13 Different Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day - you either love it or hate it. Sure, it's a "Hallmark holiday" and sure, you should make an effort to show love throughout the whole year, not just one day. This is all true, but there's no need to completely disregard it! Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about chocolates and roses and creepily large teddy bears. There's plenty you can do to celebrate that doesn't include over-the-top romance.

We typically keep Valentine's Day pretty simple and I like it that way. There's no pressure or stress, we just decide how we want to spend the day together and try to be intentional about doing little things to show our love.

(one) Use it as an excuse to bake (and indulge) in one of your favorite treats. When I was single, I used to make Red Velvet Cupcakes every year just because. It was the one time a year I would make these so it was something I looked forward to! Plus, it was really fun to give them out to friends/family/coworkers. 

(two) Do something together that you usually can't fit into your schedule. For us, it's going on a long bike ride. We love taking a bike ride on a Saturday afternoon and maybe definitely stopping for drinks along the way, but we usually aren't able to squeeze it in. I'm so looking forward to this tomorrow!

(three) Make brunch together at home and enjoy while watching your favorite show on Netflix. Any other Saturday, you might feel guilty staying in bed all morning drinking champagne but it's Valentine's Day so cheers to mimosas and knocking out a whole season of Friends on Netflix!

(four) Spend the day volunteering together. You'll enjoy the quality time and feel good about making a difference in your community.

(five) Avoid the crowds and cook dinner together at home. Valentine's Day is a good excuse to switch it up and try a new, fancy and/or more challenging recipe to cook as a team. 

(six) Show kindness to strangers. Pay for the car behind you at the drive-thru, leave a $10 gift card to Target in a random cart, make an effort to compliment people you encounter throughout the day. 

(seven) Love yourself. Use this day as a chance to do something for yourself - massage, pedicure, reading on the porch - whatever you've been wanting to do for yourself but haven't, do it today!

(eight) Send flowers to a female friend or family member

(nine) Learn how to make your favorite cocktail. Find a cocktail you've been wanting to make at home (for me this would be a Moscow Mule). Go out together to pick up the ingredients and spend the night at home drinking and chatting - no TV or electronics - just quality time together.

(ten) Game night with a group of friends or with your significant other. I love a good game night!

(eleven) Get active. Go on a hike together, play kickball with your friends, attend a group fitness class with a friend or your significant other, try a new workout. Whether you're alone or with someone, you'll be glad you did something good for your body (and soul)!

(twelve) Skip the roses. If you want to buy flowers for your significant other, why go with red roses when you could give them something more personal like their favorite flower or even a bouquet of the same flowers used in your wedding?

(thirteen) Have a dance party. There really is never a bad time to have a dance party. 

How are you spending your Valentine's Day? What other ideas would you add to my list?

Linking up with Sarah and Helene today!