I think what I love most about Valentine’s Day (besides all the pink!), is the opportunity to shower my people with love. We’re an affectionate family anyway, and say ‘I love you’ several times a day, but there’s something about Valentines Day that makes those expressions of love more intentional. We don’t make grand gestures for the holiday, but rather exchange sweet notes and simple gifts…and of course chocolate is always part of the celebration.
Now that our daughter is in Middle School, this will be her first year with no class party…which means the holiday is about to take a turn for her. Gone are the days of obligatory exchanging of cards for everyone. Valentines will be handed out to a select few, and feelings will get hurt. I never want her to let a boy dictate her value and self-worth, so we focus more on friendships and loving ourselves…and when’s a better time for that, than Galentine’s Day!
She and I had so much fun putting together a Girlfriend Valentine Party, complete with sweet treats, cookie decorating, and fun beauty gifts as take-home favors.
Love Garland | Letter Board Light Box | Milk Bottles | Cake Stand
We kept it really simple and stuck with a pink and red color palette, and found all the party supplies (including the food!) at Walmart. Yep, Walmart!
Can you even with this face?!? Thank you, God, for this precious girl!!
Sugarplum Style Tip: Bake your cupcakes in plain white liners, then place them in cute, decorative liners once cool. Or in my case, do this trick with store-bought cupcakes.
Little Miss and I love a good spa night…complete with a bubble bath and manicures…so we assembled little treats of some of our beauty faves for her guests to take home. Walmart has such a huge beauty department, it took us awhile to narrow down what we wanted to include!
Metal Pails | Shredded Paper Filler | Nail Polish | Tinted Lip Balm Set | Bath Fizzies
And speaking of the Walmart beauty department, I love perusing the aisles of affordable products and finding all kinds of new products. (Usually late at night?!) I do my share of department store shopping, but these are the drugstore products I swear by!
one // Dove Moisturizing Shampoo Little Miss has a sensitive scalp, and super-tangly hair. Not a great combination. One day my hairdresser-friend told me all her mom-friends swear by Dove Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner for their little girls, so of course I tried it and was blown away! It leaves her hair smooth and shiny, and brushes out easily. (We use this Wet Brush.) I alternate between the Dove and other shampoos and conditioners that are specific to colored, damaged hair for myself. (P.S., I also love their dry shampoo!)
two // Jergons Sunless Tanning Mousse I’ll continue to try new and different brands of sunless tanner, but this remains my first choice for a natural, streak-free tan! See my full post with all my Sunless Tan Tips & Tricks here.
three // It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Treatment I’ve shared a few hair tutorials on the blog (see them here & here), and every time this product makes the list of heavy-hitters. It’s my absolute favorite for detangling, conditioning and heat protection…I spray it in my hair damp, then dry and style as usual. I never style my hair without it!
four // Dove Cream Oil Body Lotion Again with the Dove, but I just love their products! (Humble brag: Remember that time I was on the cover of Redbook? Well, yeah, I had a celebrity hair stylist and he used nothing but Dove!! He said it compared with every high-end brand on the market) This body lotion is thick and creamy, and has a touch of oil which leaves skin illuminated. I always rub it on just before photoshoots to add some highlight to my skin, too.
five // Dolce & Gabbana ‘Light Blue’ Perfume I rarely wear perfume, and only have two on my counter…and this is one of them. One of my all-time favorite scents.
six // Goodie Clear Hair Ties These clear elastic hair-ties are my go-tos for ponytails and messy buns. The clear doesn’t show in my hair, and I’m able to stretch them enough to get a really tight hold. I don’t consider them reusable, but for the price, I’m okay with that.
seven // Burt’s Bees Make-Up Removal Wipes These are the best make-up removal wipes I’ve found, and they’re extra sensitive for my skin. An odd use maybe, but I also use them to clean the footbed of my sandals.
eight // Essie Nail Polish My cabinet is full of nail polishes (I rarely get manicures), and most are Essie brand…I just love their color options! If I had to choose one favorite shade, I’d say ‘Bachelorette Bash.’
nine // Batiste Dry Shampoo I love Dove Dry Shampoo, but will always grab this one if available. It works really well, and the different tints are perfect for blending with different hair shades. Plus, the blonde helps when I’m overdue for a color touch-up!
ten // Electric Toothbrush I switched to an electric toothbrush several years ago, and don’t know how I ever used anything else. Not only does it get your teeth so much cleaner than a traditional toothbrush, but it polishes off stains and keeps your smile brighter and whiter.
What are your drugstore beauty must-haves? And you mamas of Middle School girls, how do you instill confidence and self-love? I wish I could shield her from the hard parts of the coming years, but I know it’s just part of growing up for a girl. #gulp
{Throw Your Own Galentine Party!}
{Shop My Drugstore Beauty Faves}
*This post is created in collaboration with Walmart, but all styling, opinions and beauty bargains are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors.*
I thought I was the only one who used makeup removal wipes to clean my summer shoes! Glad to see I’m in good company.
Wow, I love the whole set up of the girly party! ❤️ It’s truly a dream put-together! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
For me, your daughter is Anne Shirley from Green Gables… in less “red”.
🙂
Beautiful party !
We’re reading Anne now!! She’ll love that comparison! xo
For me, she is this girl. I’ve seen her multiple times as an extra on SNL but think she’s done other work.
Couldn’t find any other example to share.
https://youtu.be/e2zyjbH9zzA
Hope this doesn’t make me creepy… 🙁
That was hilarious!! And that little girl is precious!
Wow! The gifts are cute but pricey! They must be about $30 a piece, it’s $16 just in nail polish. Seems a little much for most families.
I added an extra polish to that one bucket just for the pic…but actually they are quite a bit less! The lip balms and bath bombs came in a set, making them very affordable individually! And the pails themselves are less than $1 in store!!
Those freckles are just the best! She may have mr’s coloring but I am seeing you in her expressions more and more!
Fun post! Little Miss SP looks just like Dad! Sweet.
Your Redbook cover post was so much fun to read. You were Dorothy arriving at the Emerald City for the day!
You are the third person I’ve heard rave about the Batiste Dry Shampoo.
If you want to feel super clean teeth, try the Waterpik Waterflosser after you brush. Ahhh.
Thanx, Cassie!
Little Miss is a cutiepie! Adorable face! Love is everywhere on this post. Dove has quality products, and their chocolates are yummy too. Happy Galentine’s Day!
Oh yes, the BEST chocolates!!!
your daughter is simply adorable
Thank you!! I love this age with her!!
This is such a great idea! I saw the Candygrams signs at school and as a mom and GS leader thought, here we go. I may have to copy this idea for our GS troop! I also do my own nails and another fun summer color is OPI’s Cajun Shrimp. Bachelorette Bash and Sugar Daddy are my other go-to’s. Happy Galentine’s Day!
Oh yes, I adore Cajun Shrimp, too!!
How fun and absolutely adorable is that party!! And, so is your girl! I can see so much of you in her 🙂
This is such a good idea! Romantic love is nice, but it is so important to establish a good group of girlfriends. I will definitely be doing this with our daughters one day!
http://www.holycitylife.com
I have one girl and three boys and I can’t agree with you enough. Valentine’s day for girls at this age (and every age) can be a great time to focus on friendships and people you love, not just romance. Love it!
I also can’t imagine washing my hair without using It’s a 10. Just wanted to mention that buying salon brands from a discount store isn’t recommended. These products are part of a gray market and could be tampered with or even counterfeit. The lower price may be tempting but, just be aware.
Thanks for the cute girly Valentines party ideas!! Xoxo
One of my fondest V-day memories when I was a young girl (family with 3 sisters), was when my Dad bought us all our own individual heart shaped chocolate boxes. The gesture from my Dad was so special and one I always remember. xo
What a smart Momma you are! Boys can wait till your sweet baby is about 30 years old! Love your suggestions for products. So many of these products in the drugstore are manufactured by the high end cosmetic companies too! Julie L
One of my fondest V-day memories when I was a young girl (family with 3 sisters), was when my Dad bought us all our own individual heart shaped chocolate boxes. The gesture from my Dad was so special and one I always remember.
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Love this post, Cassie. It’s neat seeing some recommendations in the beauty department that are less expensive. I have often wondered how your shoes are so clean in your flat lay outfit pictures. They don’t look worn so now I know your secret to keeping the footbeds clean! :- ) My daughter is 7 and I’m dreading the hard parts of the teenage years. I hope we can have as good of a mother daughter relationship as you have with your sweet girl.
Makes me miss my now-twenty-year-old daughters freckles that she used to have. Now they just come out in a smattering in the summer.
DG Light Blue is the best, I wear it and so do both my daughters. I often see the BIG bottle on the Costco website for less than the price of the small bottle at other places. And I’ve also seen it at Marshalls for not quite as good a deal.
I love her face SO MUCH!! You are doing such a great job Mom!!
What a fun idea and awesome post! And Little Miss is turning into quite the little lady!!!!
I don’t have whole lot to offer because I am allergic to so many beauty products – drugstore or department store. I can jump on the Dove bandwagon however – I love Baby Dove tip-to-toe wash and CVS’ Simple brand cleansing facial wipes. For body and face lotion I stick with good old Jergen’s cherry almond lotion – my grandmother used it too.
this is such a cute little party! your daughter is so cute.
AND i love your photos btw! #supermama #superblogger
Such a cute party!! Love all the pink!
I have three teenage daughters….I just keep pointing them to love Jesus more than themselves. When they practice keeping their eyes on Him, there’s less wanting what our culture feeds them and more wanting of what God feeds them. But it’s a daily practice, far from perfected!!
Darling party and your daughter is beautiful. I just discovered your blog – what fun!
I love what Jenni wrote! I have two teenage daughters are happy to be a little bit counter culture if that means loving Jesus, neighbor and family more than self and what the culture encourages.
Yes ma’am!! I hope my daughter feels the same as she gets older!! Our son is strong in his faith, and that’s been a great example for her, as well. xo
I teach second grade, and Valentine’s Day is so SWEET for them! They get excited over the little cards and candy. I wish it could always be so simple! What you did for your daughter and her friends touched my heart. You are such a COOL, fair, and REAL mom who guides her kids, but gives them space. Many times I have respected your parenting style as I have seen on your blog – you should write a book! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ohmygosh, Angie, thank you!! That means so much, especially coming from a teacher. Parenting is hard work, and I fail more than not, but I love my kids so much!! Thank you for what you do for our babies!!! xoxoxo