Written By: Lauren Steeves

Saying goodbye to being basic and daring to be different.

It’s always great to have daytime date with your girlfriends, but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up from the typical Sunday caesars, bennys at brunch, or a shopping spree at the mall. Instead of being basic, we’ve compiled a list of 15 new date ideas for you to do with your girlfriends. This is part one of two. Be sure to check back next week for part two’s date ideas. So whether you decide to paint and sip, cook up a storm, or sweat it out, we guarantee that you’ll have a great time and give others serious #SQUADGOALS. 

1. PAINTING…. AND WINE.

It’s time for you and your girlfriends to unleash your inner Van Gogh and not be afraid to colour outside the lines. Vin Gogh, sip and paint studio offers painting sessions for you and your girlfriends every Saturday morning (usually from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.). All you have to do is pick your favourite painting on the calendar and then register you and your friends in the class. For $45, you get a painting lesson, supplies, coffee and tea and of course, your masterpiece to take home. Vin Gogh also offers a great menu of delicious eats like bruschetta, cheese and charcuterie boards and chicken skewers. And for those with a sweet tooth, there’s always dessert.

But if you’d rather add some wine to your date (we don’t judge, nor do we blame you) Vin Gogh also offers evening classes Tuesday to Saturday allowing you the chance to sip on some vino and really get your creativity flowing. So if your friends aren’t keen on painting, at least they’ll have some wine. We call that a win-win.

To book a painting session, visit https://www.vingogh.ca

2. MAKE YOUR OWN TERRARIUM.

You don’t need to have a green thumb to enjoy this activity. Plant in Inglewood offers DIY Terrarium classes, allowing you and your girlfriends the chance to grow some beautiful memories. Each workshop costs $55 and includes a glass bowl, 2-3 terrarium plants, soil, decorative materials and care instructions to make and keep your plant a work of art. In addition, Plant also provides cold drinks and cookies with your class— what more could you ask for? This activity will leave you feeling zen and have your house guests green with envy when they see your new terrarium.

To book a workshop at Plant, visit https://www.plantterrariums.ca/diy-succulent-terrarium-workshop/

3. COOK IT OUT.

You may not be a master chef, but that doesn’t mean you and your girlfriends can’t have fun in the kitchen. The Cookbook Cooking Co. offers hands-on cooking classes almost every day of the week, so you can learn how to make classic dishes like perogies, pies, or pad Thai. Classes vary in price from $90-$100 and sell out fast, so if you want to cook up storm you need to book early. Want to know the best part of cooking class? You get to try all your delicious eats at the end. I don’t know about you, but that’s got us saying Bon Appetit.

To check out upcoming cooking classes, visit https://www.cookbookcooks.com/cookingclasses

4. MONSTER MINI GOLF

If you are looking for a thrill, look no further than Monster Mini Golf, an indoor monster-themed glow-in-the-dark 18 hole mini golf course. This mini golf course will give you and your girlfriends an experience like no other with its monster décor, scary props and in-house DJ playing classic jams like Thriller and Bohemian Rhapsody. After your round, you can stay and play arcade games like air hockey and basketball hoops. One thing that won’t be getting a scare is your wallet— each round is only $12.50.

To book your own freaky round, visit https://www.monsterminigolf.com

5. ESCAPE ROOM

“You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape my love.”

Unlike creepy Enrique, the goal of this activity is to escape—and is something you can do. If you haven’t tried an escape room yet, this is something you and your girlfriends MUST do. So what is an escape room? It’s a team building activity, where you are locked in a themed room and your mission is to escape within 60 minutes time. During your time in the escape room, you will have to solve a series of puzzles to complete the quest and you only have each other’s skills and abilities to rely on— making it an interactive activity that everyone can participate in. Currently there are two escape room businesses in YYC—The Locked Room and Level 1 Escape, each with different themed rooms like a haunted apartment and a wine cellar. Do you and your friends have what it takes to escape?

Find out for yourself and visit https://www.thelockedroom.ca or https://www.level1escape.com to book an escape room.

6. BUST OUT YOUR BICYCLES.

Brush the dust off your bike, grab some girlfriends and get peddling. YYC is home to some of the best bike paths with incredible scenery for beginners and for those looking for a challenge. For an easier ride, try biking the paths along the Bow or Elbow River, Glenmore Reservoir and Edworthy Park. For a more intense sweat, you might want to consider Nose Hill Park with paths that are moderate to hilly and have both paved and dirt trails. To make a day out of it, your gang could always pack a picnic and some S’well water bottles (which conveniently hold an entire bottle of wine…). Or if you don’t feel like doing all the planning pick up a copy of Calgary by Bike written by Mike Morrison, a YYC bike enthusiast, who shows all the amazing places and things to see along different bike paths including sunny patios, public art and great views. To order the book online, or to find where to pick up a copy, visit https://www.calgarybybike.ca

7. CHECK OUT SOME ART.

If you and your girlfriends are looking for a laid back afternoon outing or something to do on a rainy day, you should consider stopping by some of the city’s best art galleries like the Glenbow Museum, Contemporary Calgary or DaDe Art and Design Lab (all open on both Saturdays and Sundays). These galleries have a little something for everyone—whether you are an art junkie, history buff or are pop-culture obsessed you’re bound to find something that strikes your eye, or at the very least a conversation. DaDe Art and Design Lab is also home to Monogram Coffee, so you can get your caffeine fix and gossip sesh in too.

For more information visit:

Glenmore Museum- https://www.glenbow.org

Contemporary Calgary- https://www.contemporarycalgary.com

8. BE A BIKER GANG, A GROUP OF BARRE STARS OR HOT YOGIS.

A wise woman once said, “You want a hot body. You want a Bugatti. You want a Maserati. You better work bitch.” What better way to spend your Saturday or Sunday than sweating it out than with your girl gang? YYC is home to some of the best fitness studios, with each offering a unique way to get your burn on. Whether you want to join a biker gang and spin to Beyonce, pulse your way to a Ballerina body or ride it with your surfboard, your options are endless. After your sweat sesh, you and your girlfriends can reward your hard work and ease your aches with a cool cocktail. It won’t be long until someone checks out your squad and says “OMG Becky, look at her squat.”

For spin classes, we recommend YYC Cycle https://yyc-cycle.com

For barre classes, we recommend Barre Body Studio https://barrebodystudio.com

For hot yoga classes, we recommend Hotshop https://hot-shop.ca

Be sure to check back with us next week for Part Two of our Daytime Dates With Your Girls.