Planning a Palentine's Day

Summary

All Of It Podcast Episode Summary: "Planning a Palentine's Day"

Introduction In the February 10, 2025 episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart on WNYC, the focus shifts from traditional Valentine's Day celebrations to honoring platonic friendships through what is affectionately termed "Palentine's Day." Joining Alison is Lauren Phillips, the Senior Editorial and Strategy Director at Better Homes and Gardens, who provides valuable insights and creative ideas for celebrating non-romantic love and friendship.

Defining Palentine's Day Alison Stewart opens the conversation by prompting listeners to think beyond romantic relationships and consider celebrating their close friends. Lauren Phillips elaborates on the concept, stating:

“Palantine's Day is really about celebrating those platonic friendships. And it really doesn't matter whether you're in a relationship or not a romantic relationship. Friendship is so important.” [01:37]

Palentine’s Day serves as an opportunity to appreciate and strengthen the bonds with friends, ensuring that amidst busy lives, these essential relationships are celebrated and nurtured.

Choosing Your Palentine's Day Pals Lauren emphasizes selecting friends who may not be part of your daily interactions but hold significant value. She suggests inviting those friends you often plan to meet but rarely do due to hectic schedules:

“The friend you always say you're going to get dinner with but never do. I think that's a great person to invite to your Palantine's Day celebration.” [02:03]

Including both frequently and infrequently seen friends ensures a diverse and meaningful celebration.

Ideal Group Size and Event Planning The ideal group size for a Palentine's Day gathering depends on the comfort levels of the attendees and the types of activities planned. Lauren recommends:

“Personally, I like smaller groups, so my Palatine's Day celebration would be like three or four friends. But I think a large group is so much fun if you want to do something like karaoke or a book swap.” [02:50]

Whether opting for an intimate dinner or a lively group activity, tailoring the event to the group's dynamics is key.

Creative Activities for Palentine's Day Lauren introduces several engaging activities to make Palentine's Day memorable:

1. PowerPoint Nights [03:36]

   • Concept: Transform work presentations into fun, themed storytelling sessions.
   • Execution: Choose a theme (e.g., celebrity doppelgangers, favorite trips) and have each friend present a 5-10 minute PowerPoint on their chosen topic.
   • Quote: “It's really just you pick a theme... and really have fun with it and so budget friendly.” [03:36]

2. Vision Boards [05:22]

   • Concept: Create collages that represent personal aspirations and goals.
   • Execution: Use magazines, printouts, and other materials to assemble a visual representation of what you want in the coming year.
   • Preparation Tips: Gather magazines, scissors, glue, and poster boards.
   • Quote: “It’s a really fun visual activity that anyone can do. And again, low budget, super accessible.” [05:22]

3. Favorite Thing Swaps [09:41]

   • Concept: Exchange favorite items within a set budget to share personal interests.
   • Execution: Each friend brings a small, favorite item (e.g., a favorite lipstick or snack) and explains why they love it before exchanging gifts.
   • Quote: “The point is to share something that you just love.” [09:41]

4. DIY Flower Arranging [14:37]

   • Concept: Collaborate on creating unique flower arrangements.
   • Execution: Provide flowers, vases, and basic tools, then let everyone design their own arrangement. Add a competitive twist by awarding fun superlatives.
   • Quote: “There’s so many ways to tear up an activity like this to really suit your budget and your interests and just have fun with it.” [14:37]

5. Friendship Bracelets [16:53]

   • Concept: Craft bracelets together as a symbol of friendship.
   • Execution: Use beads, threads, and other materials to create personalized bracelets while enjoying each other’s company.
   • Quote: “It’s just a really fun low effort activity to do with your friends.” [16:53]

Emphasizing Intentionality Lauren highlights the importance of being intentional in planning Palentine's Day festivities. Sending out actual invitations, whether handwritten or digital, sets a purposeful tone for the celebration:

“It's about intentionality... making it clear that you are celebrating each other today.” [11:23]

This intentional approach elevates the gathering from a casual hangout to a meaningful celebration of friendship.

Listener Contributions and Examples Throughout the episode, Alison engages with listeners who share their own Palentine's Day plans:

• Brian's Story [07:15]: An older group celebrates with heart balloons, wine, and live piano music, emphasizing mutual support and camaraderie.

• Marilyn's Sweet Message [08:11]: A heartfelt text from a long-time friend illustrates the depth of platonic love.

• Susanna's Sing-Along Idea [12:30]: Organizing a love song karaoke session as a fun group activity.

• Doris's Creative Gesture [14:28]: Mailing a thoughtful package to a friend, combining friendship with personal interests.

These anecdotes showcase the diverse ways friends can celebrate their bonds on Palentine's Day.

Conclusion The episode wraps up with Lauren Phillips thanking listeners and reiterating the value of celebrating friendships. Through thoughtful planning and creative activities, Palentine's Day offers a unique opportunity to honor the non-romantic relationships that enrich our lives.

Notable Quotes:

• Lauren Phillips on Palentine's Day's essence: “Palantine's Day is really about celebrating those platonic friendships.” [01:37]
• On PowerPoint Nights: “It's...super budget friendly.” [03:36]
• On Vision Boards: “Low budget, super accessible.” [05:22]
• On Favorite Thing Swaps: “The point is to share something that you just love.” [09:41]
• On DIY Flower Arranging: “Have fun with it.” [14:37]
• On Friendship Bracelets: “A really fun low effort activity.” [16:53]

Closing Remarks Alison Stewart wraps up the episode by thanking Lauren Phillips for her insightful tips and encouraging listeners to connect with their friends in meaningful ways. Through All Of It, WNYC continues to foster a community that celebrates the rich tapestry of culture and relationships in New York City.

Transcript

[Lauren Phillips]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates for multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

[Alison Stewart]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. We've been talking about budget Valentine's Day plans for you to share with that special someone in your life. But what about the love you have for your pals, the people who are there always in your life? We're talking Palantine's Day, a day to spend with your other loved ones platonically. Joining me now is Lauren Phillips, senior editorial and strategy director at Better Homes and Gardens. Welcome back, Lauren.

[Lauren Phillips]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

Listener, do you have a Palantine or a Galentine's Day plans this year? Have you celebrated with friends before? What are your plans? What are your tips? Or maybe you want to call in and shout out your palentine. Give us an example of why your bestie is your bestie. Call in or text us at 2124-339692-21243. NYC we're talking Palantine's Day. So wait, I love your definition. What is your definition of Palantine's Day?

[Lauren Phillips]

It's, it's really an opportunity to celebrate those pals. You know, just like friendsgiving, it's celebrating your friends. Palantine's Day is really about celebrating those platonic friendships. And it really doesn't matter whether you're in a relationship or not a romantic relationship. Friendship is so important. And Palatine's Day is just, you know, putting a fun, a fun spin on the, the holiday to celebrate those friends.

[Alison Stewart]

So how do you pick your Palentine's Day pals?

[Lauren Phillips]

I think it's the people. Oh, that's a great question. I love the idea of spending Palantine's Day whenever you celebrate it with the people you don't get to see very often. We get so busy. Our lives are so hectic. You know, the, the friend you always say you're going to get dinner with but never do. I think that's a great person to invite to your pal Palatine's Day celebration because you know, your best friends you might see more often or maybe you don't. But the people you don't get to see as often as you'd like are great candid for this Palatine's Day celebration.

[Alison Stewart]

Think about people on your group text.

[Lauren Phillips]

Yes, yes, exactly. You know, and even the people you see every day, loop them in too. Have them co host. It's just a great opportunity and excuse, honestly, to bring people together.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, let's talk about ideal group size. Should you want to have a Pal and Dine's Day party, you could.

[Lauren Phillips]

I think it really depends on, you know, people have different levels of, of of social exposure they're comfortable with. Personally, I like smaller groups, so my Palatine's Day celebration be like three or four friends. But I think a large group is so much fun. If you want to do something like karaoke or a book swap or something kind of large scale, it's definitely an opportunity. But also, we so rarely get opportunities for these more intimate celebrations with our close friends. So I think it's whatever you're comfortable with. But make sure you plan an activity that matches the party size. That's the big thing.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk about some of those activities. PowerPoint night. This has become a trend in the last year or so. The Washington Post published an article with the headline, Wait, is PowerPoint cool? Now, how do PowerPoint nights work?

[Lauren Phillips]

This is just so fun. I love this trend. It's not work. PowerPoints. These PowerPoint nights are a great way to help you get to know your friends better and bring something we all do too much for work to kind of this fun social setting. So it's really just you pick a theme, whether it's celebrity doppelgangers, what you do at work all day, your favorite trip you've ever taken, and it gives every person in the group the chance to speak for however long you spend, set the time limit to be five or 10 minutes about the topic and what it means to them. So, you know, in group settings, it's so easy, especially if you're the quieter one in the group, to get lost and to leave some of these parties and social settings feeling like you haven't gotten to really get to know everyone or really have a meaningful conversation. But a PowerPoint night is a great way to like take the spotlight a little bit and really just speak passionately about something you love or something you want to educate people about. You can make them super educational or super playful. Um, there's. You can make a PowerPoint about anything. And if you really buy into the theme and commit, it is so much fun and so budget friendly.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. How silly should you get or how informative should you get?

[Lauren Phillips]

I think it really depends on, on your friend group. And what kind of things you love doing together. Um, I know some people include imbibing while they're, while they're doing these. And you can make it more serious, but it really depends on, on your friend group. You know, if you want to get silly, do it. If you want to be more informational. Informational, that's absolutely an opportunity. It's just like pick a. That speaks to everyone. I think having everyone attending the party vote on the theme is key because it really gives everyone buy in. You know, you're not picking a theme that someone's unfamiliar with. Everyone can say, oh, I'm really excited to talk about this.

[Alison Stewart]

That is PowerPoint night. Let's talk about making group vision boards for anybody who's not initiated. What is a vision board?

[Lauren Phillips]

Think about collages. Think about the magazine cutout collages we all used to do. A vision board is using that, you know, repurposing magazines or printouts or whatever you can find, and making almost a real life Pinterest board where you're cutting out these images, the, the symbols, the, the text that really speaks to you, whether it's a mantra or, or an image, and putting it in a place that you can use as kind of a vision. What you want, you're the next year to look like what you want your next trip to look like. You know, everyone's so into manifesting and things like that. Vision board making is a really fun visual way to get in on that. And it's, it's just, it's a fun collage. You can make one that you just like that you might want to hang up in your home, but you can also make one that's meaningful to you because maybe it's saying, this is what I want my life to look like in two years. So it's just a really fun visual activity that anyone can do. And again, low budget, super accessible.

[Alison Stewart]

So what kind of things should I have on hand to be prepared in advance for the vision board night?

[Lauren Phillips]

Well, you know, 10 years ago, I'd say all the magazines you've collected. I don't know how many people are collecting print magazines in their homes these days. Of course, I am at Better Homes and Gardens, but, you know, magazines are great, newspapers are great, Print printing out things from Pinterest are great. Printouts are good. Really, you know, if you look through like the mail and the catalogs you get. We just got through the holiday shopping season. I personally am getting so many catalogs for everything I bought over the holidays. Those are great things. To have for that vision board making. You also want like a paper to tape or glue everything to. So poster board or just. Just a sheet of paper for everyone. Glue, sticks, scissors, stickers. Kind of a basic scrapbooking set, but, like, very simple. So just those scissors and adhesive and a blank piece of paper to attach everything to.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's take some calls. Let's talk to Brian and Chelsea. Hi, Brian. Thank you so much for calling all of it.

[Brian]

Hey, Allison. Hi, everybody. Thanks for having me. So we're not doing it this year because I'm the only one who is single. But typically about eight of us, we're older day guys in our 40s. My friend hosts sit at his place. He has a nice big dining room. And typically we eat, we drink, but we also decorate it. And so we have heart balloons, like 20, 25 heart balloons with long strings hanging down. The napkins are folded up like red roses inside the bowl, and we just drink wine. We support each other, love each other, and. And then we also hire someone coming to play the piano and we sing show tunes. I know that's typical, but we have a really good time with each other and we just support each other, particularly at this stage of our life.

[Alison Stewart]

Brian, I love everything about that. Thank you so much for sharing it. Let's talk to Marilyn from Manhattan. Hi, Marilyn, you're on the air.

Hi. I just wanted to say something about the Palentine's Day thing. So my best friend Bryce, we've been friends for like over 20 years. We're both in our 40s now. And he just sent me a really sweet text message from. He does this from time to time. And he sent me the sweetest one this morning. I wanted to read it to you.

Okay, shoot.

He said. So I just discovered this fragrance and it's actually you in a bottle. I'm wearing it right now. And it sends signals to my olfactory glands that are in the shape of you. And then he says, happy Valentine's week later on.

That is so sweet. Thank you for calling in. This is another good text. It says, hi. My best friend lives in San Francisco and we both adore shopping at Target, buying things we didn't need. I send her a Target card and we arrange for a virtual date to go shopping at the same time and then compare our hauls. That's such a good, good message. Thanks for sending it. My guest is Lauren Phillips. We are talking Palantine's Day and non romantic Valentine's Day with alternatives. Lauren is the senior editorial and strategy director at Better Homes and Garden. Call in with your ideas for how to spend the day with your friends. Or, you know what, shout out your bestie. You can do that, too. 212-433. WNYC 212-433-9692. Okay, Lauren, we're going back to your list. A favorite thing swap. What's a favorite thing swap?

[Lauren Phillips]

I love this. It's just another way if we think about our time with our friends as being so precious, thinking about how you can share what you're loving in the moment with them, that's what a favorite thing swap is. So it's gathering up within a price range that you set in advance things that you love. So everyone you know, maybe you pick a lipstick that you love or a snack, and everyone brings multiple of their favorite thing for each guest. So you have to plan ahead. Make sure you get your RSVPs in. But then at the end, you know, you exchange the gifts. You explain why you love each thing. You explain what it means to you when you've used it, how you discovered it. And at the end of the party, each person leaves with this little gift bag of, you know, goodies of all the things that they can try. And knowing that, oh, my friend Sarah picked this out for me. It's just a really sweet way to share things you love. I recently did something similar that was a book swap, and everyone bought a book they'd read recently and enjoyed and wanted to give Second Life, too. And we exchanged the books, and it was so much fun and a really great way to see a new side of my friends that was like, oh, these are books they've loved. This is an insight into what they're really passionate about right now.

[Alison Stewart]

That favorite thing swaps, you're talking about, like, a not too expensive thing because you're like, gonna have to buy five or six, Right?

[Lauren Phillips]

Right. Definitely not too expensive. We talked earlier about limiting the size of your Palatine's Day celebration. This is maybe for a smaller group, but even just like a 5 or $10 item, maybe it's. It's a tube of chapstick that keeps your lips, you know, not chapped all winter long. Maybe it's the favorite snack you always get at the store that costs $3. It absolutely can be very affordable. It's just the. The point is to share something that you just love.

[Alison Stewart]

You actually recommend sending out actual invitations for Palantine's day plans. Why do you suggest you do that?

[Lauren Phillips]

It's all about intentionality. I think it's so easy to Just be like, hey, come over on Saturday and we'll hang out. That is maybe a little too day to day. A little something that you're always doing, sending an invite, whether it's something that you've actually handwritten and mailed or an evite. There's so many apps that do easy evites like partyful. It really makes it intentional and people know what the theme are, what they're coming for, what time to be there. You can get RSVPs and plan accordingly. It's just making it a little more personal, a little more. I can't say enough intentional to say we are celebrating each other today. We are not just coming over to hang out, we are celebrating each other. And even if that activity is just you're watching TV together, you've set the bar just a tiny bit higher by being intentional and sending those invites.

[Alison Stewart]

This is a text. It says not to brag, but I'm splurging and having tea at Tiffany's with my two childhood best friends this Valentine's Day. All in the name of celebrating my longest lasting loves. That's a good text. Let's talk to Susanna from the Village. Hi, Susanna, thanks for call. Thanks for calling, all of it.

Oh, thank you for having me on. So I just love this idea that it doesn't always have to be a date. So we're getting together on Valentine's Day and having a love song. Sing along.

A love song. Sing along. How is this going to work?

Well, it's love songs. It's kind of like Christmas caroling, but they're love songs, so. And they can be any kind of love songs. They can be about love. They have to have the word. Well, they don't have to have the word love. Love has to be, you know, the theme of the song. But they can be songs of heartbreak. I mean, you know, we're gonna sing Flowers by Miley Cyrus.

I mean, you know, what's your. What's your pick?

My pick?

Yeah.

Crazy by Patsy Cline. Why not?

Thanks for calling in. Let's talk to Doris and Darian. Hi, Doris. Thank you so much for calling all of it. You're on the air.

[Lauren Phillips]

Hello.

[Brian]

Love the segment. Love the idea of PAL instead of Galentine. I am best friends with my ex husband now. We divorced in the year 2000. We are both senior citizens. Newly seated senior citizen. And I suggested to him that he send me some rose on the V day. And I'm going to mail him since his latest passion is to study at ICE in New York City. Which is the Culinary Institute course on sauces. So I'm going to mail him a package of an authentic Mexican mole olay so that he could have fun cooking at home. Quickly and helpfully.

[Alison Stewart]

Doris, thank you so much. We appreciate you calling in. Let's go to your next on your list. Lauren Phillips, senior editorial and strategy director at Better Homes and Gardens. Our ride along for this Palantine's Day. You said, let's get crafty, and one of your ideas is DIY flower arranging. First of all, do you ever have an expert in this situation? Do you need to hire an expert from the outside?

[Lauren Phillips]

I think hiring an expert would be so fun if you have all the budget in the world, but it can also just be something fun that you do on your own. I think some of the best crafting opportunities are the messy ones, the ones that end up looking. Looking like you made them yourself and you're proud of it. I personally am not good at crafts. I can't paint, I can't draw. I'm not good at a lot of things. But, like, what you've created is. Is so valuable and fun because, you know you've made it yourself. So personally, I love flower arranging and just doing what I want. And it's helpful if someone in the room understands how to use paddle wire and garden shears and all of the elements that really make an elaborate flower floral arrangement. But it can also just be, we're just having some fun in putting grocery store flowers in the vases that we brought ourselves. There's so many ways to tear up an activity like this to really suit your budget and your interests and just have fun with it. I think there's no way to do. There's no wrong way to arrange flowers.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, how do you suggest turning it into a game?

[Lauren Phillips]

A game. So it's really letting everyone vote in a fun way. Maybe you pick superlatives so you've got the most creative arrangement or best use of color or, you know, whoever fit the most roses in the vase. I mean, there's so many superlatives you can call out, and some can be really playful. Of course you want to have fun with your friends and give every give, make up these superlatives, and then have everyone vote on who gets at each one. So everyone gets a prize. And also you're getting to celebrate the creations.

[Alison Stewart]

Here's a classic friend activity. Making friendship bracelets. Do I have to, like, sort of like, let my middle schooler out to do this?

[Lauren Phillips]

I think a little bit there's nothing wrong with that. And we really saw friendship bracelets have a true moment in the spotlight through the Taylor Swift lift eras tour. And they were everywhere. You can buy them in stores now. And there's so many, you know, the classic friendship bracelets with the, the beads with the letters on them. We're having a moment. There's also braided friendship bracelets. There's all different kinds. And I think letting your inner middle schooler out is really fun. Sometimes it's a good moment to go back to those times when your friends were everyone to you. So it's a really good, really fun activity to just get together, craft. Maybe you put on a fun movie. I loved the idea earlier about a love song. Sing along. You can sing along while you make these bracelets. It's just a really fun low effort activity to do with your friends.

[Alison Stewart]

This says 2:14 is Gregory Hines birthday. I'll be tap dancing that day with the people I love the most. My guest has been Lauren Phillips, senior editorial and strategy director for Better Homes and Garden. Thanks for all your Palantine's Day advice and your tips.

[Lauren Phillips]

Thank you.

[Ira Flatow]

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