Did you know that the origins of Valentine's Day date back to the third century? According to Roman legend, Valentinus was imprisoned for his Christian beliefs and sentenced to death. While in jail, he restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter. On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a note to her and signed, “From Your Valentine.” He died the next day on February 14, 269 A.D. Centuries later Romans would honour Juno, the pagan goddess of love and marriage, on the 14th of February when men would draw women’s names and court them for marriage. Around 498 A.D., Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day to honor the martyr Valentinus and to end the pagan celebration. Today, approximately 144 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged industry-wide, and this does not include packaged kids’ valentines!

This Valentine's Day, Hallmark Canada has once again made it easy to share the love with heartfelt greetings and gifts for all of your special loved ones. Their Signature collection of greeting cards, as always, offers a beautiful selection of quality designs. Of particular note is Hallmark's new Disney card collection. And I have a little soft spot for the golden dinosaur embossed card, one I know my nephew would love. These are cards that are a gift in and of themselves, that's how beautiful they are.

For those who like to journal or sketch, then you must definitely check out Hallmark's Signature Multicolour Brushstrokes with Gold Dots Journal. It is filled with 160 blank pages and features a colourful acrylic cover with gold foil accents that adds a comfortable weight and durability to this fashionable journal. I also love the Signature Tri-Fold Purse Notepad. This 75-sheet memo pad comes with a mini pencil and fits perfectly in a purse, tote bag or car glove compartment. It features an abstract painted pastel heart and gold foil accented cover design, and it includes 12 mini cards with super sweet messages that fit in a side pouch. It also matches perfectly with Hallmark's Signature gold heart gift bag, seen above, complete with matching gold beads on the handles.

And of course, we can't forget about all the stuffed cuteness Hallmark has to offer. In addition to their itty bitties and other stuffed toys, Hallmark brings you Cu-Pug, a plush pooch with gold lamé wings and a chiffon sash. They also have an incredibly soft Sweet Singin' Elephant that sings "You Are My Sunshine". He's so cute, I just want to cuddle him all day long!

Disclosure: I received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

For Valentine's Day, all I ever really want is a fancy box of chocolates. Chocolate caramels, preferably. Or even a new puzzle. But every once in a while, I come across an item or two among the myriad of Valentine's Day gift items that I can't help but fall in love with. Like this year's selection of whimsical and fun gift ideas from Hallmark Canada. From cork coasters and colour-block cork journals with a pop of gold wire accents to compact mirrors and trendy cases for your eyeglasses, I mean, I just don't know where to begin. The teacher in me is squealing over the metallic-gold apple paperweight, a classy and practical gift for your child's teacher. It comes in a beautiful box and retails for $24.95.

If you're looking for more playful gift ideas, check out Hallmark's Lightbulb Bottle Stopper that features a miniature lightbulb set, a top on cork with a heart-shaped filament. It retails for $12.95. And for the wine lover, consider a set of Cheers to Us Stemless Wineglasses. These "no-spill" glasses feature fun messages on bubble glass. They retail for $19.95 but you can take advantage of a limited time offer that will save you half the price.

Of course, Hallmark is the place to visit for Valentine's Day cards. They have really cute packs of mini cards, such as the Emoticons Cards above that include 32 cards, stickers and special card for teacher.

Finally, don't forget to pick up a Hallmark Signature gift bag such as the XOXO bag with floating confetti on the front or the beautifully designed marble bag with metal handles. Top them off with love-themed tissue or, my new favourite, spiral tissue! Just pop up, shake and insert in the bag for effortless festive flair.

If you're looking to treat yourself, however, have a look at Hallmark's Marbled Wristlet Purse. This simulated leather accessory is so cute and adds a pop of pink and mint green to your ensemble. Plus, it includes a stylish gold bangle bracelet strap. It retails for $19.95. Or, you could just enter for a chance to win one of your own by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today I bring you good news. I will be continuing on as a member of Hallmark's 2016 Love, Hallmark Blogger Panel, sharing my thoughts on Hallmark Canada's latest products and special offers. Oh, and there may be some prizes in it for you, too! First up, we bring you our top picks for Valentine's Day, such as their Oversized Mugs. These large mugs would make the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life. Prefer hot chocolate? Just think how many marshmallows you could fit inside. I use my new mug all the time and love wrapping my hands around a warm cup of java. These mugs retail for $12.95 and there are a number of messages to choose from.

Don't forget to shower the love in your life with words from the heart. Choose from either the "I Love Us" pack containing 100 love notes or the "What I Love About Us" collection which you can personalize with notes of your own. Both retail for $9.95 at Hallmark stores.

One of the things I love about Hallmark is that they carry a little bit of something for everyone. For the fashionista, check out their Wrapped in Love scarves, retailing for $19.95. They feature fun patterns but can be worn any time of year. For young ones in love, the Love U Forever trinket box is a cute yet subtle gift idea. It's perfect for storing special little love notes, jewelry or other small mementos. This little red box retails for $26.95. Welcoming a new bundle of joy? Spread some extra love with a Little Cupid plush rattle, only $8.95!

Hallmark has a large selection of other plush toys as well. For Valentine's Day, you can find these adorable Cuddles to Share Bears that are too cute to resist. I love their oversized heads and xoxo printed paws. If you purchase three Hallmark cards, you can nab these cuties for $7.95 each. Or you could up the ante and try the Love-A-Saurus plush that sings and dances to an MC Hammer inspired dino-tune. Although, it's tough to beat Hallmark's Hug-Lovin' Hippo they released last year.

Finally, we can't forget teachers. I don't usually buy gifts for my kids' teachers and rarely do I receive any gifts other than a Valentine with a chocolate treat. But if you are looking to do something a little extra special for that teacher who has gone the extra mile for your child, Hallmark's Memo Pad Set with Pen would make a lovely and practical gift. It contains two memo pads with 100 sheets each, one smaller memo pad with 50 sheets and a matching pen. And it only costs $12.95.

And wait, we can't forget to show a little love to our humble abode. Our home does so much to make sure we are safe from the elements, providing us with shelter and a place to raise our families. That's why I love Hallmark Canada's Happy Pillow. It's a great home décor gift item that will cheer up the living space. The pillow retails for $34.95 but luckily, you can WIN your very own! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form. Open to Canadian residents only, excluding Quebec.

This year marks my fourth year as a member of the Hallmark Canada Blogger Panel and I am looking forward to sharing some Hallmark love with all of you. To kick off the year, we will begin with some fun Valentine's Day gift ideas. 

First up is Hallmark's super cute Hug-Lovin' Hippo. She dances and sings a parody of one of my favourite '90s songs:

Hug-Lovin' Hippo is just as adorable as The Hearts A-Hoppin' Frog that came out last year but I love Hippo's song even more. If you buy three Hallmark cards, you can purchase Hug-Lovin' Hippo for $17.95 at participating Hallmark Gold Crown stores (regularly $32.95).

If you're looking for a classic tale of puppy love, Hallmark has a Lady and the Tramp gift book with a matching Doggone Sweet Lady and the Tramp plush toy. Both my kids wanted this one so I took a pair of scissors and separated the two dogs so they could each have one. They really don't need more stuffies but it reminded me of a special movie date for two I had with my son a couple of years back. We are big fans of Lady and the Tramp. Speaking of which, I had uploaded some Lady and the Tramp colouring pages and printable activities if you're looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend.

One really cute gift idea which I hadn't seen before is the Penny Paperheart Mini Bake Shop Play Set. This paper play set includes Penny and her friend, Patti, story card, paper outfits and accessories, and perforated Hearts of Kindness. Plus, it has a pull-out drawer to hold it all. This is just one of six sets and would be a great starter set in a paper play collection.

Of course, Hallmark has a myriad of Valentine's Day themed gift ideas for adults, too. Their Marjolein Bastin Heart-Shaped Memo Pad would make a great teacher gift and their ceramic Love Cup with Marker is great for leaving your special loved one sentimental notes. The best part is that you can erase and repeat day after day! Hallmark also has some really beautiful gift bags to make gift-giving even that much easier.

Finally, if you haven't already bought Valentine's Day cards for your kids' classmates, you still have a few days left to buy them. Hallmark carries all sorts of branded kids' Valentine's Day cards including Star Wars ™, Disney® Princesses, Mickey Mouse Club House and the ever-popular Disney's Frozen.

And just so you know, I totally approve of the Frozen Valentine for teacher. You gotta love Olaf!

With February looming around the corner, it's hard to believe it's been fours weeks since we took our son skiing for the first time. It was a last-minute family getaway, one that began with a cold evening of fun at Horseshoe's Tubing and Adventure Park. I took my daughter there last year so I am glad we had a chance to share the experience with my son this time around. I will never forget the look on his face when he smiled a great big toothy smile as we flew down the chute on a cushy tube. The following day, we took to the bunny hill and faced cold winds and freezing snow. We wanted to ski some more but the weather wasn't cooperating. Surely we would return for some more wintry fun, right?

We aren't quite halfway through the winter season and, while we haven't been back yet, I am hopeful we will return to the slopes before the snow disappears. What little we have of it, that is. The below-freezing temperatures are a bit of a deterrent and have made it hard to find the time to send the kids outside. This means I have had to find alternate activities to occupy the kids and keep boredom at bay while stuck indoors. We've played board games, watched movies, read books and tried out some new video games. But sometimes it just wasn't enough. So of course, I made it my mission to add some extra cheer, especially where my son is concerned. He loves playing outside with the neighbours and gets really down when he has to stay inside on extremely cold days. I was at the store last week when I noticed a set of KINDER® Surprise Valentines. I picked up a set each of the Transformers and Disney Fairies limited edition sets, saving them as an extra special treat on an extra cold day.

And surely, my son was happily surprised. The look on his face when he saw his new little toy was enough to melt my heart. He has now decided that he wants to collect the entire set and already has three, including his favourite - Bumblebee. He also has his eyes set on the new race cars in the 2015 toy collection.

My daughter has already found some of the new toys, including a little green ball, and is starting her Disney Fairies collection.

Counting down to Valentine's Day? It's only one week away but there's still time to find the perfect gift for that special someone, whether it be your spouse, your nephew, a friend or, ahem, your child's teacher. Featured below are some gift ideas from Hallmark to help celebrate the day. My personal favourite? The Hearts A-Hoppin' Frog that sings a cute parody of "Hot, Hot, Hot!" Isn't he toad-ally adorable?

New to Hallmark is the Sarah Jessica Parker Collection of greeting cards, sold exclusively at Hallmark Gold Crown stores across Canada. This collection includes more than 70 different cards for birthday, friendship, love, thank you, congratulations, wedding and baby.

This year, I will continue my role as a member of the Hallmark 2014 Panel and share my favourite Hallmark products with you. To celebrate my fourth year on the panel, I will be giving away a Magic Message Reveal Heart to one of my readers. For a chance to win, check out my past Hallmark panel posts and leave a comment here telling me which has been your favourite Hallmark product. Please be sure to leave your email address so that I may contact you if you win. This giveaway will end on Tuesday, February 11 at 11 pm ET and the winner will be chosen at random from all qualifying entries.

Disclosure: I was sent product from Hallmark Canada as part of their Hallmark Panel  to help facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

To be eligible to win, check out Ste. Anne's spa services and leave a comment telling me which treatment you are most eager to try, then complete the form below.

Looking for gift ideas for Valentine's Day? Hallmark has got you covered. As a returning member of the Hallmark Press Pause Panel, I will be sharing some of my favourite Valentine's Day gifts and other great products from Hallmark throughout the year. Today, I begin with the beautiful Blooming Expressions flower. I adore it in the colour red and love that it's a flower that keeps on blooming. It is available with music for $24.95 or $19.95 without music.

The embossed envelopes are absolutely gorgeous!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner so it's time to start thinking of suitable Valentines for the kids' classmates. I always veer away from edible treats mainly because of potential allergies and also to avoid unnecessary sugar consumption. This year, we are going with plain-and-simple Play-Doh - it's treat without the sweet! To jazz them up, I decided to pull out my Cricut Expression to craft an embellishment of sorts. The first thing that came to mind was flowers, of course! Read on for a little tutorial on a simple Play-Doh flower Valentines craft that you can enjoy with your kids. It's as easy as 1-2-3!

February is often referred to as Heart Month or the month of love. During this time, we celebrate all the important people in our lives and show them how much we care. But it doesn't have to stop there. Take, for instance, this past Valentine's Day. My husband bought me a beautiful bouquet of long-stem roses and delectable handmade chocolates that were to die for. As I mentioned earlier this week, this could totally be something my husband can do on a monthly or so basis to show how much he cares. I don't need an expensive night out for two at fancy restaurant or jewelry. Just chocolate. At the very least, a little note with a sweet message will surely do the trick. I was playing around with the Disney Junior's Valentine's Day e-card and came up with this cute little card. Don't you love the chocolatey bears?

I love my husband.

The end.

Yes, it's true. I had not yet seen the movie Lady and the Tramp until this morning. It was a nice movie date with my little man, just the two of us. My daughter had tennis lessons and was thus unable to join in the fun. We had a yummy luncheon afterwards at the Old Spaghetti Factory where we were serenaded by an uber-talented accordion player and had our photo taken together, my son and I, that is. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with my 3-year-old, as it doesn't happen as often as I would like. It was also nice to bump into some old friends who had attended the screening as well.

So what's all the fuss about? Funny you should ask. February 7th marks the release of the Diamond Edition Blu-ray combo pack of the classic Disney movie Lady and the Tramp. And since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I wanted to share some cute printable activities, coloring pages and Valentine's Day cards for the Lady and the Tramp fan in your home. Just click on the thumbnail below to be directed to the download page and print away. Enjoy!