A couple of years ago, my friend Jenny Rose over at Princess Turned Mom shared an idea for Valentine’s Day that stuck with me.  As an alternative to giving out chocolates and stuffed animals for Valentine’s Day, why not give books? They last longer, and they won’t give you or your kids cavities! Ever since she shared that idea, I decided I would implement it for my own kids for Valentine’s Day.

We’re going on 6 years of Chapters, Not Chocolates now. I even shared this idea at the kids’ school. They have now created a whole program for February based off of this. Parents send their children wrapped books for Valentine’s Day, and this year they will hold a Read-a-thon on February 14th. This year Caleb is getting Pottymouth & Stoopid and Treasure Hunters: All-American Adventure. Chloe is getting First Day of Unicorn School and a 50 States Activity Book.

What Books Do I Get?

I like to share which books I am getting for the kids, but I also have a few lists where I try to add books yearly. This way they are all in one place for you! We all know online shopping is easiest, but if you can, try to visit and buy from your local bookstore. My personal favorite is Books & Books. It’s local and it has a couple of locations in South Florida; it has such an incredible variety of material. Plus, the staff there are true bibliophiles – they absolutely love books and will give you amazing recommendations. (I actually love this place so much that we had Caleb’s baby shower at the Coral Gables location. It has the cutest cafe and courtyard space!) 

Don’t have time to stop by and pick up a book? You can still support your local bookstore by shopping at Bookshop.org (the link will take you to my list of Valentine books!). Head to my Amazon List to see some other options that you can get there.

I’d love to hear if you decide to try it with your children! If you do it, use the hashtag, #chaptersnotchocolates so I can see your posts! 

xoxo,