Creative ideas to heat things up this holiday season!

Winter is upon us - a time when love can warm you both figuratively and literally! The holiday season, in particular, is an inherently romantic period. The cold weather can make people want to snuggle up with a partner by the crackling fireplace. The exchange of meaningful gifts at Christmas can make people feel more inclined to express love and affection. In my opinion, Ottawa is an especially sexy setting in December. The city is decorated with lights and displays and we have the prettiest snow landscapes and snow-dusted heritage buildings. No wonder the region is a hub for holiday-themed TV rom-coms! What I also find extra special about our city is how Ottawans take pride in finding pleasure in winter. Instead of complaining about the cold, we find ways to make the most of the weather by partaking in playful and sensual activities both outside and inside. For the holiday season I am sharing some hot date ideas that you can consider enjoying with you honey(s) over the holidays with the extra option of taking things up a naughty notch if you wish!

Food engages all of our senses. The flavours of food stimulate our taste buds. The scent of food is deeply tied to memory and emotion. Different food textures provide a variety of sensations. Beautifully presented food can captivate our eyes. The sounds of food, like the sound of sizzling meat, can add to our sensory experience. There are so many ways you can be sensually activated while cooking, which is why it's a great date activity. Not only that, but cooking fosters collaboration and communication, which are such important skills for healthy sex. Pot & Pantry and the Urban Element (operating out of Corner Peach) offer excellent in-person cooking classes. You can also keep it cheap and find a free cooking class on YouTube to follow in the comfort of your own kitchen. Cooking at home means you can take as many little breaks as you like. You can savour the fruits of your labour, as well as each other! One of my favourite sex positions is being propped up and penetrated on the kitchen counter.

Make it extra naughty: Wear an edible holiday pastie underneath your clothes and it can be the starter! Wicked Wanda’s has nipple pasties, dick pasties, and body pasties in many different festive flavours like spiced cider, cinnamon and candy cane. A perfect surprise for your partner to find under your clothing. Lick them off to get to the goodies underneath. This can be the icing on the cake of your cooking date. 

The holidays can get hectic. Finding time to unwind helps prevent stress from mounting so that you can continue to connect sexually with yourself and others. We’re fortunate to have some exceptional spas located so close to Ottawa including Koena Spa in Gatineau and Nordik Spa in Chelsea. Both of these spas offer saunas, steam rooms, hot and cold baths, and resting areas. I especially like snuggling up with my lover by their outdoor firepits. These spas also offer Aufguss rituals, a German tradition using oil-infused snowballs, towel fanning and music to awaken your senses. The restaurants on site are a bit pricey, so I suggest filling up on food before arriving or bringing a snack in your bag that you can munch on in the changeroom.

Make it extra naughty: One of the hottest dates I ever had at Nordik in the middle of Winter. We decided to go mid-week and late in the evening when it’s typically less busy. It was a particularly snowy night, which meant the spa was more deserted than usual. The quiet was so mesmerizing and the mix of snowfall and steam from the hot baths made it hard to see, which meant it was easy for us to get frisky in public. If you’re careful and calculated, you can too!

If you want to have a cocktail adventure at home, check out Taste and Tipple’s Let’s Get Blitzen cocktail advent calendar featuring 24 original cocktail and mocktail recipes that you can create together. But, why not warm your bellies and hearts with a cocktail lounge crawl in the downtown core together! Ottawa is heaven for cocktail connoisseurs and in December there are a tonne of cute holiday bar pop-ups that you can find across the city like the Fairmont’s Elf Pub, Sippin’ Santa at The Standard, and the Christmas Explosion at Nan’s Parlour. These do tend to get busy so if you want to avoid lines and wait times, I recommend checking these spots instead (all located walking distance from one another):

• Bar Ocelli: This place is stunning with a seductive allure. The bar counter is probably the prettiest one in the city, with colours that represent those found on a peacock’s feather. The owner is a Polish mixologist who has built experience in some of the world’s best bars. I am not just raving about this place because I love to support my fellow Polaks - Bar Ocelli has such a special ambiance that is intoxicating all on its own. 
• Zoe’s: If you care less about an Instagram photo-op and more about indulging in a delicious high-quality handcrafted cocktail, skip the Elf’s Pub and head to Zoe’s bar located off the lobby of the historic Fairmont Chateau Laurier. I highly recommend ordering The Statesman - a truly quintessential Canadian cocktail. It’s made of rye whiskey, maple syrup, single-malt scotch, lemon and bitters, served inside a small glass box in a fog cedar of smoke. A delightful concoction to uncover!

Make it extra naughty: Riviera has a photo booth tucked away in the back of the restaurant where you can pay for a strip of three photos. Things can get hot and heavy in a photo booth… make sure to snap a sexy make-out pick and maybe flash some extra skin!

Active dates where you are moving your bodies and sweating together are not only fun, but can boost your dopamine production to heighten your happiness. In our city, there are so many wonderful outdoor winter activities that you can explore. The National Capital Commission has a fabulous list of ideas you can check out here. I personally love a late night skating date with a starry sky either on the Canal (when it’s actually open) or through forest pathways like the Patinage en forêt experience in the Outaouais region. Another favourite is a downhill skiing date at one of the many surrounding ski resorts like Camp Fortune, Edleweiss and Mont Cascades. Getting your blood pumping from an adrenaline rush can warm your body up for love making later as long as you reserve some energy for it!

Make it extra naughty: It’s easy to secretly sport a wearable sex toy underneath a bulky snowsuit! Wicked Wanda’s has wearable devices for both vulva and penis owners alike like We-Vibes Moxie vibrator and Ditto vibrating butt plug. These can be controlled by remote control or through the We-Connect app. Spice things up by sending a surprise jolt to your partner’s junk while you’re on that chair lift together or while you’re sharing a poutine in the chalet!