Last year, I threw my first ever “Galentine’s Day” party. “What’s Galentine’s Day??,” you ask.
Don’t worry, I didn’t know anything about it until I binge-watched Parks and Rec while I was pregnant with my second son last year. Once I saw it, I knew I had to do it. An excuse to host some of my favorite gals? Yes please!
Here is what I did. First, a couple weeks before the party, I emailed all the husbands, fiances, or boyfriends of the women who were coming with these questions and strict instructions NOT to tell their partners:
- What is your favorite sport?
- Where did you go on your first date?
- What is your favorite dinner that she makes?
- What is her favorite pastime or hobby?
- If you had a night out “with the boys” where would y’all go?
- If you were asked to cook dinner one night, what would you prepare?
- What is your favorite candy?
- What is your favorite physical feature of her?
- What’s the color of your toothbrush?
- What would you say was the last thing you fixed?
- What do you admire most about her and why?
While I was waiting to receive all the answers from the men, I hit up the Dollar Store and gathered the cheesiest, most heart-filled decorations I could find (heart straws, pencils, erasers, tableclothes, etc.) Then I made bags for each lady full of candy and supplies they would need for the night.
Then, once everyone arrived to the party, we had a waffle bar and ate our weight in carbs. Once we ate, chatted, and grabbed a few drinks, we headed to the living room where I had the women pull out the first card and fill it out:
After they were done, I handed them each an envelope with their partner’s answers and had them compare how many they got right. They were surprised and had fun going through, proclaiming, “Whaaat?” or “No, he doesn’t even know his favorite candy. THIS is favorite candy.” It was hilarious to watch everyone’s reactions. Note: I slipped in the “What do you admire most about her and why?” question at the end and just on the husband’s version, so the women would see how loved and treasured they were by their men. The person with the most correct answers got a prize (aka a box of chocolates from the Dollar Store–go big or go home ladies).
Next, I had the women fill out this card:
Then I passed around a basket for them to fold it and put it in. Once everyone was done, I read each one out loud and had the woman write down who they thought the story belonged to. After I was done reading, we went down the list and each woman fessed up what story was theirs. OMG so hilarious! We were rolling at this point. Some of the stories my girls shared were priceless, and we learned even more about each other. The person who got the most right got a prize.
And finally, the women saw one last card inside. This card wasn’t part of a game, but was a note from the heart from yours truly, expressing how much I cherish having each woman in my life, what their friendship means to me, and what wonderful things I see in them.
And that was it! We had a great time, and I hope they left feeling a little more loved and even a little sore from laughing. While I know Valentine’s Day tends to get a bad rap, it doesn’t have to. This is such a fun way to celebrate those people in your life who are in your corner cheering you on as a mom, wife, and friend. So I hope you’ll consider gathering your gals together this year, and maybe you’ll be able to use some of my ideas or maybe not–just have fun loving those wonderful ladies in your life because they are too special not to celebrate.
To download and print any of the pieces: Galentine’s Day.
