I am in a relationship, but believe me, I know what it’s like to be single on Valentine’s Day.  The key to that statement is that you are single…not alone!  Too many times, we as women think it’s one in the same.  It’s not.  We all have people in our lives who love us, and isn’t that what the day is really all about?  Love.

I know that some of you will say that it’s not the same, and spending the day with a hot guy ISN’T the same as hanging with your girls, but are you really going to let that spoil your day?  If you’re answer is yes, then I guess I really can’t help you, but if it’s no…I have some suggestions.

Get your single friends together. I’m sure that you’re all trying to figure out what you’re going to do, so YOU take the initiative and get it together.  Pick a restaurant, bar, bowling alley, museum, or whatever else will be fun for the group and tell them what time to meet you there.  It’s harder to say no when someone has already done the legwork.

Have a Pity Party! I’m sure everyone won’t condone this one, but a good cry or bitch session never killed anyone, and it does make you temporarily feel better.  So pick someone’s house to meet at, have everyone bring something to eat or drink and spend a few hours complaining about the guys you’ve had and the ones you don’t have.  The key to the night is making sure it ends on a high note.  Watch a funny movie together, play some board games, or whatever else will make you all laugh.  Just make sure no one drinks too much because we all know how that can end up.

Borrow a kid. Nothing in the world can change your mood like hanging out with kids.  Do you have nieces or nephews, little cousins, or have friends with children?  Borrow them for a while, and go do something fun with them.  Take them to the movies (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is out, and for younger kids, The Tooth Fairy), go bowling, play in the snow, do paint-your-own-pottery, go to a museum, play video or board games, or have a tea party.  Kids love attention, so anything you do will be appreciated.  I promise you…taking care of kids will take your mind off being single, and their parents will appreciate the time to go out to dinner.

Book a spa day. It doesn’t have to be all day, and you don’t have to go alone, unless you want to.  Get your nails and toes done, a massage, a new hairstyle, or anything else that makes you feel good.  It’s hard to feel sorry for yourself after someone works all the kinks out of your back!

Give someone flowers. One year when I wasn’t in a relationship, I sent one of my friends a beautiful bouquet to her office.  I’m sure her heart skipped a beat when she first saw them, thinking they were from a guy, but she was so grateful for the gesture.  Making someone else happy is a great way to make yourself feel good.

Make a gym date. Nothing passes the time on a treadmill faster than talking to someone while you’re on it.  The best thing is that exercising will give you endorphins to make you feel better.  Plus, it will burn off the calories in that chocolate you’re going to want later!

Put a ring on it! Want a ring?  Buy yourself one.  You have time to get THE ring that you want, but for now, find something you love and get it for yourself.  And it doesn’t have to be an expensive one.  A few years back I bought myself a diamond ring that I NEVER wear.  The one that I DO wear every single day is a silver peace sign that I got for under $10 dollars.  You would be surprised how much fun it is ring-shopping for yourself!

I’m sure you get the idea.  There are a ton of things you can do if you’re single on Valentine’s Day.  Choose to make it a great day.  It is just another day after all.  Don’t let the commercialization of the day make you feel bad about where you are in your life right now.  Remember…you’re not always going to be single!

So what are your plans for Valentine’s Day?  Do you have any suggestions?  I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment. Only your name and comment will be displayed.  Thanks for reading!

Just my humble opinion…Pebbles!