Summer is officially over. It’s sad. As much as I like the Spring and the Fall…there is nothing like sunny skies and warm temperatures. Not to mention there is just so much to do in the summer.

When I look back, I made the most of my summer and travelled to the following places:

-Niagara on the Lake, Pillar and Post

–Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

One of My Favorite Places to go for a Weekend.

–Arowhon Pines

Magnificent

-Canada Day in Ottawa

– Visiting Sandbacks Provincial Park

-Camping at Island Spirits

One of those perfect days.

-Montreal

-Buffalo

-Cobourg Beach (twice)

-Glen Kelso Conservation; (sadly I only went once this summer)

I also took advantage of “summer in the city” and went to use the pool at the Sheraton Centre three times!! I seriously can’t complain about Summer 2012.

But now I can start to look forward to all the wonderful things Fall represents:, the leaves changing, visiting Chudleighs, fall clothes, baking apple crisps, and making fall soups.

Here’s to an amazing FALL.

p.s I was suppose to post this on the last day of summer (which was on Friday Sept 21st but silly me…got distracted, for a change)

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Dear TIFF,

It’s been fun reading the MILLION tweets (ok not quite a million) from my twitter followers regarding what movie they were seeing, WHAT PARTY they were going to (you know who you are), what they were wearing to those parties, and what actor they bumped into.

Seriously, I don’t mind. It’s kind of fun knowing that Toronto hosts this amazing film festival.

Last year, I was invited to the Diet Cola Gala and one movie.

This year, I didn’t go to one movie.  SNIFF.

But it wasn’t a total loss. I did manage to go to the Tastemakers Lounge!! I had a sneak preview regarding where the “talent” went in between parties, interviews, movie screenings etc.

Inside the Tastemakers Lounge, I came across the following “tasty” participants:

Le Dolci: Who wouldn’t want to snack on one of their delicious cupcakes. If you haven’t been to their new location – you should. Not to mention to check out their website to find more about the variety of classes they offer.

cute!!

Pop Chips: After snacking on a delicious cupcake, these healthy snacks were very welcome! I also love their re-sealable clips. Brilliant marketing.

What a great flavor!!

Kimberly’s Own: Had a lovely chat with Kimberly about her granola that is so pure, so organic and to boot it’s really really good for you.

Granola Goodness

Bobble Bottle: Not sure if you have ever seen these bottles, but it’s our household favorite bottle.

Tea Emporium: No question, that a cup of tea is the PERFECT way to relax and I’m sure the celebs truly appreciated their presence.

Now that I have been to a party, a movie, and a lounge…wonder what I might be introduced to at TIFF 2013? Stay tuned.

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News Flash…News Flash….EQ3 in Liberty Village has opened their flagship store. Exclusive to this store is the Marimekko line.  Yes..that’s right, that gorgeous, stunning, vibrant textile company from Finland. Disclosure: I was able to get a sneak preview but the official date that this store opens is Saturday September 1st!

If you don’t recognize the name perhaps you will recognize the fabrics that they are famous for.

Want. Now.

The store has a dedicated section for Marimekko and I seriously stood there for a long time saying to myself “I want this..I want that…I wish I could have that…”.

There is nothing not to like.

This will be the flagship store for EQ3 and there is something for everyone. Wheather you are looking for napkins, a clock, an end table or a cushion…this store should certainly be on your radar. There is something for everyone and something for everyones budgets too!!

Stunning.

I was so impressed and so grateful that I hung around to see the opening of the second floor which had even more gorgeous items to stare at.  Infact, there is a total of 9,000 sqf of space in this flagship store.

I  have now been in my apartment for a year and I’m sure a little “shopping therapy” at EQ3 would be a perfect way to celebrate this occasion.

Only one small problem: I can never make a decision. Does anyone else have this problem?

For more information:

EQ3 Liberty Village, 315 Hanna Avenue Unit 3, Toronto Ontario (416) 533-9090

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Once again, I was introduced to another business while on Twitter. No it’s not a restaurant (surprise surprise). The Colour Lab is perfect for people like me. Women who need their hair coloured (err,,,my roots done), every 4 weeks and often have no time to make an appointment. Dyeing your roots is not a new concept but The Colour Lab uses new techniques, new technology and Goldwell products that are impressive. I can actually make the claim that my scalp didn’t have that “burning sensation”.  The Colour Lab is so passionate about colour that this is all they do here.

Don’t get me started!!

I was immediately attracted to the fact that I didn’t need an appointment, the convenient location, and the fact that Goldwell products  do not contain any harsh chemicals. (SCORE).

Better yet, I loved the space. Call me shallow – but this is important to me.

See what I mean?

There are only 4 chairs and in front of each chair is an iPAD. That’s right an iPAD. You won’t be reading  magazines from 2005 at this salon! In the photo below you can see each iPad conveniently located in front of each chair. Brilliant.

Black and White. (and spotless)

I was so thrilled with the service and the colour, that I decided to try out Jean Charles Hair Salon for a much needed hair cut.  I loved the fact that the Colour Lab and Jean Charles are owned by one family. Everyone is involved..the kids, and the parents. Pretty neat. I walked in looking like this (see photo below)

Way too much hair

Jean Charles did his magic with his scissors and before I knew it…Voila…a new look.

After

Here’s the info you need to know:

Colour Lab, 1013 Yonge Street (one block north of the Rosedale Subway stop)

Hours; Monday – closed, Tuesday to Friday 11-7, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5

Phone: 416 933 7676

Jean Charles Hair Salon: 1761 Avenue Road, Phone: 416 481 3131

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Quite regularly I stumble upon new businesses/restaurants/services while on Twitter. My latest find is a start up called Spinzo.

I started to chat with them via twitter and liked what they were all about. Now I want to share with you, (dear readers) what Spinzo is all about. I am also going to run a contest today with Spinzo!! What’s super cool about this contest is the fact that I could pick any prize I wanted for my readers!!

They originally offered me an iPad as a gift but I said “hmmm…my readers are mostly foodies so what about a gift to KITCHEN STUFF PLUS. Thats right…you could win a $250 gift certificate to Kitchen Stuff Plus to buy anything you want.

Love. This. Store.

When I went to visit my local Kitchen Stuff Plus, I was eyeing this piece of kitchen equipment. Now who wouldn’t want to  win a $250 Gift Certificate towards a purchase of one of these beauties?

One of my favorite appliances in my kitchen!!

Ok..back to Spinzo. Who are they? They are a Canadian Startup dedicated to offering dynamic pricing on great local experiences.

Want to know how to participate in this amazing contest?

All contestants have to do is post their purchase requests to the Spinzo Facebook page or Spinzo Twitter page.

These purchase requests can be about anything!

Important: (really important) Please use @momwhoruns in these requests: i.e : “I heard about #SpinzoSavesTO from @MomWhoRuns and I really want a new Kitchen Aid” (or another request like pots, cutlery etc)

Post requests to: Facebook.com/SpinzoToronto  OR on Twitter.com: @spinzotoronto) 

No need to leave a comment below…just head over to the Spinzo Facebook page or onto Twitter!!

So what do you think? Easy peazy contest non? Not to mention, a gift certificate to Kitchen Stuff Plus is SWEET. The contest will run from Tuesday Aug 21st to Tuesday September 4th at midnite. This contest is open to anyone in Toronto and the gift certificate can be used at any of the Kitchen Stuff Plus locations. Random.org will used to select the winner and that winner has two weeks to get in touch with me. Otherwise a new winner will be selected.

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As you know, I try to eat “healthy”  (see previous blog posts about Kale Chips and Peanut-y Tofu). However that doesn’t mean that I can’t dream about eating deep fried fudge or deep fried marshmallow treats. Well, all my dreams came true as I was invited to the the CNE media preview on Wednesday. Here is proof!!

Thats an AUTHENTIC smile!!

In the above photo, I am about to bite into deep fried fudge from the Northwest Fudge Factory. In fact I am so proud of this photo that I submitted it to GastroPost!

I also took a bite (or two) of these deep fried marshmallow treats by Sweet Treats.

More Deep Fried Goodness!

There is no question that food is a major attraction attraction at the CNE.  One might think that unique means “deep fried” but that’s not necessarily true.  It could be triple layer red velvet pancakes loaded with slow roasted and smoked pork, and topped with Jack Daniels infused maple syrup. Now that is unique….in a big way!!

You can find this at: PULL’D

Or what about this idea by the good people at Just Cone It.…CONES filled with Nutella bacon, or pizza or philly steak or shepherds pie!

Love the name of this vendor!

Clearly there is an abundance of “unique’ and there is those items that will always be around like candy floss, candy apples, Tiny Tims and fresh squeezed lemonade.

I am definitely attracted to “unique” food items but I certainly wouldn’t say no to a candy apple either!!

What will you be eating when you visit the Ex?

Here’s more info about the 2012 CNE:

1. 2012 CNE runs from Aug 17 to Sept 3
2. The CNE is located at the Toronto Exhibition Place
3. To learn more about the Xx and special discount prices please visit THEEX.COM or call 416 393 6300

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I love Festivals (see previous blog post) and I love events too. This one came to my attention last week and I immediately knew that I wanted to blog about it.

So here’s the scoop:

On Sunday, August 19, Piola will be hosting a Gnocchi-Eating Competition at their  Toronto location (1165 Queen St. W.). Hosted by Furious Pete, the inaugural contest will kick off at 3 p.m. Contestants will have ten minutes to eat as many bowls of gnocchi.

Gnocchi Anyone?

Over $5,000 in prizes will be awarded, with the champion eater winning a vintage 1963 Vespa. (not just any Vespa)

What a great prize!!

The Gnocchi-Eating Competition is open to amateur contestants 19 years and older. To enter, contestants must “like” Piola’s Facebook page and complete the contest form. Deadline for registration is Friday, August 17 at noon EST. (errr…hurry up and enter) For those with a voracious appetite and love of Italian food, this event is not to be missed.

If you aren’t in the mood to compete…then why not watch the competition while enjoying a drink or two or perhaps a pizza. (or a salad if you are on a no carb diet like me)

A few months ago, my boyfriend and I enjoyed a delicious salad, a pizza and dessert. Here’s a few photos:

Roka Cabana Salad

Roka Cababan Salad: Arugula, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella fior de latte, yellow sweet peppers, pistachio nuts and pomegranate dressing. Not only did this salad look gorgeous but it had all the right elements of a perfect salad.

The Perfect Pizza

Torta Nera & Gelato

Torta Nera & Gelato: Chocolate cake and vanilla gelato. More like a brownie..it was so dense and so chocolate-y and SO PERFECT!! Our waiter suggested it and he selected a winner.

Finally, don’t forget about Piola’s Lucky Gnocchi Day, which takes place on the 29^th of each month. All-you-can-eat gnocchi is offered in a variety of sauces like four cheese or tomato sauce for $14.99 per person. . Reservations are recommended.

www.piolatoronto.com/gnocchicontestrules

Website:         www.piola.it
Twitter:           @PiolaToronto
Hastag:           #piolagnocchicontest
Facebook:      www.facebook.com/piolatoronto

Wish I could go to this event but I will be out of town. I will be following it on twitter though.

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Seeing as I was a food sales rep, I had been to Alimento Fine Food Emporium before. They are owned by Grande Cheese and infact I was the sales rep at three of their locations!! This family run business knows cheese (can you say 140 varities?) Therefore,  I was eager to enjoy a dinner at Alimento and was delighted to have been invited to a wonderful evening so I could sample a few items from their menu.

The evening started off with this unique cocktail: I’m all about flavor so this drink really appealed to me. It was called the Rosmarino Dolce and basically its made with Brandy, Amaretto, Burnt Lemon Syrup, a Rosemary Sprig and Sparkling water.

A Perfect Summer Cocktail

Starters included an amazing shaved brussel sprout dish which I keep meaning to try at home. What is it about this extra step that makes brussel sprouts taste better?

Then we enjoyed a charctuerie plate full of all the right things!! I gravitated towards the fresh cheese (about 3 times – to be honest). Ok – throw in an olive or two as well. Hee Hee.

What a selection!!

For my main course, I ordered a fusili dish. Clearly this is not the same pasta I am using at home!!

 I had to leave early so I didn’t get a chance to have dessert. However on the way home,  I did nibble on the pistachio cookie that was in my gift bag. Soon as I got home those cookies went directly into the freezer so I didn’t nibble any more of it!! (true story).

I encourage you to drop by Alimento ..it’s an ideal location to pick up a selection of cheeses, olives, or meat on your way home from work or to grab a drink or to sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal. It’s all about convenience and Alimento gets it!!

Alimento Fine Food Emporium: 522 King St West, Toronto, 416 362 0123

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I was invited to a media dinner at Noka a few weeks ago. We tasted a selection of amazing specialty rolls and I was impressed enough to return in order to eat “Chirashi”. I have been eating Chirashi at Ichiban (in North York) for well over a decade and was curious to check out the Chirashi at Noka. I went on of of those nights when I had nothing in the fridge (sound familiar)?

Our meal started off with a decent bowl of salad and miso soup. I appreciated the addition of some mushrooms in the miso soup and the salad was crisp with just enough dressing.

A great start to our meal.

Then the “main” attraction appeared at our table. If I were handing out Presentation Points…I would be giving this dish a 10/10. The chirashi  arrived with a bed of perfectly seasoned rice and 12 pieces of sashimi. I had called in advance to see if they would accommodate our needs: (no shrimp, eel etc) and the chef gave us exactly what we wanted: 8 pieces of salmon and 4 pieces of salmon. Bonus points to Noka for amazing customer service.

Stunning.

Speaking of “special requests” – if you are a vegetarian then you are going to love their selection of rolls. Check this out:

Impressive selection of Vegetarian Options

Seeing as I am on a carb free diet, I just nibbled on the chirachi (ie the fish) and ordered their Spicy Salmon Salad:

Spicy but Nice.

I really enjoyed it but then again I like spice and can understand why it’s a popular item on the menu.

Sadly I didn’t take a picture of the space but Noka is really inviting, clean and comfortable.  Seeing as there are so many sushi restaurants on Bloor St. – these small things make a difference. Not to mention that they have gluten free options available as well as gluten free sauces and salad dressings. Plus they are nut free and vegetarian friendly.

One more thing: they totally “get” social media. Super impressed to see them on twitter (@nokatoronto) and on facebook. On my way out I even noticed a contest that they are running on their facebook page.

Noka 513 Bloor West, Toronto 647 351 1188

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Hot? Want to know how to “cool down”? Then head to the Sheraton Centre. For $30 you can access the pool and the fitness centre!!

Here’s what my day looked like on Monday:

10:00 a.m to noon: I worked on my laptop in one of these comfortable chairs in the lobby.  (see photo) Not a bad setting to work eh? Sure beats my local Starbucks!! The Sheraton Centre loves building a”community” feeling and encourages their guests to play chess, sit at a community table, or enjoy the LINK work stations.

Got A Lot Of Work Done Here!!

12:30 to 1:00 p.m I was getting hungry and went to check out the recently opened BnB restaurant that is located in the lobby as well. It’s really new…ie a month old. Seeing as I’m on a diet I couldn’t enjoy the burgers and the fries that they are known for. (sniff). However I was pretty satisfied with my Wedge Salad. I’m a blue cheese addict and can’t seem to get enough of this salad.

Carb Free Friendly

I also enjoyed some deep fried pickles that had the perfect combo of batter and the perfect pickles. Shame I couldn’t have a beer with it. But this diet is really working for me, so I can’t complain.

I Love Deep Fried Pickles. Period.

1:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m I sat at the pool with my Kobo. I was in heaven. Talk about feeling like I left the city but I didn’t!! Here I was right downtown on the 3rd level of the Sheraton Centre surrounded by beautiful landscaping and staring at a gorgeous outdoor pool.

Eventually (notice how I said “eventually”) I got off my lounge chair to check out the Sheraton Centres’ recently renovated fitness centre. Seeing as I’m “momwhoruns” , I thought it was only appropriate that I put on my running shoes and go for a quick run. OK..very quick. I was super impressed with the size of this new Fitness Centre..it’s massive. I counted 8 stairmasters and 8 treadmills! Plus room for weights, stretching etc.  This is not the tiny little (sad) looking fitness centre that one usually sees in a hotel.

momwhoruns is running!! Well kind ofu.

7:30 p.m Bye Bye Sheraton…it was exactly what I needed to escape from the heat and I will be back. Promise.

Please note that the Sheraton Centre is offering amazing activities for kids on the weekends. Please click here for more information.

Sheraton Centre Toronto,  123 Queen Street West, 416 361 1000

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