Your Way, Your Day

Your Way, Your Day

Roses, chocolates and cards not doing it for you in 2026? You’re not alone! But even if you are, you’re still welcome!

Here are my best suggestions to enjoy the moment without the pressure of a fancy dinner out or even another human to share it with.

For the foodies: Bake a batch of sugar cookies and decorate them – either with cute red and pink hearts, or black bows and arrows. There are no rules here! Or, try out a mixology or cooking class online and learn how to make something new and delicious.

For the active folk: Draft a checklist of festive or un-festive items (like someone in a red coat, a squirrel, a restaurant with a line, a house with seasonal décor, a hockey jersey, an amazon truck, etc.) and go for a walk outside until you find everything on your list. Or, lace up your skates and stuff your pockets with candy or hot chocolate to fuel an outdoor skating session.

For a group: Invite your friends over for a game of Catan, Blokus, Wizard or Hues and Cues. Or, make a reservation for your group at a board game café and play as many as you can.

For the anti-consumerists: Write some poetry (here’s how if you’re a newbie), then do a light hearted reading of your work (people, pets, or your camera are all great audiences). Or, do some volunteering at an animal shelter, food bank, or wherever else speaks to you; give back instead of giving gifts!

For the gardener: Make wildflower seed bombs. Combine equal parts wet clay (or half the amount if you have dry clay) and soil (or a compost mix). Gradually add water until you get a dough-like consistency. Then, add in your seeds (about a teaspoon per handful of concoction) and form them into balls or pucks. Let everything dry until early spring and then toss the seed bombs wherever you want those flowers to grow (no need to plant/bury!).

If you want to make it more seasonal, add some pink or red food colouring to the dough and shape your bombs into hearts. Lovely.