A few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday. I never use to make a big deal out of my birthday but lately I’ve really been embracing it. I mean “why not”, right?

In previous years, I’ve travelled (click here to read more)  or threw a big party (click here to read more). This  year, I took the day off (which I’ve never done before but know lots of people who practice this tradition) and started to celebrate my birthday a week in advance!!

Here’s the details:

a) I went to a Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa  to have a much needed facial. For me, this is a real treat and a real reminder to take care of my skin more often.

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa has 26 locations throughout the GTA and offers facials, massages, waxing and other services, 7 days a week. They also offer a membership program that is free with no fees to join or cancel. #loveit.

After the facial, my skin was glowing.

I seriously need to become a member. Just like I need to allocate funds for “coffee” I need to allocate funds for “self care and wellness” too.

b) I also went to the Drake Devonshire in Prince Edward County. It took me 3 years to visit this hotel but I finally did it. It was everything I had been reading about and more. Every inch of this hotel is out of a design magazine…the tiles, the wall paper, the water pitcher in your room, the signage etc. It’s uber unique and I can see why this hotel is so popular (book well ahead – i.e. months ahead).

Just adored every inch of this property.

True Story: I was at the Drake Devonshire in the summer of 1996 when it was a bed and breakfast.

As for my eating adventures in PEC: (Prince Edward County)

-Lunch: Can’t Escape the Crepe. (206 Main St. Picton, ON)

-Coffee: The Vic Cafe (222 Main St, Picton ON)

-Dinner: The Drake Devonshire

-Lunch #2: The County Yum Club (13633 Loyalist Parkway, PEC)

Many thanks to my Instagram friend @judyhsilverberg for the recommendations. They were all perfect suggestions.

It was a great birthday! No complaints about anything…except perhaps the weather which has been really crappy in April over the last few years!!

Curious to know if you have any birthday traditions. Do share.

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary treatment from Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, however all my opinions are my own.

Seeing as it’s suppose to be Spring but its crazy miserable outside, I decided it would be a good time to reflect about our trip to Costa Rica that we took in January.

Nothing beats looking at photos of the beach and blue skies while its freezing rain outside and -1C  with strong winds, on April 15th, right?

 

While planning our trip to Costa Rica we decided to do it all …Beach, Cloud Forest and Rain Forest! This meant that we needed time and a car. So we took 12 days to visit Nosara (beach town), Cloud Forest (Monteverde) and the Rain Forest (La Fortuna).

We were a little nervous to drive throughout Costa Rica but google maps and an all wheel drive, ensured we took the right roads plus we allowed plenty of time to get to our destination in the daylight!

Here’s some highlights of our trip:

1. Nosara:  This is a hip, small beach town that is super chill which is well known for its surfing. Theres no huge developments, franchises, etc. Its the perfect place to relax and was the ideal location to start our vacation to get us into “vacation mode”.

We stayed at a friends house while visiting Nosara but had the chance to visit two properties that you should check out in the event that you are planning a future trip to Nosara: Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort  or Tierra Magnifica. 

2. Cloud Forest – (Monteverde): We stayed at Hotel Bel Mar which allowed us to see amazing views. Sadly it rained a lot and was grateful that we were prepared with the right shoes and ponchos. Notice the colour of the sky in the photo below.

3. Rain Forest: (La Fortuna) We stayed at the beautiful Tabacon Resort and Spa for 6 nights and were spoiled rotten with their thermal waters, buffet breakfasts and our massive room. This part of our vacation was definitely a highlight.

We took advantage of the thermal waters twice a day!

The water was tht perfect temperature which meant you didn’t want to do anything but hang out in the thermal waters, however we took advantage of going to the spa on TWO occasions. I had my first four hand massage and it was heaven.

We found a restaurant (Don Rufino) in La Fortuna (thanks to Trip Advisor) that I believe we went to 3 nights in a row. Usually I want to be adventurous and discover other restaurants but the food was that good that we just kept going back.

As for activities in Costa Rica:  There’s no shortage of zip line adventures, coffee tours, night walks, farm tours, suspension bridges, hummingbird parks, boat tours, surfing lessons, yoga, and more!! There’s a reason why this country has become a popular destination.

However, I was on vacation-mode and the only thing I wanted to do was see a sloth (accomplished), see some pretty birds, see a monkey or two and visit a suspension bridge (accomplished). However you could be super busy if you wanted to!!

As for shopping: I bought some chocolate and coffee back to Toronto and naturally I wish I bought more! Why oh why did I only buy one bar?

Costa Rica is a wonderful country to visit as its really unique in many ways. Will remember this vacation for a long long time!!

PS Many thanks to my facebook friends for all the recommendations.

Disclosure: I’ve been provided with complimentary accommodation in exchange for this blog post however all opinions are my own.

Here’s a little list of where I’ve been lately:

1. In August I took a wonderful road trip to Montreal and to the Laurentian Mountains.  It was a week full of food and relaxation.

1. At the end of August I went to London, England for two days to attend a fabulous family wedding but I also managed to do squeeze in some sightseeing.

1. From London, I travelled to Israel to hang out on the beach, eat as much shakshuka as I could and visit family and friends.

1. In January I went to Costa Rica for 12 days of adventure as we visited Nosara, Monteverde and La Fortuna.

1. In February I went to Athens/Crete for 10 days to hang out with my daughter.

As you can see, I LOVE to travel.

Seeing as I love travel so much, I subscribe to a lot of  “emails” from a variety of different brands, airlines, etc so I can stay on top of every promotion. This enables me to save some $$ and everyone likes to save money right?

So, here’s some news: IHG just announced its 3 “Nights Escape” promotion where you can save 10%-25% on your accommodation at more than 150 participating hotels in Canada. Please note the sales ends at 8 p.m. EST on Friday, April 13, 2018, and for a minimum of three-day stays through to June 15, 2018.

I just love these “3 Nights Escape” promotion as I’m a big believer that sometimes you just need a few days to totally feel “relaxed and removed” from your everyday routine.

Participating hotels include guest favorites like the InterContinental® Montreal or the newly renovated Crowne Plaza® Fredericton-Lord Beaverbrook. You can take extra time at the Candlewood Suites® Calgary Airport North, or stay right on the water at the beautiful Holiday Inn Express® Windsor Waterfront. Want to see the sights? Take advantage of all Canada’s cities have to offer by staying at either the Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown or the Holiday Inn® Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown.

You can book your 3 Nights Escape here.

Other cool facts:  IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,300 hotels and nearly 800,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

Happy Travels.

For more information:

wwww.twitter.com/ihg

www.facebook.com/ihg

www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

 

 

The last few months have involved quite a bit of travelling but I’m not complaining. I really do love to travel. One could say its a priority for me. For example, my second hand car that I purchased in 2012 has really had its day but I rather travel than buy a another car. See what I mean?

Just last week I returned from Athens and Crete. My schedule looked like this: eat, sleep and shop!! Again, I’m not complaining. It was exactly what we needed.

I made my reservations to stay in Hotel Lozenge with Booking.Com. I’ve been a fan of this website since I was introduced to it in 2015 at a Travel Massive event. Its’ so user friendly that its been my go-to website for several years now.

I selected this hotel for a few reasons, but mostly because of this great rating.

The hotel was also located in a really nice area (kind of like Yorkville) of Athens and close to everything. We couldn’t have been happier with the location. Another great reason why to stay at Hotel Lozenge!

We loved our room which had a beautiful bathroom and an enormous balcony. Not to mention a fridge in the room, which always comes in handy.

Our hotel room included a generous breakfast buffet every morning. Even though there was a wide range of options, I couldn’t stop eating the Greek Yogurt with honey!!

Hotel Lozenge also has a roof top lounge that enables you to see the Acropolis. This photo says it all. Not a bad place to hang out after dinner!!
One last feature of this hotel that I loved was the fact that they had this USB port in our room for travellers (like myself) who didnt have the right adapter!!

I love using Booking.Com so much that I would like to share this unique link for $40 CAN off your next booking when you use Booking.Com.  Sweet eh?

https://www.booking.com/s/vweiss20

Happy Traveling!!

Disclosure: I partnered with Booking.Com for this blog post however all opinions are my own. 

For the last few years, I’ve been going to Israel and with every trip there’s new discoveries to share. Here’s my review from a recent trip to Israel that I took. (Aug 28 to Sept 4th – if you really want the exact details. LOL)

Where to Stay:

This time I stayed for 3 nights at the Centre Chic Hotel which is part of the Atlas Boutique Hotel Group. It’s worth noting that they have several locations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem , Haifa and Eilat too.  I fell instantly in love with this boutique hotel.

Here’s a few reasons why:
-the location was ideal (right across from Dizengoff Square which is as central as you can get)
-the funky chic decor
-the perks: free bicycles, beach bags with towels, and complimentary happy hour (wine and food), fridge in the room, cute balcony with a table etc.
-the friendly staff

PLUS it’s affordable!!

What to Do:

Of course I went to Carmel Market, Levinsky Market, Sarona Market, Mahane Yehuda Market and the Western Wall too. Sadly no time to visit the Tel Aviv Museum, Jaffa, The Port and many other tourist destinations. Sniff.

However I did make time to relax (for a change) and enjoy the wonderful beaches in Israel.

I even went shopping and made it to the Azrieli Shopping Centre for my first time!! This mall has three floors of shops, eight cinema screen and approximately thirty restaurants, as well as the only H&M in Tel Aviv. There’s even an indoor viewing platform on 49th floor which will allow you to overlook the entire city.

Where to Eat in Israel?

There’s wasn’t enough time to connect with Delicious Israel (kicking myself) or Fun with Joel either.

However I did enjoy a wonderful dinner with two Israeli food writers. I met Keren Brown on my last trip to Israel and we connected instantly. She wrote “38 Essential Restaurants in Tel Aviv” and this is definitely one list you want to refer to on your next trip to Israel.

The other Israeli food writer that I met was Phylis Glazer who published the first vegetarian cookbook in Hebrew.  How cool is that? Please click here to check out her YouTube video of the Carmel Market.

In a nutshell here’s where we ate:
–Magic Burger – for some reason we were craving a kosher burger.
– HaAchim – great local restaurant that had a line up at 9 pm on a week night! The words: fresh and good quality come to my mind.
–Shlomo & Doron (in Carmel Market) for amazing hummus. Huge thanks to my Washington foodie friend, www.foodwanderings.com for the recommendation.
– Segev Concept (in Sarona Market)
-During a visit  to Machene Yehuda; I went to Jachnun a few years ago and I didn’t hesitate to return as his food is truly a unique experience.
-While in Ra’anana; Falafel Nona…Finally I had a falafel. Hip Hip Hooray.
-While in Herziliya; Cafe Fresh for Shakshuka….A great way to end of my trip.

Where I shopped:

Last year I bought a few things from a store called Hoodies and this year I went back for more. I adore the quality of the cotton, the price points and the basic styles. Its perfect for my lifestyle! (um, casual)

As always, I’m looking forward to another visit to Israel. However I promised myself that my next trip will include more time in the north and south parts of Israel. It’s time to explore! (even though I love visiting Tel Aviv).

For more information:

Website: https://new.goisrael.com

Need Food Suggestions in Tel Aviv? https://www.eater.com/ (another great list written by local food writer, Keren Brown)

Need More Food Suggestions? https://www.thestar.com/

 

I’ve recently returned from my first trip to Philadelphia and for the entire four days all I did was Tour and Eat, Tour and Eat…and Repeat. I’m not complaining as I wore the right shoes (my beloved Keen Uneeks) and wore the right clothes (um, stretchy pants).

Let’s start with the touring part of my trip:

I used the Big Bus Tours as much as possible as it’s a great way to see a city. In fact, every time I visit a new city I will use these “hop and off” buses.

I got off whenever I wanted to check out an attraction or museum, and then simply hopped back on after my visit. Their tour guides were cheerful, friendly and informative too.

Usually I’m not a museum person, however I took the time to check out the following museums/attractions and I’m really happy I made this decision.

–Barnes Foundation

–Philadelphia Museum of Art

–Rodin Museum

–National Museum of American Jewish History

–The Franklin Institute

–Independence Hall

-Liberty Bell Centre

-Rocky Steps & Statue

I walked, and walked and walked some more. In fact, my Samsung GearFit indicated that I walked 18,000 steps one day!

As for food:

I asked my cousin to send me a list of where I ate over my visit and this is what she sent me.  I was lucky enough to share a few meals with them which was the best idea as we cut up everything we ordered into thirds. Smart Move!

Tuesday
Carmen’s (cheese steak – lunch at Reading Market of course)
Fiesta Pizza (cheese steak – dinner)
Dalessandro’s (cheese steak – dinner)
Rita’s Italian Ices (dessert)

Wednesday

Dizengoff (inside the Whole Foods…this is unique to Philadelphia)
High Point Cafe @ Allens Lane Station (morning coffee)
Parks on Tap (to enjoy a beer in a beautiful park)
Vedge for a vegan dinner)
Big Gay Ice Cream

Thursday

The Franklin Fountain (rootbeer float)
Lennie’s (hoagie)
McNally’s (for their famous Schmitter®!)
Bredenbecks (ice cream)

Friday
Volo (coffee)
Insomnia Cookies
Monk’s Cafe (for unique beer that is hard to find)

Seriously, there was no shortage of good food to check out! I must say I tried hard to find foods that were unique to Philly and I’m pretty sure I can say “mission accomplished”. Now that I’ve returned to Toronto I’m back on track and eating more fruits and salad. LOL

I summed up Philadelphia like this: it’s bigger than Ottawa, but smaller than Montreal. I really did enjoy this city and do doubt will be returning seeing as the flight is only 1.5 hours from Toronto.

For complete tourism information please check out this website: www.visitphilly.com

Disclosure: A VIP pass was provided to me by the Philadelphia Tourism Office however all opinions are my own

In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)  launched a fun contest to find the top 150 hidden travel gems in our country. IHG sponsored this hotel stay and my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are my own.

For Mother’s Day, I wanted to do something fun with my mom but sadly I didn’t have the time to get to Ottawa. I solved this problem and met my mom half way in the beautiful city of Kingston which is half way for both of us.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Kingston – Waterfront which has both an indoor and outdoor pool. Sadly there was no sun. Sniff. But this gave us more time to enjoy the room!

We loved the pillows, which indicated if they were firm or soft. What a great idea.

Not sure if you know this but IHG® Rewards Club is currently running a unique 150th Hidden Gems Contest!!

IHG®Rewards Club will be celebrating Canada’s 150thBirthday with a Contest to Curate Canada’s Top 150 Hidden Travel Gems. The top 150 hidden gems from coast-to-coast will be selected by IHG through a contest just in time for Canada Day!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Visit their website:
2. Follow the three easy steps!

PS Love how this contest is so user friendly!

I took the time to find this this hidden gem called “Martello Alley” in downtown Kingston. Naturally I’ve submitted into this contest. Wish me luck!!

Hope you get a chance to enter the contest too.

Its not a surprise that IHG® Canada is a leader in hospitality, travel and leisure and the go-to destination for Canadians!

For more information:

Website: www.150canada.IGHrewardsclub.com

Instagram and Twitter: @IHGRewardsClub, #IHG150

Disclosure: My hotel stay was complimentary however all opinions are my own

Did you know that there’s a Cheese Trail in Oxford County? Most likely you are probably asking yourself: “Where is Oxford County”? Here’s the answer. Its a 90 minute drive from Toronto and a great place to discover Ingersoll, Woodstock, and more.

You are also probably asking yourself as well: “What’s the Cheese Trail?”. Here’s your answer.  This trail offers 23 curated stops featuring local cheese and dairy. (yum) and this event takes place every Saturday throughout the month of May. Naturally I had to go check it out myself.

My day started off at MountainOak Gouda. (3165 Huron Road, New Hamburg, ON). Please note, that New Hamburg isn’t technically in Oxford County but on the border! I absolutely adore this award winning Gouda and now I have a better appreciation of this Gouda after touring their facilities and visiting their 200 happy cows in their barn!!

I then stopped into a charming chocolate store called Chocolatea (38 King St. East, Ingersoll, ON) for a sweet treat. I was greeted warmly by the store owner and eagerly consumed a delicious basil/lime chocolate!

For some reason, after I have a chocolate I always feel like a coffee. So I walked over to a neighbouring cafe called  The Olde Bakery Cafe (120 Thames St. South, Ingersoll, ON) for a unique Cajeta Latte. I was informed that 99% of their baked treats are made in-house (yum) and my Cajeta latte is unique to the area as its made with goats milk right from the area!

I made sure to stop into a restaurant called Louie’s Pizza Pasta & More, (440 Bell St. Ingersoll, ON)  as I read about it on www.curiouscreature.com. I am so happy that I stopped by. This popular restaurant is popular for a reason! Of course I tried their famous Panzerotti which was stuffed with goodness!

But this month, they are featuring a deep fried cheese curds and I HAD to try that too!! Guess what? It was freaking delicious.

The only thing I didn’t try was their famous pizza. But I did that on purpose cause I’m definitely going back!!

Ok back to the Cheese Trail I also stopped off at Gunn’s Hill but sadly I didn’t go on on a tour. Again, another good reason to go back.

I then went back to Toronto (sniff). I wish I had more time as this Cheese Trail offers so many unique activities. For example I wish I could have added 3 more stops:

1. Cheese Board and Wine Pairing at SixThirtyNine (639 Peel St, Woodstock)
2. New Seasonal Brew Launch at Upper Thames Brewing Company (225 Bysham Park, Dr #9, Woodstock)
3. Visiting the Dairy Capital Cheese Shoppe (474 Dundas St, Woodstock)

However like I said before, I will be back. Nothing beats a weekend getaway!

PS I encourage you to click here to see suggested itineraries and maps! Oxford County Tourism has you covered and has thought of everything.

For more information:

Website: Oxford Tourism Cheese Trail

Twitter/Instagram: @TourismOxford

Hashtag; #BigCheeseDays

Phone: 1 519 539 9800 x3355

 

The month of May is going to wiz by. Here’s why.

May 4 to 14 – I will be seeing as many films as I can throughout the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. I’ve been been busy studying the guide and putting together a schedule! Can’t wait to help them celebrate their 25th anniversary.

On May 4th – I will be walking thru the aisles of SIAL looking for new products to share with you. For example – Sugar Cubes that are available in three flavours : cardamom, cinnamon and saffron. Stay tuned for an entire blog post dedicated to this incredible trade show.

On May 6th – I’m heading to Oxford County to go on their Cheese Trail.  Every Saturday in May, you can head to Canada’s Dairy Capital in Oxford County and enjoy the day celebrating all things cheese. How can I NOT go? LOL

On May 8th at exactly 9:30 am you will find me and my cheque book at this fabulous Sample Sale. I will happily be shopping for my FALL wardrobe at wholesale prices. Love. Love. Love This Sample Sale.

On May 10-11th – I will have the opportunity to drive the the 2018 Equinox on a beautiful drive through some of Niagara Region’s most charming towns. The route promises to include great food, activities and accommodations too.

I’ve been told that the 2018 Equinox is a fresh and modern SUV that’s sized and designed to meet the needs of the compact SUV customer. It will be the perfect balance of design and technology to keep me safe, comfortable and connected.

May 14th – Mother’s Day! Planning on meeting my mom in Kingston to celebrate this special day with her, and planning on spending the evening with my daughter.

May 16 to 19 – I’m heading to Philadelphia and I’m too excited for words as I’ve never been to this city and the food scene sounds amazing. (a priority – clearly).

May 23rd – more good news to follow!!

My biggest challenge is how to get to Ottawa to see the Tulip Festival. ARGHHH.

Hopefully I will get a chance to rest in June.

I hadn’t been to Ottawa since August so I was really due for a trip and timed it beautifully to coincide with Winterlude.

I took Via Rail to get there, which is always a great way to travel for two reasons: 1. to avoid weather problems 1. to avoid traffic problems. #smart move

As always, I kept busy. Seeing as I didn’t have a car I was limited to how much I could run around but I still managed to discover a few new spots! (Thanks to my friend who drove me around on Saturday)

1. Maverick’s Donuts: This cute little spot located at 1500 Bank St. offers an array of fun donut options. I scooped up half a dozen to take back to my moms as I was having a few people over on Saturday night and they were a hit.

Maverick’s Donuts is in the same plaza as Farm Boy so it made sense to pop in and do some grocery shopping. Each and every time I visit this store, I’m impressed. Naturally I picked up some fresh curds from St.- Albert Cheese Co-op.

2. Citizen: This new restaurant (207 Gilmour) is brought to you by the same people at Town. I got there early to grab a seat which was a brilliant move as it quickly filled up. The menu offers a lot of vegetarian options and my friend and I had no problem ordering three  veggie dishes. (Charred Broccoli, Roasted Squash and Radicchio Salad, and the Five Leave Salad). Each and every dish was a winner.

 

4  Somehow I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to La Noodle (179 George St) which is Ottawa’s first hand- pulled noodle restaurant. I will be back for more!

I also managed to visit the Ottawa Farmers’ Market which is always one of my favourite activities to do in Ottawa.

Naturally the highlight of my trip was a visit to the Rideau Canal to put on my skates and spend $3 on my childhood treat (maple syrup on a stick). I briefly roamed around to see the beautiful ice sculptures and despite the snow that was falling heavily, I was a happy camper.

As always, I’m looking forward to my next trip to Ottawa which will be to visit the Tulip Festival (May 12 to 22). Please click here to learn more about Ottawa Tourism.