Obviously, due to COVID-19, this Valentine’s Day will be much different than last year. Last year, everyone was able to gather in large groups to pass out cute cards for each other, which will, unfortunately, not happen this year. While this year will not be the same as last year, there are still some activities you can do to enjoy the holiday!

Buy FlowerGrams from FFA 

The AgriScience students are selling FlowerGrams just in time for Valentine’s Day. You can buy a flower and a handwritten note for just $2.00 in the auditorium lobby or the main lobby this week! Your special someone will get their flower next Thursday or Friday during their first block class.  

Buy Candy Grams from NHS 

NHS is selling Candy Grams to raise money for Jenna Foltz’s memorial scholarship fund! They will be sold during lunches or after school from 2:30-3:30 in the table outside the main lobby for $1-$3. The special messages will be sent out during second block classes on February 18 and 19. Contact Katelyn Hughes and Emma Cassidy with any further questions!

Decorate Your Room

Decorating your room for Valentine’s Day is a great way to get in the spirit. Target has many cheap options that you can find at the front of their stores. They have pillows, window decals, and even miniature candles, each costing less than five dollars! They have more decor at the back of their store in the seasonal section, but they do cost more. Another way to decorate your room is with homemade decorations. There are hundreds of videos online that show how to make different decor all by yourself. From painted mason jars to heart garlands, Pinterest and YouTube have it all!

Make a Minimalist Heart Cake 

Minimalist cakes have been all over social media lately. The cakes are always decorated with as little designs as possible or with a repeated design all over. With Valentine’s Day being so near, bakers have begun making the simple cakes in a heart shape. With just a cake mix from your local grocery store, a heart-shaped pan (only $8.99 at Michael’s), and frosting of your choice, you are ready to get baking! The fun part is decorating, you can look at Pinterest for inspiration. Some of the creations have tiny hearts frosted all over the cake while others have a simple writing of “Happy Valentine’s Day!” 

Buy Bath and Body Works Valentine’s Day Candles 

Every year Bath and Body Works comes out with a new line of scents for Valentine’s Day. This year their scent theme is dessert, which is being added to their Bake Shop collection. The new fragrances include Raspberry Jam Donut, Bubbly Rosé, Chocolate Covered Cherry, and Pink Petal Teacake! The scents will be available in hand soaps, three-wick candles, body lotions, and shower gels. You can visit your local Bath and Body Works to pick them up now or go to the Cupid-Approved Gift Shop on their website! 

Buy Valentine’s Day Squishmallows 

The soft, squishy stuffed animals became quite popular over quarantine, especially the holiday collections. They had special characters released for Halloween, Christmas, and even one for Thanksgiving! For this holiday, they released a line of squishmallows that adds V-Day messages and designs onto some of their past stuffed animals. Some of the characters have phrases related to their characters, such as Rey the blue shark who has “You’re Jawsome” written on him or Jules the tabby cat that says “You’re Purrfect.” Other characters just have pink and red heart designs on them. The Squishmallows come in four different sizes: a five inch for $4.99, an eight inch for $9.99, a twelve inch for $14.99, and a 16 inch for $19.99. These Valentine’s Day Squishmallows can be found at your local CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target!

Binge-Watch Romance and Romantic Comedy Movies 

A classic way to spend your Valentine’s Day night is with a box of chocolate and a stack of the best love story movies. Some of the best movies to watch on this day are The Notebook, Say Anything, Dirty Dancing, When Harry Met Sally, Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle, and even the movie Valentine’s Day.

Send a Valentine

Making and handing out Valentines is something I look forward to every year, as it is a great way to show appreciation for friends and loved ones. While you might not be able to physically hand out cards to people this year, due to COVID-19 guidelines, you can always leave it in their mailbox or send one to them virtually! You can buy pre-made cards at Target or Walmart or you can hand make one using supplies you already have at home. If you were hoping to send a virtual card instead, Hallmark’s website has many different options. You can pick any of their eCards and then personalize it to your liking. Then, all you have to do is send it to their email. It is a great way to show you care while being COVID-19 safe!

Get a Valentine’s Day Treat from Dunkin Donuts 

On January 28, Dunkin Donuts announced the release of their Valentine’s Day creations. It consists of two new Macchiatos, Mocha and Pink Velvet. You can also get the Pink Velvet flavor in an Iced Latte. The Mocha Macchiato contains espresso and chocolate flavors. Dunkin described the Pink Velvet Macchiato as “biting into a delicious red velvet cupcake,” and is made with espresso, red velvet cake flavoring, and hints of cream cheese icing. Their V-Day line also has two donuts, which are the Brownie Batter Donut and the Cupid’s Choice Donut. The Brownie Batter has brownie batter-flavored icing inside the heart shape, along with vanilla icing and chocolate sprinkles on top. The Cupid’s Choice Donut has Bavarian Kreme inside and has strawberry icing with pink sprinkles on top. 

Hopefully with these ideas floating around in your head, Valentine’s Day can be just as enjoyable as past years! 

Sophomore Isabella Rowan is a staff writer for the 2020-2021 Colonel. In her free time, she likes to play tennis, paint, and bake. You will probably find her listening to Harry Styles or watching movies with her dog, Dublin.