Be you. Do you. Love you. Solita Love Tips to get through V-Day.

Amor is in the air everywhere I look around. Literally, it’s throwing up Valentine’s Day in every drugstore, corner store, shopping center, you name it! And, I can’t help but stare at a big-eyed pink teddy bear I want gifted to me. The thought creeps into my head, “I wish I had a Valentine”, and I immediately turn away from the aisles of V-Day red chocolates, flower arrangements, cards, and balloons and tell myself, “I don’t need it!”

And, it’s true. I don’t need gifts as a validation of love. Of course, it’s nice to get presents from a loved one. It’s their way of saying they care about you, they love you, and they wanted to give you something you might like. And, there are many ways to show love besides gifts. But, if no one is going to buy me the damn pink bear, I’m going to buy it for myself!

And, that’s the type of attitude I strive for during holidays like this that are highly saturated with the celebration of romantic love. It’s important to celebrate other loving relationships beyond romantic ones like self-love, friendships, and family.

So, how do you survive V-Day solita? Here are some solita love tips.

Valentine shmalentine’s. Let’s celebrate Galentine’s!

Mark your calendar on Feb. 13th for Galentine’s Day! It’s the celebration of platonic friendships, usually among women. And, it’s a day where you can gather together with your friends and enjoy everything from brunch, drinks, or make it a party!

Celebrating other relationships in your life like friendships is important. So, what if you’re single? You’re single, but you’re not in a toxic relationship for the sake of being in one. And, if you’re in a relationship, it’s still a great way to honor your friendships by taking time to celebrate them through a Galentine’s get together.

If you’re in the Austin area, you can enjoy a Galentine’s Day Soirée with a GLAM BAR, personal boudoir photoshoot, cocktails, strip tease lessons, music, a burlesque show and more! Benefits will go to SAFE CARE AUSTIN; a campus based prevention and intervention service that provides safety for individuals and families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and exploitation.

Treat V-Day as a self-care & self-love day

Self-love first is my motto all 2020 and moving forward. I remember being so hung up last year on finding the right guy and being in a relationship that I was the worst at practicing self-care and self-love.

So, if you’re solo on V-Day, guess what? There’s a lot of people who are and that’s okay. Make the day about you. Start your day with a self-love letter or positive affirmations you say out loud. Buy yourself flowers and put them as an arrangement in your home. Go see a movie, a concert, get your nails done, go dancing, or maybe stay in and order your favorite food and watch that Netflix series you’ve been meaning to catch-up on. You can pop open a bottle of your favorite wine, eat some strawberries, and put on your favorite beauty mask. Invite your bff over and make it a self-care day for the both of you!

Whatever self-care looks like for you, do that! You deserve it, Queen!

Buy yourself the damn bear!

I see it. I like it. I want it. I got it.

Seriously, if you see something on the V-Day aisles of the store, buy it for yourself. Don’t wait on someone else to get it for you. Treat yourself!

It’s perfectly okay to want something for Valentine’s Day. If you’re solita, you can always gift yourself that bear, chocolates, or whatever your heart desires. It doesn’t make you sad, pathetic, or whatever negative self-talk is roaming around in your head. Let’s move away from that mess and understand that we do not need gifts from others as a form of validation. You are worthy. You earn that paycheck and you can buy yourself whatever you want at any time. Even if you can’t go crazy because you’re on a budget, a little self-love gift is great.

Avoid it altogether and focus on other causes

You don’t have to do the whole Valentine, Galentine, celebration thing if you don’t want to. Did you know it’s Black History Month? Did you know it’s Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month?

There are plenty of causes to support in February that have nothing to do with Valentine’s Day. And, if you’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s great to support local businesses, creatives, and artists when you’re thinking about gifting your loved one something. Consider taking them to a local family-owned restaurant and buying a Valentine card and gift from a local business.

Have a great February, chulas! And, remember every month is an opportunity to celebrate your loving relationships (including the one with yourself)!

XOXO

La Divina Latina