How to Throw a Pal-Entine's Party
Who Says Friends Can't Celebrate with the Love Aesthestic
A few weeks ago I mentioned to my therapist how much I love hosting parties and it’s something I miss most about my “pre-covid/pre-divorce life". With solo-parenting the kid’s bday festivities in the rearview, and Valentine’s Day lurking right behind, I decided to throw a Pal-Entine’s Party. What’s Pal-entine’s, you ask? Much like the beloved “Galentine’s” it’s a day around Valentine’s Day that celebrates friendship.
I got encouragement from a friend, made a little flyer, and sent the invite off to a few of my beloved pals. People seemed excited, and then my pre-party anxiety set in. Did I order enough food? Is everyone going to fit into my apartment? What if no one shows up? You know… normal chill thoughts, of that variety.
I do love hosting parties, though, and the anxiety was offset by picking out cute decorations, deciding on a menu, and making sure my place had the proper flow for the evening (aka, a virgo’s dream: cleaning and rearranging!) I also picked out a fun and festive outfit… yay.
The party was a blast. My place looked cute, and was filled with goodies (so. many. cookies.) and people that I adore. We ate heart-shaped pizza, drank wine out of pink party cups, and probably got a few cavities from the all the sweets. And not to brag, but we had multiple romance icons in attendance (iykyk, and only “slightly” related, please pre-order the amazing Yulin Kuang’s book, and congrats to everyone who made the Inaugual Love List).
…and yes, my kid was also in attendance, mainly hanging out in his room with a newly made “NO GROWN-UPS ALLOWED SIGN” with his buddies and my friends’ kids. If you’re a single parent and have other parents and their kids to hang out with, this is a game-changer. You get to have actual adult time and your kid gets to be a kid with a little freedom. Win-win.
At one point, I was in the kitchen looking out at the party and feeling so grateful that I could make something so sweet come together, and provide some of my favorite people with a little moment of joy. That’s my own personal happy place.
(Yes, I’m fully aware Pal-Entine’s looks a lot like Palentine’s and have accepted this is the reason this has not become a National Holiday yet).