Nothing says I love you more than gift bags full of hand-crocheted flower pens, mosaic portraits of friends made from crushed bottles of their favorite sodas, and personalized 5,000 word essays on why they’re so great. But if you’re low on spare time and you’re not Leslie Knope, we’ve gathered 13 other ways to celebrate the true day of love—Galentine’s Day.
1. Name A Roach—Why get your bestie a cheap BFF necklace from Claire’s when you can get them the one thing that will probably live forever? Naming a Madagascar Hissing cockroach from the Bronx Zoo after them is the perfect way to show you care. When you purchase a roach, with a small $10 donation, you will get a certificate of honor featuring the name of said roach and you’ll also be helping to conserve species in the forests of Madagascar! What could be a better combination?
2. Sow The Seeds Of Love—Get together with friends and get back in touch with nature. Make these cute seed packets for each other, plant a terrarium, or grab the trusty Modge Podge and decorate some flower pots for future herbs and flowers to grow, just like your friendship will.
3. Babes Who Book Club—Turn off the boob tube (but keep the wine) and get your gals together for a good old fashioned book club night. A few days before Galentine’s Day, choose an article, short story, or a full on novel that you feel brings out the lady in you, have your friends read it, and on February 13th sit down and chat it out all while sippin’ on some sweet something (i.e. these festive cocktails).
4. Custom Rubber Stamps—We all love to get a little crafty every now and then, why not surprise your best crafty pal with a stamp featuring your face! Or custom make your own Galentine’s Day cards with your face on it and give it to everyone you love (seriously, everyone).
5. Box of Chocolate Soaps—A twist on the Valentine’s Day favorite. Get a box of these chocolate (or wine) soaps and let your friend know you care deeply about their hygiene.
6. Real Box Of Chocolates (Infused With Vodka)—Kick your basic box of chocolates up a notch with Tito’s Handmade Vodka Truffles. Teaming with Delysia Chocolatier out of Austin, Texas, these aren’t your average chocolate hearts and if you eat enough you’ll surely forget all your love woes…
7. The Ex Knife Set—Did a pal go through a particularly difficult break up? Is Valentine’s Day going to be the worst? Well, cheer them up with this knife set, handy and not super dangerous when a little aggression needs to be released. This little guy holds your favorite kitchen knives in all the right places, and you might find the one you use the most launches right through his little red heart…(not bitter or anything, we swear).
8. Face Mugs That Hold Donuts—Pre-game for your Galentine’s Day evening with some coffee, donuts, and Downton Abbey with this super convenient mug that is a face holding a donut in its mouth. What could be better? Oh, right, putting the donut in your mouth.
9. You’ve Caged My Heart & Other Celebrity Themed Cards—Low on the dough but still want to give your friends something to smile about? Try these punny cards featuring our favorite celebs.
10. Awesomesauce Pencils—Got any writer friends? Want to start a Zine with your besties? Get these awesomesauce pencils for you and your friends and start making your work officially awesome.
11. DIY Gift Certificates—Go classic Galentine’s Day by making your friends homemade gift certificates sporting a brunch invitation to your local diner, waffle house, or pancake palace! These cute cards can be reusable (just make sure they know you’re splitting the bill)
12. Mixed CD—Create personalized CDs for your lady friends, complete with a decorative front jacket and maybe a photo that just screams “album cover”. When you present them with this gift, make sure to extend the invitation to rock out to the jams in your apartment.
13. Ladies Celebrating Ladies—Of course, Galentine’s Day shouldn’t be just one day of the year; every day is a day to celebrate the women in your life and with Women’s History Month just around the corner, now is a great time to start. Research some badass ladies and raise a toast to the amazing lives they’ve lead. (And no, they don’t all have to be US Senators.)
…And to all the gals out there celebrating this special day, always remember to:
images via tumblr.com, bronxzoo.com, titosvodka.com, popsugar.com, etsy.com
