Typically celebrated at dinner, this year the day falls on a weekend. With work out of the way, a full day can be planned around love, intimacy and affection. So set up for a full Sunday of fun and joy.

Starting with the oh… so famous breakfast in bed. This never gets old. Breakfast is never about complicated foods, or elaborate setups. The simplest foods can be so beautifully shared and so precious.

There is also something to be said about loving yourself on Valentine’s day. About giving yourself a bit of a break, a pause, to remind you that you’re good in your skin and that you like who you are. A day of care and affection does not all need to be about someone else.  Get out of the house, and breathe. Nature walks are great for that. Your eye resting on the landscape, your thoughts – your only companion.

In winter,  the strolls are different. There is a quietness to winter that comes with the lack of foliage. Without that perpetual swish of leaves, your steps are crunching the cold snow, crisp and fresh, the cold keeping your mind alert and young.

And with a little bit of creativity, you could build wonderful and unexpected memories.

Like setting up lunch outside, in a cozy warmed up bed – it will be worth it!

Who you spend your Valentine’s day with does not have to be a partner. It could be your significant other but it can also be a friend or family; everyone deserves to feel a little love from someone during any holiday, and especially this one.

We live in a strange time when closeness that is so important for mankind is limited and restricted. The one thing that we can do is spend time with the ones close.  and even though some of us feel that this may be just a little too much time, it is even more important to make this day special.

And as the day passes and the sun starts to set, get ready for dinner as if you’re going to the Ritz. Gifts and flowers, dresses and perfume, jewelry and adornment, smiles and love.

There are so many restaurants that I enjoy going out to. One that I stumbled upon on another cold winter night, a couple of years back is Coppi. A great italian place on Yonge street, with delicious dishes and great wine. Unpretentious, and perfect for ordering local.

The thing about Valentine’s day is that it is intrinsically intimate and now we live in as intimate of a world as our generation will ever have. That is a good thing. We spend peak time with ourselves and our close family. And this day is a celebration of our increased closeness and intimacy with those that are so close to us, all the time, that often, we may take them for granted.

Happy Valentine’s everyone!