There are two types of girls on Valentine’s Day – the heartbroken and the overzealous. The heartbroken find every romantic gesture to be nauseating and every love song to be sickening. The overzealous can’t stop posting about the romantic evening they had and talking about the roses they received.

The heartbroken and the overzealous are both expected and annoying, and every friend group has both types of girls. I know this to be true because before I found my Valentine, I had been both.

But the truth of the matter is, whether you’ve been scorned or been madly in love, you have always had your girlfriends. They’ve been through every heartbreak and every love story. So this year, switch things up a bit.

Instead of sitting around binge watching Netflix as a heartbroken girl, or live tweeting your date as an overzealous one, follow in the footsteps of Parks and Recreations’ Leslie and throw your own ‘Gal-entine’s Day’ for your true Valentines – your friends.

Dine on Dessert

valentine's day

Photo by Armin Nayak

There’s no need to splurge on a fancy dinner for you and your girlfriends. Fill your plates with red, white and pink homemade cupcakes for just 99 cents a box (for extra oomph, cut some strawberries into hearts!). Or, if you’re not the baking type, hit up Dunkin Donuts for their adorable heart-shaped cupcakes.

valentine's day

Photo by Armin Nayak

Set up a Candy Bar

valentine's day

Photo by Armin Nayak

Aside from Halloween, Valentine’s Day is the one day a year when it is socially acceptable to stuff your face with candy – so take advantage of it. Grab a few different bags of candy from the Dollar Store to give your guests a variety. And put the candy into something pretty. I chose wine glasses for a more classy look.

Drink Cocktails (or Mocktails)

valentine's day

Photo by Armin Nayak

It’s not a party until the drinks come out! If you’re 21, grab a bottle of pink wine for you and the girls to sip on. If you’re not 21, don’t worry — there are plenty of Valentine’s Day mocktails to quench your thirst. If you’re looking for something simple, try a quick Shirley Temple and garnish it with some fruit.

Chick-flicks are A Must

valentine's day

Photo by Armin Nayak

What’s a girls night without some rom-coms? Have each friends bring their favorite romance movie, then draw a choice from a hat.

Decoration is Key

valentine's day

Photo by Armin Nayak

Make your space pretty! Find things from around your house, like flowers, wine glasses and mason jars, to decorate for your Gal-entine’s Day. Head over to the Dollar Store for other Valentine’s Day decor that won’t break the bank. Cut small squares of pink, purple and red construction paper for confetti.

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