Screw “Singles Awareness Day” – the coolest alternative Valentine’s Day holiday is definitely Galentine’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the friendships you have with your BFFs and close pals, not to be confused with the Polish chicken dish, galentine. This is much cuter than that.
If this is your first Galentine’s Day, let me give you some background. On February 13, 2010 Leslie Knope introduced the world to Galentine’s Day, an alternative to the hetero-normative, greeting card holiday that may or may not start with a V.
Of course you can head to your local megastore to shop for your affordable Galentine’s Day gifts – but is that really in the spirit of Galentine’s Day?
The right thing to do is to hop onto your local Internet gal-hub, Etsy, and support your Galentines by supporting some creative gals. There are such good gifts on Etsy, and they’re unlike anything you could ever find in stores. Seriously! Try to find a sexy Jeff Goldblum mug in a Macy’s – it ain’t gonna happen.
These gifts are all under $20 and will totally delight and surprise your favorite BFFs. If you’ve never Galentine’d, make this your first year!
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Pins or Magnets by Raising Two Jays, $6.19-$8.25
For some reason, Galentine’s Day doesn’t feel complete without bringing a little bit of Kimmie Schmidt into the picture. After all, it’s one of the most girl-power-forward shows that we’ve seen! If you haven’t caught seasons one and two on Netflix, you need to get your pajamas on ASAP and marathon. It will change your life (and potentially your vocabulary and wardrobe).
Ian Malcom/Jeff Goldblum Mug by Memeskins, $14.10
If this is the wrong type of gift to consider giving to your girlfriends, then I don’t wanna be right. Ian Malcolm, the incredibly saucy mathmatician from Jurassic Park was played by Jeff Goldblum and kickstarted the puberty of an entire generation. This mug is the perfect addition to your “objectifying men” dishware collection.
Temporary Self Care Tattoos by Motivational Tattoo, $5.77
Brilliant idea alert! File this under “How has it taken this long for someone to come up with this perfect idea?!” These little, tiny temporary tattoos come in a rainbow of colors, or transparent, if you prefer, and are adorned with uplifting, motivational, and frankly quite necessary statements and mantras. “Take a Break,” “Love,” “Value Yourself,” and “Hope” are all things I would love to be reminded of on the daily – especially during my low points.
Plus, how badass are those potions?! Talk about leveling up in self-care! What a cute and thoughtful gift for your BFFs and fellow #spoonies in your life!
Wish Friendship Bracelet from By Molly and Izzie, $4.81
Have a ton of friends and not a ton of cash? Quit bragging! These are the perfect, lighthearted gift for your gaggle of galentines. Each charm bracelet is less than $5, and the sentimental payoff is huge thanks to the packaging: “If you were stung by a jellyfish, I’d totally pee on you.” Get right to the point and tell them how important they really are!
If jellyfish and pee aren’t your things, Mollie and Izzie have other excellent proclamations such as “You’re the Ron to my Harry,” “I’m so glad you’re as weird as me,” and “We’ve been friends for so long, I’ve forgotten which of us is the bad influence.” Such a good idea and so totally affordable (while supporting an Etsy business! Ahhh it’s just too perfect.)
Dainty Gold Shimmer Choker Necklace by Shop Evren, $17.25
Buying jewelry for friends can be kind of a gamble unless you perfectly share their aesthetic (which many BFFs often do). This choker necklace, though, is one of those pieces that can easily infiltrate just about any personal style and become a staple. A very delicate, gold-plated chain is all that makes up this necklace, which has a flexible length of 11.5″-14.5″. There’s no additional shipping charges if you buy more than one necklace, either!
Crystal Pyramid Necklace by Oliki, $19
Obviously, these long pendant necklaces are beautiful, but the most fun part of this gift is the customization. I have tons of friends who love crystals and gemstones, but definitely have their favorites. Oliki lets you pick the exact crystal you want out of twelve different types. Not only that, you can also choose the metal used in the fixture and chain, the design of the chain (choose from four different patterns), and the length.
So if your BFF loves long necklaces – but only when they’re silver – and has an affinity for jasper… boom, $19, custom-made, done. To sweeten the deal even further, every order comes beautiful packaged in a gift box, ready to present to your galentine. It’s minimal effort and maximum effort at the same time!
Groceries n’ Shit Reusable Tote Bag by Breakout Press Co., $15
We all know that BFFs are 100x more likely to save the world together than separate, right? Right. Reusable tote bags like this are awesome to keep in your car or even purse, and when your girls are out buying groceries for the week, what better way to encourage healthy habits than to buy them a grocery tote bag with the word “shit” on it? Just imagine how many grocery line checkers will smile when they see this. It’s a win-win-win-win-win.
Real Dried Flower & Bronze Bobby Pins by Villa Sorgenfrei, $11.90 per pair
From far away, these bobby pins look like beautiful, vintage, enameled barrettes, but up close, you can see the each bobby pin has real flowers immortalized in clear resin. Choose from five different colors, and each is breathtaking in its own way.
Bestie Candle by Etta Arlene, $8.99
What does your BFF smell like? You may not be able to choose in real life, but you can choose when it comes to this Bestie candle. There are three soy candle scents to choose from: warm vanilla, tropical blend, or… beard. Yep, beard. Not sure how to interpret that, but I know that I like it. These are just little four ounce candles in jam jars, but I love how transportable they are. I used to think that “travel candles” were a hoax until I checked into an ultra-skeezy hotel room and craved a little light flicker and a pleasant scent more than anything. These little candles are rad, and soy candles last longer than conventional, too!
BFF Pizza Slices Friendship Necklace from You Love You Shop, $11.54 per slice
Need to cover an entire squad? This pizza necklace is perfect for a tight-knit group that maybe just so happens to love pizza as much as they love each other. (I think we all know that describes about 90% of girl squads internationally.) Get as many “slices” as you have friends, it doesn’t matter if you have more than six. Alternative, you can pare down your overgrown squad by handing these out like roses on The Bachelor. Your choice! Galentine’s Day!
What’s that? You’re part of a gluten-free girl gang? No worries.
Cheese Wheel BFF Friendship Necklace from Bella Aniela, $10.26 per… wedge?
This cheese wheel has you & your fromage-squad covered.
Pink Promise Ring by Silver Dove Jewelry, $11.99
This looks like an old vintage signet ring, but with the almighty pinky swear instead of some dumb family monogram. Buy this for your friends and next time some gross dude Is sidling up on you in a bar, your BFF can come up and tell him that they’ll “break a pinky swear on his face.” How cool is that?! We live in an action movie now, so get used to it.
Glowing Skin Tea Sampler Set by Gratitude Tea Company, $14.99
Tea is a constant in the life of my friends who live overseas. As much as I love tea, I’ll never have the relationship with tea that my girlfriends in the UK do. It just won’t happen. Even some of my USA-born girlfriends are getting so into tea, they barely drink coffee anymore!! (Can you IMAGINE?!) Shoot your tea-loving friends one of these vibrant and delicious tea samplers including sweet, fruity teas like hibiscus and rose petals to deep, complex flavors like lemongrass and chamomile.
Whether you get one of these gifts for your Galentine, or you’ve had one stashed away for months – be sure you wrap it in Galentine-sanctioned wrapping paper.
Boob Wrapping Paper by Julie Ann Art, $4 per sheet
So perfect, right?! Now you can #freethenipple on Galentine’s Day – quite possibly the most appropriate holiday to promote nipple freedom. Also, celebrating boobs of all shapes and sizes is an excellent activity for a Galentine’s Day brunch in a public place. I can think of no better way to rack up the brownie points with the ladies and and draw attention to the fact that all of your BFFs are, collectively, the tits. ?
What are you getting your girlfriends for Galentine’s Day? Even if all you can do is shoot a quick text, start a tradition this year by showing your girls some love on February 13th.