“Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”
Who knew a TV Series’ made up holiday would catch on as Galentine’s Day has? Or perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised? Who wouldn’t love another opportunity to celebrate the people in our circle who bless and inspire us while in turn they celebrate us and the joy of true friendship?
Thanks to an episode of Parks and Recreation aired in 2010 and one of their lead characters, Leslie Knope played by Amy Poehler, we now have one more opportunity to show the love to our friends, girl’s day or night out style, each February 13! If you’re reading this when post was written, that also happens to be Super Bowl Sunday. So unless you are a fan of that, perhaps all the more reason to observe Galentine’s this year.
While that first Galentine’s Day was celebrated over brunch, there are unlimited ways to create a special celebration, to which the new trend of online options adds much. So here’s just a couple ideas to get us started:
- Yes, brunch! Do have that brunch, and in it celebrate as the founders did! Have plenty of waffles and frittatas in keeping with key items on the table and on the now famous quote originally coined by Leslie: “Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”
- Girl’s Night out! Need I say more???
- ZOOM PARTY: Sometimes not all our BFFs are in the same city. Thanks to the wonder of technology we can gather via Zoom , each bring their own fave food and beverage depending on the time of day, and voila!
- Fun Shared experiences and new adventures: Go as a group to a fun cooking class or wine tasting/pairing class, find a great tea room and have a tea party, learn calligraphy together, get creative with pottery painting at one of those places where you can bring wine and treats while being creative. Talk to these venues about private party minimums, perhaps if the numbers needed to make that space totally your own are very doable!
- Do health and fitness activities while having fun with friends. Need not be an exercise or dance class though that’s a nice option too, though how about just going someplace where you can take a great long walk together like a park (picnic anyone?) or other venue conducive to a lot of walking such as a museum or local attraction or theme park that would require a lot of walking to explore. Healthy eating workshops or discovering a local restaurant specializing in healthy gourmet cuisine to end the day.
- Galentine’s Mini-Vacay: Take a girl’s mini day trip. Depending on where you are that could involve snow sledding or strawberry picking, kayaking or just plant yourselves at a nearby resort for a day enjoying all they offer, perhaps the spa? Explore cool destinations reachable ‘on a tankful’ near you! Not sure if other states have similar shows but gotta share a long time favorite for those Floridians reading: Florida on a Tankful! which is now on Orlando’s Spectrum News 13, and originally started at their Tampa Bay affiliate and Bay Area favorite Spectrum News 9 (aka Bay News 9)! Those living far away could consider a virtual trip of some sort, lots of opportunities out there.
- CHICK FLICKS!! Or other fun movies, at the theater or binge at home or virtually.
- GIVE GIFTS… exchanged (or recycled)! Do a gift exchange or even better, try a white elephant or a clothing/accessory swap party where each brings a new or like new item they thought they’d wear more but simply aren’t and trade each other for those items the other has that we might wear more. Win-win, environmentally friendly and a whole lot of fun!
- Make space to thank God for each other by including He who brought you together in at least some of your activities: go to church or pray together, attend or stream online an inspirational event together such as a concert, movie or inspiring talk. Take time to exchange inspiration sharing your takeaways over dinner or coffee/dessert after.
- Wherever you go, whatever you do, consider including the Wave of Gratitude exercise as a wonderful way to lift each other up on this special day expressing your care, appreciation and admiration for each other in the spirit of true sisterhood! Our special gratitude cards make great place cards for your Galentine’s Gathering or even Galentine’s Day gifts! Step by Step instructions and a free template at https://gobeyondtheword.com/the-gratitude-project/ or contact us for more templates at gobeyondtheword@gmail.com –
What other ideas can you think of? Could 2022 offer gals everywhere the greatest Galentine’s day opportunity ever?
BEYOND THE WORD 