7 Things to Do if You're Dateless on Valentine's Day

Yes, it’s nearly Valentine’s Day (otherwise known as Singles Awareness Day) again. And even if Cupid (and the flower delivery man) overlook you this year, there’s lots of fun to be had if you know where to look.

Next Monday on Daytime I'll be talking about:

7 Things to Do if You're Dateless on Valentine's Day

1) Throw a Trade-Your-Ex party
She squeaks when she blows her nose. He eats like a rabid warthog. It’s just didn’t work out. But hey, who’s to say your warty frog of an ex isn’t somebody else’s Prince (or Princess) Charming? Throw a singles-only party where everybody brings an ex boyfriend or girlfriend who was nice but just wasn’t “The One.” (Sort of a “people potluck.”) Just add snacks, maybe a few mixed drinks, and you’ve got yourself a Valentine’s Day blast. You might even meet someone fabulous. At the very least, you’ll unload your ex.

2) Vegas, baby
Get some friends together, take a long weekend (and a cheap flight) and head to the most singles-friendly destination on the planet. Yes, it’s fabulous Las Vegas. You can dress to the nines (or even wear the same clothes for 48 hours straight,) gorge yourself on 99-cent lobster, and drink all the dwarf-sized rum and Cokes you can wheedle from the casino waitresses. Try a little indoor skydiving, flirt with a showgirl or Elvis himself, and blow a month’s worth of laundry money on the slots. If you do it right, you won’t even remember it’s February 14.

3) Book a spa day
Don’t wait for someone else to pamper you, do it yourself! Spend a day at the spa, listening to that groovy new-age music and padding around in a borrowed bathrobe. Go ahead, have yourself kneaded, buffed and polished until you’re positively blissful. Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, so be sure to book your appointment early. Most day spas are uber-quiet, so at you can look forward to not having any have nosy co-workers grilling you about your lovelife. When you finally emerge from your herbal bodywrap cocoon you’ll look and feel completely fantastic. Like a butterfly.

4) Do your taxes
Okay, so this one isn’t really going to be that much fun, but think of it this way: every restaurant in town is going to be booked anyway, Saturday night TV sucks, and you’ll have a HUGE weight off your shoulders for the next two months. Plus, filing early can shorten your refund time by weeks!

5) Throw an anti-love movie fest
Invite a few friends, load up on slashers and cheese-corn, and camp out on the sofa. Nothing will keep your mind Valentine’s Day-free like screaming until you’re hoarse and scaring the crap out of yourself and five or six or your closest pals.

6) Babysit for some married friends or a single parent with a hot date
Finding a babysitter on a Saturday night Valentine’s Day is about as complicated as determining the molecular formula of SPAM. Take the pressure off somebody who really needs a little romance in their lives by offering to babysit while they head out for a night on the town. It’s not exactly glamorous, but the good karma will follow you around for the rest of the year. (Besides, if you’re not having sex tonight, at least somebody should…)

7) Throw a Pajama Party or Poker Night
Invite the girls over for a night of junk food, amateur pedicures and girltalk. Do each other’s hair and stay up all night giggling. Or, break out the cards, the beer and the salty snacks and reminisce about your wildest times.
Either way, you’re sure to be reminded that romance may come and go, but good friends are with you for good.

Lisa Daily is the author of Stop Getting Dumped! www.stopgettingdumped.com