The Perfect Solo Valentine’s Day

Elena Giorgi | Lifestyle Editor

For some girls, Valentine’s Day is a flattering pink dress and a nice dinner with their sweet boyfriend. Some spend the evening with their girlfriends, watching movies in matching PJs with snacks and a glass of wine. Others hit the town for a night of drinking, attempting to, as Usher once said, find love in this club. Anyway you spin it, Valentine’s Day can be a way to share and receive love of all kinds: romantic, platonic or self. Another year single and your friends aren’t free to spend the evening together? Turn February 14th into the biggest self-care day of your life.

Set your night up for success, and head to your favorite grocery store early in the day. Grab some cheeses, meats, crackers and anything else you like on a charcuterie board. Pick out a dessert that you absolutely love (Alice recommends Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Premium brownie mix) and grab some pink and red M&Ms to garnish with. Grab a bottle of your favorite wine, and don’t be afraid to splurge! It’s a day to love yourself, so go big or go home. Wander past the snacks and snag whatever speaks to you. Find a cute pair of love themed socks by the checkout, and you’re on the path for an amazing evening of showering yourself with love!

Everyone deserves flowers on V-Day, no matter who purchases them for you. Stop by your local florist, and show them some love by supporting their small business. Roses are classic for a reason, but buy the ones that most speak to you (we love daffodils in the Alice office)! No matter the color, size or shape, flowers are meant to brighten your space, so grab the ones that’ll make you smile hardest every time you walk past them.

The last stop on your journey to a perfect love day evening is at your favorite take out place. Something that you consistently love, and food you know you’ll be excited to dig into. Whether it’s Jimmy Johns or the local Chinese food place, you can’t go wrong trusting your tastebuds. Some restaurants even offer a fun Valentine’s inspired dish or presentation. Check out Chick-fil-A for a heart shaped nugget tray or Nothing Bundt Cakes for festive flavors and details.

Now it’s time to set the scene for your evening. Put on your favorite album (Alice girls listen to a variety of tunes, but “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”, “Harry’s House” and “Stick Season (Forever) shouldn’t let you down) and head to the kitchen to enjoy your well-deserved dinner. After, pop your bottle of wine and get to work assembling your charcuterie board for later in the evening, you’ll be happy you did it ahead of time later. Get out the ingredients for your brownies, but don’t worry about baking yet, you want to make sure you can eat them when they’re fresh out of the oven.

Head to your room and take your perfect shower or bath, whichever you prefer, while finishing off the album you’re listening to. Let yourself relax and enjoy the time without a worry in the world. Lather yourself in the most amazing smelling lotion you have, and slip into a comfy PJ set with your new socks finishing off the perfect self-care outfit. Spread some love today, so call your grandparents, your childhood bestie, your younger cousin or the person you always rely on to make you smile! Lounge in bed and enjoy your wine while catching up and hearing about the happenings in their lives.

Now you’re ready to settle in for the rest of your evening. Mix up the brownie batter, and throw those in the oven – don’t forget the M&M garnish! Turn on your TV and put on a show or movie that you simply adore (Emily in Paris is Alice’s favorite, of course!). Relax into the couch with your charcuterie board and let the time pass knowing how much love you put into yourself and others today. Valentine’s Day is the cheesiest, most adorable excuse to bask in all things red, pink and covered in hearts. Maybe you’ll decide to shower yourself with care and affection like this more often, which us girls at Alice believe is fabulous.

Elena Giorgi is a junior at the Capstone pursuing degrees in News Media and Political Science. Currently enjoying a semester studying in Barcelona, Spain, she loves spending time with friends, reading on her Kindle and editing the Lifestyle section of Alice Magazine. Midwest born and bred, she’s hopeful to continue work in the magazine industry post-grad.