Happy Valentine's Day

I have in my arsenal of "stuff" two wire baskets. Not flimsy ones, but heavy duty ones. I think I got them in the Bath section of Target a couple years ago...totes for college bound kids to take their stuff to the showers and then no water collects in the bottom of them, you know.

I bought them for the intention of using as Easter baskets. I know, rather unconventional and cold really. But I knew I could dress them up and the whole purpose was to use them every year, so I needed something strong and that wouldn't "outgrow" the boys...big plans to use them even when they are 18.
Turns out, I used them 3 times last year...last Easter, and on each of the boys' birthdays (I like to decorate the family room with paper streamers and a happy birthday banner~thank you Debbie~the night before their special day so that they are super surprised in the morning; as well as leave a basket filled with some small gifts outside their bedroom door).

Well, the baskets worked and all but...the Easter grass slipped thru the basket holes (not that horrible as I really didn't want to contend w/ the whole Easter Grass thing anyway) and most "small" gift items I bought fit in the baskets, just not all at the same time. {sigh} It will just have to make due, I just didn't want anything much larger.

Enter my find in the Target dollar bins: a fabulous round tin "basket"!

When I first spotted these there was only this Blue, Grey and I think Lime Green (or pink, I can't remember).  I picked blue because I thought it perfect to go with the theme for AJ's Birthday at the end of the month and when I went back (as well as visited two other Target stores) they were ALL gone.  Guess other people couldn't resist the cute usefullness. Well for $2.50, who couldn't, I guess. And Viola, the perfect solution to my "Year-Round-Easter-Birthday Gift-Special Pick Me Up Anytime Gift-Basket!!  Perfect size...not too big and definitely not too small, and shallow...so my "little" gifts won't get lost in a deep bottomless bowl!

I am thinking it needs a little something though.  Flair, if you will.  Maybe I will call on the experience of my old Storable Days and scribe their names in white paint. We'll see.

I am going to start by using these for Valentine's Day. I thought I had done well with what I had purchased thus far, but it seems I now find myself needing to go out into the thick of everyone else's valentine shopping to complete it, maybe just one more little something...

So far...

Batman dvd for AJ, Crayola Model Magic (PlayDoh but made to only stick to itself and nothing else), some Hershey Kisses and Sweet Tarts for basket filler ($1 bin at Target for the bag full) and a small Transformer and Hot Wheels drinking cup for each. Trent needs a little movie as well.

Oh and this:

I have a tin of wintergreen Altoids in my car. My favorite. Well, the boys like them too. Weird, I know. I think it is really a love/hate relationship they have for them. They want them and they eat them, but through the whole process they appear a bit pained by them and then for a good 10minutes after all I hear from the backseat is the sound of them each sucking wind through their teeth. LOL.

These Sweet Tarts will be just for them when we are on our travels!

Big sis, Debbie (Auntie "Betty") gifted the boys a valentine craft project and we plan to make those Monday to begin our week of Valentine prepping!  Woo Hoo!  Just about ready, how 'bout you?

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?