7 Activities to Enjoy This Winter + Cirque du Soleil Ticket Giveaway

While I know a lot of people tend to hibernate and escape the cold this time of year, for me I am not against winter, nor the cold, so rather than stay cooped up indoors, I’m always looking for fun and new ways to enjoy the beautiful winter season.

From indoor activities for those whole like to stay toasty to the activities that encourage you to bundle up and enjoy the cold, I’ve put together a list of things that you can enjoy with friends and family during the winter!

Cuddle up for a Movie Night

Do I really need to explain? Movie nights are my kind of nights, so during the holidays it’s no different but instead, I like to binge watch all of the best (and cheesy) Holidays movies that are out. Just give me a hot chocolate, my cuddly fiancé, cozy socks, snacks of course and all of your cheesy Christmas movies, and I’ve got the best way to spend the season. If you are grabbing your friends, turn it into a potluck movie night. Have your friends bring 1 movie of choice along with a yummy treat or bottle of wine, and you can enjoy trying everyones eats and drinks while experiencing new movies you may not have before!

Have a Bake + Game Night

Much like a cozy movie night, a baking and game night is something that my brothers and sisters tend to do before the Holidays officially hit! Baking is a no brainer this time of year, and I always love making my infamous shortbread cookies (which I’ll be sharing soon on the blog), while games are always a great time when the outdoors are just too dang cold. This kind of activity is the perfect way to get your closest friends and family together to have a good laugh!

Have a Spa Day

Is it wrong that my favourite thing in the winter is cozying up at a spa with a friend while relaxing and giving yourself some TLC? I didn’t think so!

Whether it is a facial, a body scrub or just a water therapy spa, the Holidays can be such  hectic time for most, so why not take a moment to just sit back, relax and enjoy a treatment. The Holiday season is also a time that spas focus on great deals and packages, so while you enjoy a spa treatment for yourself, maybe pick up a gift certificate to give to a loved one!

Visit a Tree Farm

This is something my family and I have been doing since I was a wee little girl. I’ve continued this tradition with my family and will continue it for as long as I’m kicking! Cutting down a real tree is one of my favourite moments of the holidays and even if you get s faux tree every year, experiencing a tree farm is something I encourage everyone to do!

Ride a tractor, soak in all the pretty views and enjoy carollers, hot chocolate and walking along the rows of trees and it makes for a beautiful time with friends and family!

Check out Your Local Christmas Market

Christmas Markets are totally my jam and there is good reason for that. Christmas markets are basically a collection of all things Christmas and where you can shop, enjoy Holiday events and really just soak up all that the Holiday has to offer. Luckily in Toronto, we have welcomed a number of Holiday Markets over these last few years and while The Christmas Market in the Distillery District is one not to be missed, there are also a few outdoor markets that you can enjoy if you’ve already crossed the Christmas Market off your list. The old Ontario Place has newly welcomed the Aurora Festival which lets you prance around all of the gorgeous light installations as well as the market within Nathan Phillip Square. Sip on hot chocolate, dance to the festive music and shop til you drop with all of the pretty Holiday shops!

Enjoy a Staycation

While the objective is to stay home and not escape to somewhere else in the world that is much warmer, a beautiful stay cation is filled with endless possibilities. A stay cation in the winter can be amped up by opting to visit a beautiful chalet in the woods or even a glamping trip with your girlfriends. An obvious choice is to visit your local ski lodge and make a weekend out of hitting the slops, sipping on hot toddy’s and playing games indoors which makes for a great experience!

Skate + Ski + Snowboard

Like I mentioned above with a fun stay cation, a visit to your local hill to go ski and snowboard is a no brainer during the season. Rather than staying indoors, challenge yourself with either a few ski or snowboard lessons or if you are a pro, grab some friends and have some fun with winter sports. Another option – and one that I personally love is skating during the Holiday season. Typically the beautiful lights are strung around all of the outdoor rinks and it totally gets you in the Christmas spirit!

Enjoy a Show (or Two)

A few years ago I saw the Rockettes in New York and then caught The Nutcracker Ballet in Toronto and since then, I have made it a point to see a show during the Holidays. I don’t know if its the festive jolly season that gets me excited or just the fact that these shows are so amazing, but a show during the winter is not only great for those wanting to keep warm, but is it ever entertaining!

This year I’m lucky enough to have tickets to see Cirque du Soleil in Toronto for their Corteo show and I cannot express how excited I am!

Corteo, which means “cortege” in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.

GIVEAWAY!

I am so thrilled to offer a Girls of T.O reader a pair of tickets to the Cirque du Soleil Corteo show in Toronto on December 12th along with a VIP backstage tour where you’ll have the opportunity to watch rehearsals. I’m always a fan of behind the scenes, so this will be a great opportunity to get up close with the talents involved in Corteo!

To enter, visit my Instagram page and like this photo and tag the person you would like to bring with you to the show! The contest closes December 6th at 12pm and is open to Canadian residents only.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Thank you Cirque du Soleil for partnering on this post. All opinions are my own!

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