With the famed holiday for lovers coming up so soon, it’s no surprise that couples are getting ready for their Super Bowl. But what about those who don’t have a partner? Enter: Galentine’s Day! The day before Valentine’s Day is a day when you can share your appreciation for your friends by doing cute activities together and spending time with the people in your life that you care about the most. If you’re a little stuck on planning, here are some of my favorite activities that are guaranteed to give you an amazing day, whether you’re coupled up or not.
Movie Night
Get into your cutest (maybe matching) pajamas, pick a chick-flick, and go over to your friend’s house to bake something heart-shaped, take pictures, and watch a movie! Movie nights are easy to plan, give you those aesthetically pleasing pictures for Instagram, involve great food, and are a guaranteed good time. My recommendation for the perfect movie night is to wear pink PJs, bake heart-shaped brownies, and watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Here are the BEST brownie recipes:
Here are some cute pink PJs:
Here are my movie recommendations:
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- The Notebook
- When Harry Met Sally
- Serendipity
- Mean Girls
- Notting Hill
- Bridget Jones’s Diary
Workout Class, then Coffee
If you are an active person and love a good workout and a cute matching set, then you and your closest friends will love this idea! The endorphin surge after a good 45-minute workout makes for the best coffeeshop gossip post-class. You could go to my favorites: either a Stav, Olivia, or Courtney Corepower class, or a Bode or themed SoulCycle Class, or you could easily go to any of the other classes at the DMV’s different studios. Remember that when you look cute, you feel cute!
Here are some of my favorite activewear brands and some sets I’ve had my eye on recently:
- Set Active Brown & Beige Leggings Set
- Alo Pink Shorts Workout Set
- CSB Powder Yellow Shorts Set
- 437 Powder Pink Leggings Set
Here are some of my favorite coffee shops to go to (both for the aesthetic and for the coffee):
- Maman – A super comforting vibe and atmosphere with a wide variety of good French food and coffee. Locations in Georgetown and Bethesda.
- Flor – A recent discovery of mine that has incredible coffee and adorable vibes as it also serves as a bookstore. They went viral for their coffee in a cookie cup! Location in Georgetown.
- Boulangerie Christophe – an amazing family-owned French bakery with some of the best coffee and French pastries in the DMV. Locations in Georgetown and Cabin John
Puppy Yoga
This might be my favorite recommendation on the list! I did this last year with my
best friend and I swear my heart grew three times the size! It is a little bit pricier but I would go back in a heartbeat! Putting on a cute matching workout set and playing with puppies for an hour is one of the best things to do with your best friends for Galentine’s Day! There are locations all over the DMV but if you visit the DC location, you can go to Georgetown after class and spend a calm and care-free day with your friends.
Pottery or Crafting
If you are a creative person, have creative friends, or simply enjoy the tranquility of crafting, then this is a great idea for you! This is something I’m going to do this year with my best friend at All Fired Up (a pottery studio) to make and paint a cute little mug. Other ideas for creative classes are a necklace/bracelet making class or even a pastels/painting class at Art Works in Bethesda. Although crafting classes are fun, you could also pick up some supplies and make your own creative pieces with your friends. It could be as simple as going to one of your favorite coffee shops, bringing a couple coloring books, and coloring and chatting with your friends.
Here are some of my favorite coloring books:
Cooking and Baking Recipes
If you love to cook or bake, then getting together with your friends and collectively making a couple recipes and destroying a kitchen could be a fun way to spend the day. To make this work, though, plan ahead! Collectively agree on recipes before you all get together so that you can all pitch in and buy the ingredients ahead of time. A fun idea I wanted to try was doing a Courtney Cooke recipe day! This TikTok creator (and English teacher) makes some of the best combinations of foods, most famously her sweet potato with cheese. Regardless, baking with your friends with a good playlist to set the mood is an amazing Galentine’s Day activity.
Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Heart-Shaped Pizza (customizable depending on dietary restrictions)
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Lemon Orzo Salad
- Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Spa Day
Sometimes a little self-care is all you need and one of the best ways to do that is with your friends. It could be as simple as getting your nails done or taking it one step further by getting a facial or a massage. This is a great opportunity to hang out with your friends in the most soothing way. You don’t even have to do this with your friends, you could invite your mom to come with you! If you want to make it a little cheaper, you could get together with your friends and paint each other’s nails or do your own version of a spa day at home.
Here are some of my favorite salons:
- Bella Bethesda- gives the BEST blowouts/haircuts
- L’Vee- an incredible nail salon that has the friendliest staff
- Ohana Wellness- an amazing massage studio in Bethesda
- HeyDay – relaxing facial treatments in Bethesda Row
Dinner/Brunch
Arguably one of my favorite things to do with my friends every Galentine’s day is getting or making brunch or dinner together. Sharing a meal is one of the best ways to dress up and catch up. For many of the places I recommend (below), the attire is a little fancier, but that’s the perfect opportunity to get dressed up and splurge for a great time with your friends on a holiday made for expressing your love to the people you care about.
Some of my favorite brunch spots include:
- Medium Rare – Get the french toast! Location in DC has the best vibes, other location in Bethesda.
- Founding Farmers Fishers and Bakers- Try the buffet for an option that suits all dietary needs. Location in Georgetown.
- Summer House – Order the tofu scramble vegan breakfast burrito and don’t forget to try the pastries. Location in Rockville.
Some of my favorite dinner spots with friends include:
- Benihana – Hibachi gives you both dinner and a show. I always order the scallops!
- Fogo de Chao – a Brazilian steakhouse with some of the best meat I’ve ever tried. This interactive experience is a guaranteed (but pricy) good time that has one of the best salad and seafood bars too.
- Filomena – another Georgetown classic that is the arguably the best Italian restaurant in the DMV with incredible decorations for every holiday.
I hope these were helpful suggestions so that this galentine’s day is full of love and appreciation for your friends!
