Combatting Cabin Fever in Calgary! On Kim's Kitchen

With the lovely ladies of Kim's Kitchen

Kim's Kitchen is a local Calgary talk show on ShawTV "aiming for the the wisdom of Oprah, humour of Ellen and the outspoken of Rachel." As they are beginning to film new episodes for Season 3 of the show, I was honoured to be a guest on their episode focusing on “Cabin Fever”. It was a super fun morning of filming with a great group of ladies, and fantastic behind the scenes crew. I can't wait to see the final outcome and will share it with you when it is available! ​

Our segment went by so quickly! I didn't even get the chance to make it through a third of my list! All the wonderfully curated content created under pressure and no time to share it. I guess that's what happens when you put together two ladies who have the gift of gab and can chat about anything under the sun. Time goes by pretty quickly when you're having fun! And I do recall a whole lot of giggling...

I know you might be thinking, “Why you? But you're a travel agent! Aren't you supposed to be helping us plan a trip AWAY from the city for a vacation?”

Well... yes. I certainly can. But the reality of the situation is that not everyone has the opportunity to travel right now. Our Canadian dollar sucks, making it more expensive to travel. (But check out here for tips to travelling with our crappy loonie!) Our economy is “meh”, a little uncertain right now with low oil prices and lack of jobs. So it may not be feasible for everyone to travel and get away from the city. And Calgary is such a great city with so much to see and do. You can easily play tourist for the day or weekend, and enjoy all that the city has to offer - for free or low cost and affordable, fun outings for parents and kids.
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So here is a quick summary of some of the ideas that I was planning on sharing for this episode of Kim's Kitchen on affordable family fun in and around Calgary to alleviate cabin fever! 
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Free or Low Cost Family Fun Activities

The YMCA and Calgary Public Library have a variety of free drop in programs and activities for all ages and every member of the family.

The City of Calgary Leisure Centres have great pools for toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy a safe outing in the water for some indoor splash fun.

Farmer's Markets – year round farmer's markets are a great option to escape the cold and enjoy a different grocery shopping experience with an intimate culinary experience where you can really appreciate the food quality and delectable choices. Soul food at its best. 

Eats of Asia - Asian Fusion at the Market on Macleod

Other suggestions to get out of the house! 

It may seem like we spend 6 months of the year in winter here so we might as well get used to it and try to make the best of winter!

Best place to do that is Winsport Canada, a fantastic facility where you can go skiing, snowboarding, skating, hockey...all the classic winter sports and so much more!

Plus the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is there where you can explore interactive exhibits the promote the importance of sport in our Canadian culture. If you head to Red Deer, visit Alberta's Sports Hall of Fame and Museum to celebrate Albertan athletes. Whether it be Alberta or Canadian athletes, all are valuable role models that can inspire our kids in sport and athleticism, which is positive all around. 

Who doesn't love hockey?? 

Take your kids to a Calgary Hitmen hockey game for some fun, live action hockey. Tickets are very affordable and games are geared for families to enjoy the experience.  

​Take your kids and connect with nature with a visit to places like the Bow Habitat Station, Calgary Zoo, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary or Devonian Gardens downtown, a little piece of serenity in the middle of the urban chatter of downtown! There's nothing like connecting with nature - be it animals, birds, flowers or plants – any life being, to rejuvenate your senses and bring you out of the winter funk or cabin fever we sometimes get suckered into.
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​Head down to Chinatown for a little slice of Asia! Enjoy a piping hot bowl of noodle soup or grab some dim sum for lunch, then head to the Chinese Cultural Centre, a museum dedicated to preserving the culture and history of the Chinese. Spending the day in Chinatown can give you the feel that you experienced a little bit of Asia and take home some fresh buns from one of the many bakeries as a little souvenir from the day! 

Who couldn't use a piping hot bowl of pho??

If you're getting tired of modern life and want to slow things down a bit, then take a trip back in time. If we had a time machine, that would be a great idea! Instead, head down to Heritage Park for a visit to our historical past or head up to Sundre and visit the Pioneer Village Museum and experience what life was like as a pioneer. Taking a step back in time forces us to slow down and evaluate why we are so rushed and busy these days. Slow down and appreciate the little things in life. 

If you want to take the staycation a little bit further than beyond a day's activities, book a one night stay in a fancy hotel in downtown Calgary. You don't need to head to a big city like New York or Las Vegas to get the urban buzz from a major metropolitan city. Head to downtown Calgary and you can experience the city life for a night! We are are first class metropolitan city that people from all over the world come to visit! So, why don't we experience Calgary like a big city that it is. Visit the Calgary Tower! How many of you have lived in Calgary and never visited the top of the Calgary Tower?? C'mon, be honest.....it's like the ultimate in being a tourist in Calgary!

Staying in a hotel downtown will give you the feeling like you're really in another city. Hotels like the Fairmont Palliser Calgary and the Hyatt Calgary offer package deals where you can receive a $75 shopping voucher to Chinook Mall or Cross Iron Mills, or you can book a Calgary Hitmen hockey game package, or Calgary Zoo package....there are deals out there to entice you to stay there and give you great value to enjoy the city. Why not enjoy a night in a luxurious hotel, sleep in and enjoy Sunday brunch before heading home....and your drive home might only be 30 minutes. Tops. It's a quick and easy little staycation but will feel like so much more! 

Fairmont Palliser Calgary Hotel, downtown Calgary

Sometimes we get used to living life in suburbia...caught up in our routines so we inevitably catch a dose of cabin fever! Some of us are stay at home moms (and work-at-home moms!), with routines involving entertaining our kids, cooking and cleaning, driving kids to and from school and activites, homework, etc....Some of us have full time jobs as well as kids and a home to look after so we live in our little bubble of routine and forget that there is life outside routine.  It's winter. It's cold. And miserable most days. Most of us don't want to go out unless we have to! But, there is a whole city right before our eyes to enjoy! And it is waiting for us to experience. So why not?? Get out of the house and choose your fun and banish cabin fever in Calgary for good this winter! 

What are your favourite activities to enjoy to get out of the house and combat cabin fever? Share your favourite ideas with us! 

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Thank you to everyone at Kim's Kitchen for including me in this episode! It was a super fun morning, a great group of gals, and such a fabulous working crew behind the scenes! 

For more information about Kim's Kitchen, you can find her online here:
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