I know it’s been a while since I’ve last written a blog post. Forgive me?

To get back into the swing of things (no pun intended), I attended a fun Rogers Cup event today at the Aviva Centre. It was the perfect event for me, seeing as I’ve been a loyal tennis fan since 1990!!

Here I am on Centre Court which is definitely not an everyday experience for me!!

I found out that 19 out of the top 20 seeds will be playing at this years tournament which takes place from Aug 6 – 12th at Aviva Centre, York University.

One of those top seeds is Milos Raonic who was practicing on Centre Court. (squeal).  Of course I hung around to take a few photos and watch this talented player for a few minutes.

The event included:

-a tennis clinic

-a delicious lunch

-an informative presentation with Nanci Guest who is a Registered Dietician,  about sports nutrition and how we can incorporate Danone products into a healthy lifestyle

-a chance to hang out in the Players Lounge

Not to mention there was an incredible charcuterie board from Cheese Boutique.

OK back to the Rogers Cup!! Please note that there’s a 407 ETR Free Community Weekend, which runs August 4 & 5 at Aviva Centre and is FREE and FUN for the whole family. Many years ago, I use to take advantage of this free weekend and take my kids so they too could learn from an early age about this incredible tournament.

The event ended with some cool swag. Now all I need is to get back on the court!!

Would like to give a huge thank you to @RogersCup and @DanoneCanada for inviting me to this event. I was all too happy to take a day off work to attend!

For more information about this years tournament:

Website: www.RogersCup.com

Twitte and Instagram: @RogersCup

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RogersCup

 

Israel turned 70 this year and I’m going to celebrate by attending a few events this week!

Here’s the three experiences that are on my radar:

1 . The Toronto Jewish Film Festival is taking place from May 3 to 12 and of course I’ve spent time studying the festival guide to make my selections and trust me this takes a bit of time! However due to the bad weather last weekend, I watched plenty of video clips and made my selections! Cool fact: one of the films being shown at this years festival (Doubtful) is currently in theatres in Israel.

Also, don’t delay to buy your tickets. I tried to get into one film and it’s sold out. Lesson learned! Either order online or call 416 324-9191 (phone lines  are open from 12 pm to 6 pm) or head to the Festival Box Office at 19 Madison from 12 pm to 6 pm.

For more information:

Website: www.tjff.com

Twitter: @TJFF

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

(ps I love their Facebook page and follow it closely)

Instagram: @TJFF

2. I’ve also been following Spotlight on Israeli Culture which has a variety of events taking place throughout the city from March to June 2018.  There’s something for everyone – theatre, cuisine, film, literature,  dance, music , visual arts

Click here to view the entire schedule.

Naturally I’m going to the Cuisine event and I’m heading to the Music event too (just to mix things up a bit!!).

I’m excited to hear some Israeli Jazz featuring renowned jazz innovator, Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov. Award-winning local singer Aviva Chernick, will open the evening with her unique sound. #soexcited

This event is being held on Sunday May 6th at 730 pm at the Rex Jazz and Blues Bar (194 Queen St West). $20 Cash at the door on the night of the event.

For more information:

Website: http://www.spotlightonisraeliculture.ca

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

3. I’m also determined to head to Parallel to eat some hummus and pita. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Israels’ birthday. This restaurant has been on my radar since they opened and its about time I get there!!

I also following them closely on Facebook and I’m hungry each time I see their posts.

Website: https://parallelbrothers.com

Address: 217 Geary Avenue

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

Disclosure: I’ve been provided with complimentary tickets however all opinions are my own

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.

 

 

I’ve been spending some time lurking on Pinterest trying to find unique ideas for this years Passover menu.

Of course, I spent some time trying to figure out what my centre pieces are going to look like too. Here’s what I’m thinking. Which one do you prefer?

Idea #1…so simple, yet so pretty

Idea #2….Love this idea

Idea #3…I actually have a chalkboard runner to use as the “seder plate” and love the idea of using empty egg shells as a vase! How cute?

As for the menu, here’s what I’m planning on serving. Warning: this is not a traditional Passover menu at all but I’m ok with that and I hope my guests are to.

-Sweet Potato Rounds with a Beet Puree and topped with a Walnut (totally made this up. Its not from Pinterest (for a change). I made them a few weeks ago and it’s a winner.

 

–Matza Brei Cupcakes stuffed with ??????.  Cant decide – it might be stuffed with mashed potatoes or a mushroom medley. I’m  hoping that this idea works. If I get a chance this week I might test it out!

-Yottam Ottelenghi’s Aubergine & Herb Salad with Garlic Yogurt Dressing

–Salmon with an Apricot Basil Salsa

-Yottam Ottolenghi’s Butternut Squash w/Gingered Tomatoes and Lime

-Yottam Ottolenghi’s Tomatoes with Sumac Onion and Pinenuts

Dessert: Matza Smores and Fresh Fruit

I know. I know – the menu is heavy on Yottam Ottolenghi’s recipes but I couldn’t help it. His veggie recipes sound amazing.

I’m excited to head to my storage unit and dig out my grandmother’s china that I always use for the seder. There’s something about using her china that makes this holiday extra special for me.

So excited to share this holiday with family and friends. We are also hosting a couple that we’ve never met as part of an initiative with City Shul that no one is alone on the holidays.

Happy Cooking and Happy Passover and Happy Easter too!!

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. 

This past weekend, we hosted a Chanuka Brunch for some family and friends. I don’t know about you, but I love hosting a brunch.

As always, I found myself on Pinterest looking for unique recipes and of course this website came to my rescue.  PS. Feel free to click on this link so you can see my Pinterest Page…..https://www.pinterest.ca/momwhoruns/

The recipe I found, appealed to me for several reasons:

-I had a bunch of skewers already in the drawer (big surprise)

-I simply needed to buy a baguette, 2 bananas and some strawberries (easy enough)

-I adored the presentation.

Here’s the full recipe  (Originally posted on www.weelicious.com.)

French Toast on a Stick

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup milk (any kind of milk will work but I used whole milk to make it extra delicious)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon honey (I omitted this)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups of a baguette cut up into cubes (tip: use scissors)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 16 strawberries, stems removed
• 2 bananas, sliced into 1/2 inch coins
• 8 wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, (honey) and cinnamon.

2. Dip the bread cubes in the milk mixture to coat each side.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the bread for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

4. Skewer the french toast cubes, sliced strawberries and sliced bananas and serve with maple syrup for dipping.

FINAL RESULT:

What a hit!

Easy to eat, delicious, and simple to make. Scored.

However I will admit that it was a bit tricky to serve them as I didn’t want them to get cold. I solved this issue by serving them as an appetizer as soon as my guests arrived. #problemsolved.

Promise to blog about a few other dishes that I made. Promise.

 

Lately I’ve been going to yoga every Monday night at The Rock Store.  However I received an invitation to attend a Chocolate Cocktail event at Cafe CanCan (89 Harbord St) and it was no brainer to skip yoga that night.

Each cocktail featured Green & Black’s premium chocolate and I loved each one. It would actually be difficult for me to pick a favourite!!

These  unique chocolate cocktails are being served at both Cafe CanCan and PianoPiano (89 Harbord St) for a limited time only!! ( from Dec 5-21, 2017).

However if you would like to make one of these cocktails at home, here’s the recipe for the “Highland Holiday” courtesy of Chef Victor Barry for Green & Black’s.

Now if you don’t want to go out for chocolate cocktails or serving cocktails at home., please consider giving Green & Black’s as a gift during the holiday season.
These bars make an excellent sweet stocking stuffer, or tie an assortment together with a ribbon for a unique hostess gift. Bars are available in the following flavours:

White, Dark, White Chocolate, Burnt Toffee, Dark Chocolate, 70% Dark Chocolate
Milk, Ginger Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, 85% Dark Chocolate, Butterscotch Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut and Currant Dark Chocolate, Almond Milk Chocolate, Sea Salt Milk Chocolate

CHEERS!!
For more information:

Website: Green & Black’s https://www.greenandblacks.co.uk

Website; Cafe CanCan https://www.cafecancan.com

Website: PianoPiano http://www.pianopianotherestaurant.com

 

I’ve got a confession to make. See this track? See this pool? Sadly whenever I need to count laps I’m simply UNABLE to keep track. Each time I get out there I really do try and each time I fail. 

However, EPSON has solved my problems.  They’ve  introduced a line of watches (5 models to be exact) that help me out with this problem … and more! There’s 2 GPS Running Watches and 3 Multisport watches that were launched in early November and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak.

Specifically the watch that I want to blog about today is the EPSON ProSense 307. Here’s why this watch is so amazing:

-Accurate GPS and Heart Rate

–Multisport functions: 1. swim (pool or open water) 2. run (outdoor or indoor), 3. bike (outdoor or indoor).

-EasyView Display (no glare) and comfy silicon wrist band.

-Easy to use 5 button design and dedicated back button.

–Up to 24 hour GPS Battery life (very cool feature) AND Activity Tracking (5 to 7 days) AND Watch Mode (30 Days). 

This brilliant watch also features, VO2 Max Recovery Time and Training Effect Estimates, Music Control, Interval Training, Workout Alerts, Alarm Clock and Waypoint Navigation.

Plus there’s an app for automatic data upload that goes directly to all your personal devices.

Seriously, this watch has it all!!

If you don’t think you need all these features, there are different watches at a variety of price points.  Please consider looking at the entire range of EPSON watches which range in price from around $129 to $539. The difference in price reflects the difference in features and battery range however all of them are waterproof and have the same highly accurate components.

I was all to happy to give this watch to my boyfriend on the day of his first 5 km race. He wore it with pride and he enjoyed checking out all the functions. Not to mention his time for the race was a personal best. I’d like to think it had something to do with the watch!!

For further information:

Website: www.epson.ca

Twitter/Instagram:

Disclosure: I was provided with a EPSON 307, however all opinions are my own.