I had to swing by Walmart early this morning before I came to work and when I walked in the main door I was slapped in the face by the giant Valentine's Day display, front and center. Of course, there was the usual assortment of ridiculously oversized stuffed animals.

Michael Foth ~ Townsquare Media Billings
Michael Foth ~ Townsquare Media Billings
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Oh sure, they seem cute. Unless your kid's room is already overflowing with literally hundreds of stuffed animals. Hard pass on those. These cute little guys below seemed like a better option.

Michael Foth ~ Townsquare Media Billings
Michael Foth ~ Townsquare Media Billings
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Then there is the candy. Valentine's Day treats today are SO much better than what we got when I was a kid. Reaching back to foggy, elementary school memories, I recall getting mainly boxes of Sweethearts and those really crappy heart-shaped suckers. Not today. Along with the cheesy superhero or Disney princess Valentine's Day "cards" (just a small, flimsy piece of thin cardstock) kids have some awesome treat options.

Michael Foth ~ Townsquare Media Billings
Michael Foth ~ Townsquare Media Billings
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Say what?! Rice Krispie treats! Fruit by the Foot! Yum. Even tiny bags of Cheez-Its are WAY better than those basically flavorless, chalky, heart-shaped candies with silly love words printed on them.

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Do you remember when Sweethearts Candies almost disappeared forever a couple of years ago? According to the Spangler Candy Company,

In 2018 Sweethearts were in danger of disappearing forever when their owner went bankrupt and there was no one to save the brand. As a century-old candy maker, Spangler knew how important Sweethearts were to the Valentine season. Spangler acquired the brand that year but not in time to make Sweethearts for Valentine’s 2019. Sweethearts were missed by thousands of fans and the news of their absence was covered by hundreds of media outlets.

The classic candy has since returned to full production and continues to periodically update the edible ink messages. For example, the "Fax Me" heart has been replaced by "Text Me." Nice.

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