Be My Valentine Ideas and Wishlist 2020
As the Christmas season fades into distant obscurity, the aftermath of the credit card bills may still remind many of some irresponsible decisions. As if that wasn’t enough, the surge towards the next cultural spending spree is upon us: Valentine’s Day. This year the Day of Love falls on a Friday. For many Canadians, it also marks the start of the Family Day long weekend. So, expectations to pull out all the stops to impress your “significant other” could turn it into a pricey weekend.
For many, it’s important to know what’s in a date.
I consulted with my Valentine to see what would make it onto her ideal wish list.
ℹ️ NOTE: This post contains affiliate links (associated with some of the images of items that I refer to below). If you choose to make a purchase through one of the links I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
HIS (my), HERS and OUR affordable and outrageous ideas list
| For HIM | For HER | For US |
| Watch – dress or functional | Jewelry | Decor: Artwork🎨; Pottery 👐| Games 🎲 |
| A cool gadget | Spa pamper package | Dining for two 🍽 |
| Sports gear upgrades | A well thought out creative or created gift | Destination: Overnight or weekend escape 🏖 |
| eBike | Perfume | Do: Spontaneous event 🎆 |
| Tesla Model X | Mini Countryman | Do: Outdoor 🎢or Indoor 🏡 activity |
Let me elaborate a little on what I have in mind for the “for US” list, from the previous table.
Decor & Games
🎨 Artwork
- there are a diverse selection of galleries and monthly craft fairs around Calgary
- Stephen Lowe Art Gallery
- The Calgary-based Passionate Painters sell diverse and excellent work online or at their bi-annual sales
- The Leighton Art Centre has a treasure trove of amazing art and is also a delightful destination for a road trip out into the countryside
👐 Pottery
- The Galleria in Inglewood serves up some of Alberta’s best potters’ works
- The Leighton Art Centre always has a diverse selection of pottery on offer
- various city-wide markets are scheduled throughout the year and often offer gorgeous pottery craft work
🎲 Games
- We love games that are suitable for playing with two players but can easily be expanded to three or four. Our game-of-the-year has been Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra. Click on the image below for more details.
🍽 Dining for two
Our Calgary dining wish list is too long, but here are our go-to favourites and special-occasion destinations.
🍽 Breakfast / brunch
- Bro’Kin Yolk for those in the suburbs
- OEB for those downtown
🍽 Lunch
- Alforno Bakery and Cafe
- Sidewalk Citizen Bakery & Eatery
🍽 Dinner
- NOtaBLE
- Bonterra Trattoria
- Teatro
- Sidewalk Citizen Park Restaurant
- Cucina (Italian)
- Bolero (Brazilian)
- Sultan’s Tent (Moroccan)
🍽 Ice cream
🍽 Unique
- Sky 360: revolving restaurant atop the Calgary Tower with the best views of the city and beyond
- Dark Table: dining in the dark is an extraordinary experience!!
- The Whistle Stop: dine in an authentically renovated historic railway carriage (High River)
🏖 Destination: overnight or weekend staycation or destination
- Fairmont Palliser (Downtown Calgary): Downtown colonial luxury
- Sheraton Suites (Eau Claire, Calgary): spacious suites near Prince’s Island Park
- Alt Hotel (East Village, Calgary): European-style accommodation alongside the Bow River
- Rosebud theatre, dinner and accommodation (Rosebud): live entertainment, dinner and accommodation in the Alberta Prairies
- Nordic Spa (Kananaskis): a hot, luxurious and memorable date!
- Baker Creek Mountain Resort (Banff NP): for that quintessential Canadian log cabin remote get-away in the mountains and woods!
- The Malcolm Hotel (Canmore): some alpine village pampering
- Aspen Crossing (Mossleigh): something completely different
🎆 Do: Spontaneous events
- YYC Hot Chocolate Festival (1-29 Feb)
- YYC Glow Winter Fest (14-16 Feb)
- Chinatown ice sculptures (3-18 Feb)
- Studio Bell: Valentine’s Day Bash $10 Date Night (14 Feb)
- Locked Library: escape event at the Central Library (14 Feb)
🎢 Do: Outdoor activity
- Crokicurl at Bowness Park or St Patrick’s Island Park
- Snow tubing at COP: Friday 4pm to Sunday
- Snow Rodeo at COP: FIS free ski and snowboard world cup (12-16 Feb); free entry
- Dog sledding with Snowy Owl Tours (Canmore)
- Rocky Mountain Helicopter Tours with Alpine Helicopters (Banff | Canmore | Stoney Nakoda / Kananaskis)
🏡 Do: Indoor activity
- Why not rustle up a romantic picnic dinner at a unique location, whether in your home or elsewhere, it will make for a memorable date!
- Fiasco Gelato‘s Gelato Academy invites small groups of guests to learn about the process of making gelato before you’re let loose on their kitchen to make your own creative flavours!
- Visit Workshop Studios to enjoy a pottery-making date night experience.
- Escape the confines of home and enjoy a games night and coffee at Hexagon Boardgame Cafe in Kensington.
Valentine’s Day our way
Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.
1 Corinthians Ch13v8, The Message Bible
Some of our most memorable Valentine’s gifts and activities together have been:
- Consider giving a gift of life: become a regular blood or a blood product donor with the Canadian Blood Service
- Leaving lipstick messages on the bathroom mirrors
- A stretched canvas wall hanging of our wedding vows
- Enjoying a beach sunset picnic
- A picnic dinner on our living room floor in front of the fireplace
- Booking a weekend downtown Calgary Staycation
- Rosebud theatre and overnight stay at Rosebud Country Inn
- A unique Pandora charm
- A new stainless steel lantern and fragranced candles for our hot tub
- A personalized kitchen apron
Like, follow or comment on what your most memorable Valentine’s gift or event was or what your aspirational gift would be
