The Antithesis of Valentine's Day

For some reason I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. You're probably thinking who doesn't like hearts, flowers, and cards? Well, here's how it happened. One fateful night (too many years ago to admit), I had the worst Valentine's Day of my life. I was newly single, and my best friend was about to get married. We went out to what was supposed to be a fun Valentine's Day party, and I sat there and cried my eyes out the whole night. Since then, I have disliked (loathed is more like it) the day that celebrates hearts, couples and flowers. 

I'm so glad I became a teen librarian because it is the perfect way to use my anti-Valentine's Day powers for a good cause. When I first heard of anti-Valentine's Day, I thought it was an awesome concept! One of the first taglines I remember using for promotions was "Do you hate hearts and flowers? Do you think Cupid is stupid? If you don't fall for this overrated Hallmark holiday, then you're in luck!" I've hosted anti-Valentine's Day teen programs since 2012, and each one has been a blast. This year our anti-Valentine's Day theme is "It's not me, it's you," and we are getting excited for this teen shindig! The key to throwing a great bash is to plan a bunch of fun activities and offer delicious treats. Here are a few of my favorite anti-Valentine's Day crafts and activities:

Rude conversation hearts: These angsty little hearts are totally rude, but 100 percent pure fun to make.

Black duct tape roses: Give a black rose to someone you don't love. 

Bling rings: Give your BFFs bling rings, because they deserve all the bling in the world. 

Voodoo pincushion dolls: Teens will absolutely loves these controversial, yet cool, crafts. 

Valentine potion taste test: Are you up for a little fizzy bubbly at your anti-Valentine's Day party?

Geeky Valentine surprise cupcakes and "she's just not that into you" cookies: You can't go wrong with these treats! 

Ultimate breakup playlist: I know it hurts to listen, but the pain will only make you stronger.

Tune in next month for more ideas for tween and teen programming and activities!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Mixed Up Names, Holidays & Love

I absolutely loved this little novella! I read it on my Galaxy! It was so cute, funny, sweet and definitely got me ready for the holidays. I thought it was very adorable that the two main characters had the same name only flipped around Ty McKenzie and Mackenzie Tyler . This brought me closer to the characters and helped me to see that they really had something in common. Ty was super awesome and would be the guy that I would want my daughter to date and fall in love with, sweet, thoughtful and pretty cute. Kenzie was great because she helped to heal a bond that had been broken between Ty and his mom and that meant everything in the world to both of them. I love the holidays, but sometimes I feel like I can bogged down in all of the commercialism. This story helped me to get excited about decorating, shopping, baking, and even ice skating. It was short, but I don't really have a whole lot of time to read, so I really loved that too! I'm going to see if I can read some more from the ALL I WANT anthology.




Mrs. Librarian Lady is a cool cat who loves to read!

An Anti-Valentine's Day Campaign

I'm finally going to do to be able to get creative with and let loose my true feelings for Valentine's Day! I'm on a month long campaign to prove that Valentine's Day does not have to be all about hearts, love, and flowers. I'm hosting two Anti-Valentine's Day parties for teens at two different libraries! Wow that double exposure to heartbreak, disillusion, and pain. I love it ♥ I'm an evil genius muhaaahhaaahaaa! Finally something to get excited about in the cold winter weather. Here's my intro to the party invitation and I will be posting for the next month with pictures, songs, and crafts for this anti-heart celebration!

Do candy hearts and chocolates make you feel ill?
Are you running from Cupid and his stupid arrow?
Are you planning your ♥ Day escape?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
You are invited to an
ANTI-Valentine Party!!