With the “day of love” around the corner, I find myself wanting to celebrate a different type of love that is just as deserving – the love of female friendship! Enter Galentine’s, which gives you the perfect excuse to celebrate you and your girls. Whether you’re celebrating with long-time friends, or new besties, a Galentine’s party is the perfect girly celebration. As such, here are some ideas to include in your Galentine’s Day celebrations to ensure fun times and good vibes!
Themed CoCKTAIL NIGHT
A cocktail night is a great way to level up any Galentine’s celebration. For those who haven’t seen the TikTok trend, the idea is that everyone makes a different drink for the group that matches the theme of the party – Galentine’s is the perfect opportunity to try this out with your friends! You can find adorable glasses and Valentines Day themed drink accessories for cheap at the Dollar Store or Walmart (we love a budget-friendly option). For those like me who struggle with creating themed drink ideas, both TikTok and Pinterest have some great ideas to up your mixed drink game this holiday – or you could check out Erica’s article this week titled “Stirred With Love: Cocktail Ideas for Any Valentine’s/Galentine’s Party”, where she suggests some fun and tasty recipes that are just waiting to be tried out!
ROM-COM MOVIE NIGHT
Without a doubt, a classic rom-com binge is a girls night staple. As such, cultivating the perfect movie line-up is critical in your Galentine’s day plans. Plus, it can be done simultaneously with some of the other suggestions on this list! Truly, you can’t go wrong with any rom-com, but some of my personal favourites are: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days (2003), Drive Me Crazy (1999), and my absolute all-time favourite, Mamma Mia (2008). Between love, girlhood, laughs, and drama, all of these movies have the right ingredients to make up the perfect Galentine’s movie binge!
BAKING
Baking for Galentine’s is a great way bond with your girls while adding a personal touch to your celebrations – and bonus, you get to enjoy some yummy food! I’ve seen some cute ideas on TikTok, such as heart-shaped cookies, adorable themed cupcakes, and heart-shaped pizzas – which would not only taste delicious, but would be sure to spice up your insta feed if you like to post. Regardless of what you decide to make, it’s sure to go perfectly with a Galentine’s themed cocktail while binge-watching your favourite rom-coms!
SMASH CAKE or “HEAR ME OUT” CAKE
I’m sure most of you know what a smash cake is, but for those who don’t, a smash cake is where you and your friends print out your wackiest “hear me outs” – your most unhinged crushes- and put them on a cake. I’ve seen some pretty crazy ones, with the “hear me out” being: the number 8, Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, the concept of time, and Sully from Monsters Inc, just to name a few. This is a really fun game that is sure to bring about friendship bonding and lots of laughs, especially with the more outrageous or niche the “hear me out” is.
DINE OUT DOWNTOWN
With midterms coming up, it can be hard to find time to plan and host, even for something as special as Galentines. For those who don’t have the time to host, or just for those who just want to celebrate Galentines on the town, dining out is a perfect idea. Luckily, Kingston is home to a wide variety of restaurants, so whether you’re feeling pizza or pad thai, there’s sure to be something that appeals to your girl group. My personal favourite dinner spot is Atomica on Brock Street; the music is great, the vibes immaculate, and the food and drinks are even better – if you haven’t had their fettuccine with braised chicken and cremini mushrooms, I cannot recommend it enough!
CRAFT NIGHT
One of my personal favourite de-stressors is arts and crafts, and there are so many cute Valentine’s themed craft ideas that would be perfect for a Galentine’s celebration. Some ideas that I will definitely be considering this year are decorating plates. wall art, mugs or wine glasses. Wine glasses would work perfectly for the cocktail night suggestion at the beginning of this list *wink wink*. This is a really fun bonding idea that allows you and your girls to exercise your creativity, while also being budget-friendly, as you can get all the adorable decorations you’d need like rhinestones or glitter from the Dollar Store.