Valentine cupcakes for my little beauties.

Let me preface this by saying that I don't typically celebrate Valentine's Day. It's not that I am not a romantic but one day my oldest daughter proved to me why I should give a little more thought to this day. For being eight, she's an old wise soul.

We were sitting in the van on the way home and she asked me "Mommy, what is so wrong with Valentine's Day? Why do you hate it so much?" I looked up, tears welling and I saw her big blue eyes full of innocence beaming back at me in the review mirror. It was quiet, I didn't know what to say back to her, without crushing her God given right fairly ideas.

Again, one of those moments they don't prepare you for when you become a parent. Trust me when you think they are not watching or listening, they are.

I don't know how much time had passed by but my sweet little girl quietly spoke up. "Mommy it isn't a day to buy love but a day to unite in love and the world could use a little more love. What's so wrong with that?"

I am pretty sure I cried the whole way home after that. When we got home, I walked around the van and wrapped her in my arms and held her so tightly. She's right, she's right. I can't say it's just bitterness but I do not believe in buying things on just one day to say "I love you." That's some pretty heavy stuff for an eight year old but it made me think.

What if I taught my girls it's about making and giving instead of buying and giving? So this year I am making homemade valentines and sweets. What a great jumping point and learning experience for all of us.

I got the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.

I am down with the flu and I followed her recipe to a T and it's good, although the frosting is super sweet. To the point the girls were asking me to scrape some of the frosting off. I did some variations to make it a little more special.

Here's some of the things I did different:


















I dyed some of the batter so the girls would have a little surprise when they bit into it.



















Overall they loved their Valentine cupcakes.



















I am sorry I didn't go step by step with the recipe but I am so sick that I need to get into bed with some Nyquil and call it a day.