We don’t make a particularly big deal out of Valentine’s Day in our household, partly because it’s such a silly affair full of expectations and pressure — and partly because it was usurped in our family six years ago this day by the birth of my niece Olivia. Really, a far more important matter to celebrate.
Still, my husband is not fool enough to let today pass without at least a small gesture of a simple bouquet, my favorite kind. And there’s something just so clean and perfect, so compact and magnificent, about white tulips that I thought you might like to share them.
Speaking of my niece Olivia, I’m not confirming that the fabric above was purchased specifically with her birthday in mind. I’m just showing it to you, is all. It is, the astute observer will note, based on Ian Falconer’s famed and adorable children’s books about Olivia the pig. I’m not sure many children are equipped to really appreciate the beautiful simplicity of Falconer’s work — nor do I think my niece has really reconciled with the idea of being associated with such a porcine figurine — but I just think there’s something heart-breakingly sweet about said piggie and her exploits.
We’re off to Indianapolis tomorrow for a quick weekend trip, in which we will celebrate Olivia’s birthday (belatedly, of course) and Chris’ birthday on Sunday. One of them will be celebrating with a Saturday afternoon bash at Chuck E. Cheese’s, but I shan’t tell you which.
February 14th, 2008
As with most things, I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while. I really like, as a general proposition, small gestures that can make a big difference in the long run. In that vein, my sister just signed my two youngest nieces up for UPromise accounts and the whole thing seems very cool to me. UPromise lets you save money for college for your relatives or even yourself by allocating a small percentage of purchases made with registered credit or debit cards, using certain grocery or retail store loyalty cards, eating at participating restaurants or shopping online at a vast number of websites.
Since I do a fair amount of shopping and eating, I’m already stocking away a little bit here and there. A couple of my favorite restaurants in town will earn me from 4%-8% on my bill. My Kroger rewards card earns me cash when I buy certain items. And when I shop on line, as I am wont to do, I get a little bit of cash into my account. It’s not like I’m saving tons at this point, but my sister and other family members are also doing this for my nieces. It adds up and by the time the girls are college age — they’re 6 and 9 now — I suspect whatever we’ve socked away will be useful.
Even cooler, you can link the money to 529 savings accounts — which let you save dough for your kids for college — and put it in there with the click of a button. I’ve sent links to my friends with small kids encouraging them to start UPromise accounts and invite their friends and families to participate. As my sister said, her kids have enough crap, so it would be really helpful if, on their birthdays, the money that my family spends on gifts went into their UPromise and/or 529 accounts.
When my sister gets 529 accounts set up for my nieces, I can even make a small, automatic monthly contribution that could add up over time. College is stupid expensive these days, so I can’t imagine how much it will cost even for a basic in-state education when my nieces go. (And, yes, if they wind up dropping out and going into food service, you can withdraw the money that wasn’t spent on college.)
February 14th, 2008