Last year for Halloween, my little one wanted to be the moon.  As in the big orbital ball in the nighttime sky.  Go ahead, Google "moon costume."  See what you come up with.  Precisely nothing that actually looks like a moon, right? So after weeks of brainstorming and days of construction, our creative two-year old was slipped into a black cat-suit, wrapped with two battery packs of led-lights and very carefully maneuvered into a giant chineese ball lantern.  She was, indeed, the moon.

This time last year, I was stuck in a discount store, staring in disbelief. It was my daughter's first school Valentines exchange, and, of course, I wanted to do something special. Low on time (and funds) I bought a bunch of plain cards to decorate by hand sure that I would follow through.  And then, with best intentions thrwarted, I was back in the early morning hours of Valentines day, grabbing whatever was on the shelf.  Sigh - nothing says "I love you" or "Be mine" like a perforated cartoon character in a cape.