11 Galentine's Ideas + 11 Valentine's Ideas
A brief history of February holidays & some fun ideas to celebrate!
A Brief History
From my research, no one really knows the exact origins of Valentine’s Day. However, it is said to have roots in both with the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia and with Saint Valentin, a Christian martyr from the 3rd century AD. Over hundreds of years, these traditions merged into the celebration of love we now call Valentine’s Day.
Much more recently, Galentine’s Day was started by Leslie Knope from the show Parks and Recreation (Season 2, Episode 16). She says, “Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.”
So whether you love all things pink and making heart shaped waffles, or you think it is all just a commercialized excuse to buy overpriced cards and roses, I hope you find time this week to love a little extra on those around you.
And if you need some inspiration one exactly how to do that…here are some simple but fun ways to celebrate those we love this week and any time of the year!
11 Simple Galentine’s Day Ideas
Book Swap - Have everyone bring a book - maybe a romance, and then come up with a creative way to swap them! You could wrap them and play a Valentine’s Day version of dirty Santa, or you could draw numbers for who chooses first.
Rom-com Movie Night - Bake some cookies or pop some popcorn, and watch a classic rom-com together! Some of my personal favorites are “10 Things I Hate About You,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and “13 Going on 30.”
Flower Arranging - Go buy some beautiful flowers and treat each of your friends to making their own homemade bouquet! You could even pull up a YouTube video to watch together and learn a few tricks.
Breakfast for Dinner - Leslie Knope’s original Galentine’s included breakfast. Why not do breakfast for dinner? This past weekend, me and my friends did a waffle bar with some extra breakfast sides - it was delicious!
Movement - Get everyone together to go to a workout class. Go on a long walk at a park. Pull up a dance routine or yoga flow, and do it in your garage. Enlist an active friend to lead your own private workout. There are so many ways you can celebrate Galentine’s and get in your daily movement!
Vision Board Night - Ever since I saw Allison Bickerstaff post about this vision board night she had last year, I have been wanting to host one myself. You could do physical vision boards (like Allison) on a blank canvas with pictures and glue, or for a more low-prep version, you could have people bring over their laptops and make them on Canva!
Paint Taper Candles - Have a little DIY painting night and create Valentine’s Day themed taper candles! I think these always turn out so cute, and there is just something about painting that makes you feel like a kid again.
Photoshoot - Grab an iPhone or a friend’s camera and stage a photoshoot with all your friends! You could make this as fancy or as casual as you want.
“Favorite Things” Exchange - This was something a lot of people were doing at Christmas, but I think it is perfect for Valentine’s Day too! The idea is that you buy one, or a few, of your favorite things for everyone else in the group. When people open your gift, you share about why you love that thing, and hopefully, everyone finds a few new things to love too!
Friendship Bracelets - Grab some thread, watch a tutorial if you forgot, and make some friendship bracelets together! This has to be the most nostalgic idea on the list.
Recipe Exchange and Cooking Night - If number ten is the most nostalgic, then this is certainly the most grown-up idea on the list. Have your friends write down a favorite recipe of theirs - maybe try to assign everyone a specific course (appetizer, drink, meal, dessert, etc.). Then, cook the meal together! Everyone will leave with a full belly and some delicious new recipes!
11 Simple Date Night Ideas
Read in Bed - Grab your favorite book, and snuggle up in bed to read. Take time to talk about the books you are reading or maybe even read some aloud to each other.
Spa Night - Light some candles, give massages, do a face mask, make some tea, do yoga - whatever makes you feel relaxed!
Cook & Watch - If one of you mainly does the majority of the cooking, switch it up from your normal routine. Make a completely new meal, and make it together! Then, turn on your favorite show while you eat.
Takeout at the Table - If you cook (#3), you will have lots of time to talk while you prepare your meal, so I say watching TV is allowed. However, if you get takeout, try sitting at the table and lighting a candle to allow for more conversation time.
Get outside - Ride your bikes, go watch the sunset, walk at a local park, or drive to the nearest body of water. There are so many ways to get outside and spend some quality time together.
Indoor Camping - Put your mattress or a tent in the living room. Make some s’mores in the oven or with a mini indoor firepit. Turn your phones and the lights off, and pretend like you are actually off the grid for a little bit!
Dream together - Similar to the vision board party on my Galentine’s list, have a night of dreaming with your Valentine! Talk about practical goals you have for the month but more than that, share the goals and dreams you are afraid to say out loud.
Dessert & Movies - Instead of cooking a whole meal, why not just make a fun dessert? We love to make a soft serve ice cream in our blender with bananas and cocoa powder. You could also do a giant skillet cookie, a pie, a cake - whatever you want! Then, pick a new movie to watch! We recently watched Ghosted on Apple TV and enjoyed it.
Plan Vacation - I love this idea because it is both fun and practical. If you have a trip coming up, start looking at activities and restaurants. If you don’t have any trips on the calendar, start planning one! Even if you can’t afford to book it right now, it is still fun think about where you want to go. Plus, if you have a vision for the trip, it can given you even more motivation to save and make it happen!
Coffee Date - This is the perfect morning date. Mix with some fresh air and good conversation.
Game Night - I think game nights are so fun, and they are so diverse depending on what game you play. Board games and card games are classics for a reason, but if you are looking for something a little different, try out a murder mystery, an at home escape room, or the conversation hygge game.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you all celebrate your loved ones extra this week. Happy Valentine’s Week!
Take care,
Caroline
These are great suggestions! Hope you enjoy your Valentines Day!