High Tea

This past Saturday my sisters and I took our Mom for afternoon tea at the luxurious Windsor Arms Hotel. Since 1927, the Windsor Arms Hotel has been synonymous for providing an elegant atmosphere for the sophisticated English High Tea tradition. The Windsor Arms has three very chic and different rooms you can choose to have your afternoon tea in. We were placed in the rich red Russian Room but there is also the cream French-style room and the majestic purple room.

The Windsor Arms has a fairly broad selection of teas to choose from, each of us selected something different from one an other and all enjoyed our special blends. The sandwiches, scones and desserts that were served were all delicious and very filling. We couldn't even finish it all and opted to bring some home with us. The time quickly flew by as we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was a fabulous way to spend the afternoon and I would highly recommend this to everyone to do at least once in their lifetime.

40 Family Day Fun Acitivities

Looking for ideas on how you should spend family day here are just a few:

1. Cook a yummy breakfast together like homemade pancakes, crepes or waffles.

(recipe to come)

2. Head to the CN Tower for a chance to meet some of your favourite Muppet's Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby

3. Go bowling

4. Have a Movie Day let everyone in the family pick out one of their favourite movies and have a movie marathon.

5. Have a pretend day at the Beach! Turn the heat up, put on your favourite summertime music, roll out the beach towels and make some ice cream sundaes. If you can't go to the beach why not bring the beach to you!

6. Have a family game day. Pull out some of your old board games such as pictionary, scrabble, monopoly, scattegories or boggle and challenge your family to a friendly game.

7. Bake! Get everyone involved by giving them a task in the recipe and make some of your favourite homemade treats.

8. Have a picnic! Prepare some finger foods put a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic.

9. Go to the Zoo. Many people believe the zoo is a summertime activity but the zoo is open all year round so visit any time to see your favourite animals.

10. Play dress-up with the kids and have a fashion show.

11. Go skating! There are skating rinks located in almost every park in city or visit some of the more popular spots such as Harbour Front, Nathan Phillips Square or the Evergreen Brick Works.

12. Play some laser tag.

13. Head to Mel Lastman Square for a dance party, crafts, games, indoor activities and a Chinese dragon dance show.

14. Have a fort building contest. You can either build a fort with snow if there is still snow outside or take a part your couch and build a fort with your pillows and cushions.

15. Check out TIFF Bell Lightbox with free kid-friendly programming, including film screenings, music and crafts. Entrance to the popular Tim Burton Exhibition and Retro spective is also free for Family Day.

16. Have a spa day. Give yourselves home pedicure, manicures and facials. Or go to a spa and relax while others pamper you.

17. Have a tea party! Get your friends together dress up and sip some tea. Place like David's Tea and the Tea Emporium showcase hundreds of teas from across the globe so make sure to pick up a few for this special event. You can even put on Alice and Wonderland in the background for fun.

18. Play a game of ice hockey or road hockey

19. Give each other make-overs. Take turns doing each other's hair and make-up but don't peek until your make-over is complete.

20. Organize a family portrait. Get dressed up or everyone wear jeans and a white shirt and take photos with your family. Hire a photographer or just get a friend to take some photos of your family indoors and outdoors.

21. Go to Casa Loma where you can meet Dora the Explorer, then from noon to 2pm there will be a special scavenger hunt taking place.

22. Have a dance party. Invite some friends over, make an upbeat playlist and clear some room for dancing.

23. Check out the AGO. On Family Day they are open from 10am-4pm with kids activities, self guided tours and family friendly exhibits.

24. Go to the movies.

25. Organize a craft day.

26. Head to Downsview Park where there is a huge indoor amusement park featuring rides geared to kids 2-12 years old. Jumping castles, obstacle courses, arcade games, carnival games and interactive entertainment.

27. Take a family walk in one of the many beautiful parks we have in this city. Explore a new park that you haven't been to before.

28. Go shopping! Take a family shopping trip where each person is allowed to purchase at least one special item.

29. Check out the Hockey Hall of fame, admission is free for kids on Family Day.

30. Organize a family talent show

31. Have a go-karting race at Mini Indy Toronto's fastest go-karts.

32. Head to the Science Centre! With so many exhibits there is lots to see and do at the science centre.

33. Check out Marvellous Munsch at the Solar Stage theatre. Where famous Robert Munsch stories are brought to life in this comedy show for children.

34. Go tobogganing

35. Challenge your family to an indoor mini putt game.

36. Get together and start planning a family trip. Come up with some ideas of what you want to do and where you want to go together.

37. Have a WII or Kinect game day. Stick to games that the whole family can play and get involved in.

38. Go to the ROM

39. Get involved with a charity. There are numerous charities out there pick one and figure out how you and your family can get involved and help out.

40. Take the family out for a nice dinner!

Winterlicious

Winterlicious

January 28- February 10

Winterlicious is an extraordinary event where over 100 of Toronto's top restaurants create a special 3 course prix fixe menu for a fraction of their regular price.

This year they have also added culinary events with special cooking classes and wine tastings at a few selected restaurants.

I highly recommend taking advantage of this event. I go to at least one or two restaurants each year as it is such a great deal. Tonight I am going to Pure Spirits with my husband who hasn't been their before. I have been a few times and love it so I am looking forward to tonight's meal.

For more information on participating restaurants please check out http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/winterlicious/2011/index.htm

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

1. Embrace the Season

Make the most of this cold and snowy weather and go outside and try a winter activity you haven't tried before. There are copious amounts of things you can do outside in the wintertime. You can take up a winter sport like ice skating, hockey, snowboarding or skiing. Or try a winter activity such as tobogganing, ice fishing, snowmobiling or dog sledding. Or why not feel young again and build a snowman or a snow fort, make a snow angel or organize a snowball fight! All of these things are guaranteed to lift your spirits during this depressing time of year.

2. Exercise

Exercise is a great way to relieve the daily stress in your life. It is also a great way to get into shape and get warmed up! Now when it's extra cold outside why not try a hot yoga class. Hot yoga is a great for the mind, body and soul. Plus you are sure to warm up fast in that class.

3. Treat Yourself

A great way to treat yourself this winter is to head to a spa. This past weekend I went to Body Blitz in Toronto a great place to rejuvenate yourself. The therapeutic waters will not only do wonders for your skin but you come out feeling so relaxed you just want to go home and go to bed. I think going to any spa and being pampered is key ingredient to making you feel good during the wintertime.

4. Get together with Friends and Family Members

Wintertime is usually a time when your social calendar is a little slower so it is a great time to plan fun events with family and friends. This winter I have some fun little events I am looking forward to like a Superbowl party, winterlicious, martini night and a weekend away at my cottage. The winter blues can be tough so it is always good to have something to look forward to on the calendar.

5. Relax

Sometimes a great way to beat the winter blues is to do nothing at all. I went to the cottage last weekend and just lounged around and it felt amazing. Read a book or a magazine, go to sleep early or sleep in. Try meditation it seems to be doing wonders for a few of my friends. Or have a movie day when you can just veg out in front of the TV all day.

If you want to turn up the heat on the holidays come to Dundas Square tonight where you can share a kiss with someone special under one of the largest mistletoe's ever. For every kiss Virgin will donate $5 to WWF Canada. If you don't have a lover to kiss, do not worry, teddy bears, mobile phones, even your new winter boots are welcome. It starts and 6pm so get there soon!

Winter Woofstock

Woofstock is an event where dog lovers come together to celebration everything about dogs! This is a yearly event that occurs every summer in Toronto however, this year they organizers of Woofstock have created a special winter celebration.

From 10am-7pm

November 27th-28th

at the Direct Energy Centre Exhibition Place

Come celebrate the holiday season with your dog and participate in events like breakfast with Santa, best costume contest, Mr. & Mrs. K9 Canada Pageant, Stupid dog tricks contest and so much more. With over 150 vendors and exhibitors there is something for every dog lover.

For more information visit www.winterwoofstock.com or call 416-234-WOOF

The Santa Claus Parade

You know Christmas is just around the corner when you start seeing all the Christmas commercials hit the airwaves and the music at the mall turns to Christmas carols. However, nothing jump starts me more into the holiday spirit then the Santa Claus Parade. Since 1905 thousands of people have lined the streets to watch the annual Santa Claus Parade.

Ever since I was a baby my parents would take me to the Santa Claus parade as it was just down the street from my grandparents house on Euclid and Bloor. The Santa Claus parade holds many fond memories as my sisters and I would rush through our lunch at our grandparents house to then go join our Mom who was patiently saving our seats by the road. Each year my sisters and I would pick out our favourite floats and anxiously await for the end of the parade where we would get to catch a glimpse of the man in red and white. This yearly tradition only ended for me once my grandparents both passed away and I decided to watch from the comforts of my home, however my sister's haven't given it up and still go watch it with my mom to this day.

The parade route starts at Bloor Street West and Christie Street, moves East to Avenue Road, south to Queen's Park, and along University Avenue, east on Dundas to Yonge Street, and continues south to Front Street. From Front Street it turns east and ends at Front and Church streets. For information about where to park, check the official Santa Claus Parade website.

Taking place at Yonge Dundas Square as a prelude to the parade is the President's Choice Financial Santa Claus Parade Breakfast, with complimentary breakfast and coffee. The breakfast includes a pre-parade show with jugglers, balloon artists, face painting, and celebrity clowns.

Pictures from Frocktail

My friend Katie and I had a wonderful time at the Frocktail party held this past Friday. We forgot our cameras so I had to get these from the photographer who was on site. The party was a success with over 700 guests in attendance and a total of $37,000 was raised for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Power House of Terror Coverage

Power House of Terror

This morning I was watching Breakfast Television and saw that they were reporting from the Power House of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Centre. I have heard about this building before as it has a reputation for being haunted. The Power House was created in 1936 by the patients of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Centre and it was shut down in 1979. This building and those around it have been listed as the most haunted sites in Toronto.

This Halloween the Power House has been opened up to raise money for Sick Kids Hospital with 5 terrifying attractions to spook the daylights out of you.

The Asylum - Enter...if you dare...a maze of ultimate madness. Once you enter The Asylum there is no escape. Whatever you do stay together and do not make eye contact if you want to survive!

Shady Acres - If you survive The Asylum, you will enter the realm of the Crypt Keeper ---The Thief of Souls. The Crypt Keeper craves new mortals and awaits your arrival. Allowing you to leave, however, may be a little more difficult.

Terror in the Maze - What! You escaped the realm of the Crypt Keeper? Impressive! You are braver then we thought! The zombie Marsh and corn maze will surely seal your fate.

Terror under the Big Top!!! Enter a dimension where reality as you know it will cease to exist. Afraid of the Dark? You should be!!!

The Last Ride - A Personal, Solo, Extreme Experience involving all the senses. Ever been in a real coffin before? Experience a simulated burial and get buried alive! This ride allows you to lie in a REAL coffin and feel what it would be like to be buried alive. If you’re claustrophobic, now is time to test your bravery.

For some reason I am intrigued by these attractions at the same time I am not sure I could handle it. I remember my first time at Screemers years ago I was walking through one of the haunted houses and the characters freaked me out so bad I fell to the floor in fear. It took me a good 3 mintues before I got up and that was after the girl finally stopped freaking me out and told me I was o.k. Looking back now I can laugh but at the time I was petrified, so I have mixed feelings about checking this out. Although I know a few of my friends would just love this. If this is something that interests you please check out their website at http://www.charityhaunt.ca/

For more information about the asylum please check out this website. http://www.asylumbythelake.com/

The Toronto Maple Leafs

You know winter is on its way when hockey season kicks off again. The Leafs are back playing again, meaning that people will once again have their get togethers to watch hockey, especially on Saturday nights for "Hockey Night in Canada". No matter where I am on Saturday night, I always seem to manage a way to watch the Leafs game or at least see how they are doing. With a great start to the season there is a lot of buzz around the city about this newly built team and it seems as though people around the city are glued to their TV sets in anticipation that this year may be the Stanley Cup year.

Last week my husband and I took our dog down to see the newly built Maple Leaf Square down by the Air Canada Centre. MLSE has developed the area into a "meeting place" with a team store, sports bar and a 50 x 80 foot HD outdoor screen that shows every Leafs (and Raptors) game. On a warm spring evening, it's easy to imagine a couple of thousand fans watching the game there. Although a chilly October Thursday night didn't attract many people, it was easy to see the potential Maple Leaf Square has. In the winter, Real Sports Bar at Maple Leaf Square is a great place to watch a game, with North America's largest indoor tv. What makes watching the Leafs fun is when there is lots of other Leafs fans to watch with.

If you aren't able to get tickets to a game which is always very difficult but a great experience if you ever have a chance to go, a few other great places I recommend to watch the game that are conveniently located close to the ACC are Hoops Sports Bar and Grill, the Loose Moose and Wayne Gretzky's. Hoops Bar and Grill has a 140 screens and every booth has a personal screen to catch all the action. The Loose Moose always has a great atmosphere to watch the game and great food. As for Wayne's Gretzky's who wouldn't want to watch the game from the Great One's very own restaurant. One of the best ever place I have ever been to, to watch the game was WEGZ Stadium bar. Although it is located all the way in Vaughn it is the closest thing to being at the game. It is a great place to bring the whole family with the wide variety of entertainment they offer!

This season has started off great and one can only hope it will continue into the playoffs. Let's keep the excitement going GO LEAFS GO!

Some Nuit Blanche Photos

Nuit Blanche

On Saturday Night Toronto's annual sunset to sunrise celebration of contemporary art returns for the 5th year. Nuit Blanche was first conceived in Paris, France in 2002 in attempt to bring contemporary art to the masses. It is now reproduced in over 6 cities across the world and continues to grow every year.

This will be the first time I am going to take part and Nuit Blanche and I am very excited. My friend Adrienne and I haven't planned anything out but are just going to see where the night takes us. The event is broken into 3 zones Zone A, curated by Geral McMaster explores the night transformed into an unforgettable experience sculpted by light. Zone B, Downtown West, curated by Anthony Kiendl, explores how art and popular music create cultural moments. The Downtown East Exhibition, curated by Sarah Robayo Sheridan, looks at the night of future past addressing histories revisited, futures explored and the present in flux. Curated by Christof Migone, this Exhibition explores the concepts of movement, gridlock and mobility.

I look forward to being dazzled and entertained tomorrow night and will share my photos with you on Monday! I hope all of you will go out and share in this artistic phenomenon.

The Frocktail Party

Inspired by fashion and compassion, the second annual Frocktail Party returns this year to auction off an all new collection of fabulous dresses on Friday November 12th, 2010. All the money raised will go to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Last year was the first ever Frocktail event and it garnered great success raising over $23,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

This year Frocktail is going to be even bigger and better then last year. It is one hot party you don't want to miss as Canadian designers such as Greta Constantine, Jeremy Laing, Jay Godfrey, Ashley Rowe, Alex & Eli are all donating dresses to support this wonderful cause. Please check out the Flickr site from last year for a sampling of the type of dresses they collected and auctioned off (http://www.flickr.com/photos/44466552@N02/). They were also featured on Entertainment tonight http://www.youtube.com/user/charlemangsta.

For anyone who has a passion for fashion and is interested in attending this posh event it is $50 and tickets go on sale next week at www.thefrocktailparty.com Or if your interested in donating a dress to this great cause please message me and I will send you a procurement form. Remember what you give you get back ten times more!

TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the biggest and most celebrated film festivals of the year. This is one of Toronto's biggest events and brings people from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood stars and to view some of the best movies of the year. Each year hundreds of films from across the world are showcased for the very first time at the festival and many of these films go on to win awards. TIFF is well known for featuring films that go on to win the most coveted award the OSCAR.

As you may know tickets went on sale this past Friday and I had a difficult time getting anything. The phone line was very busy and their site had so many people on at the same time it kept crashing. So unfortunately, I didn't get any red carpet tickets this year but I did get tickets to see the movie Never Let Me Go which stars Keira Knightley and looks like a very riveting film.

Last year my sister and I saw two films at the festival one which was called Get Low starring Robert Duvall, Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek. This movie was one of the best movies I have seen and I am still waiting for it to come out in theatres. It is one I think will get a lot of Oscar attention, so look out for it!

For those of you who haven't been to the film festival I highly recommend it there are some great films to see and there are still a few tickets available so check it out. If you

can't get tickets to the film you want to see try standing in the rush line. Sometimes people who are given free tickets to a screening don't show up so those seats do become available at the last second, however beware if you come with someone else you may be split up and have to sit on your own.

If you don't have tickets to any movies but want to try and catch a glimpse of some of the stars check out Toronto Life's Article on some of the hot spots in Toronto where the celebrities hang out when they are in town. http://www.torontolife.com/daily/tiff-2010-hot-spots-map/

Have fun celebrating the film festival everyone!

Let's Go To The Ex

Yesterday Emlie, Adrienne and I decided to re-live our youth at the good old CNE! We had a great time riding the rides, eating our Tiny Tom donuts and relaxing with a few beverages at the beer tent listening to some Latino band.

It was a nostalgic feeling being back at the EX. Every year as a kid my Mom and Aunt would take my sister and I and my two cousin's to the CNE. It was always our last adventure together before we headed back to school. We always had the time of our lives riding all the rides and getting high on sugar. As I walked around last night it brought back a lot of these fond memories.

For anyone who hasn't been to the EX this year I highly recommend it! It's a great place to unwind and be a kid again. The rides are always fun and I swear some date back over 20 years ago. The food is fattening and fabulous! The big thing everyone is talking about this year is the deep fried butter. I opted out of that one but I hear it's amazing. Other foods new this year deep fried mac and cheese and chocolate covered bacon. So check it out!

Rock Of Ages

Last night my friends and I went to see the hair metal musical Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages is a musical combining the rock hits of the 80's, with a romantic story line and some great comical relief.

The story is about Drew a wanna-be rocker who meets Sherrie a wanna-be actress from Kansas, at the Bourbon Room a rock bar on the Sunset Strip. Unfortunately, the club they both work in is now being threatened to be torn down by a big German business developer Hertz and his son Franz. The plot is nothing special as we have seen it all before. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, all while saving the Bourbon Room from being demolished. I am sorry if I ruined it for those of you who haven't seen it but I am sure you would have figured it out! The narrator Lonnie steals the show with his comical entrances and witty lines. He even pokes fun at the story line to make light of its cheesiness.

I thought Rock of Ages was spectacular. The music renditions of 80's hits from bands like Poison, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Extreme, Bon Jovi and Journey were belted out to perfection. I am still have the song "We're Not Going to Take it" stuck in my head today! I also felt the constant comic relief throughout the show kept me very entertained. I highly recommend this musical to everyone but especially to those like my husband who are still in love with the hair metal bands from the 80's.

Beer, Food and Dancing

As a fellow Danforth resident every year I look forward to the much anticipated Taste of the Danforth. It is the largest Greek festival in the world outside of Greece and it is the most popular festival in Toronto drawing 1.2 million visitors a year. As the Danforth shuts down from Broadview to Donlands you can walk along the street and enjoy a variety of delicious treats. There is Greek cuisine such as souvlaki and spanakopita (spinach pie), to Japanese, Thai, Indian and so much more. There is something to satisfy every taste bud and I can guarantee you won't go home hungary. The most difficult part about Taste of the Danforth is deciding what to eat as there is too much to choose from!

Taste of the Danforth is not just about food. There are plenty of activities and events to keep your busy. There are 3 main stages of entertainment you should definitely check out. They are the Celebrity Stage, the Broadview Stage and the Greek Stage all with great line-ups. If your bringing your kids there is a Kids Fun Zone and a Sports Zone for them to enjoy. If your not bringing the kids there is the beer and wine gardens which is one place I always end up!

Another great event happening in the neighbourhood all this week has been Dusk Dances at Withrow Park. I had the pleasure of watching them on Tuesday night while I was walking my dog. They put on a spectacular performance so if you contemporary or traditional dance I highly recommend it. It starts every night at 7pm and ends this Sunday so make sure you go!

If you are looking for other things to do this weekend there is also the ever popular Beer Festival. Featuring more the 120 brands of beer there is something for everyone. Although I have yet to go to the Beer Festival my husband has gone and he has nothing but great things to say about it. The Beer Festival is not just about beer there is a grilling tent and lots of live entertainment! Tonight KARDINAL OFFISHALL will be performing so look out for that big performance.