so this is the new year.

Happy New Year, one and all.

I'm not sure what it is, but the lack of Christmas decorations in my household (after I haphazardly threw them all into what probably weren't their respective boxes this morning in a fit of "being on top of it") makes it look even messier. 
Perhaps all of the shiny baubles and Christmas tree detracted from all of the clutter that pretty much is eating my house alive.
Whatever the reason, I've started this New Year off with a little bit less than optimism.
I've also decided to skip right past those pesky "winter" decorations that would be around for all of maybe half a month.
What am I doing instead, you ask??
I am putting myself full-force into Valentine's Day.

Makes no sense, really, since I pretty much hate the holiday. Someday I'll share some of my hatred-filled poetry with you from a few years ago at my low point.
But now I've got kids and making pretty valentines is fun.

For Christmas, we made the over-21 males (as responsible adults would) a six-pack of "Rein-Beers" (see pinterest for the How-To on that one--they were a big hit)...but you need about one brown pipe cleaner per beer.
And unfortunately, I could not find a pack of only brown pipe cleaners.
So I was left with about 200 pipe cleaners in assorted colors and no idea what to do with them.
Then, while messing around with them with the day care kids and my boys, I came up with this:

Super insanely easy and it used my leftovers.
Perfect. Timing.
Needless to say all afternoon I've been hailing myself as a crafty genius and patting myself on the back with alarming frequency.
Should you need a How-To on this, if you have also found yourself with an abundance of random pipe-cleaners:
1. Twist two ends of a pipe cleaner together, shape into a heart.
2. To keep them all connected, etc. wrap the second pipe cleaner around the first heart before twisting the ends together.
3. Keep going until it's as long as you want it.
4. Ta-da!!

I'm not sure how I'm going to store this during the off-season, considering it's all smushy and whatnot, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.