10 ways to celebrate LOVE at Valentine’s Day even if we do not have a lover!!

Dear friends,

We are getting even closer to Valentine’s Day.

The thought of Valentine’s Day brings in our mind for sure romantic evenings, a candlelight dinner, and long walks with your loved one. It is, without a doubt the most romantic day of the year. Popular conception and all the media promotion of it, has resulted in Valentine's Day being regarded only as a day for lovers. And yet, the occasion is not so. In its true sense, Valentine's Day celebrates LOVE. If we think clear and think hard we are sure to arrive at the conclusion that Saint Valentine stood up to defend love and not romantic partners.

The celebration of Valentine's Day is not limited to lovers but includes any and everyone loved by us, be it our parents, siblings, children, friends, relatives or dear ones.

So how could you possibly be expected to enjoy Valentine’s Day when you’re alone? Well, while it might not be all hearts and flowers, you can still spread the message of Valentine’s Day: Love.

I have for you some tips on how you can indulge in Valentine's Day festivities in your own special way, and still can celebrate the LOVE in you life and have as a result an unforgettable feeling of joy and happiness.

1. Spend Quality time with family members

With my wonderful family

The fast paced world, our jobs and the many activities with all have in our normal routine, has left us with little time, or no time, to be with our dear ones. Valentine's Day can be a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with our family members. We can party, make a trip to the restaurant or go out for a movie together. I love my family and that’s what I did when I was a single girl: having a nice time out with my mom and dad. They were also happy since they always said: I made their love completely!! Nothing is more precious and full of love than a family!!

Treat on the doorknob

You can start the day with hearts and roses here and there in the house, you can hang treat filled cups from a bedroom doorknob or place them on the breakfast table. You can set a Valentine breakfast table that will surprise your family when they wake up (I'm not a morning person so I always prepare my special occasion "surprise tables" the night before). You can make heart’s shaped pancakes or toast breads, prepare the table in Red and Pink and have everyone favorite things to eat on the table!! A great way to start the day of love!!

2. Party with unhitched friends

Fun with girlfriends on my roof deck

Party at your place! Invite friends over for wine, appetizers, gossiping, and good times. To mix it up, make it a theme party, like suggesting that everyone wear all pink and create an iPod play list with songs like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Holding Out for a Hero” or “Single Lady”. Or just go out with your single friends can also be a great option to celebrate. Just because you’re single doesn’t mean you’re alone! Round up some unattached chicks and hit the bars, a restaurant, the local karaoke joint, and the bowling lanes, whatever. Revel in your ability to have an amazing time, no men needed. You can also catch a movie together, play party games or have an indoor picnic. You will be surprised at what a gala time you can have even without any romantic interest. Those parties were actually the most fun party I ever celebrate with my single girls friends!!

3. Good acts

Giving is the fastest way to feel good about yourself. So show your love on those who really need it, and there are everywhere so many people in this condition nowadays! Visit a hospital, an orphanage or old age home and meet with people who have none to care for them. Show up at a children's hospital with a load of toys, books and games.

It is best to contact the hospital authorities beforehand and prearrange your visit to avoid any embarrassment later.

It doesn’t have to be expensive, even a single hand picked flower will do. Anything coming from the heart will surely be felt and appreciated. It’s two gifts in one. One is for the recipient and even a bigger gift for you. You can bring along flowers and candy or gifts. This is will touch and bring so much joy and the warmth of love to them and also to you. You will feel as much pleasure in giving gifts to the less fortunate as they themselves will.

I did this for years with friends and family: so many wonderful memories of LOVE out of it!!

4. Send Valentine’s cards to all you friends

You can also send Valentines to all the people on your Christmas card list. Send a heartfelt Valentine Card to someone who has really inspired you and tell him or her how much they mean to you. 
 You can also make a homemade Valentine Card and send it to your favorite relative you haven’t seen in a while. Everyone enjoys a jolt of cheer in the middle of dreary February.

Well you can sign your name or be a secret Valentine’s to warmth the ego of all of them keeping them wondering who’s the secret admirer. Make sure that nobody of them is having a jealous partner next to them!! Or just sign your name and write to them how much they are worth to you!! Celebrate the love in your life with all the people you care about it: how wonderful is that?? Even e-cards will do.

6.  Be Secret Valentine’s of someone who needs it

Think of someone you know who's been in the doldrums lately and leave a secret Valentine's Day care package on his or her doorstep. Something as simple as a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers and some chocolate can turn someone's whole day around.

You’ll be surprise to see how much joy it will bring to you too.

And let’s not forget that the world is a better place if everyone is happier!!

7. Celebrate yourself

If you do not have a partner, seize this day with gusto! Do something incredible for yourself. Do something that is personally nourishing and nurturing. Be your own Valentine: buy yourself those shoes or dress (or suit if you are a man) or anything else you can't get out of your mind, something you really desire. Take the day off work and spend it doing whatever you like to do most - even if it's absolutely nothing.

Give yourself some credit for how amazing you are and treat yourself to something special like a mani-pedi, a new necklace, or a blowout at the salon, a facial or a day in SPA. Make a nice dinner for yourself and be happy to be the great person that you are, to have your health, your family, your job or anything else you can think of and that makes you happy!! Rent a handful of movies of your ultimate celebrity crush and treat yourself to an eye-candy marathon. Love yourself and celebrate yourself.

Nobody will love you if you don’t love yourself first!!

8. Cheer Someone Up

If you know of someone or a family going through a rough path and through a difficult time, like a divorce or a loss, or got fired, just decide to send them a Valentine’s card, some flowers of chocolate and a message that state how much you care about them and give them your best wishes for a brighter future. Or make a Valentine’s Basket and send it to them and sign it, “From Your Guardian Angel”. This will cheer them up and it will give you also the chance to admit to yourself that you are doing great since you didn’t needed to be cheered up that way!!

To cheer up a friend of a family member will give you so much joy that you’ll be happy yourself for the whole day on Valentine’s day!!

You can also decide to send flowers or candy to someone who doesn’t have a sweetheart, and sign it anonymous. It will make him or her happy and so will you for your act of give joy!! 


9. Make a little one happy

While everybody around will be celebrating their love as a couple there are some people that are always left over: the little ones. Be their Valentine’s and make their day special.

Take your little niece, nephew, or cousin out for ice cream, or a nice dinner or rent a movie and watch it with them. They will never forget this occasion and so will you.

With my niece Valentina

With my nephew Alessandro

And if you are a single parent with kids just celebrate Valentine’s Day with them: you’ll have a special day and so will they. Remember it’s about love not couples and who gives you more joy than your own kids?? 

So just do stuff they love and you’ll be so happy to see their happiness!! Cook a nice dinner with them, a cake, prepare the table nicely, make all kind of heart pink shape things for the house and the table and then make them dress nicely for the occasion. They will feel so special to be your Valentine’s. And if you can have the whole day with them doing special Valentine things together make sure to let them know that you are celebrating love for each other. Buy flowers for them and make them do the same for you!! You can start a few weeks in advance and make with them special cards and treats for each other. Fun can be also to prepare with them specials baskets or bags with chocolate and flowers for a hospital, an orphanage or old age home and deliver them on Valentine’s Day.

They will never forget such a day and will know that LOVE is such a precious gift to receive and to give!!

10. Organize a Secret Admirers gifting sash, à la Secret Santa

You still can have your Valentine’s card and present and get it sent to your house!! You and a group of friends can buy presents, like chocolates, flowers, and teddy bears or anything else you like, and draw names and then deliver those items to each other. That way everyone can have a Valentine...and a card and a memory for years to come!!

So if you are single find your own way to celebrate love in your life on Valentine’s Day!! 

We all have so much love all around us and it’s time to celebrate it. At Valentine's Day we should say "I love US", and US is ourself and all the people we love in our life!! We don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate love and to be happy:  we should be  happy to be us, all the rest will come when the time is right! For now we should just love the love we already have in our life, all around US!!

Let's keep give love and, like a boomerang it will always come back at us!!

Stay tune for my next BLOG for more celebration of LOVE!!

Love always,

Giada

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