Valentine’s Day is associated with appreciating someone else, whether it’s someone’s significant other or one of their good friends. But who said that people can’t also show themselves a little love during Valentine’s Day? Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of seven things someone could do for themselves on Valentine’s Day this year!

• Scented Candles: This one is my personal favorite, which is why it’s the first one I had to list here. The best part about buying scented candles is trying all the options available, and no one has to worry about it smelling bad or basic because it’s not for anyone but them.

• Animal Socks: A person would be lying if they said that they didn’t want a pair of animal socks for themselves. I thought I was content with regular socks, but when I bought my first pair of alpaca socks, it was an instant game changer in the sock game. Trust me when I say no one would regret buying them. 

• Chocolate: This one is an age-old classic. Just because chocolate is a gift for others on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean a person can’t buy it for themselves. Show some love with a delicious treat! 

• Face Masks: Self-care is another way a person can show themselves some love on Valentine’s Day. Take a second to relax with a nice face mask, perhaps even while watching a favorite show, eating a delicious snack and wearing comfortable clothes, and come out feelings super refreshed this Valentine’s Day.

• Bath Bombs: Another self-care classic. People don’t take enough time to take a bath lately, but if they do take the time to take a bath, they can make it extra worth it with a cute bath bomb. There’s a lot of variety in bath bombs, from scented ones to those that will color the water you bathe in. 

• Stickers: Who doesn’t love stickers? Deep down, everyone definitely has a soft spot somewhere for stickers. This is a really easy, but super cute gift that can put virtually anywhere as a pick-me-up. 

• Jewelry: Jewelry can be a major confidence booster for anyone, but it would also make a super nice gift on Valentine’s Day. It’s also now possible to get some really cute jewelry at low prices. Personally, I really like getting cute earrings, but rings, necklaces and other accessories would be great treats on Valentine’s Day as well. 

Of course, these are only seven gifts out of a large amount of ideas out there. In the end, it’s all about self-care.

Cole Rabe, ‘22, sums this up perfectly. 

He said, “Valentine’s Day is like a second birthday, so you can get yourself anything you’d like.”