The One of A Kind Show is celebrating their 40th Anniversary and there’s a good reason for their success. This years’ show features over 800 vendors and I guarantee that you won’t walk away empty handed.

Last week I attended the media preview and decided to take a quick walk and within 5 minutes I had purchased this bracelet. I just couldn’t resist. Don’t forget – I’m a foodie so for me to buy a piece of jewellery is a big deal!!

These items caught my attention as well.

These wooden bows called BO. Kind of neat, non?

Loved these pillow cases too! I think the pillow that says ” Get Up” has my name written all over it!

There’s something for everyone at this show. I still proudly display a unique wall hanging that i purchased in the early 1990’s. (here’s the blog post).

Please note; Tonight (Thursday Dec 4th) there’s FREE PARKING and LATE NIGHT SHOPPING till 11 pm. I took advantage of this last year and loved it. It wasn’t as crowded and I’m always happy to save $$ on parking.

For more information:

Website: www.oneofakindshow.com

Hours: Monday to Saturday 10AM – 9PM, Sunday 10AM – 6PM

Location: Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place

Tickets: Buy your tickets online! Click here

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I’ve been a member of CAA for decades. I can’t imagine driving a car without being a member. CAA has come to my rescue many times. So many times that I can’t even count. In fact just last week I had a flat tire on the 401 while driving to Ottawa and CAA came to my rescue in no time at all.

 Recently I was invited to a CAA Road Test Revival event where we re-learned a few important driving skills. WOW….what a great reminder. We were reminded that driving is a skill that really does require practice!

For example – the benefits of reverse park driving. ps congratulations to @BigDaddyKreativ who rocked this exercise!

 We also reviewed how to parallel park (um ..always a favourite!!)

Here’s some benefits of being a CAA member!

-CAA drivers education

-24/7 road side assistance (this is #1 for me)

-CAA insurance

Would also like to share with you some details about the Tear-up-the-Tuition contest!

• Contest period: September 15 to November 30, 2014

• Students registered for the CAA How to Drive Course at any ADSN location can enter the Tear-up-the-Tuition Contest by visiting caasco.com/learndrivewin

• Contest Prizes include:
  • 2 x Grand Prize of CAA How to Drive Course tuition reimbursement
  • 2 x $200 Apple Store® gift cards
  • 3 x choice of $75 CAA Rewards Partner gift card
  • 39 x Cineplex Great Escape Packages

For more information, please visit their website.

Twitter: @CAASCO

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAASouthCentralON

Disclosure; I was compensated for this blog post however all opinions are my own

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Dear Readers…

I hope this blog post finds you well and enjoying your summer. I’ve had a SUPER busy sumer. In fact it’s been so busy that I haven’t blogged for an entire month. This is the first time I’ve taken a “blogging break” since 2009….when I first started to blog.

Heres’3 reasons why I took a “Blog Break”:

a) I went to my boyfriends’ cottage from July 12 to July 27 and for some reason Rogers (my internet provider) doesn’t work up there. A neighbour suggested that I buy a Bell  pay-as-you-go-package and indeed it worked. YAY. I used it to work and occasionally update facebook and to reply to emails. However I have to admit – I just wanted to sit on the dock and do NOTHING (which is what I did).

b) I’m moving which means I’m drowning in boxes. It’s insane…. I have-so-much-stuff. I’m moving to a rental condo that is several hundred dollars cheaper and has 8 amenities. At the moment I live in an apartment with ZERO amenities and when my rent went up – I decided it was time to move. Despite the fact that I’m stressed with the move, I’m thrilled that I get to redecorate using CIL Paints. (stay tuned for a blog post)

c) I went to a family reunion in Ottawa from Aug 1-3. This meant I had ZERO time to blog. All we did was TALK and EAT. Repeat.

d) I also went to Montreal from Aug 3 to 13. See what I mean? I’ve been BUSY. I’ve never spent so much time in Montreal and can’t stop snapping photos ..this city is SO beautiful. (stay tuned for several blog posts..LOL).

I look forward to sharing lots of summer adventures with you – starting NOW. It feels good to be back on track blogging again.

Cheers,

Vicky

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Thought I might share a few things to do on Canada Day.

1) Get up at 9am and take advantage of this $49 deal that’s been offered by HotelTonight!

Here’s more info:  To show their love for Canada, HotelTonight, (a last minute hotel booking app) has announced a special Canada Day promotion for Toronto, Ottaw, and Vancouver. For only $49 – on JULY 1st ONLY.

Participating hotels:

Toronto: Thompson Hotel, Gladstone Hotel, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Pantages Hotel.

Montreal: Hotel Chez Swann, Hotel St-Paul, St. Martin Hotel Particulier.

Ottawa: the Lord Elgin Hotel, among others.

Vancouver:  Hotel Le Soleil, Granville Island Hotel, Moda Hotel.

There are some more details you should know!!

• Rooms are limited to first come, first served and the $49 rate is only applicable for a July 1 stay. 
• $49 deals will go live at 9 a.m. local time in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. 
• Look for deals in each destination marked “CANADA DAY.”
• HotelTonight will have great deals all day, but the $49 rooms and limited. If you see one you like, GRAB IT!

2) Go Strawberry Picking….This is one of my favorite activities and the perfect activity for Canada Day.  My go-to- farm is Whittamores. (8100 Steeles Ave E, Markham). Here’s what I have learned over the years: wear sunscreen, hat, bring water, FLAT containers, and wear black clothes!

3) Visit an outdoor hotel pool – this is such a treat! I recently spent the day at the Sheraton Toronto Outdoor Pool (123 Queen St. W) and when I say “spent the day” …I mean it. I was there from 11 am to 8 pm.  Please note there is a fantastic fitness centre so you can bring your gym cloths and squeeze in a workout in between suntanning!

4) Visit one of the many conservation areas we are lucky to live near…Mountsberg, Crawford Lake, Kelso. My fav this time of year is Kelso because of the beach.

5) Just chill and relax! Nothing wrong with that, right?

Happy Canada Day!

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Here’s a few events that are on my radar:

a) The Niagara Integrated Film Festival (Thursday June 19 to Sunday 22, 2014). This is a great chance to see some wonderful films AND drink wine! Not a bad combo at all. There’s a wide range of films (Canadian, Animated, Documentaries and more) and you will be watching these movies in a truly unique setting. Please visit their website for more info www.niagarafilmfest.com. 

b) Restaurantacular on Wed. June 25th from 4 – 9 pm. This is a great way to eat your way thru Mount Pleasant! There will be a variety of food from local restaurants that will only set you back a loonie or two or three!! LOVE IT. For more information please visit: www.mountpleasantvillage.ca

c) Night It Up 2014 Night Market takes place this year on Friday July 11th to July 13th. I’ve gone for the last two years and always find something that I’ve never tried before. For more information please check out their website www.nightitup.com

d) Summerlicious will be taking place July 4- 20th and I’m sure I will be checking out a restaurant or two. I’ve already make plans to visit Pukka for a $15 lunch with a bunch of friends. What great value. For more information – please visit their website www.toronto.ca

Take a peek at how many festivals are going on…there’s no way one can be bored during the summer.

PS many thanks to my friend @sackman66 for sending me this list!

Have a wonderful summer everyone!

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Last week, I attended the launch of the TELUS House Toronto Rooftop Community Garden. I went to the event, as these days I’m in awe of anything related to gardening. Would you believe….I’m presently living in an apartment WITHOUT a balcony. Don’t get me started.

I absolutely adore their philosophy: “Because the environment matters to YOU and you matter to US”.

To build this garden was not an easy project. They had to take into consideration – the shade, the wind, finding the right soil mixture and many other factors. The garden will feature many varieties of vegetables and fruit too. What’s kind of neat, is that the produce will be sold to the employees and the proceeds will go back into the community. Plus the produce itself will be donated back to those in need.

They thought of everything – including a watering team!!

I couldn’t help but notice that they are growing watermelon. To be honest, I’m already looking forward to attending their Harvest Party to see what grew!

After many years of planning – TELUS now has a 5th floor space that is truly admirable. You should be applauded for your commitment to the environment and to to the community.

Congratulations and Happy Gardening!!

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My road trip adventures continue but this time my  adventure was in a cozy Hyundai Elantra.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to like driving a sedan but it turns out that I loved it. It handled well, had all the right bells and whistles and still had the power I needed to accelerate. Not to mention…a very smooth ride.

I drove the Elantra (happily) all the way to Ste. Anne’s Spa.…which is just east of Toronto. In a little over an hour I was happily staring at these beautiful grounds.

After touring the property, we checked into our STUNNING and SPACIOUS room. This was a real treat for me to actually stay overnight as previously I’d only been for a day visit. Please note, that my last visit was two years ago and there has been numerous renovations and upgrades. ie newly decorated rooms, new gym, and a new gluten free bakery too.

I was treated to 3 beautiful meals (which I enjoyed in my robe) and afternoon tea as well (which I enjoyed in my robe).

One of the perks about staying at  Ste. Anne’s is that IT”S PERFECTABLY ACCEPTABLE TO BE IN YOUR ROBE AT ALL TIMES. Yup – I wore my robe for 24 hours and it was DA best feeling. I’m actually kicking myself that I didn’t buy it. (note to self: next time)

The only disadvantage to wearing a robe for 24 hours is that it prevented me from taking out a bicycle to enjoy the rolling hills that surround this property!!

Naturally I enjoyed a spa treatment as well. My tummy was happy (due to the delicious food) and now my skin was happy too due to the seaweed body masque that I experienced.

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Here’s five reasons why I’m loving Cottage Life.

1. The sunsets are spectacular. Disclosure: I might have taken more photos of the sunset thanI did of my meals. Shocking!!

2. There’s a sauna at the cottage but it’s not your average sauna. It has a wood oven in there – and it takes over an hour to heat up the sauna. Nothing beats a “steamie” followed by a dip into the cool (errr….cold) water. This is a priceless experience.

3. I get to cook without having to go to the grocery store (every 2 seconds)  cause I forgot an ingredient!! This week I whipped up an eggplant dish – even though I forgot some key ingredients. Sometimes it’s great to improvise.

4. I also get the chance to create my own “signature” cocktails. This past weekend, I took these 4 ingredients..placed it into my Kitchen Aid Diamond Blender and bingo…da best drink ever. ps I froze the raspberries. I think @cocktaildeeva would be proud. (I think)

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Last week I had the chance to test drive a Hyundai Sante Fe XL and this week I had the chance to test drive a Hyundai Tucson. Can you see how happy I am to be driving a red car! Besides the colour, I seriously enjoyed this car as well. It was great on gas, had a spacious trunk and it was a pleasure to drive. Not too big..Not to small…It was “just the right” size.

What I really enjoyed the most was the extendable visor. I don’t know why every car doesn’t have this feature!

Naturally I wanted to go on a road trip with my (red) Hyundai Tucson,  so I decided to visit Ottawa to see my parents and to visit the Tulip Festival. What a great decision. I simply could not stop snapping photos of the tulips. Here’s a few of my favorites.

I also had the chance to visit the Canadian Museum of Nature. This museum was one of my favorites as a kid and it’s still one of my favorite museums as an adult. I love the building itself, the layout of the museum and all the exhibits too. Please put this museum on your radar!

It was also a treat to stay at the Albert at Bay Suite and Hotel. Not only is it centrally located but it has a FULL KITCHEN and a full LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM. I absolutely love this hotel and have been a fan for decades!

As you can see…Road Trip #2 was a success. Stay tuned for Road Trip #3 and more Hyundai adventures.

For more information:

Hyundai Canada

Canadian Museum of Nature 240 McLeod St 1 613 566 4700

Albert at Bay Suite Hotel 435 Albert St. 1 800 267 6644

Ottawa Tourism

Disclosure; I’m part of a Hyundai Ambassador program, however all my opinions are my own. Please follow my tweets; #HyundaiDriveSquad

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Fact: I haven’t been eating in too many restaurants these days as I’ve morphed into a film junkie!! Thanks to the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, I’ve seen 5 movies in 4 days!

Here’s what I’ve seen.

SHTISEL:  This is an award winning Israeli TV series that follows four generations of an Ultra Orthodox family and their tight knit community in Jerusalem. I liked episodes 1-3 so much that I returned to watch episodes 4-6 a few days later.

This TV series will be showing again this weekend.

Friday May 9th Episodes 1-4 will be playing at 1:00 pm at Empress Walk Theatres

Friday May 11th Episodes 3-6 will be playing at 1 pm at Empress Walk Theatres.

Trust me. You will be drawn into this series!!

RUSSIAN DISCO: This is the Canadian Premiere for this film . What’s it about? Basically it’s a story about three friends who move from Russia to Berlin. I was entertained and enjoyed the dynamics of these three friends.

This film will be playing again on:

Wednesday May 7th at 845 pm at the Bloor Cinema

24 DAYS: This powerful film is based on a true story about the kidnapping of Ilan Halimi in a Paris suburb. It was an intense movie that has left an impact on me…even days later.

IN HIDING: A thriller that is set during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The acting was superb and the story line definitely captured my attention.

There’s plenty more films that will be showing over the next few days!!

Please take a peek at the their website for a complete list.

PS …in the event you can’t make it to the festival, please visit Videoflicks  (1701 Avenue Road) as they have a wide selection of  Israeli films and TV shows.

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