Real Talk: Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday. So, if you’re unattached and wishing to be in a relationship, do not make this “holiday” mean anything more than that. 

Celebrate it with a friend, a pizza and your favorite bottle of wine at home. Avoid restaurants with their overpriced fixed menus. Or ignore it altogether and watch Marriage Story on Netflix and be glad that you’ve avoided a messy divorce. 

If you are in a loving relationship and would like to honor it with a sweet Valentine’s Day celebration, enjoy it! Again, I would avoid the overpriced restaurants and save that for Saturday brunch or evening. 

Also, here are a few gift alternatives, because roses die:

A roll on essential oil like this one called Goddess. And if you really love the person, complete it with a foot massage. (I really hope my husband reads this!)

A home cooked meal that takes a good amount of effort, with your favorite signature cocktail. If you’re dry, try Seedlipsfor an alcohol-free distilled spirit. (I’ll be having a Negroni, thank you.)

A fancy clean bath salt. This one from French Girl Organicsis amazing, but there are plenty of cheaper ones that are just as good. If it’s for your partner, first CLEAN THE TUB, then draw the bath, sprinkle the petals and brew some tea for your partner. 

My point being, it’s about the effort, not the gift.

With that said, I have a challenge for you…

Will you take part in my SPREAD THE LOVE CHALLENGE?

The best way to build confidence, get out of a slump and feel like a badass, is to get out of our own heads and give some love to others. That’s why, I’m challenging myself and challenging you to spread love to 5 people in your life on Valentine’s Day.

The people you choose shouldn’t normally be receiving love, praise or acknowledgement from you. So, if you constantly tell your kids how great they are, or your partner how much you love them, DON’T choose them.

Choose people in your life or even strangers in your path, who seem like they could use:

A sincere compliment.

Words of praise.

Gratitude for how they show up for you.

Acknowledgement for something they have done.

A gift, trinket or act of service. 

Examples may be:

Letting your co-worker, boss or employee know how much you appreciate them. 

Sincerely thanking the barista for making your coffee the perfect temperature every day.

Calling a friend that you have been meaning to call and you keep putting it off.

Reaching out to someone you had a falling out with, and it’s time to bury the hatchet.

Buying the stranger behind you in line a coffee.

Paying a compliment to your server at a restaurant.

Smiling at a homeless person and asking if they need anything from the store. 

Ideally, you do it on Valentine’s Day but if you “don’t have time”, spread it out over the weekend.

Will you take on this challenge? I’m doing it too and I’d love to hear about your experience. Let me know in a comment or over on my Instagram.

Collectively, we can create a small ripple of goodness into the world.