Valentine’s day is right around the corner; you might’ve noticed with all the red and pink lovey-dovey decorations that always go on sale way too early.
Let’s face it, we live in a society that places so much importance on romantic love. And while having a partner is great, platonic love and self-love are extremely underrated and underrepresented.
As a teenager, I always felt excluded from this holiday since I was single. I have since realized that Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate all kinds of love. It’s an opportunity to show the people closest to us how important they are in our lives.
Here are a few fun and creative ways you can spend Valentine’s Day this year whether with a partner, with your friends, or solo:
With Friends
Make a charcuterie board, drink some rosé, and watch a chick flick.
There’s so much you can do with a charcuterie board. It’s just a combination of all your friends’ favourite snacks. Some essentials that I always include are brie cheese, prosciutto, and olives.
Some of my favourite chick flicks to watch with friends are 10 Things I Hate About You, Someone Great, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
With a Partner
Make a sweet treat, play a game, and make matching clay figurines.
For the sweet treat, I recommend chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, or ice cream sundaes—they are super easy to share and guaranteed to be delicious!
By playing games, you and your partner might learn something new about each other and strengthen your bond! I recommend Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Codenames Duet, or the video game It Takes Two.
If you and your partner are feeling crafty, making mini clay figurines is a super cute and simple activity you can try. All you need is a box with colourful blocks of clay and Google to look up the figurines you’d like to copy!
Solo
Put on a face mask, eat your favourite snack, and watch a comfort movie.
Self-care is a great way to celebrate self-love on Valentine’s Day. Take advantage of this time alone to relax and de-stress; a moisturizing face mask will help you do this! My snack recommendations are popcorn or chocolate – they have never disappointed me. My go to comfort movies are Divergent, Spirited Away, and La La Land.
Whoever you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day with this year, I hope you have fun and remember how loved you are!