Being asked by every single one of your relatives at the dinner table whether or not you have a new boyfriend/girlfriend can be tiring - believe me! It tends to feel like the Holiday’s were made for couples. Every corner we turn during December is a different lovey dovey photo-op, Instagram spews romantic posts in our faces and every time we’re at a Holiday party there seems to be a million couples. But, flying solo for the Holiday’s doesn’t have to suck. If you look at it from a different perspective, the season is crawling with events, you don’t have to buy him (and his extended family) gifts and you most likely have less mandatory functions to attend that can open up time to go to events you actually want to go to. It’s time to start looking at the Holidays from a brighter side, which is why I’ve taken the liberty of jotting down some of the top reasons why spending the Holidays single, ain’t so bad.
Let’s start with the obvious - you can treat yourself on a little something extra while Christmas shopping opposed to trying to find the perfect (and usually out of budget) gift for your S.O. Now go buy that Rebecca Minkoff bag you have been eyeing since black friday … #treatyoself
More time to have fun with your friends … There’s always going to be your annoyingly obnoxious coupled up friends who live for the Christmas Market heart statue photo-ops and chooses their S.O’s parties over all of yours, but you don’t need that negativity in your life. Grab your unattached pals and hit up some of the coolest events that the city has to offer (more on that below).
More time with your family. Who’s to say you wouldn't love your S.O’s family? As much as the Holiday’s are fun, they can be draining and cause stress when trying to coordinate all of your fam functions. Living the single life means you only have to deal with your weird uncle, not theirs too.
More time with yourself. Wait - during the Holidays?! Did I hear you correctly? Yes, there are constant work, friend and family functions to attend to, and it can be hard to keep a normal schedule going. Throw in a S.O’s events and you’re going to need some coffee on drip and a personal assistant. Take this opportunity while having a ‘normal’ (and I use normal losely) Holiday party season to also take time and relax. Decorate for Christmas while baking cookies and listening to Xmas music, take a bath with peppermint bubble bath, write down all the things you are grateful for and all the love you have in your life … Just take some time to breathe :)
More time with your dog. I mean, this is pretty self explanatory:
With all this extra time and other amazing people in your life (friends, family + YOURSELF) look at some of the must-attend events/places this Winter:
Laugh Your Ass off at a Second City Comedy Show. There are a number of Christmas shows that are guaranteed to entertain. Laughing is fun, but throw in some Holiday spirit and spice hot chocolate and you’re bound to have a good time.
Explore a Christmas Castle @ Casa Loma and enjoy some magical decorations, events and the beautiful view of the Toronto skyline. For those wondering that we have a castle in the middle of the city and didn’t grow up coming here, Christmas is the best time to come when it turns into a literal Christmas castle. This is what dreams are made of people.
Do a (cold) run club like @RunToBeer. For some people running in the cold sucks, but what if you are running to a pub with a pint waiting for you? Sounds good to me.
Hit Up A Market - and for originality sake, I am not going to reco the Distillery market #SorryNotSorry. A favourite of mine is the Evergreen Brickworks. During the cold months it moves inside where you can find food/drink vendors. Go over on a Saturday morning solo or with a friend and grab brunch and a spiced coffee, shop the market, go skating or hike in the back trails.
Volunteer - This is something that is especially easy to do alone and is very rewarding, especially around the Holiday season. Check out Volunteer Toronto to see some of the opportunities available.
Skate the Bentway - A new community initiative that the City has put together which offers concerts, cultural events, food festivals etc, is opening its 2nd annual skating rink in December. How cool is it to skate under the Gardiner?! Find out here.
Holiday Makeup - Anyone else not put on their favourite Christmas red lipstick when out with a S.O because they don’t want their face to have lipstick smudged all over it? You can now freely and fearlessly put any colour on that you want. On that note, take advantage of makeover services at places like MAC + Sephora. For all those VIB members at Sephora (who spend way too much money, like myself) you can book makeovers for FREE. Yes that is right. But make sure to book much in advance.
Cuffing Season - It is upon us, which means you are going to be approached endlessly. There is something about the time of year when the weather drops below zero. It is as if people don’t know how to turn up their heaters and think they need a S.O in order to have enough warmth throughout the night to survive. It is when the f*ckboys come out of the woodwork, where the exes start calling you and when those randos start sliding into your DMs. If you’re single, savour all of this glorious attention. It is a nice boost for the ego, and who doesn’t love that?
Lastly .. Unattached for NYE means you can do whatever the heck you want: Eat a pizza to yourself, hang with your dog, kiss 3 people at the bar, hang with your parents, go to a 5 course meal with friends at a hot Toronto spot, rent a chalet, go skinny dipping .. I mean the possibilities are really endless. YOU DO YOU BOO.
You’re now going to wonder how you handled the Holidays with a partner. There are endless opportunities in the city that can keep you busy, and the best part is that you get to willingling choose them. So, stop obsessing over the Christmas market couple photo shoots and get out there and experience all that there is to experience during this magical time.