Wait, don’t tell us, you’re already dreading Valentine’s Day. Many of our girlfriends hate this upcoming (February 14) celebration of love because they don’t have a significant other at the moment. Or, they do have one, but his gift-giving skills are lacking. Well, enough feeling sorry for yourselves, girls. Let’s enjoy this beautiful “holiday” by showing our appreciation to the people who really do understand us–our girlfriends! At GirlfriendCelebrations.com, our hearts are bursting with ideas for celebrating how much we “heart” our girlfriends! Our Valentine’s Day roundup includes gathering and gift ideas that you’ll definitely fall for. Read on!

By the way, we know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But please remember that all posts on GirlfriendCelebrations.com are copyright protected. If you’d like to quote our content on your blog or website, by all means, spread the love, but be sure to give proper credit. Plagiarizers will be prosecuted. Thanks!

Valentine Party Ideas for Girlfriends

We decided not to do a complete party plan this month, so we could bring you an “idea buffet” instead. Indulge us just this once! That said, we definitely DO think you should invite your best girlfriends over for a Valentine’s Day soiree. Our new girlfriend, Felicia Coley, founder of the Well-Heeled Society blog, thinks so too. Felicia has come up with a “Single Girl’s Indulgence Party” for Valentine’s Day. She believes that women should “take back” Valentine’s Day and pamper each other to create a memorable party. We especially like that her party ideas are “enrobed” in chocolate, our food of choice for Valentine’s Day (and every day, who are we kidding?). From her color scheme to her chocolate grazing buffet to a group chocolate facial. she’s come up with a chic and scrumptious party strategy. Check out her entire party plan here.

Speaking of chocolate, you can easily throw together a chocolate-themed party for your girlfriends on Valentine’s Day. Offer a “hot chocolate bar” by brewing up some good drinking chocolate. We’re not talking Swiss Miss; purchase drinking chocolate at Williams Sonoma, various online retailers or make your own. You provide the cocoa, whipped cream, some liqueurs to try, and perhaps some chocolate shavings, and let your girlfriends create their own drinks. Chocolate fondue is another simple idea to try–simply spear some fruits, pound cake, or whatever your heart desires. Anything tastes better covered in chocolate! Our friends at Gracious Bridal have a heart-shaped fondue pot that is absolutely adorable. You could build an indulgently fun party around these little fondue sets! They also have ceramic heart-shaped plates to match. Rent the movie Chocolat to treat your visual senses (Johnny Depp–mmmm).

On the other end of the “indulgence” spectrum, use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to celebrate healthy hearts by hosting a “Go Red” party. The American Heart Association has declared February Healthy Heart month. We all need to support each other in staying healthy. Why not invite your girlfriends over for some heart-healthy fare, and perhaps a wintry hike? Everyone must wear red, of course. Visit goredforwomen.org for much more information. 

Whatever type of gathering you choose, try one of these connecting activities: After everyone gets settled with food and drink, have each girlfriend draw the name of one of the other attendees from a hat. Then, she must think of a sincere compliment to give that person: “What I appreciate about Janine is that she…” or “Jamie always does a great job of….”. As an alternative, don’t reveal the names you’ve drawn, but take them home with a secret mission: to do some random kindness for that person within the next week. It could be delivering dinner, sending flowers, shoveling their snow, or treating them to a movie. Leave it up to the giver, and have fun reporting back at your next gathering.

Valentine Girlfriend Gifts and Favors

Just don’t feel like having a party? You can still show appreciation for the girlfriends who make your life better. Here are a few great gift ideas to show them you care. Some of them also make great party favors for your Valentine’s Day bash.

• This pretty tapestry-style pillow says “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17). A beautiful sentiment, Valentine colors AND it’s on sale right now at Current Catalog. So cute for the couch or daybed!
• If you don’t already know about custom-printed M&Ms, you should. You can order the famous M&M candies in colors of your choice, with your own sayings printed on them. “I Luv My Girls” or “Girl Friends 4 Ever” or … you decide. Go to My M&Ms to check it out. You do have to spend a minimum amount here, but if you’re shopping for lots of gal pals, it might be just the thing.
• These purse hooks are perfect for Valentine’s Day favors–inexpensive, heart-shaped, AND practical! These awesome gizmos fit right into your purse and then, when you’re seated in a restaurant, discreetly hang on the edge of the table, giving you a secure and clean place to hang your purse. Love it!  
• Chocolate-colored satin cosmetic bags are pretty and witty, proclaiming “I may not be Perfect, but Parts of me are EXCELLENT.” How true! $18.50 for the set of three.

At the very least, we hope you’ll send some Valentine cards to all the important women in your life and let them know how much you appreciate them–especially those that you know might feel lonely or depressed around V-Day. It will surprise them and make you feel good too. Current offers an inexpensive selection of valentines to buy in packages of 6 or 8 so you’ll have plenty to send. Better yet, make them yourself, crafty ones! Choose some beautiful papers, lace, feathers, and other materials you enjoy and create a “love letter” to your best gal pals. It’s therapeutic!

As always, we’d love to hear what you’re doing to celebrate life with your girlfriends–just use the comments form below. We “heart” each and every one of you. Thanks for reading!