Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but there is still a global pandemic that makes it hard to get together with friends and loved ones. Because we have to quarantine, it may seem impossible to celebrate a holiday that revolves around showing appreciation for those close to you. However, not to worry! Here are some ideas on how to still celebrate this day of love, whether it’s with your Galentines, Palentines or your Valentine, while still staying safe.

1. Bake traditional Valentine’s Day treats over video chat:
Get out your heart-shaped cookie cutters, cake mix or your favorite brownie recipe! Set up your device at the perfect angle to capture your sweet creations, and bake your way through Valentine’s Day with those that are closest to your heart.

2. Send your loved ones gifts:
As the saying goes, “there’s nothing better than the gift of giving.” This February 14th, send your Palentines and/or your Valentine a gift that only you could give them. Maybe it is something that resembles one of your inside jokes or something that they have been talking about for a while. Or, invest in the grand, corporate Valentine’s Day scheme of boxes of chocolates, bouquets of roses or a classic Valentine’s Day plushie.

3. Sign up for a virtual chocolate-making or chocolate-tasting class:
These days, there are plenty of online options to get together with your loved ones. In the proper Valentine’s Day spirit, try out an online chocolate-making class, an online chocolate-tasting class… or maybe anything that involves chocolate.

4. Get dressed up all fancy and have a virtual dinner date:
Between all of the days that have been spent at home and the lack of events to go out and get dressed up for, sometimes it is nice to just set a time and a (virtual) place to have a fancy date. Whether you choose to celebrate with your Galentines, Palentines or your Valentine, put on your favorite fancy clothes and have a night of good food, positive energy and love with those on the other side of the screen!

5. Get takeout food delivered and have an outdoor, distanced picnic:
If this option is suitable and safe for you and your household, then have at it. Find a nice place, maybe in your backyard or a local park, order from your favorite restaurant and invite whomever you want to celebrate with to a socially-distanced picnic. Make sure to bring some warmer clothes, seeing that it is still in the middle of winter in New England, and do not forget your mask for the moments where you may need it.

6. Single? Hold a virtual game night with all of your fellow single friends:
Bring the funniest sides out of you and your friends with a virtual game night. If you need a little bit of a jumpstart, some of my go-to’s are Jackbox, Azala.info, Skribbl.io or Among Us. Go ahead and be ready to laugh, gasp and maybe cry a little when your friend betrays you during a heated game.

7. Make a playlist for your loved ones:
This Valentine’s Day, show your love through music! Create a playlist for those closest to you with a mix of their favorite songs, your go-to jams and some of those classic love songs for them to either cry or vibe to.

8. Have a bonfire outdoors:
Host a socially-distanced campfire in your backyard with your loved ones. Harp on the old times, relive your favorite memories and feel even closer to them than before with this warming celebration. Again, please only choose this option if it is safe for you and your household.

9. Movie night over Zoom or Teleparty:
Host a movie night using Zoom screen sharing or Teleparty, a Chrome Extension that allows you and your Palentines to watch anything off of Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus or HBO together at the same time. This is the perfect time to binge-watch all of the cheesy romantic comedies these streaming platforms have to offer, so be ready with your favorite movie snacks on hand.

10. Hand out Valentine’s like in elementary school:
Remember those good ol’ days where we’d hand out Valentine’s to all of our classmates and friends in elementary school? They all had amazing themes, like kittens, Star Wars or Hannah Montana, and they always came with some small knick-knack or piece of candy. Who says that tradition has to die once we get to high school? Head over to your nearest store, select the perfect theme, package them up and pass them out to all of your friends.

11. Send Valentine’s to those who are isolated during the pandemic:
Because of quarantine, so many people will be celebrating Valentine’s Day all alone, especially those in later adulthood. I encourage you to connect with organizations, such as Letters for Rose, or reach out to assisted living facilities or nursing homes near you and send seniors handmade Valentines. Not only would it make them feel a little less alone, but it would give you a sense of pride knowing that you helped someone who needs it.

12. Shop small businesses and send your friends sustainable and eco-friendly gifts:
Considering the mass corporations that use unsustainable methods in making their products, the best thing to do for our world and society is to shop small! Find gifts that are eco-friendly that your Galentines, Palentines, or Valentine will adore.

13. Find a nice, open plot of land and look up at the stars:
To feel like you’re in every cheesy movie about teenagers, grab your friends or significant other and lay in the grass and look up to the stars. Don’t forget your mask, and be sure to lie socially distant to stay as safe as possible.

14. Get a box of candy all for yourself:
If none of these options have sounded like a good fit for you, I highly suggest running to your closest convenience store and buying the biggest box of chocolate you can find. After your purchase, put on your favorite show or your most appropriate-for-your-mood playlist, and eat as much chocolate as you need to; think of this as self-care.

Hopefully at least one of these ideas is something that you can do with your loved ones to celebrate and have a blast during your Valentine’s celebration! Remember to stay safe and remember to have fun. It can only be Valentine’s Day during a global pandemic once (or at least, that’s the goal).