No Romance Here! Celebrating Valentine’s Day the Platonic Way

Last week we published a post on creative Valentine’s Day ideas for you and your significant other, so today we’re bringing you some recommendations on celebrating Valentine’s Day with your friends, or even alone. These tips for a romance free Valentine’s Day can be used by anyone, not just singles.

Maybe your partner is out-of-town during the 14^th (been there), or you celebrate your relationship on Valentine’s Day but still want to hang out with your friends and do something holiday-themed on the 13^th or during the weekend. Whatever your situation, we want to help you have fun celebrating Valentine’s Day this year. So don’t worry, there’s no romance involved in this post.

Keep up the Classics

You may be more focused on celebrating Valentine’s Day with friends this year, but that doesn’t mean throwing out all of the long-standing traditions. Sending flowers is a great way to let someone know you care—and it will really brighten up their day to receive a beautiful bouquet.

Flowers that symbolize friendship include coral roses and geraniums according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, as well as the Peruvian lily.

Nice restaurants aren’t just for romantic pairs. This Valentine’s Day get together with a close friend or a group and go to a restaurant you have always wanted to try.

You can choose a fancier place that you wouldn’t normally frequent with friends, a new restaurant that’s caught your eye, or a local favorite that you’ve always wanted to see what the fuss is all about. It’s probably a good idea to make a reservation around Valentine’s Day, so you’re not stuck waiting with all the couples who forgot.

Netflix® Tonight?

Redefine Netflix® and chill this Valentine’s Day with a movie marathon. If you really want to celebrate the spirit of love, you can cycle through the corny movies featured on Netflix®. Or you can mix it up entirely and spend all night on the 14^th watching horror movies.

Either way, this is a good way to spend the evening alone or with friends. Hold off your movie marathon until the weekend after Valentine’s Day to enjoy some discounted Valentine’s treats while lounging in front of the TV. 

Treat Yo’ Self 

Get pampered on Valentine’s Day by treating yourself to some self-care practices. Get a mani/pedi with your girlfriends at your favorite nail salon, so you can look great for the weekend.

Or schedule a massage!  Whoever said couple’s messages couldn’t be for besties? If you’re looking to save some money, have an at home spa day. You can get together with friends to do your nails, wear face masks, and relax this Valentine’s Day. 

Give Back     

If you’re looking for a different way to spend the day, do some volunteering on Valentine’s Day. Check to see if any local charities around you need extra help. That’s a good way to start the ball on volunteering.

You could also try a soup kitchen or a food bank, those are almost always looking for help, some will even take walk-in volunteers. Or you can really spread the love this Valentine’s Day by volunteering at an animal shelter. All the animals will love you feeding them treats, going for walks, and giving out extra attention.

Baking Extravaganza 

You know what’s better than those chocolate filled hearts? Freshly baked treats to help celebrate the holiday. Fill your kitchen with pink frosting, red sprinkles, and heart decorations this Valentine’s Day.

Whether done alone or with friends, baking is a tasty way to spend the day. Cakes, cookies, brownies—any baked good can be given a Valentine’s twist. If you don’t want to take the time to look up ideas, follow this recipe for strawberry filled cupcakes.

Cupcake Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk 

2 teaspoons strawberry extract

1 cup strawberry jam

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon strawberry extract

1 ½ tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pink or red food coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place baking cups in a muffin pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and baking powder. Stir well.
3. Slowly mix in the milk and combine with the cupcake mix. When mixture is smooth stir in the strawberry extract.
4. Fill the cupcake baking cups halfway with batter and bake for 14-16 minutes. Check the inside with a toothpick to make sure the cupcake is cooked through.
5. While the cupcakes are baking, begin making the frosting. Combine all of the frosting ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Add more milk as necessary to make the frosting smooth, or more powdered sugar for thickness.
6. Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
7. When cupcakes are cool use a cupcake corer to remove the inside of the cupcakes. (I recommend using the corer for simplicity, but you can substitute a small knife to cut out the cupcake center).
8. Use a pastry bag to pipe the strawberry jam into the center of the cupcakes, or make your own by cutting off a small opening at the corner of a food-storage plastic bag. Fill to the top of the cupcake.
9. Frost the cupcakes and don’t forget to add some festive sprinkles.
10. Enjoy!

Share this delicious Valentine’s treat with your office the day after Valentine’s Day. 

Valentine’s Day Plans? 

Have fun while celebrating your no romance Valentine’s Day this year! Spend a “classic Valentine’s date” with your friends or do something totally new like volunteering to celebrate the holiday.

And don’t forget to treat yourself to some discounted boxes of chocolate hearts on the 15^th. Do you have any exciting plans for Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments!

Written and Published by Jessica – Writer at HMS Mfg. Co. for the Stola™ brand

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