How I stopped hating Valentine’s Day

Today I want to share with you how not to hate Valentine’s Day. However, before I do I want to clear something up.

The Valentine’s Day discussion

The other day somebody commented on a picture that Valentine’s Day is just like any other day and I have had many a conversation with other people about how useless Valentine’s Day is. I think what most people are annoyed of is the fact that it has become a commercial holiday where companies try to make money by selling hearts and cheap chocolate and flowers. But let’s be real. The same goes for Easter and Christmas and New Year’s. In this case, it always comes down to why we celebrate it. I have a choice to bow down to it and buy into it or I can choose to make something better of it.

The other thing people say is that you don’t need one big day to celebrate love and tell your significant other or your friends that you love them. True, but can I raise a few questions? When was the last time you did something really special for your S.O.? How often do we just simply let life slip by forgetting to tell our friends how amazing they are? When was the last time you treated yourself to something really special?

I believe Valentine’s Day is just a great opportunity to stop in our track and be reminded of how important another person is for us.

I used to cry a lot on Valentine’s Day

All of that being said (and it was important for me to say it) can we talk about how not to hate Valentine’s Day especially if you’re single? V-Day can be hard if you’re single. One Valentine’s Day I was biking home and had somehow forgotten what day it was and saw a guy with a big bouquet of flowers walking home and totally started crying. One time I was dating this guy and he didn’t even so much as text me that day. I went to bed crying. So believe me. I have a lot of feelings about this day and have hated it in the past. Until I understood something. I have a choice. I choose to live a generous and open life. A life that blesses people on any occasion.
Moreover, I chose to make Valentine’s Day the kind of day I would actually enjoy without buying into the moneymaking business.
Here is my list of how not to hate Valentine’s Day as a single:

How not to hate Valentine’s Day

Stop complaining and start blessing

If you have been around this blog for any amount of time you know how much I believe in giving instead of grieving. Bless somebody else on that day. For me personally that means blessing my married friends. I am very blessed to have amazing marriages around me who I really look up to. Therefore, I want to invest into their marriage. One year I made chocolate cupcakes and gave them to my married friends. Another year I created a playlist on Spotify and texted it to them so they could have romantic music playing by whatever they were doing. It is really really simple and here are three playlists you can totally go ahead and forward: “Candlelight & Kisses“ (forgive the cheesy name), “Date Night: Cozy Night in” and “Date Night: Breakfast in Bed”.
You could also babysit your friend’s kids so they can go on a date.

Throw your own party

Invite your single friends over to an epic Galentine’s party. Pinterest is full of ideas but you can also keep it as simple as pizza, ice cream sundaes and a good movie. I have done this in the past and it is just so much fun to spend an evening with amazing friends.

Plan your own perfect day/evening and enjoy spending time by yourself

I think it is always better to go into things like that with a plan than sitting at home crying. It gives you a little bit more control over the whole thing and help you enjoy time by yourself. For me this looks like this:
Making this delicious White Chocolate Dutch Baby, taking a bath and reading. I am currently reading, “To all the boys I’ve loved before” (don’t judge my teenage choice). I am not a big chocolate person so for me it also involves a cheese plate, my favorite chips, wine and a movie. My favorite movies to watch by myself are Pride & Prejudice, The Revenant, Hacksaw Ridge, The Princess Bride, Far from the madding crowd, Baby Driver, Rocky, Dirty Dancing, The Man from U.N.C.L.E and Wonder Woman

Treat yo self

Whoever said that flowers or perfume need to be given to you by somebody else wasn’t right. You can totally go out and be your own person. Own the season you are in and buy yourself some flowers. I do it all the time.

Friends, I really hope that this list on how not to hate Valentine’s Day gives you some ideas to make the best of this day.
In the end, I really just want to encourage you to choose happiness. To choose joy and that is certainly not depended on your relationship status, your job situation or Valentine’s Day for that matter.

Much love

Ramona