A Single Girl's Guide to Valentine's Day
All My Single Ladies
Put your hands up! Just because Valentine’s Day is marketed as a holiday for couples doesn’t mean that you can’t join in the fun. I mean look around - there’s lots of love in your life! Whether it’s from friends, family, or someone in between, that’s something to be celebrated. The last thing that I want you to do this year is dwell on your relationship status, so today I’m sharing a single girl’s guide to Valentine’s Day.
Rise & Shine
Hey there beautiful friends! You woke up to see another day. How dope is that? No seriously. I know it’s one of the most overlooked blessings because it happens... well every day, but take a second to appreciate it and I promise you that your day will be off to an infinitely better start! Now I know you’re an intelligent bunch, which means you’ll find what I’m about to say undeniably obvious upon first glance, but I need you to know that there is method behind my madness. I’m saying what I’m about to say, because no matter how hip we are to this holiday’s game, many of us still fall victim to it’s trap - so here goes nothing.
Real Talk
Valentine’s Day is no different than any other day of the year. It’s just another 24 hours dominated by consumer culture’s influence on our spending habits (which I am guilty of subscribing to because - duh, I’m a blogger, but also hate because - duh, I’m an enlightened individual that sees consumer driven holidays for the frivolous distractions that they are) but I digress. We can’t help that we’ve been conditioned to buy lingerie, flowers, and chocolates to celebrate our partners on February 14th, but we can acknowledge that conditioning for what it is and choose to make Valentine’s Day a holiday that works for us, whether we’re in a relationship or not.
What is Love?
Baby don’t hurt me! Before we can make this a holiday that works for us, we need to understand love. The most important thing to know about love is that it exists and can be celebrated in many different ways. There is no copy and paste function when it comes to matters of the heart, so love will almost never look the same across different relationships. This means that the love between you and your loved ones is one of a kind. It is a unique experience that fosters an innate sense of belonging between both parties involved. It is not reserved solely for people in romantic relationships because it transgresses the technicality of relation. For example, I can love my parents and know that I will always belong to them. I can also love my sister and know that I will have a place in her home indefinitely. I can love my (imaginary) boyfriend and build a life with him, and I can also love my friends and commit to staying in their lives. The possibilities are endless, so the last thing I want you doing in 2019 is buying into one antiquated narrative of how to celebrate love.
So What Are We Doing Sis?
We’re doing what we love with who we love! It’s as simple as that. I love music so I’ll wake up to a killer playlist, go to the gym to get my endorphins pumping, work because bills still exist on February 14th, and grab dinner with my girls because they’re single too (lmao) but more importantly, they know how to make me as happy as can be. I can’t give you a blueprint for a perfect Valentine’s Day because what’s perfect for me may not be what’s perfect for you, but if you’re looking for recommendations, I’ll be sharing my favorite ideas for singles and groups below.
Get the Look
V-Day Ideas
1. Galentine Gift Swap
2. Karaoke with Friends
3. Spa Day
4. Dance Class
5. Potluck Dinner
6. Mini Girls Trip
7. Concert
8. Movie Night
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day my loves. I hope you use this day to appreciate the abundance of love in your life. For more articles on love and relationships, click here and here. Don’t forget to let me know what you end up doing for Valentine’s Day via email or Instagram DM. Until next time babes!
xoxo Charmaine
The outfit worn in this post was gifted to me by Forever 21 Plus.