Galentine’s Day ideas

After years of Valentine’s Day being centred around couples and romantic love, women are now reclaiming this holiday for themselves and their friends. Galentine’s Day, while still a relatively new concept, is a wonderful way to spend February 14, whether you’re in a committed relationship, still playing the field, or happy being single. The best thing to do is to throw yourself into the red hearts and the love, put up some decorations, and open your heart to all your friends. If you are looking for some ideas of what to do together to make the day feel special, here are just a few.

Organise a spa night at home and indulge in all the old-school beauty tricks done at sleepovers in your childhood

Movie night
What is a more classic and wholesome way to spend Galentine’s than a movie night? Sitting in your favourite pyjamas, under a dozen blankets, and with popcorn in your hand, movie nights are popular for a reason. While the classic rom coms are popular for good reason, there are many ways to mix up your night to make it feel a little more special. In a style similar to the TikTok trend “Hear Me Out Cake”, you could do a movie marathon of your slightly controversial celebrity crushes in their hottest movie characterisation. This idea gives you both a combination of genres and a chance to joke with your friends about their tastes in celebrities. You could always add some crafts like painting or crocheting to do at the same time to take home a little memento.

Spa night
Celebrate Galentine’s by indulging in both platonic and self-love all in the space of one night. Organise a spa night at home and indulge in all the old-school beauty tricks done at sleepovers in your childhood. Gather your peel-off-face masks, cucumbers for under your eyes, and manicure sets. What better way to bond with your girls and refresh your mind and body before spring? Valentine’s Day does not need to be entirely focused on romantic love.

Cooking and baking
There’s an endless supply of inspiration for themed baking and cooking that can be so much fun to try. Heart-shaped pizzas, red sugar cookies, heart-shaped waffles, strawberry cupcakes, or practically anything with pink sprinkles make for an easy-themed cake. Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok are a treasure trove of inspiration and recipes. Whether you are a cooking connoisseur or find it easier to pick up a box kit from Tesco, group cooking or baking can be so much fun. Being artistic is always better when you can eat your creation afterwards.

With group gift exchanges, setting a price limit and adding a theme can make the experience of shopping easier

Secret Cupid
Cosmopolitan wrote about the idea of a Secret Cupid, which is essentially Valentine’s version of Secret Santa, and this could be so fun. With group gift exchanges, setting a price limit and adding a theme can make the experience of shopping easier and the gifting more enjoyable. A growing trend online (used mostly over Christmas) was a Jelly Cat and thong exchange. This idea lends itself more to the Valentine’s Day theme and seems to be a crowd-pleaser. If that isn’t you, go simple with exchanging chocolate, wine, candles, or anything that’s simple and cosy. I would not recommend turning this into a white (or pink) elephant exchange unless you want to stir up some trouble.

Brunch date
If you would rather be out and about on Valentine’s Day, try a new Leamington brunch spot. Finding space to go out for dinner on one of the most romantic days of the year will be unbelievably difficult, and brunch can be much more laid back. Gather your girls together, allow yourselves to dress up, and explore Leamington’s brunch scene. If you are looking to stay on theme with the day, Hart and Co is a personal favourite due to their cute backdrops for photos such as the neon signs or infamous bathtubs. If you are looking for more of a tipsy time, many places will offer bottomless brunches. Chain restaurants like Turtle Bay and Las Iguanas offer seem to be very popular with their wide range of food and cocktails. There’s an endless supply of brunch places for various types of cuisine once you start looking.