It’s been one heck of an odd week. And for the love of Amy Poehler, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. And there’s nothing you can do to change that fact. (Especially when the new oven you ordered was supposed to arrive on Saturday but due to the blizzard, isn’t coming in for another week.) If I have to make one more thing using our Panini maker, I’m going to snap. And I digress.

What CAN a mother do?

1. You CAN pull on a swanky apron and bake tiny pink cupcakes with your daughter’s cupcake maker that Santa thankfully gave her. And decorate them with pink, white and red frosting! Wah-la!

2. You can also use the contraption to bake tiny muffins, tiny pancakes, tiny cookies and brownies. (And anything else you want to keep warm, Tommy Boy.)

3. You CAN make crafty hearts with doilies and construction paper.

4. Tie a pink and red ribbon to your dog’s collar. Even if he’s a male, your kids will appreciate it.

5. You CAN try to come up with something else silly to give your husband so he doesn’t think you forgot about him, even though you don’t really need to celebrate Valentine’s Day to show how much you adore him.

6. You CAN grill him another meal using the Panini maker! And then have wine to level out your temporary mommy insanity.

Our annual tradition on February 14th? We trade gag gifts. And lots of chocolate. My husband gave me candy and Pajama Jeans last year. No, I’m not kidding. It’s part of our Valentine’s Day tradition. I have to say, it really takes the pressure off of this pseudo holiday. For both of you, really. Just go to the Dollar Store and buy the first thing you see and boom, wa-lah, the thought is there. Pressure’s off.

We ALWAYS buy each other thoughtful gifts for our birthdays, Christmas and our anniversary. But this holiday isn’t really big for us. It’s all about the kids. We’ve been married for 17 years, so I highly recommend bringing the expectation level down a notch or two for people who have been together as long as we have. It’s entirely up to you!

And, in case you’re wondering, yes, I still wear my Pajama Jeans. (Just not beyond the driveway.) Happy Valentine’s Day!