 Dearest Reader,
“All by myself, don’t want to be all by myself…” ~Celine Dion (“All by Myself”) So, you were super busy all week, didn’t notice all the pink and red streamers at CVS, and completely forgot to corral your single friends for Valentine’s Day. Now it’s the big holiday and you’re all alone. What do you do? What do you do! Here are some ideas to pull your day-of-hearts out of the dumpster: *Grab some popcorn, a cool umbrella drink and watch a rom-com. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Crazy Rich Asians, The Wedding Date, It’s Complicated, Last Holiday or Something New are all great choices! *Start a gratitude journal. It’s a great way to shift your focus. *Read: He’s Just Not That into You. This book, from the writers of Sex in the City, reaffirms what one wants from a relationship. It also reminds the reader, being in no relationship is better than being in a bad relationship. *Do something creative. Paint, draw, write a poem, or create a song. Creativity nourishes one’s soul. *Call a friend and go for a walk. Connecting and exercise are a powerful feel-good cocktail. *Create a vision board. Refocusing one’s life on future goals is very empowering and self-affirming. *Stop by your local shelter and volunteer. There’s nothing like unconditional dog or cat love. *Make a delicious meal. Taking the time to treat yourself well reaffirms your self- value. *Do something for someone else. Shifting focus makes one remember what is important. *Create a beautiful valentine for yourself. Use feathers, glitter and all the stuff. Post on the bathroom mirror where you can see it every day. *Buy flowers and create a colorful arrangement. Making your space more beautiful will lift your spirits. *Read or listen to a great old-fashioned romantic novel like Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Frenchman’s Creek, or Rebecca. *Check out Facebook events. They always have stuff going on! (Thanks Mary and Vickie for the idea!) There’s a lot of hype and expectation that comes with Valentine’s Day but you get to choose how you want to do it. I hope one of these ideas or a combination of them make your day a treat. Happy Valentine’s Day, dear reader! Love, M.J.
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 Dearest Reader,
Valentine’s Day is typically a time for celebrating romance. Unfortunately, without a partner, you feel a little left-out. How about redefining the day? Give a valentine to the world and make it a little better! Here are some ideas: Give a valentine every month Set aside a certain amount each month to give back. If there’s a massive fire and animals are misplaced, donate some much-needed funds. If you read about an organization in need, make a donation. It’s better than retail therapy! It’s philan-therapy! Give a valentine to seniors In my community there is a special Valentine’s Day party for seniors. Is there one in your area? Go volunteer and bring some homemade valentines. You’ll be the bell of the ball! Give a valentine everyday Be extra kind to people around you and use good manners. Good manners seem to be in short supply right now so your use of them will be especially noticeable. There’s an old saying about how well-behaved women don’t change the world. With women’s history, this has certainly rung true but right now, with all the poor behavior, I think the opposite might work better. Make the world better and do it with good manners. Give a valentine in random acts of kindness Do anonymous acts of kindness. Pay someone’s parking meter, return a lost animal, pick up trash, etc. We draw from the universe what we give to it. (I used to think this was a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but I’m finding it’s true.) Be the generosity and compassion you want to see in the world. Give a valentine to the earth Consider grooming trails for the Sierra Club, joining a beach clean-up or taking the extra effort to thoughtfully recycle. Carpooling, using public transportation and not wasting food shrink one’s carbon footprint. Not consuming resources is an excellent way to give back to our sweet Mother Earth. Give a valentine to the American Heart Association Check out the American Heart Association website. Donate money or your time in honor of your fierce, strong and steadfast heart. Give valentine cards When’s the last time you got a valentine card? Send valentines this year! (Have them printed at a local print shop.) Give a valentine to a kid Libraries often have tutoring programs after school. How about giving an hour to tutor? You might bring some valentines with little treats. (Please avoid candy. Having been a teacher, I know for a fact kids do not need more candy.) Give a valentine to your community Learn about a local museum or landmark and become a docent showing off the attributes of your area. Give a valentine to your friends Check out Spinster’s Guide® to 9 Ways for Celebrating Galentine’s Day with Your Friends or The Spinster’s Guide™ to your Pop Up Single Gal Party! for the perfect Galentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day with your friends. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Valentine’s Day does not have to be about romance and that special man. (Although, if you’ve got that…cool for you!) Celebrate love and Valentine’s Day in a different way and make the world a little better. And know, dear reader, I consider you my valentine. Love, M.J.  Dearest Reader,
Almost a decade ago, Leslie Knope, a character on Parks and Recreation played by Amy Poelher, announced she was celebrating a fictional holiday called Galentine’s Day. It is on the day before Valentine’s Day or February 13th, and a time for “ladies to celebrate ladies.” Since that episode, Galentine’s Day has exploded and women all over are partying with their friends. Here are some ideas to get you own Galentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day (without a date) party going: Potluck Make it a potluck so no one person is doing all the heavy lifting. Have friends bring appetizers and name their dishes after inspirational women like: Ellen eggrolls or Michelle Obama mint cookies. Create Valentines Gather red and white construction paper, pens, scissors and other card crafting paraphernalia (look in the craft section of your dollar store) and create beautiful homemade Valentine cards. Write personal notes and deliver them to a rest home or send to service members. Movie Night Make it a movie night! Choose a romantic movie like Casablanca, Crazy Rich Asians or The Princess Bride. Go the opposite direction and choose Gaslight (the word gaslighting actually came from this movie) or Fatal Attraction. If you want everyone teary, choose A Patch of Blue (you will fall in love with Sidney Poitier all over again but please know this movie can be very disturbing and will bring a lot of discussion) or West Side Story. Or go with an interesting Australian offering like Muriel’s Wedding or Strictly Ballroom. On the other hand, make it all about the girls and show Thelma and Louise or The Women. (Make sure you get the 1939 version!) Add to the fun and let your guests vote! The Spinster’s Guide® to Your Popup Single Gal Party Make it a spinster theme party! The Spinster’s Guide® to Your Popup Single Gal Party downloadable is packed with party plans, games, invitations, party hats and decorations, all with the inimitable Spinster's Guide® design, for easily creating the perfect insta-party! Adventure Do something none of you has done before. Scale walls at a climbing gym, hike a new trail in your area, zipline across a canyon, or take a train somewhere interesting. Use your imagination! Cooking Pull together recipes, food, utensils, pots, pans and set up stations around the kitchen where guest groups prepare different parts of a meal. Create salad, main dish, side dish and dessert areas. Be sure to have plenty of wine! (A friend did this years ago and we all still talk about what fun we had!) White Elephant Have everyone bring a white elephant gift with a Valentine’s Day theme. (You might be surprised at what pops up!) Each guest gets a number. Number one picks a gift and opens it. Number two can “steal” number one’s gift or choose a new one and so forth. Decide on 2 steals before the game starts. Game Night Make it a game night! You can play Hearts or Old Maid, if you want thematic games. Or you can go with the more traditional Apples to Apples, Scattergories, Pictionary, or Trivial Pursuit. Spice it up and play Cards Against Humanity! (Consider your friends before making this decision!) You may need to adjust games according to the number of party-goers. For larger groups, set up game stations and rotate guests. Add to the fun and get cheesy prizes from the dollar store. Dance Party Hire an expert and take a dance lesson with your guests! Or play dance videos and learn the Macarena or some line dance moves. Have a dance contest to Dancing Queen, Funkytown, Flashdance, Crazy in Love, Smooth or Livin' La Vida Loca! Inspire party-goers with Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk choreographed to movies from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Even your most hesitant friend will have to move to these songs! Mix and match ideas to make the perfect party. Whatever you decide, Happy Galentine’s Day! “It’s only the best day of the year!” (Thanks Leslie Knope!) Love, M.J. P.S. Check out the Valentine’s Day/ Galentine’s Day t-shirt using this blog design! |
AuthorM.J. Minerman writes for spinsters around the world who have "not found their lids and are pursuing lives well-lived." Archives
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