Celebrate your Friends

Note: This blog post is best paired with Madonna's "Holiday."

I love to celebrate, whether it's a house warming, Galentine's, baby shower, birthday, new job, or engagement party ... I will be there (often times with a bottle of red wine in hand). But it's not just because I love to dress up or drink wine (though I very much do), there's a greater reason for this affinity to celebrate ...

For my birthday this past year, my friends surprised me with some celebrations, and it made me feel so incredibly loved and seen. As much as I love to celebrate, it's difficult to ask people to celebrate me. So, when I was welcomed into my flat by a melody of voices shouting, "Surprise!" I was indeed surprised and so full of gratitude & love.

To be celebrated is to be loved. That's why I love to celebrate; it's an opportunity to love on your friends and support them through their milestones, to let them know you see and support them.

There are many ways to celebrate your friends, and honestly, there doesn't even need to be a reason other than wanting to make them feel loved and appreciated. You can write a thoughtful letter full of compliments and encouragements and send it to them randomly. Get them flowers and a candle for their new flat. Organise a meal train when your bestie gives birth. Stand on the sidelines with posters as she runs her first marathon.

Celebrating your friends doesn't have to be expensive, but it should be thoughtful and intentional. So, here's some cute and unique ways to celebrate the girlies in your life:

1. Show and Tell Dinner Party

   Gather your girl group and have each of you create a mini-presentation to "show and tell" each other something you admire about your friend (it could be her stunning sense of style, ability to persevere in hard times, etc.). Each person will make 1 presentation for 1 other person at the dinner party. Or, find an item that you would associate with that friend and explain why. It's a cute way to celebrate what makes each friend so unique.

2. Love Letters to Your Bestie

   Write a thoughtful letter to a friend and shower her with compliments. On a rainy day, she can read your letter over and over again when she needs a little boost of confidence. You use Canva to custom-make a card or find some beautifully designed ones from a local artist or shop.

3. Personalised Bouquet Workshop

   Invite a couple of your besties over and ask each one to bring a small bouquet of flowers. Lay all of the flowers out and create a bouquet for someone else in the group. You can either thrift some vases at the charity shop or get some wrapping paper and string to tie it together. Usually, flowers are given on specific occasions, but this is a cute way to gift your bestie some flowers just because you can.

4. These are a Few of our Favourite Things Day

   Grab your bestie, a bowl, some paper and pens. Each of you will write down 3 coffee shops, 3 food spots/bars, and 3 activities you love then fold the pieces of paper up, but keep them separated by category. Place all pieces of paper with coffee shops into a bowl, then pick out one without looking. Don't reveal what you've grabbed yet! Continue to do this until you've picked out a piece of paper for each category. Reveal your picks to each other and prepare to have the ultimate girls' day out doing your favourite things.

5. Celebrate Anything Party

   My friend recently celebrated her 1 year in London, and she hosted a party where everyone got to talk about something they were celebrating from the past year, as well. It was such a sweet way to celebrate everyone and their successes/milestones. And the dress code? Oh, that was the best part: everyone was told to wear something they usually didn't get to pull out of the wardrobe.

Life's too short not to make it feel like a never-ending party or celebration. So, if you use any of these ideas, let me know by tagging @roveandfrolic so I can celebrate vicariously through you. :)