Feel-Good Valentine's Day Ideas
We wanted to offer you some fun and inexpensive ideas that you can do this Valentine’s Day to celebrate love of all kinds. These ideas are great for singles, couples, friends, or groups because love is something that comes in many shapes and sizes. Even if you want to spend the day celebrating your self-love, these will help you have fun doing it. We think you’ll love the ideas we came up with and they may even become an annual tradition!
The reason it’s good to take a break and focus on love is that it helps us remember that life is not meant to be all business. We are equipped with senses and emotions so that we can use them to create and inspire. By tapping into the things we love with these ideas, we can get in touch with the love that is always accessible - that universal love that truly connects us all.
1. Bake Heart-Shaped, Heart-Healthy Cookies
For a holiday that is about love, the traditions certainly aren’t all that self-loving in the health department - but hey, we can change that! Modify a sugar cookie recipe by replacing white flour with organic or gluten-free flour, replace the sugar with maple syrup, and the butter with a non-dairy alternative called Earth Balance. Then, handwrite the recipe for your loved ones and gift it in a reusable basket with a reusable cloth to promote sustainability.
2. Host an All-Natural Pink & Red Potluck
Invite your support network over for a natural-foods potluck with a pink and red theme! It will be fun to try to find foods that are naturally pink and red, or get creative with healthy foods that can be altered in colour (adding a beet to mashed potatoes to make them pink is always a crowd-pleaser). Strawberries, tomatoes, pomegranates, raspberries, and more make a meal that is love-themed in colour and in nutrition.
3. Do a Portrait Sitting
You don’t need to spend any money at all do this if you have a mirror and the ability to take selfies (we know you can)! This is a self-love ritual that can be done solo, with a partner, or with friends. Get super creative and stage the scene, do your hair and makeup, and put on some music that makes you feel confident. You can be clothed, wrapped in a shawl, or in the nude! Whatever strikes your fancy. This is a fun, unusual, and therefore memorable way to fall in love with your body and practice self-love.
4. Read a Romantic Book by the Fire
Not everyone has a fireplace, but you can always light a few candles. Put on some beautiful music, get a cup of tea, and anyone (if you’d like) you’d like to join you and spend the evening exploring a romantic novel. Perhaps it will spark something in you that needs reigniting. There’s something about a well-written book that can be very moving and heartwarming. It could be a book about self-love, not needing love, finding unexpected love or whatever calls to you. Peruse a used book store and see what pops out or catches your attention. It doesn’t have to be a sappy love story, find something that interests you.
5. Write Love Letters in Cursive
You can do this by yourself or with friends. Sending love to your parents, friends, significant other, a crush, or even yourself can help you see how much love really is in your life and how it can spread it like wildfire. Choose fun stationery and write real old fashioned letters with thought behind them. When the person receives your letter, it will warm their heart and, in turn, help you see how great it is to show love to those that make your life a little better by being a part of it. Point out the things you love about them in old English, Pig Latin, or in a rhyming poem. Make it fun!
Concluding Thoughts…
We hope you like our ideas and are inspired to get in the love mood, regardless of your relationship status! If you’re not someone who tends to celebrate traditional holidays, perhaps look past the conventional and commercialized part of this day and see that at its core, Valentine’s Day is all about connection and appreciation for each other. Whether you choose to go on a date or wear red hearts is entirely up to you. But catch the wave and see that it can be quite inspiring when we are all focusing on love!
Additionally, if you know someone that may have a hard time being alone on a day like this because it highlights a pain in their life (perhaps a widow or someone who recently had a breakup), it might mean the world to them to spend some time watching a funny movie or doing something lighthearted like going to a taco stand, getting ice cream, or even going for a bike ride. The more we reach out to others, the less time we have to feel bad for ourselves.
If you’re spending the day with someone you love, you can show that love by being open about what you love about them. The deepest connections come when we take down the walls of living up to what we think we are supposed to be and show our heart by simply stating what’s in it. Sometimes the best way to feel good is to just be vulnerable and say, “I love you.”
Related Article: Inclusive Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
