Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday. Who knows how much money greeting card companies and flower shops make off capitalizing on people’s emotions and tapping into their sentimental sweet spots, but hey, it’s an excuse to have a good time. Notice how I said “good time” and not “pity party.” Here are some surefire strategies to make sure your V-Day goes off without a hitch — even though you’re nowhere near getting hitched.
First of all, do not be that basic girl who posts a depressing series of statuses or tweets about how much of a bummer it is to be ridin’ solo on Valentine’s Day. Sending out an SOS via social media will not make Prince Charming magically appear. Note: you should probably just stay unplugged for the day anyways. Seeing all of your obnoxiously happy friends posting staged pictures on Instagram of the romantic date their charming significant other took them on (that they probably planned anyways) will only bring you down.
Second, do NOT call your loser ex just because you’re lonely. You’ll try to justify all of the reasons you two called it quits so you can hit them up, but do not do it. Just don’t. Being single during this one day of the year is a lot better than the pain of vodka, regret, and runny mascara you’ll feel the morning of February 15th if you resort to texting them. Just to play it safe, have a true friend that is not afraid to rip your phone out of your hands when you feel the overwhelming urge to call Mr. or Ms. Wrong, or install an app that temporarily prevents you calling or texting their sorry self.
Now, what should you do? Well, the possibilities are endless. One solid option is to have a “Galentine’s day.” Have some gal pals over, watch some hilarious rom-coms, shamelessly wear your pj’s, bake some delicious, pink-frosted treats and do whatever makes you happy. There’s something to be said about having a girl’s night.
Another fabulous idea is to have a “me day.” As I often preach, when you don’t know what to do, just do you. Have you always wanted to hike Bishop’s Peak, but your friends are all homebodies? Have you ever fantasized about getting lost in the beauty of Morro Bay or Cambria? Do you feel like stumbling upon a super trendy coffee house and just curling up with a warm cup of joe and a good book? Go for it. I have one friend who swears by having a “me day” on V-Day and she is one of the most at-peace people I know. There is no shame in having an adventure by yourself and exploring what we call “SLOme.”
Lastly, there are always parties going on during Valentine’s Day, and we all know that themed parties are the best parties. Grab some single friends that always give off good vibes and hit up the Valentine’s Day soirees. Rock your favorite dress and find some Valentine’s Day-themed accessories from Beverly’s to doll yourself up into the cutest cupid or queen of hearts. Valentine’s Day is also on a Friday this year, so cheers to the freakin’ weekend. Maybe even hit up a black hearts party, if that’s what floats your boat.
So there you have it! Being single on Valentine’s Day is actually a blessing in disguise. And remember, if you’re alone, you’ll always have your main men, Ben and Jerry.