There's Somethin' Fishy About These Valentines- Get It? Fishy??

Hey there friends!
How was your weekend, especially your Super Bowl parties?
The girls had some of their friends in, we had our neighbor friends over and we all ate mass quantities of food.
Mass. Quantities.
Back to the diet and today I start Jillian's 30 Day Shred today.
I'm not gon' lie.
I am frightened.

And I need to address something.


Dear Go Daddy,
You apparently want no female customers with the ads you put out there.
We get it.
Sincerely,
Every Single Woman In America

Ahhhhh, I feel better now.
Thanks.



So I found these adorable Valentine's on Pinterest a while back.

Source: everything-in-focus.blogspot.com via Kari on Pinterest

Then I went to the blog where I pinned it from here and it turns out that she got the idea from an Etsy shop, but the link she provided didn't lead to anything.
So I went to Etsy and searched for Valentine + Fish + Bowl and it came up with five different shops who sell almost the same exact item.
Soooooo I picked the first one I saw, which happened to be this shop here.
This is the thing, they don't sell anything but the printable you put INSIDE the bag.
You have to purchase everything else.
And I thought, hmmmm I think I can do this on the cheap.
Will it look as professional as the Etsy ones?
Nope.
But its for my daughter's preschool class, so I don't want it to look professional.
Because, you know.
She's 5.


This is what you will need:

- Swedish Fish ( Walmart has them in the candy aisle)
- Clear round bags (Michael's has them in the candy making aisle)
- Blue scrapbook paper

Then, take a rusty circle cookie cutter.
Oh okkaaay, I guess it doesn't have to be rusty.
Whatever.
And trace a circle onto the blue scrapbook paper.

Then I took a red sharpie marker and wrote the above on it.
Clever, huh?
Get it?
School of fish.....
I saw this idea on Etsy or something like it so I cannot take credit for this.




The following is the brutal honesty I am known for here at the blog.
It is no secret in these parts that I have some remedial skills that are lacking.
I have the handwriting of a serial killer, my cursive is a hybrid of cursive and block letter and I cannot cut a straight line.
To save my life.
Evidence:

Yep.
All me.
Not the preschooler, but me.
She actually cuts better than I do.

Don't forget to make a Valentine for the teachers too!!

Isn't this cute??
But it needed a little something.....

I have a "thing" for little hands creating projects......

Oops, now everyone knows what they are getting for Valentines day.
Act surprised when it comes in the mail. :)

Yes!
Much better.


OK so the Etsy paper insert ranged from 3.50 to 6.00 for a pack of only 5 inserts.

Here is my cost rundown:

- scrapbook paper = 50 cents ( I got mine at Michael's and they had a 50% off sale when I bought these)

- Swedish fish = 6.00 for 3 packages (Walmart)

- clear baggies = 4.99 regular price at Michael's. But 100 come in the package so I know I will use these for something else. And if you are smart, you will use the weekly coupon that comes in Michael's ads for 40% off a regular price item which will make this 2.00 cheaper

Grand total = $11.49 to create 20 homemade Valentines
Which breaks down to 57 cents a Valentine!

If I had gotten the Etsy inserts, it would have cost me 25 bucks more which I would have never spent.
I mean come on, its Valentines for a preschooler.
And I probably won't do this again but this is her first year of school and wanted to make the Valentine exchange a little special.
Next year I am sure we will be buying Spongebob Valentines from Dollar Tree.
So what do we think?
And it took us all of 45 minutes to create 20 Valentines start to finish.
But it looks like it took a lot longer.
I am sure I will get evil half looks on the faces of the other preschool moms for making these.
That's OK I will return the favor in kindergarten.