50 Galentine’s Day Ideas For Creating The Best Memories With Your Girlfriends

DIY Valentine Gifts Your Partner Will Love

Give your sweetheart hugs and kisses via these easy-to-sew XOXO pillows. Pick fabric that goes with your decor or use the brightest red and pink fabric that you can find.

This floral backdrop is perfect for a doorway surprise for when your love or little ones wake up on Valentine's Day morning. Plus, by the time your V-Day celebrations end, you might as well leave them up for March.

Keep the surprises coming withbreakfast in bed. We heart these Red Velvet Heart Waffles with Cream Cheese Glaze — yum! Sprinkles are encouraged.

Challenge your love(s) to a game of Jenga with this cute DIY Valentine's gift. This will make for an adorable game to play any time of year.

Make your own box of chocolates with a piñata twist. We'll take two, please!

Gift your gal pals a hand-stamped scarf for the occasion or make a DIY night of it! Since you make the stamps yourself, you can create any pattern you want.

Dig into this DIY conversation heart cake for the sweetest V-Day dessert you ever did try.

Put a ring on it! Chocolate ring pops for the DIY Valentine's gifts win. Our favorite part is definitely the fun colors.

Here's a long distance-friendly idea: Make theseConversation Heart Piñata care packages to send to your BFFs or you can surprise your fam in the morning with a goodie-filled one.

Give your sweetheart something delicious and gluten-free with these Cassava Flour Brownies.

Get cozy with these conversation heart pillowsfor your favorite texting pal.

Serve your Galentine's Day guests Celebrity Heartthrob Cookies— the next best thing to the real deal. Pass us the Ryan Gosling cookie please!

Make a stack of pixel-inspired Pop-Up Heart Cardsfor your favorite people.

Add a green twist to your Valentine's Day surprise with these Air Plant Wall Artpiecesthat creatively make use of nails and string.

For a more hands-on DIY Valentine's gift, whip up these fun DIY Conversation Heart Coasterswith polymer clay and letter stamps.

Map your travels together with this clever Photo Map Wall Artfor a personal and so special touch!

Celebrate your Valentine's favorite food with these extra cute (and yummy) Heart-Shaped Boxes. Fill them with candy today and love letters tomorrow.

1. They're always being dismissive.

Have you ever been really excited or upset about something only to be met with a dismissive tone from someone you confided in? This person is displaying toxicity which "gradually undermines trust in relationships," according to English. Would you want to keep sharing things with a person if they're always downplaying your emotions? Probably not.

2. Controlling others seems like a sport to them.

English says another way to determine someone is toxic is pay attention to their controlling behavior. It can be something as simple as telling you what to wear or something greater such as forcibly limiting your contact with anyone they think isn't good for you.

3. They consistently makes excuses for their behavior.

Have you ever let a close friend know certain behavior bothers you only for them to make an excuse for why they keep doing them? Bennett says this counts as "avoiding responsibility for actions." Furthermore, "constantly" doing so or looking to "push the blame onto someone else veers into toxic territory," she adds.

Another way to look at this is if someone is always falling into a pattern of "victimizing themselves," according to Bennett.

4. They tend to be manipulative.

Manipulation is tricky because it's not always obvious until it's too late. It's kind of like not realizing you were bit by a mosquito until your skin becomes itchy and red. Bennett says this is toxic because there's a knowing that someone can "appeal to a certain person's characteristics or personality traits." This looks like saying or doing something "with the intention of getting a certain reaction," according to her.

Bennett says, "An example may be one partner in sobriety who consistently uses their poor mental health as a reason to not be proactive about finding a job. They do this because they know that the other partner is worried about their loved one relapsing so they use that fear against her."

5. They never miss an opportunity to gaslight people.

Calling this a "well-known example," English says gaslighting often occurs when someone denies the reality of another person." What would cause someone to do this? Well, a toxic behavior often doesn't want to take accountability for their actions so they'd rather "cause people to doubt their own perceptions," according to English.

6. They're always looking for reasons to criticize someone.

The catty behavior on The Real Housewives of New York may be entertaining for TV, but that kind of behavior gets old quickly in everyday life. No one wants to hear why "so and so thinks they're all that" even if it's disguised as humor. English says, "Regardless of their motivation," behaviors like this "can lead to stressful and emotionally distressing situations."

Alena Darmel

Is it time to cut that toxic person out of my life?

We live in a society that started prioritizing ending relationships with people as soon as we spot red flags, but English and Bennett don't think this should be our immediate reaction. English says, "The decision to disengage with a toxic person in the relationship will depend on how harsh and serious the relationship is" because "it is often personal."

According to her, if you notice a consistent pattern where the behavior is "damaging your emotional health," it's okay to walk away from that person. Still, she believes "completely cutting [someone] off is often a last option when other approaches to changing the behavior have not worked." Bennett says something similar and notes how to approach different scenarios.

"If it someone you need to communicate with because of a job or family, there are things you can do to protect yourself," she says. She suggests reminding "yourself who you are dealing with" if the person is adept at gaslighting others because "it may be easy to become convinced that you are wrong or something did not happen the way you recall." A phrase she encourages you to tell yourself is, "I know that my experiences are my experiences no matter what."

If you're dealing with an aggressively toxic person, you'll have to "set and reinforce boundaries," Bennett says while English adds that "engaging in therapy to faciliate healthier relationships" may be a next step.

Here's how Bennett suggests navigating communication with someone like this:

• Set a boundary to end the conversation when you notice toxic behavior such as invalidation of your feelings.
• Receive support from another person so they can remind you of things you're trying to accomplish

If you're dealing with a friend or spouse, Bennett wants you to remember "you cannot change them" but you're in control of how you respond. English says, "It is important to analyze the whole situation and know when the cost of the relationship is greater than the benefits."

Coiled Rope Basket

Obviously the first piece you need for your bestie basket is an actual basket. This pink rope basket from Target is cute, big enough to hold plenty of goodies, and is only $6!

Felt Heart Valentine's Day Basket Red

But if you're looking for something a little more cutesy — and a little smaller — this heart basket will do the trick, too! Plus, the handle makes your gift way easier to transport to your BFF.

Valentine's Day 8ct Pegged Tissue Red Heart on Cream

You can totally just put your gifts right into the basket, but a little tissue paper adds an extra zhuzh to your gift as well! And look at how pretty this heart paper is!

16 fl oz Stoneware You are Loved Mug Pink/Red Striped

Whether your bestie is a coffee addict á la Lorelai Gilmore, loves a hot cuppa tea, or can't resist a decadent hot chocolate, a cute mug is a must-have in your basket. I love, love, love the pink and red stripes on this one!

14 fl oz Figural Heart Tumbler with Straw

However, if your BFF is more of an iced-coffee kinda gal, she may be more into this sweet little heart-shaped tumbler!

Stanley 4pk 40oz Quencher Tumbler Straws

It's no secret the gals are into Stanley cups — so why not grab some pink and red straws to make everyone's favorite hand accessory even cuter?

Paucax Water Bottle Pouch for Stanley 18-40oz

This little pink pouch is another perfect addition to your emotional support water bottle, too! You can toss your phone, credit cards, lip balm, or whatever else you need on your hot girl errands in here!

Women's Concentric Hearts Valentine's Day Cozy Crew Socks

Cozy socks are a definitely must in your bestie basket! These are super on-theme — and super soft!

LOOPS Double Take Glow Mask

I seriously love LOOPS masks! Grab this for your girlfriends, and maybe even throw 'em on while you grab some wine and gab during your Galentine's Day celebration!

Tree Hut Moroccan Rose Shea Sugar Body Scrub

Winter is doing a number on everyone's skin right now, so a body scrub is a nice little luxury to gift your girlfriends right now. Revive your skin — and smell good doing it!

essie Salon-Quality Vegan Nail Polish

A little nail care is a total hallmark of a good girls night! Grab this sweet shade of red for the perfect at-home mani for you bestie!

Salon Clip Hair Bow Set 2pc

Are people over bows? IDK, but I'm sure not. These are coquette and cute and so going in your bestie baskets this year!

Nerds Valentine's Gummy Clusters

Bestie baskets absolutely need candy — it's a non-negotiable. Nerds gummy clusters are super viral right now, and for good reason! They're chewy, crunchy, and totally delicious.

Dove Valentine's Dark Chocolate Hearts

If your friends aren't into gummy candy, classic Dove dark chocolate hearts are a solid way to go as well!

Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Candy Truffles

And if dark chocolate is too bitter, then these sweet little milk chocolate truffles are also amazing!