Valentine's Day is very much becoming their big commercialised holiday that we feed into. No matter how independent you are, or how adamant you are that you don't need acts of appreciation to feel supported and loved, there is no doubting that there is, deep inside, a yearn for something during the holiday.
For me, Valentine's Day shouldn't be the only time you show your appreciation for the ones you love but I do like to play into the idea of the holiday regardless. You can read more about my thoughts on Valentine's Day here. This year, I very much want to make it about my friends. We're all single, independent women who don't feel the need to have a relationship to feel valued. For the first time in my life, I feel like I've found my people. I love who they all are and how they make me feel. This year, I want to make an effort to show them that.
We're all a little bit poor at the minute (f you cost of living crisis) so I'm keen to find something small to show how much I'm grateful for their friendship.
Framed photo
Another great idea is to capture one of your favourite moments and frame it for your friend. I purchased these gorgeous timeless frames from Boots and printed out a photo that reminded me of a wonderful time with that friend. It's a small but thoughtful gift. Another idea is to draw that photo too. I was contemplating drawing the photo out in Procreate or getting a local artist to draw the photo in their style.
A decorative glass and a bottle of their favourite drink
I love receiving presents that are a little different and every time I get gifted a drinking glass that's a little different, I can't get enough of it. You can find some lovely decorative glasses online that can really resonate with your friends personality. Even better if you can add a bottle of whatever their favourite drink is (in my case a small bottle of white wine) into the gift bag.
You can get mine here for only £10.50 or here are some of my other favourites:
A good book
For the friends that like to read, you can never go wrong with a book you think they might like - even better if you've read the book yourself so you can then talk to them about it. I bought my friend this book by previous Cosmopolitan Editor, Farrah Storr, as she saw it on my shelf a few months back and asked to borrow it after I had read it (which I've still not gotten around to doing yet).
A bunch of flowers
You can't go wrong with a classic bunch of flowers for your friends. I would always recommend shopping small and local for these though - I often find small businesses bouquets better than the more acclaimed stores. My personal favourite local independent flower shop in Leicester is The Bloom Project. If you can't afford to shop small then make your own bouquet - it's rather fun. Head to your local supermarket and pick up several cheap bunches of flowers and get to work.
Novelty socks
I'm a huge sucker for novelty socks and I know that not everyone is but there's nothing like a cheesy pair of fun socks that show someone how much you care. I got these one from New Look a few weeks ago and I just love how stupid they are. I know that they'll make my friends laugh and I can't wait to see their face light up when they see them. What's great is you an either go down the cheesy route (like me) or grab a really nice patterned pair.
You can get some really pretty, good quality pairs of novelty socks from places like New Look, Accessorize and FatFace. All of which tend to have a 3 for 2 deal on.
These gifts work for any occasion, not just Valentine's Day. I hope it's provided you with a bit of inspiration!
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