They’re your secret-keepers, your supportive soul sisters, your ride or die: your gal pals that mean the world to you. So naturally, having a celebration devoted to appreciating them for all they do is a fantastic one, and what better way than to have a Galentine’s Day celebration?

What is Galentine’s Day? We’re not even going to touch this one, when Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) of Parks and Recreation fame sums it up perfectly:

It’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and boyfriends at home, and we come and kick it breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair minus the angst…plus frittatas!

From that moment in 2010, a fictional holiday gave birth to a real-life tradition with an almost fanatic following, with women everywhere declaring that this needed to be a real thing. And why not? What could better than getting together with the women you love and admire to celebrate friendship and gratitude for each other in a fun and meaningful way, complete with (let’s face it) two favorite food groups? Fizzy cocktails and whipped cream (not necessarily in that order).

So whether you’re into brunchin’, lunchin’, or midnight munchin’, we’re hooking you up with some simple tips for paying homage to your squad on Feb 13th that will definitely deliver all the feels to the girls who run your world.

Your Galentine’s Day party planning checklist

Galentine's Day

1. Invites —party’s at your place! (Or restaurant, or wherever you and the gals like to hang).Grab some cards and announce to your she-ros that you’re hosting a Galentine’s Day gathering to celebrate female friendship!

2. Gifts for your guests. If you’re thinking of handing out gifts to the gals, check out our gift guide for some fun and thoughtful ideas that will make them feel special. Galentine's Day

3. Favors that leave a lasting impression. You can scour Pinterest for hours for tons of fun ideas, but we love the idea of giving a feeling that will never fade. Head to your party supply store for heart-shaped balloons for each of your guests. Before filling with helium, write one thing you love about each guest on a paper heart and fold it up tight. Insert into your balloon (use a funnel and push through with erasure side of a pencil!), fill with helium, and add a ribbon. (Be sure to keep track of whose balloon is whose by using different colored balloons or attaching different colored ribbons. Not only will the balloons add to your décor, but guests can later pop their balloon at home to receive your meaningful message – priceless.

4. Get your groove on. Prep a music playlist about friends, or include songs that have stories behind them that you shared with various ladies in attendance. (You know you have them. Like the time you walked out of the bathroom at the diner with your skirt tucked into your underwear just as “Girl on Fire” came on the radio.) Galentine's Day

5. Bring on the bubbly. It’s never too early for champagne (it’s practically the new orange juice),so if you’re kickin’ it brunch style, Mimosas are an easy way to go. If you want something red and berry-ish to suit the mood, try rosé sparkling wine and add raspberries or pomegranate. Another easy choice is orange vodka, cranberry juice, and club soda topped with orange slices. Plus, these can easily be made non-alcoholic by simply leaving out the alcohol. (But we didn’t; just saying.)

6. A toast to friendship. (clink clink!) A few words to warm the heart always make for a meaningful moment. If you want to go straight for the jugular, you might try something like: “It’s around the table that friends understand best, the warmth of being together” – Anonymous.

Or, go for fun: “True friendship is when you walk into their house and your WiFi connects automatically” – Author Unknown (internet probably). We can hook you up with even more ideas if you hop over to our What to Write page. These ideas work well as a toast in addition

to messages you can write in your cards. (Cue all the feels!)

Galentine's Day7. Cards for everyone! What would Galentine’s Day be without a “tine” for every gal? (We just made that up. It’s the fizzy drinks). Of course, you’ll probably want to make sure each person in attendance is given a warm expression of how much they mean, and since you just saw our What to Write ideas, you’re all set! Simply head here to pick your favorite cards. Or, you might want to give everyone a Thank You card for coming and, more importantly, for being the good friend you feel so lucky to have. Galentine's DayOur girlfriends are like our second family. These days, with the world spinning faster every second (so it seems), it’s important to keep them close, and a little gratitude goes a long way in showing them how much they mean to us. Leslie Knope said, “Anytime a group of women get together, we embody the spirit of the holiday.” We’ll go one further and add that ‘we embody the spirit of friendship.’ Cheers to yours — Happy Galentine’s Day!