Help me plan my last minute anniversary
July 12, 2011 8:10 AM Subscribe
What silly/interesting/cool thing should we do in our anniversary?
Tomorrow will be our ten year anniversary and we didn't plan anything. I know, it's terrible! We've been working a lot and had decided to go to a favourite restaurant, but it happens to be closed. Also, SO is in a bit of a funk these days, no particular reason.
I'd like to cheer her up and celebrate our love in grand style. From experience, I know that silly and surprising things will work a lot better than fancy-restaurant-type thing. But I don't have any ideas... The only thing I could think of was a picnic in a strange location, but I couldn't think of said location.
I need your help planning something on very short notice. Ideally, I want this to be a surprise, but it doesn't have to be.
Some particulars: we love food, music, art. I can cook anything. We are two gals in our mid 30s early 40s, we live in Montreal, the weather is gorgeous these days, we both bike, we don't drive, I might be able to get a friend to help if needed.
Thanks!
Tomorrow will be our ten year anniversary and we didn't plan anything. I know, it's terrible! We've been working a lot and had decided to go to a favourite restaurant, but it happens to be closed. Also, SO is in a bit of a funk these days, no particular reason.
I'd like to cheer her up and celebrate our love in grand style. From experience, I know that silly and surprising things will work a lot better than fancy-restaurant-type thing. But I don't have any ideas... The only thing I could think of was a picnic in a strange location, but I couldn't think of said location.
I need your help planning something on very short notice. Ideally, I want this to be a surprise, but it doesn't have to be.
Some particulars: we love food, music, art. I can cook anything. We are two gals in our mid 30s early 40s, we live in Montreal, the weather is gorgeous these days, we both bike, we don't drive, I might be able to get a friend to help if needed.
Thanks!
Can you get on the roof of anything without somebody yelling at you? I've always enjoyed a rooftop picnic. It would be so adorable holding a basket in the elevator and spreading out a blanket on top. My ex and I used to get on the roof of my apartment complex, which was on a level with the upper deck of a highway, and wave at cars stuck in traffic over wine.
I don't know about the laws where you are, but setting off fireworks together can be really sweet and fun. You can recount remember whens as you blow stuff up; to me that's unspeakably romantic.
Using another mode of transport can be cool too, for a special occasion. Buy 2 pair of rollerblades? Rent a car or scooter/moped/motorcycle?
If you can build a fire anywhere, you could roast stuff on sticks and/or make smores.
posted by powerbumpkin at 9:03 AM on July 12, 2011
I don't know about the laws where you are, but setting off fireworks together can be really sweet and fun. You can recount remember whens as you blow stuff up; to me that's unspeakably romantic.
Using another mode of transport can be cool too, for a special occasion. Buy 2 pair of rollerblades? Rent a car or scooter/moped/motorcycle?
If you can build a fire anywhere, you could roast stuff on sticks and/or make smores.
posted by powerbumpkin at 9:03 AM on July 12, 2011
Water park? Country bed & breakfast accessible by commuter rail followed by a hike? The zoo?
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:18 AM on July 12, 2011
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:18 AM on July 12, 2011
Response by poster: Love the hot air balloon thing. But yeah, freaking expensive.
Love the rooftop picnic. Sent inquiries to local friends to see if I could get access to one. It might be impossible. I'd totally do the fireworks too, but yeah, not legal around here.
I'd rather keep this urban. We have just part of a day and there are some "nature issues" going on (an extreme form of bug phobia). But cities have plenty mysteries to explore too, no?
posted by TheGoodBlood at 9:25 AM on July 12, 2011
Love the rooftop picnic. Sent inquiries to local friends to see if I could get access to one. It might be impossible. I'd totally do the fireworks too, but yeah, not legal around here.
I'd rather keep this urban. We have just part of a day and there are some "nature issues" going on (an extreme form of bug phobia). But cities have plenty mysteries to explore too, no?
posted by TheGoodBlood at 9:25 AM on July 12, 2011
Your anniversary is the same as mine. Felicitations!
For ours, my sweetie has arranged for us to serve (and provide) the dessert at a local public feeding (kind of an cookout/outdoor food kitchen). It's blistering hot here, so we're buying ice cream and popsicles.
posted by S'Tella Fabula at 9:33 AM on July 12, 2011
For ours, my sweetie has arranged for us to serve (and provide) the dessert at a local public feeding (kind of an cookout/outdoor food kitchen). It's blistering hot here, so we're buying ice cream and popsicles.
posted by S'Tella Fabula at 9:33 AM on July 12, 2011
What about a Segway tour? Not crazily expensive and it sounds like fun and quirky activity.
posted by zooropa at 9:33 AM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by zooropa at 9:33 AM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
This sounds strange, but we just love having a picnic at a public space like city hall. Bring a baguette, some cheeses, fruit, a knife (just one, so you have to share and eat slowly) and just hang out. My wife and I have spent many a milestone with a simple picnic.
posted by arcticwoman at 11:11 AM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by arcticwoman at 11:11 AM on July 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Okay, do a picnic, but it's the special touches that will make it stand out.
A bouquet of gorgeous flowers! Nice smelly candle in a jar! REAL cloth napkins and maybe some antique silverware (to gift to her). Portable speakers with your Ipod playing her favorite music and then a spontaneous dance. A picture frame with a pic of the two of you surrounded by solar christmas lights. None of these are crazy expensive at all.
posted by HeyAllie at 1:39 PM on July 12, 2011
A bouquet of gorgeous flowers! Nice smelly candle in a jar! REAL cloth napkins and maybe some antique silverware (to gift to her). Portable speakers with your Ipod playing her favorite music and then a spontaneous dance. A picture frame with a pic of the two of you surrounded by solar christmas lights. None of these are crazy expensive at all.
posted by HeyAllie at 1:39 PM on July 12, 2011
Fishing for ideas to help you find a location:
You like music and art. Is there any kind of anything music-related going on that you can take your picnic to? (e.g. even if the orchestra in the bandshell in Chicago wasn't normally my idea of fun, it was a great excuse to picnic) Is there a sculpture garden somewhere in town, or just a park with a sculpture you haven't seen before? Maybe a little museum or a gallery you could go to before/after your picnic?
posted by aimedwander at 1:48 PM on July 12, 2011
You like music and art. Is there any kind of anything music-related going on that you can take your picnic to? (e.g. even if the orchestra in the bandshell in Chicago wasn't normally my idea of fun, it was a great excuse to picnic) Is there a sculpture garden somewhere in town, or just a park with a sculpture you haven't seen before? Maybe a little museum or a gallery you could go to before/after your picnic?
posted by aimedwander at 1:48 PM on July 12, 2011
Response by poster: Hey guys, thanks!
Segway sounds dorky -- and that's a good thing! I'll think about it!
Rooftop picnic is on the works, but might not happen due to technicalities. I'll make something with a TEN thematic menu (ten cherries, then tiny sandwiches, ten olives, ten mozzarella balls, ten songs on the iPod, ten cards, ten lil' pies, etc. Cheesy but cute). Rooftop failing, we'll just go to the park. If I can, I'll just make it to be a surprise ("Let's go for a walk? Oh, what's that nice table with stuff over there, let's take a pick?").
It would be better if it was truly bizarre, because that would take her totally out of her daily routine. So, yeah, something like city hall could work, except that city hall in Montreal, well, no way, it's horrible. But I'll keep thinking.
Thanks so much for the suggestions so far, keep them coming.
posted by TheGoodBlood at 3:51 PM on July 12, 2011
Segway sounds dorky -- and that's a good thing! I'll think about it!
Rooftop picnic is on the works, but might not happen due to technicalities. I'll make something with a TEN thematic menu (ten cherries, then tiny sandwiches, ten olives, ten mozzarella balls, ten songs on the iPod, ten cards, ten lil' pies, etc. Cheesy but cute). Rooftop failing, we'll just go to the park. If I can, I'll just make it to be a surprise ("Let's go for a walk? Oh, what's that nice table with stuff over there, let's take a pick?").
It would be better if it was truly bizarre, because that would take her totally out of her daily routine. So, yeah, something like city hall could work, except that city hall in Montreal, well, no way, it's horrible. But I'll keep thinking.
Thanks so much for the suggestions so far, keep them coming.
posted by TheGoodBlood at 3:51 PM on July 12, 2011
Do you live where you lived when you were dating/when you met? A tour of some of the early date spots would be the kind of thing I would enjoy.
posted by troywestfield at 5:53 AM on July 13, 2011
posted by troywestfield at 5:53 AM on July 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mattbucher at 8:16 AM on July 12, 2011