The 14th of February marks Valentine’s Day and unfortunately, we are all in a pandemic that is getting the best of our lives right now. I bet we can all agree that going out on dates, spending time with our friends and loved ones is something we all miss. The other thing is, we’ve spent other occasions like Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s all under a lockdown. It’s bizarre to wrap our heads around this and to spend another occasion during a pandemic might just get us more upset. Don’t sweat it! I got you covered with a well-planned mini staycation in the comfort of your own home by having a virtual date with your significant other or even a friend! This all-inclusive virtual Valentine’s Day might lighten up your mood as you’ll still be able to celebrate by doing your favourite things and trying out new things, but just virtually. Most of these ways of celebrating are quick and easy and don’t require much work. For those of us who aren’t tech-savvy and have issues with navigating things online, don’t worry! These are easily accessible and almost a click or two away.
- Make V-Day e-Cards
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Start off your Valentine’s Day with something sentimental and heartfelt. We all love a good card with a meaningful message. You can use several different online websites to find an electronic card of your choice and write something personalized for your loved one or even a friend! It’s always romantic to express your gratitude and love for someone through a thoughtful message. You can also send your card to each other via text message or email which is great! Hop on a video call with your significant other or friend and open these e-Cards together. This is a great way to spend time with each other while sharing some intimate moments along the way.
PunchBowl is a wonderful website that has free e-cards and there are over 100’s of designs to choose from. The cutest feature this website has is that you can add a video message to your e-card before you send it or even a gift card of your choice. How cute! Aside from Valentine’s Day, this website has plenty of greeting cards for all occasions. This is definitely a great way to share your love for someone on this Valentine’s Day all through a virtual format.
Let’s switch gears a bit, there’s another great initiative that you and your partner or friends can be a part of. On the SickKids website, they have a section dedicated to selling greeting cards with a minimum donation of $5 per order. You could spend this Valentine’s Day by showing your support to the SickKids Foundation as you’ll be able to donate and spread the love at the same time. This is another great way of celebrating Valentine’s Day by showering kindness to others with the comfort of a loved one or friend(s). They also have a variety of e-cards for other occasions if you’re interested in partaking in this initiative later on!
- Take a Virtual Cooking Class – Toronto-Based
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Nothing sounds better than a home-cooked meal with the guidance of a virtual cooking class! Grab your favourite glass of wine, get your partner or friend to sign up for a session and cook away. Your usual Valentine’s date might consist of going out for dinner and calling it a day. With this pandemic happening take-out is our only option. Why don’t you give this a try? You’ll be able to learn to cook some delicious dishes and enjoy your dinner date through a video call afterwards. That sounds like great quality time to me! For my sushi lovers, I got you covered. The well-known Chef Sang will be hosting a special Valentine’s Day online session on the 13th and 14th of February. Spots are limited so sign up ASAP and check out more details on their website. I did not forget my plant-based friends, I got you all covered too. CozyMeal is an amazing website that has tons of online classes available for you to choose from. They have several different plant-based cuisines available like this delicious Vegan Jackfruit Taco which they are hosting an online cooking class for! You can even order your ingredients online and have them delivered to your home, how COVID-friendly is that! Give these virtual cooking classes a try this Valentine’s Day, maybe this will become your new favourite date idea.
- In Mood for Some Dessert?
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If only you were dining out with your partner or friend on Valentine’s Day you’d be able to order some delicious dessert, right? And of course, we all know, yes we are in a pandemic. So, now what? Well if they have virtual cooking classes, who said they wouldn’t have virtual sessions for making some delicious desserts! LeDolci has some amazing recipes and virtual sessions that you could attend to bake in the comfort of your own home. They are hosting a special Valentine’s Day class on the 13th of February where they will be teaching you how to make Heart Shaped Parisian Macaroons, you should sign up ASAP if you’re interested. Now you don’t have to worry about not being able to dine out for some dessert when you’ll be able to make some together with your partner or friend(s) from home! A wonderful way to satisfy your cravings and spend quality time, virtually.
- Put Your Minds to The Test with A Trivia Game Night
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Game nights are always a fun time where everyone gets competitive, heated and excited to fire up their engines to beat their opponents. You could also do a trivia game night virtually with your partner or even with a group of friends. If you’re able to gather a group of people you can use Random Trivia Generator to play some trivia games while you’re on a group video call. The host can share their screen with everyone and you can have a fun time through this virtual game night. If you want to spend some time alone with your partner and share some intimate moments all while getting to know each other a bit more, give these 36 Questions a try. These questions are designed for couples to expand their knowledge of one another and learn new facts about each other as well. This is a great way to share some alone time, virtually!
- End Off Your Night with a Movie
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And lastly, a movie night! You might’ve thought, what’s Valentine’s Day without watching a nice movie together. Well, this Valentine’s Day you’ll be able to watch some of your favourite movies of all time through Netflix Party, Amazon Prime Watch Party or Scener. You can use these apps and chrome extensions to watch a movie with your partner or friends online. You can use the chat bar to talk to each other while watching and the great thing about Scener is that you can video chat while watching a movie. How cool is that? This is nothing less than a real-life movie night as you’ll be able to share similar moments with your loved ones this Valentine’s Day! Give it a try, you won’t regret it.
Well, this is the end of your all-inclusive virtual v-day! Enjoy this special occasion while social distancing and spreading love all at the same time.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Xoxo,
Your Local Cupid