After travelling to Beaches Resorts three times, both in Turks and Caicos and Negril, Jamaica, I’m convinced that despite these all-inclusive meccas providing being luxury-level vacations, they are also very budget-friendly. I have 7 awesome reasons why. In addition, there is freedom and relief when you arrive at a resort that gives the highest level of service and quality, and you need not open your wallet the entire time you vacation. It’s as if the relaxation has double the effect.
This is one of those play-at-any-age toys that produces hours of thrill. Colours, flavours and scents ‘mould’ (see what I did there?) these recipes into different variations and can each change the game entirely. In little jars, the dough can be gifted for holidays like Valentines, or given as party favours. And not just for kids’ parties.. imagine a posh dinner chez you where every guest takes home an assortment of polaydoh? Trés fun.
Not sure where to start. I’m not really as cool as I like to think I am. And the Drake is a bit out of my league on the funkiness scale. With a photobooth in the lobby, a balloon chandelier, and 1970’s touches in the studio (‘crash pad’) rooms, this place was.. the bomb. On a cool scale? I felt 200%. The bathroom is incorporated into the room, kind of at the end of your bed. The staff have nose rings and tight plaid pants like the hip golfers in the PGA Tour.
This Mother’s Day I’ll probably celebrate in the usual way. I’ll sleep in. Around 11am I’ll be gently awakened to the aroma of chai tea at my bedside. There will be cards from my kids and husband and I’ll receive flowers and gifts, surrounded by family. After that, I’ll take several hours for myself and get a mani-pedi or relax with a book—whatever I want. But it wasn’t always like this. I’ve been a mom for almost 19 years, and for the first half of that, I was a single mom. Mother’s Day used to look very different then.
It’s always a great idea for your health to take a break from the alcohol, even for a bit. Bartender Bobbi Kay, formerly of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Vancouver’s Boneta is a mocktail wizard. If you love the Mojito but desire not to drink alcohol or have a bun in the oven, so to speak… here’s a special recipe.
My Halifax elementary school, Sir Charles Tupper, produced a cookbook and this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake was in it. We still serve it for holidays every year. I remember my mom entertaining, and eating this for breakfast the next day! I don’t think there’s anything more decadent than cheesecake for breakfast. The richness is delicious and satisfying. It’s amazing when you stop to think about how many memories we have that are tied to food! What food holds special memories for you?
A few years back, during a Cityline filming I had the pleasure of re-acquainting with Trish Magwood, Food Network host, creator of Dish Cooking Studio and all-around supermom. She shared this amazing salad recipe on the show and it is absolutely delicious. There’s nothing quite like a great spring salad to help celebrate the change in season. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days as well, and add the dressing each time you need a snack. If you time it right you may be able to find flowering pea shoots. They make a beautiful addition to this perfect springtime salad. Serves 6
Get your head out of the gutter Mom. Learning how to drive a stick shift (or manual transmission for the techies) is a perfect skill to add to your bucket list. Not only does the manual shifting of gears give you more power and control, but it could be necessary in an emergency (think James Bond in Die Another Day), renting a hot European driving machine in the South of France, being a DD to a friend in a race car, or driving on icy roads (last but not least). I have owned a couple of manual cars and was fortunate to learn on my Dad’s before I ruined my own clutche(s) (thanks Dad). But I must admit, the control over the car and the jaw-dropping stares by people as I stepped into my car in stilettos and didn’t stall was worth every ounce of effort.
Choosing the best sunscreen for your family isn’t easy. The number of brands – new and old – packing the shelves seems endless and researchers are constantly churning out new findings on what ingredients are deemed ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for our health. For safe, effective protection for your family, here are 7 tips to keep in mind when choosing your sunscreen this summer.
Ostrich. That’s what I can be when it comes to anything mechanical. Planes, trains and automobiles are amazing, as long as they work. Lately, I’ve had a boat engine not start, my Vespa not engaging into gear and the brakes on my son’s bike falling off. I need to do better. I need to understand maintenance on a much higher level – or at the very least be diligent about getting my vehicles serviced regularly.
