A Single Lady’s Month of Love

This post is written by contributing author Shelly Kerry.  

By the time this post is live we will have all survived Valentine’s Day. Many couples disregard this day as silly and frivolous, some singles lament this day as a reminder of singledom and others rejoice and celebrate their independence. Whether we like it or not most of us acknowledge this day in some regard.

Whether I am single as I am now or in a relationship, I like any excuse to spread extra love. It’s an excuse to bake, decorate with hearts and swoon over sweet photos on Pinterest. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need special days to remind us to do this but life is anything but perfect. This year, Sonya invited us to spend an entire month celebrating love with her series Listen to Your Heart. Her posts have inspired me to look at this month in a new light.

February can be dreary and although it is the shortest month it often feels long, heavy with wishes for warm spring, sandals and yummy new fruits and vegetables. It is a month often pushed aside. Why not spend it dedicated to loving yourself more, opening your heart and listening to your desires? I might not be spending the 14th at a romantic dinner with a loved one but I made a plan, as I do, and it involves spending the rest of the month trying to spread love. I have made a short list of ways of doing this if you would like to join me.

Photo: Rashida Coleman-Hale

Spread love through social media
Not only is social media a great way to promote your own talents and successes it is a great way to celebrate others. Dedicate at least one post a week to someone else. Has your friend just launched a new jewelry line? Tell all of your friends on Facebook. Instead of only posting about yourself show people how thoughtful you are by spreading someone else's fortunes. This is a great way to create new friendships and strengthen old ones and a wonderful reminder to step out of your own world sometimes. And P.S, people will like you more for it. I promise.

Tell someone you admire you like them
I spent some time last year writing to some of my favorite bloggers and telling them how awesome they are to me. By doing this I established some lovely virtual friendships and had a chance to write on a few of their blogs. This month, I plan on telling more people in my life how much I admire them. From the corner store owner who works everyday and always greets me with a smile to my co-workers who make my days much more pleasurable, people are going to be overwhelmed with my gratitude. Beware friends and neighbors!

Take myself out on a date
This winter I have been really nesting. The positive side - I have been crafting like crazy, planning my own organization line to launch next month on Etsy and even made a bench for my apartment. Downside - I have been not been taking myself out on dates. I go out with friends once or twice a week but I haven’t taken myself to dinner and a movie in a very long time. And I love taking myself out! So before February is over I am taking myself out on two dates. At night. And shopping doesn’t count.

This post is part of Listen to Your Heart month on Kanelstrand. Read the rest of the posts here and join in the discussions, we'd love to know what you think! 









So how do you plan on spreading love this month? 

Shelly is the founder of the program Creating Space, Mindful Living – motivating and inspiring people to run their businesses more efficiently. She helps others look at their personal and professional lives and explore what is and isn’t working. As a jewelry designer she has spent many years testing and honing the skills and discipline needed to run your own creative business while still having time for friends, family and fun. She puts her wealth of experience to use in the Creating Space service – healthy living advice to help keep you motivated and make the most out of your already busy schedule. She will help you find both the physical and emotional space so you can pursue your dreams and she’ll always insist there’s time for yourself. You can also find Creating Space on Facebook or contact shelly@creatingspacemindfulliving.com