As you celebrate (or curse) Valentine's Day today, remember, it's the thought that counts.
And sometimes, the thought really stinks.
TODAY Moms teamed up with Parenting.com to survey more than 800 moms on their love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day. One of the questions we asked: What is the worst -- and best -- Valentine's Day gift you've ever received? Let's just say the bar is set pretty low when it comes to bad gifts. Here are some that TODAY Moms have actually received:
- A pot holder
- A pack of toilet paper
- A new iron. (I needed it, but still...)
- A day-after Valentine's gift when it was all 50 percent off
- Candy -- I have juvenile diabetes
- Nothing at all.
But romance is not dead! Moms also told us some of the best-ever gifts:
- A framed menu from the restaurant where we had our first date.
- Handmade jewelry, a necklance and matching bracelet. He even picked a heart-shaped clasp! This couldn't have been easy: My husband has REALLY BIG hands and they were really small beads!
- He gives live mini-roses so I can plant them in the flower bed. I love it, 'cause they don't die after a few days and I think of him as they bloom all summer long!
- My baby girl! Born February 14, 2011
And in the right context, even toilet paper can be a romantic gift. One mom who responded to our survey wrote:
When I was teaching in the inner city, our school was notorious for running out of necessary things like toilet paper, paper towels, pencils etc. I was always constantly buying these things for my classroom. My boyfriend at that time filled a HUGE clear plastic storage container with "expensive" toilet paper, paper towels, pencils, a super-strong pencil sharpener, lots of construction paper, glue sticks, crayons, markers, and a book for each of my students. There was so much stuff I didn't have to buy toilet paper for my class until June! This was the absolute BEST GIFT I ever received. It was beyond thoughtful and was very giving.
However you celebrate Valentine's Day, most moms agree the holiday changes after you have kids. A third of moms in our survey say it becomes less of a big deal (who has the time?), while about another third say Valentine's Day becomes more about the kids. After all, we've yet to see a Godiva chocolate box that can compete with a glue-y, glitter-strewn, misspelled hand-made card from the kids for sheer sweetness. (Though we're happy to take the chocolates, too, just to be clear!)
Check out the video for more from our Valentine's Day survey (and to find out who Giada De Laurentiis's secret V-Day crush is!). How are you celebrating Valentine's Day? Tell us in the comments!