Happy Galentine’s Day!

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About halfway through February, we take a day to celebrate the special people in our lives. That day is February 13th — Galentine’s Day! While Valentine’s Day is great and romantic love is definitely worth celebrating, there are a million other kinds of love that are equally special! There’s the love you have for your pets, your family, your coworkers, and for your best friends, just to name a few. Parks and Recreation protagonist Leslie Knope, in recognition of the value of friendship, created her own holiday: Galentine’s Day. To quote her description,

“Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, 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.”

In other words, it’s an excuse to show your friends how much you care about them. There are so many ways to do this, but here are some fun (and cheap) suggestions!Cover of Sunny Side Up

  1. Celebrate Leslie Knope-style over brunch. Of course, you can do this at a popular brunch spot in your area, but you can also show a little extra love (and save a little extra money) by DIY-ing it. If you’re not much of a cook, we’ve got plenty of cookbooks that have your back. Or just smash some avocado onto toast, pour some mimosas, and call it good. Those are pretty hard things to mess up.
  2. In a similar vein, host a potluck! You only have to know how to make one dish for this one, and the premise brings out a lot of the wonderful things about friendship. Everyone brings something unique and especially theirs to the table in a collaborative effort. The end result is enjoyable and nourishing for everyone involved.
  3. Have a movie night! Whether you’re into romcoms, superhero movies or horror, the library has plenty of DVDs to check out. You can also stream movies through our apps, Hoopla and Kanopy. And remember — it’s not a movie night without snacks!
  4. For your friends in different area codes, send a homemade card. If you’re not sure where to start, try using some card-making books for reference. Maybe you’re not crafty. Maybe it will be really ugly. Maybe your friend will lCover of Creative Cut Cardsie and say it’s not. But either way, your friend knows that you thought about them and made an effort. Plus, it’s nice to get mail that isn’t junk mail!
  5. This is going to sound really cheesy, but hear me out: write each other poems (or songs or stories). They can be silly. They can be serious. But actually write them on paper and read them out loud to each other. Write a poem about how much you love them. Memorialize the last ridiculous thing they did in limerick form. Write a story about them as a superhero. Just go for something that you know will make them smile and feel loved!
  6. Depending on what kind of funds you’re working with, a spa day at an actual spa would be fun. If you decide to go that route, then good for you. If, however, you’re an average person, do a DIY spa day! Face masks, mani pedis, cucumber water, etc. If you don’t want to buy a bunch of expensive products, make your own!

Also, it may be called GALentine’s Day, and Leslie makes it about ladies celebrating ladies, but friendships of all genders are worth celebrating too! Galentine’s Day doesn’t have to just be for gals. You can change the name and the activities if you want — just take a day and let your friends know how much they mean to you!

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