Valentine’s is upon us yet again, and while it’s typically celebrated with your beau, there’s nothing wrong with spending it with your friends. Affectionately named “Galentine’s Day”, it falls on February 13th, aimed to highlight female friendships and the bond between women.
Here are some of the ways you can spend time with your girl friends this love month.
Activities you can do together (Mess and all!)
A fun activity to do with your girlies is baking, because who doesn’t like a freshly baked treat? If you don’t have a friend who’s blessed with skills in the oven, IDIM DIY Bakery in SM Megamall offers a unique take on a bake shop. When you purchase a cake, you are actually buying the experience of making it from scratch.
Salcedo Weekend Market also attracts Filipinos and foreigners alike, as it sells artisanal produce and vegetables. It’s a fun Saturdate idea with friends, as the market also offers classes to make trinkets such as bag tassels and allows you to inhale the beauty of flowers and purchase them from various vendors. When you get hungry, the Market won’t let you down with its different cuisines from Japan, Spain, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Staying fit with your girls
Recently, there’s been an uptick of women “reconnecting with nature”, from strolling through a park to hiking a nearby mountain. Speaking of trips, the holiday season is also the best time to take advantage of piso fare deals and package offers, whether local spots or an international trip. Traveling with your friends is certainly part of the bucket list of friendship.
Aside from long hikes, there are women who also exercise with pilates for the low intensity workout it gives to the body and do group yoga, and even a K-Pop dance class just for the extra boost of cardio. Take inspiration from them or create a workout routine suited for your friend group’s preferences and needs!
I’m just a girl (who loves coffee shops and DIY)
Sitting down in a cafe and catching up is literally the best way to bond with friends. However, if your social battery runs out, you can bust out the canvas and do a paint-by-number type of activity, make a flower or a Sanrio character from building blocks, or hit up a craft store to buy materials to decorate claw clips and gift them to each other.
DIY activities are easy and fun activities that everyone can participate in, and most importantly, it doesn’t matter how great your art skills are! It’s just all about having fun—plus, everyone gets something new!
Just sing it out, babes!
Music is something that unifies everyone, and Filipinos love having karaoke; no Filipino party is complete without a karaoke set. It’s also part of girlhood to yell your heart out to songs—from pop songs by Taylor Swift, Niki, and Chappell Roan to Filipino classics by VST & Company, Up Dharma Down, and Apo Hiking Society.
If your friend group doesn’t own a karaoke, you can jam with just a guitar or go to the nearest KTV near you. In just thirty minutes with endless tokens and your girls, you can have a mini concert right there and then.
There’s nothing wrong with the classics
And if my previous recommendations don’t sound like your vibe, you can never go wrong with a classic movie marathon. Having a pajama party and bingeing comfort snacks with your friends is a tried and true bonding experience, usually followed by a debriefing which can either be the funniest thing you heard the whole year, or discussing future plans.
Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love in all forms, shape, or size. Whether you’re spending the special day with a lover, friends, or family, it’s a reminder to treasure the relationships that make our lives richer and fulfilled. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the relationships we have with other people and make memories that we can look back on in uncontrollable fondness.
