Guide to Hosting: Ideas for Galentine's Day

As much as I love Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day is actually my favourite holiday of all. For those of you who don't know, Galentine's Day is February 13th and is a day to celebrate the non-romantic relationships in your life. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I truly value friendship, and any opportunity to show my pals how much I appreciate them, the better! I have been organising the Galentine's Day celebrations with my friends for a couple of years now, so today I wanted to share some of my ideas of how to celebrate this fun day.

• Hold a brunch
  If you're a fan of Parks and Rec, then you know the only way to celebrate Galentine's Day is by kicking it breakfast-style. Brunch is the best meal of the day (especially when you live in Melbourne), so it only makes sense to celebrate the best day of the year with it! You can either book a table and go out for brunch, or host one at your own house if you have the space. If you don't want to do all the cooking yourself, you can even encourage your friends to prepare a dish and bring it with them for you all to enjoy.

• Go out for dinner
  This is what my friends and I do now that we are older and some of us are working full time while others are studying. When February 13th falls on a weekday, it is a lot easier to gather your friends in the evening instead of during the day like some of my other ideas. Going out for dinner with friends is always a lot of fun, but for Galentine's Day it is a good idea to keep it casual. Hit up your favourite dumplings spot, grab some pizza, or, since Galentine's Day is on a Tuesday this year, go to your local Mexican restaurant and celebrate Taco Tuesday at the same time. Leave the fancy, expensive dinner for Valentine's Day.

• Have a fun night inYou don't have to go out to have a good time with your friends! Get together at your house, whip up some guacamole, put together a cheese board and chill out. Play some board games, watch Gossip Girl, wear matching pyjamas, and enjoy spending time together.

• See a movie
  Going to the cinema is one of mine and Claire's favourite things to do with our friends. Speaking of Claire, she specifically said "go see Lady Bird" for this idea, but since it doesn't officially come out in Australian cinemas until the 15th of February, you can't really do that. This doesn't mean you still can't grab some of your friends and see a movie together! See what is showing near you, stock up on popcorn and bond over the movie-watching experience. My top pick if you're living in Melbourne is Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Moonlight Cinema. 

• Host a picnic
  My first Galentine's Day I hosted was a picnic brunch next to the Yarra River and it was a lot of fun. Picnic's always have great memories attached to them. Sitting outside, enjoying the late Summer weather with great food and surrounded by your best pals? Sign me up! 

Do you have any plans for Galentine's or Valentine's Day yet? I would love to hear what everyone is doing! 

Grace.