girls. My dad smiled, shook his head, and said, “sweetheart, that’s a nice story, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The moral of this story is that all the crafty parenting tricks you pull in the first 10+ years of your child’s life will leave a lasting impression on them, but you will forget they ever happened.

Or, a second possible explanation: that sweet Valentine’s tradition? Completely fabricated by a mashup of Hallmark movies and repressed childhood longings, but dwelling permanently in my long term memory nevertheless.

So parents? Don’t worry too much about the stuff you’re doing – or not doing – for the holidays. It turns out your children will fabricate something on their own, and wax nostalgic over it when they’re in their thirties.

But, if you did want to get them a little something? I have an idea. And I’m giving away a free one to a lucky lad or lass, c/o Hunky Dori Boutique. Behold the cuteness: 

So rafflecoptor on, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Oh, and if you don’t win, or don’t want to wait to find out? You can go ahead and order one for yourself, coupon code HDBCOFFEE, at a 10% discount.)