Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a heart-warming day in the midst of one of the major winter months, but for some reason, we only focus on romantic relationships when we think about celebrating love and all the fuzzy feelings that come with it rather than also celebrating their family, their friends, and themselves!
In this regard, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love whether that’s familial love, love between friends (of all sorts!), and self-love as well!
Why not redefine Valentine’s Day to prevent ourselves from falling into yet another societal-imposed comparison trap? In a world that tells you love can only exist in the form of romantic partnership, when you find yourself single or even if you’re not and spending the day alone, LOVE ALL THE AVENUES OF LOVE YOU HAVE!
Here’s a list of fun, flirty, and heart-warming things you can do suitable for most budgets as single 20 or 30-something female on Valentine’s Day!
- Take Yourself Out for Dinner! – No need to do anything fancy, but you can absolutely if you’d like! I like to take myself out for dinner and get something I like and know I will enjoy. It’s usually not a three-course meal, but its something I am craving that I allow myself to have. I usually get dressed up for this, head to my favorite restaurant, sometimes I’ll even take a cab there so it feels like a date, and treat myself to a meal and a nice dessert.
- Buy Yourself Flowers – It’s 2024, why are we judging people for trying to make themselves happy? If you don’t anticipate that someone will send you flowers, buy them for yourself! Better yet, do a flower / small gift exchange with a friend and ensure that you receive flowers and make someone smile as well. Win-win! There are also florists that offer flower arrangement classes and it’s something you can even make a day out of and learn something new if that’s more your speed, plus, you will get to take a bouquet of flowers you arranged home.
- Get Dressed Up Anyway – If you would be excited to get all dressed up to go out if you had a partner for Valentine’s Day or plans for the day, you better get excited to get dressed up to go out while you don’t! Whip out that pretty dress, that cute outfit, or your going-out shoes and get excited to get dressed up anyway.
- Take Yourself Out for Just Dessert – Don’t want to splurge on dinner? But would love a decandant chocolate cake? Or some ice cream? Go get yours! Or order just dessert from Uber Eats or Doordash. Why not? Make it easy and get your sugar fix.
- Treat Yourself to Your Favorite Candy – Just want a chocolate bar? Me too. Head to your nearest candy/convenience store and get your favorite candy. If chocolate is not your thing, gummy bears and Skittles are a great option!
- Go to a Comedy Show – This is my favorite thing to do! When I’m not finding live music or traveling, comedy shows are a frequent going-out ordeal for me. Living super close to New York City – the options are abundant as well. Plus, the best way to feel present and really keep your positive energy is to laugh! I have never walked out of a comedy show bummed or feeling worse than I walked in.
- Do a Movie Marathon at Home – Now you can rent movies currently in theatres and have so many options for streaming services. Take advantage of that and find some feel good movies to watch, pop the microwave popcorn, grab your blanket and stay in! A few good movies I have seen lately include Argylle (a feel-good spy movie with cute moments), Anyone But You (a cheesy rom-com, but with some hot scenes), and When We First Met (an old one on Netflix, but a cute twist to the idea of finding the one).
- Make Yourself a 3-Course Dinner – Save your coins and make yourself a cute 3-course dinner. Why not? All you need for a three-course dinner is a recipe for an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. Head to your grocery store and get your ingredients and get cooking! My go to three-course meal is a kale caesar salad as an app, a nice pasta with vodka sauce as an entree, and store-bought cheesecake for dessert. Easy!
- Make Valentine’s Day a Self-Care Day – Get your face masks, sugar and coffee scrubs, draw a bath for yourself, give yourself a manicure or pedicure, and eat your favorite whole foods. Lots of options for a self-care day!
- Make Yourself a Special Drink (alcoholic or not) and Binge a New Show – My favorite non-alcoholic Whiskey is made by a brand called Monday and I’ll mix that with ginger beer and lime and make myself a Kentucky Mule. A new show I would recommend is Sort Of on HBO Max, but your new favorite may very.
- Book Yourself a Boudoir Shoot – I have said it before and I’ll say it again! Boudoir and female empowerment shoots are so elevating in terms of heightening your confidence and showing yourself some self-love! I’ve done shoots with Brooklyn Boudoir and ThreeBoudoir and wrote about my first experience here. Do yourself a favor and book one!
- Buy Yourself Some Lingerie – Get yourself a spicy outfit just because! Bonus points if you wear it on Valentine’s Day and even more bonus points if you do your own little selfie shoot in secret! Some of my favorite pieces are from Adore Me and SugarCookies NYC.
- Galentine’s Day Anyone? – I did this during the weekend that just passed! I grabbed a girlfriend and checked out the Museum of Sex exhibit and immersive experience; it was quite provocative and humorous and made for a fun night! Grab a gal friend and go to do something fun, go shopping, go watch a movie, grab dinner, or find a cute coffee shop to lounge in!
- Treat Your Friends to Little V-Day Gifts – This is fun to do. One of the best ways to feel loved is to give love and love others. Treat your friends to cute little candles, chocolates, or heart-shaped goodies. Nothing big, just small tokens of appreciation. Last year, I made little goodie bags and included heart shaped chocolates, little Star Wars themed valentines, and a lipstick from my very own brand, KissAss Cosmetics.
- Get Out of Town – Take a road trip, take a train, take a plane to somewhere new if your schedule and life permits. Why not just find your own adventure? Did a quick trip to Boston recently and the 48 hours away from my environment felt both exciting and refreshing!
- Go to a Bar (on your own) – Put on your favorite lipstick and head to a bar around town. Grab a beer, a glass of wine, or a cocktail and be there to mingle and enjoy the ambiance. Enjoy your own company!
- Pop Open a Bottle of Champagne – You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do so if you want is a sparkling glass of wine, get yourself one, and enjoy it at home!
- Take Yourself Shopping – Retail therapy is a real thing. Browse your favorite stores for a new wardrobe, handbag, or shoes. Better yet, if you aren’t keen on wanting to buy anything – just grab a coffee and window shop.
- Splurge on Jewelry – That necklace in my blog post photo is from Kendra Scott, one of my favorite jewelry brands! It was a splurge for my birthday last year and I wear it so often. I’m a sucker for heart-shaped jewelry and I love that piece. Plus, if you walk into a store like Kendra Scott, they will offer you a glass of champagne and you can even make your own piece.
- Make Your Own Night Full of Pleasure – A secret I have been gatekeeping is an app called Quinn. If you’re in a position where you’re single like me and really miss having intimate encounters that are meaningful and not casual by nature, this app is a healthy bandaid. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.
I hope these helped lead you to enjoy your day in a way that feels good for you! Comment below and let me know what you ended up doing!
Love yourself and take care,
Zobia