V-Day: Make it a Date with Your Friends

Some of us have the whole relationship thing covered with a lovely night planned for Valentine’s Day with that special someone. But, then there’s the rest of us. Just know this — your Valentine’s Date can be your friends!! Even with restricted guidelines for safety, there’s so many fun things you can do with your besties. Here’s some ideas curated just for you, Blugolds!

Get Crafty

Whether it’s socially distanced or virtual, tapping into your artsy side can feel relaxing and freeing after attending all of your structured classes throughout the week. Use your creativity with a paint night or a DIY you’ve been meaning to try from TikTok. Pinterest is a great source for projects to tackle on your days off. If you’ve got a competitive side, maybe make it into a friendly competition between you and your pals!

BONUS IDEA: Make each other handmade Valentine’s Day cards!

Outdoor Activities

The weather isn’t always dependable, but if it’s moderately nice outside, take advantage of the fresh air. You could go ice skating at Boyd Park, sledding or even take a simple walk! Be sure to bundle up and dress warm. Remember — hot chocolate is always a good idea!

Virtual Movie Night

Everyone is streaming all the best new shows and movies right now, so make it a party…a virtual one! Teleparty is a free Chrome extension that allows most streaming platforms to play media simultaneously between multiple users. Make a poll and have your buddies vote on a film. Don’t forget to gather all your snacks and goodies before starting so you don’t have to miss a second. You can chat in real time in a chat box during the stream too, so all the inside jokes can keep on rolling.

If you want to watch a movie with just your roommates, consider accessing a movie or tv show on MyTV10. They have tons of free content to stream. Here are some of our Valentine’s Day faves that they’re offering right now:

• The Big Sick: A Pakistani-American man falls for a white grad student, and hides their romance from his family. However, their relationship gets more serious when she develops a mysterious illness, which in turn forces him to bond with her parents.
• Bridesmaids: A devoted maid of honor attempts to plan a dream wedding for her best friend, despite her own romantic and financial problems.
• Chocolat: A mysterious woman opens a sweets shop in a 1950s French village and immediately causes a stir, both romantically and societally, among the uptight townsfolk.
• Crazy Rich Asians: A woman discovers her boyfriend comes from the most wealthy, prominent family in Singapore. Along the way, she must stand up to his judgmental mother, who wants nothing more than to break them up.
• The Great Gatsby: Aspiring writer Nick befriends an aloof millionaire who throws elaborate parties in the hope of rekindling his romance with Nick’s unhappily married cousin Daisy, whose husband is a philandering aristocrat.
• Isn’t It Romantic: After a woman is knocked unconscious in a mugging she wakes to find herself in a romantic comedy, despite hating the genre and being distrusting of romance.
• La La Land: A struggling actress and an aspiring pianist fall in love as they both pursue their dreams in L.A. However, their blossoming relationship is challenged when their careers pull them in different directions.
• Little: A ruthless and bullying executive gets magically transformed back into her 13-year old self and must now reclaim her old life.
• Little Women: Four sisters learn about love, life, and loss as they grow through their young womanhood against the backdrop of post-Civil War America. At the heart of the family is the headstrong Jo who aspires, above all else, to forge her own path.
• The Long Shot: A journalist is hired as a speechwriter by his former babysitter, who is now running for president.
• Me Before You: A young woman acts as a caregiver for a banker who was paralyzed in an accident. Her no-nonsense ways force him to reconnect with life, and the pair eventually develop feelings for each other.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A timid teenager copes with the pains of adolescence with the help of two new friends, a beautiful high-school senior and her gay stepbrother.

Cook Something Up

V-Day is the perfect time to stay in and try a new recipe. Charcuterie boards are really trendy right now, and super delicious if you gather all the right elements like meats and cheeses, crackers, nuts and berries, and maybe some chocolate to sweeten things up! Assemble them on a tray to look aesthetically pleasing and snap a pic for your socials if you feel like it. Or you can just enjoy the moment..while chomping on all the delicious goods.

Play a Game

What’s your favorite game? Maybe it’s Cards Against Humanity, Settlers of Catan or even Chess. Whatever it is, gather up your roommates/besties and play some games. You could even make an event out of it by preparing some appetizers to eat during play.

Just because it’s Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you NEED a special date. Most of the time, our most special dates are the ones with our friends. So, go ahead, make plans to spend time with each other doing something fun this weekend.