Sometimes you have to give in...

In my ideal world, every holiday and celebration is filled with homemade goodness.  Tablecloths carefully sewn.  Garlands created by the boys.  Evidence of preparation and crafting that is filled with love. Handmade cards in the mail in plenty of time to arrive at their destinations.  Gifts wrapped with love and heartfelt cards that will get stashed away in that special place where you put things you never want to forget.

And then there's the reality.  Yes, I know that Valentine's Day is the same day every year.  It shouldn't be a surprise.  But what I have learned is that I have difficulty with the multitasking of it.  I can remember to get something for the boys, or I've got ideas of ways to celebrate Dan. But those cards and sweet things that should get in the mail?  The decorations that need to be made? They slip the mind and the to-do list far more than I would like to admit.

So sometimes we settle for the less-than-ideal in the hope that it's good enough.  Today that meant a trip to Target.  I was able to pick up some cute window clings and stickers for the bathroom mirror, a pack of cute napkins and a table runner.  I put them out while the boys were at school (I was home sick, and the "I'm just going to lay down for a minute" became a three hour nap), figuring they'd hardly notice.  Mostly it was to save me from the guilt of not doing anything. 

You know what?  The moment they walked in and saw the decorations, they squealed with delight.  They ran back and forth between the mirror and the windows, trying to decide their favorite. Did they complain about the commercial-ness of them?  Of course not.  They were just excited that there was something new and different to celebrate the specialness of the day. It's the whole Votaire quote - "Perfect is the enemy of the good".  I could have done nothing since I wasn't going to be able to make it perfect.  Instead I tried to go with the "good enough".  And you know what?  It was.

Sometimes you give in. But next year?  You better believe there will be some handmade loveliness to accompany our Target window clings.