Valentine’s Day was never one of my favorite holidays. When I was single it was generally disappointing, and when I was coupled…well, it was generally disappointing.

But after having children, Hallmark Holidays took on a whole new meaning because it became about them: The miraculous evolution of doilies and glitter into Valentine’s Day cards, the hunt for cute red barrettes, the opportunity to teach them about the joy of giving and making other people feel happy, no matter what you get in return.

(Okay, I’m overstating my benevolence here. Of course I do a happy dance when Nate comes with my annual box of Knipschildt Chocolate, even if he does tend to suck down about 17 himself for every one I eat and then I yell at him and he denies it and we have a fight over it and…did I mention how Valentine’s Day is better when it’s about the kids?)

In that spirit, I just wanted to tell you about the kids’ color-your-own Valentine’s Day cards that Kristen and I put together at Cool Mom Picks in partnership with the absolutely lovely folks at Etsy.  When you buy one of the downloadable, printable PDFs (a mere $3.99!) every penny goes to the Children’s Heart Foundation to support kids with congenital heart defects. You’ll get 12 kid-friendly designs, each from a different amazing artist who donated their time and talent to the cause.

Did I mention just $3.99? And if you print out 400 of them, that comes to less than a penny apiece. A steal, in this economy, I tell ya!

We’re trying to raise $1000 and we’re actually getting close. So if this seems like it’s up your alley, we’d be honored if you’d head over to the Etsy Store, grab your own, print it out and make some kids happy. Including your own.