A Galentine's Day fit for Leslie Knope!

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Happy Galentine's Day!

For those of you who don't know, Galentine's Day is a holiday invented by the character Leslie Knope from the amazing show Parks & Rec. If you haven't watched the show, you need to add it to your watch list. Put it at the top actually. It is one of my all time favorite shows. Leslie for President! The idea first appeared in Season 2 Episode 16. Titled, fittingly, "Galentine's Day".


Anyway, Leslie gets all her gal pals together on February 13 (the day before Valentine's Day) and dubs it "Galentine's" Day! Here is her direct quote from the show, "Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies." This is all of my favorite things combined; celebrating some of my favorite ladies, eating breakfast, and lots and lots of whipped cream of course. (Leslie wouldn't have it any other way.) 



My sister-in-law is the cutest. She loves parties and celebrating, and man has she hosted some awesome ones. She reminds me a lot of a real-life Leslie Knope. She is a strong, inspiring, woman. She loves looking out for other women, and she is an insanely organized and excited person. She wanted to get together for Galentine's day and have a babe bash and go all out. I of course agreed. We planned on having it on the actual day but scheduling conflicts arose, as they do with several different schedules, so we rescheduled to our next available day. She and her sister, along with mom and I went over later that week.


We had a blast. She made waffles (duh), there was fresh fruit, whipped cream, chocolates, syrup, and mimosas. It was beautiful and colorful and just everything you could ask for in a Galentine's Day. She even pulled a full-on Leslie and wrote us all hand-written notes about why she loved each of us, ugh. It doesn't have to be a 200 page scrapbook or insanely intricate gift like Leslie's often are to be so super special and lovely.



After we filled our bellies we sat around and talked and laughed and put in the movie While You Were Sleeping. There are so many classic romcoms I have not seen, and this was one of them. It is one of Cassandra and her sister's favorites so it was one they insisted on watching since mom and I hadn't ever seen it. Although I will definitely have to watch it again, (lots of laughter and talking and babies running around) I can say I still loved it! (What's not to love about that Bill Pullman, am I right or am I right?)


When I was a teenager I hated Valentine's Day. It made me sad and angry and frustrated. I used to wear all black like the dramatic teenager I was. I was being dramatic, but I didn't like the idea that if you were single, you didn't really get to celebrate. I was even "dumped" the day before Valentine's Day one year. That Valentine's my best friend and I got dressed up super fancy and had a photo shoot and then we went to see the Justin Bieber documentary. It was one of my favorite Valentine's Day memories. The women in my life have always made it very clear I didn't need someone else.


All this to say, you don't need a "sweetheart" for Valentine's day, or any day to be fun. Most guys don't even like cheesy, gushy, romantic displays of affection. It is so much fun to laugh and be cheesy and gushy with the girls in your life you love. I hope Galentine's Day will eventually become an official holiday. We should have more days in the year devoted to celebrating wonderful women and friendships in our lives. It doesn't have to be on February 13th, or even just on their birthdays, just find regular time to spend laughing, and preferably eating, with those people you love. 


Happy Galentine's Day! Did you celebrate this year?

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