Happy February, everyone!

While February is definitely a romantic month, it tends to focus on couples and individuals who are already in relationships. However, since I’ve been single for almost every Valentine’s Day, I have reframed the holiday to focus on different forms of love. I absolutely adore Galentine’s Day and using the month of February to focus on my closest friendships and indulging in lots of self-love. Centering the relationships I value (family, friends, and myself) makes this month feel a lot less lonely, especially as we enter our second year of quarantine.

Trust me, I sympathize with fellow singles who feel left out or loathe how couples-oriented this month can be. I definitely can feel that way, too, but try to focus on how fun the theme of the holiday is and apply it to different aspects of my life!

One of my favorite ways to celebrate this month is to also turn it into a month of self-care and self-love: buy myself flowers, do more face masks, re-watch my favorite movies and shows, treat myself to a manicure, work out more consistently, and engage in fun, Valentine’s-themed activities and events! While I’m sad I can’t host my annual Galentine’s Day Party this year, I’ve found some fun virtual themed events happening locally in DC to celebrate the holiday.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to this month:

Favorite At-Home Indulgences:

• Sephora Pearl Face Mask ($4)
• Moroccan Magic Awake Rose Sheet Mask (5/$19)
• Geranium + Rose Candle ($34)
• Cute Themed Puzzle – I loved the limited edition Pieceworks Full Blush ($30 sale)
• Buy yourself flowers (Trader Joe’s has great seasonal pre-made bouquets!)

Fun DC-centric themed events and activities this month:

• LGBTQ cookie decorating (free) – February 11
• Take Care Shop Galentine Goddess Workshop ($70) – on February 13 you can celebrate Galentine’s Day by creating your very own dried flower crown and homemade floral bath soaks.
• Have a virtual candle-making party (prices range) – you can pick your favorite scents, candle vessel, and craft it yourself with guidance from Paddywax!
• Cheesetique at-home events such as a pre-made Valentine’s Dinner for Two or a fun fondue kit with pairings! ($34-70)
• Old Town Alexandria Aphrodisiac VDay Cooking Class (ONLINE) ($50) – get cooking all V-Day weekend long with this fun class!

Feel-good books:

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• The Five Love Languages – Singles Edition by Gary Chapman
• What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer
• Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent

Shows and Movies:

• Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Prime)
• To All the Boys: Always And Forever (Netflix – Feb. 12)
• Pride & Prejudice (Amazon Prime)
• Letters To Juliet (Amazon Prime)
• Malcolm & Marie (Netflix – Feb. 5)
• Eat Pray Love (Netflix)
• Some Kind of Wonderful (Hulu)
• The Shape of Water (Hulu)
• Love Life (HBO Max – series)
• Bonding (Netflix – series)

I hope this post gives you some ideas for how to celebrate this holiday – whether you’re in a relationship or not – in a fun, safe way! Sending you all my love!

XOXO

Parisa