Happy Holidays!!

From my family to yours, The Little Honey Bee would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Let the holiday sugar high begin!

Holiday baking is the best. Best. BEST! It seems everyone has their family specialty. Usually some sort of cookie. Recipes that have been passed down over the years. Perfected over time. Only made at Christmas time. Loved by all. My favourite Christmas cookie recipes come courtesy of my aunt and Mom. Growing up my Auntie Sue would make shortbread cookies. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from but I LOVE them. At some point, I became the one who makes them for our family Christmas dinners. Now each year, I bake them on Christmas eve. My Dad acts as official taste tester. They are his favourite. Every year he insists I make a double batch. Telling me that if I don't, then he'll make them himself. This has yet to happen...

My other favourite Christmas cookie is this mint chocolate sugar drop thing (I don't know their official name) my Mom makes. They have mint chocolate chips and are rolled in sugar before baking them. Little bites of heaven! My sister is now the one in charge of making these. (the kid does a fine job!)

Whatever your cookie or dessert of choice, now is the time to start baking! Let the sugar high begin!!

Design friendly finds

I love the Distillery District. Shops, restaurants, galleries - what's not to love?! One of my favourite stores is Bergo (my absolute favourite is Leif Benner Designs). Bergo is a beautiful industrial looking shop filled with equally beautiful and unique items. They seem to have it all - watches, jewellery, furniture, home decor and kitchen stuff. I LOVE it all! Everything is super cool and contemporary. Great place for the design conscious person on your list.

An after you're done shopping, you should walk out the door and right into the Mill Street Brew Pub. As all the places in the Distillery its kept its old industrial charm. Lots of tasty beers on tap and delicious menu items. I recommend the chicken club sandwich or grilled steak and smoked gouda wrap. Perfect post Christmas shopping reward!

Give the gift of pretty

My love of Sephora is well documented. They carry all my favourite lines: Stila, Benefit, Smashbox etc. All these brands have products that would make fantastic gifts! But Sephora also has great gift sets available. Bliss has several yummy smelling gift sets (anyone would be delighted to get Lemon Sage Body Butter!) You also can't go wrong with the Bliss Glamour Gloves or Softening Socks. Perfect gift for a Mom that needs some pampering.

If you're looking for festive smelling products, you must get something from Philosophy. The Gingerbread Man lotions will have you smelling like a cookie. I also love the Cinnamon scented products - like a pack of cinnamon hearts in lotion form!

If it's cute stocking stuffers you're after, Opi by Sephora nail polishes are perfect. Tons of great colours, and the very trendy new matte formulas!

Bubbly fun!

The holidays are a time to have fun and celebrate! And what's more fun then champagne?! Every time my family gets together, my cousins mother in law Mary brings a couple bottles of bubbly. GOOD bubbly! And only the girls are allowed to drink it. It's a rule. And I'm a stickler for rules...

A couple years ago, my cousin Holly and her husband Jason threw a family holiday party and introduced us all to Fresita. It's a sparkling wine infused with strawberries. It's delicious and pink and fun! (It's also a GREAT price!) And while it's not technically champagnge, you do get to pop a cork - very festive! CHEERS!!

Sale sale sale!

I've mentioned before that I LOVE Anthropologie. But I discovered today even more reasons to love it. The pre-Christmas sale is amazing! On the second floor there are racks and racks and racks of clothes on sale. Major discounts! Dresses, jackets, sweaters, shirts, lounge wear - you name it, it's on sale.

But it's not just gorgeous clothes. You'll also find great deals on kitchen items, bath items, books, and holiday decor (cutest Christmas ornaments EVER!)

Any girly girl would LOVE a gift from Anthropologie - and you're wallet will LOVE the savings!

Great gifts at great prices!

I'm a BIG Club Monaco fan. BIG. One of my friends at work constantly makes fun of me about it. I go to the store at least once a week. I don't buy something each visit, but I scope out what I want to buy. And look for sales. I try to make it a rule to only buy things on sale there, as the sale prices are always SO much lower then the regular prices. It used to be that end of year sales at Club Monaco hit on Boxing Day, but in the last couple of years, they've started earlier and earlier. Right now there are TONS of great items on sales. Blazers, shirts, accessories. But the thing I love best are Club Monaco sweaters. They make great cashmere sweaters - for men and women. And right now, there are plenty on sale! I'm particularly loving the jewel tone cashmere cardigans.

But if sweaters aren't your thing, there are also scarves, hats, gloves, bags, small leather goods and jewellery. All on sale! Great gifts at great prices!

Shop from the comfort of your home

Home television shopping gets a bad wrap. You hear home shopping network and start thinking lame exercise equipment, Snuggies and Joan Rivers jewellery.

But this isn't the case. My Mom has been a huge fan of The Shopping Channel for years. You name it, she's likely bought it. Clothes, make-up, skin and hair care, handbags, jewellery, kitchen stuff. They have EVERYTHING! So, what's not to like? You can call or order online. They always have fantastic deals. And they sell name brand stuff - Ojon, Smashbox, Stila, Kitchen Aid, Keurig, Dyson etc. (And yes, you can also find things like that ridiculous Snuggie. Although their version is called the Hot Headz Plush Slumber Wrap...)

One of my favourite bags was actually purchased from The Shopping Channel. It's a beautiful soft leather shoulder bag from The Sak. I got it at a great price, and on Easy-Pay (you can opt to have them charge you in smaller installments).

Great source for easy and stress free holiday shopping!

iQ Living

In keeping with the theme of great stores for cooking/kitchen stuff, you must check out iQ Living on the Danforth. Row upon row of very affordable kitchen items and gadgets. What I love about this store is that they sell kitchen items that you don't see everywhere else. Last year I picked up a plastic tomato keeper for my Mom's stocking. Friends Sibylle and Steve bought me an awesome Martha Stewart Cupcake cookbook for my birthday from here. (I can't wait to try it out!) If you have a little one that's interested in food and cooking, they've got a fantastic children's section!

They also sell things to help you organize your kitchen, and many other rooms. Great bathroom organizers and closet storage. When I move to the Danforth in the new year, I'll be making many trips to iQ Living!

William Ashley

As someone who loves cooking, I love cooking stores. Kitchen gadgets are the BEST! William Ashley's at Bay and Bloor has a great selection of kitchen stuff. Everything is bright, colourful and cheerful! They have a wide variety of beautiful Le Creuset cookware. Gorgeous Kitchen Aid appliances. Super cute Alessi products. But they've also got more wallet friendly items. Colourful plastic mixing bowls. Charming kitchen timers. Peelers, and knives and spatulas - oh my!

Everything you need for that gourmet (or wanna be gourmet) chef on your list!

Not the your Grandma's General Store

This is not your average hotel gift shop. The Drake Hotel General Store is uber cool. I'm a fan of all things vintage/retro/kitsch - and the Drake General Store does this fantastically! They've got something for everyone. Cute and cool little nick nacks - Lucky Cat candles and Elf and Santa nodders. All things Canadiana - vintage Toronto postcards, and chunky wool sweater vests (I really want one!) If you know someone who travels frequently, they might like the Inflight Comfort Kit (it includes and inflatiable jersey neck pillow, wet wipes, eye mask, and ear plugs). I LOVED their Rubix cube pepper mill. They've also got tasty treats prepared by the chefs at the Drake Hotel.

Just in time for Christmas, they've opened a second store. Now you can shop at the original Queen West location and at the new Rosedale location.

They've done it again!

Yesterday was my birthday(!). And while the age was not a milestone (28), I still decided to mark the occasion with a little something special. And what is more special then custom jewellery?! Back in the fall my parents had gone on a cruise and brought me back the most gorgeous citrine stone. Right away I took it to down to the Distillery District to see Leif at Leif Benner Design. He and his brother (my friend) Traven had done some amazing pieces for me in the past. So I knew I could trust them to do something beautiful this time around. The brothers Benner did not disappoint! My new ring is exactly what I had invisioned!

And while it may be too late to get something custom done in time for Christmas, they have cases of stunning ready to purchase pieces for that person on your list you want to spoil!

Kick up your heels!

I love high heels. I blame Sex and the City. Years watching Carrie Bradshaw strut around New York in beautiful shoes. I dream of owning a pair of Louboutins. Gorgeous sky high heels. They look great, and make your legs look great. But.... they can be murder on your feet. It often seems that the more gorgeous the shoes, then more painful. Some shoes seem as though they've been designed just for standing. (Because walking in them is impossible!). So the idea of a pair of heels that you could wear all day AND be comfortable did not seem possible.

Well I saw a feature on TV about heels from Cole Haan. They had partnered with Nike to bring the cushioning technology of Nike sneakers into high heels. The claim was that you could wear these heels all day and not have any foot pain. I was skeptical but intrigued. So I went down to the Cole Haan store on Bloor after work one day. I had been wearing heels all day. My feet were sore. And these were not even very high heels. Maybe one inch. Small. I saw a pair of gorgeous black patent leather peep toe pumps. 3 1/4 inches. I had never been able to wear heels this high. I had always found them super uncomfortable and looked like a new born giraffe stumbling around (very graceful and elegant!). So I decided to test this comfort theory and try them on. Oh. My. God! They were BEYOND comfortable! It was like they had been made for my foot. I was in love. But like most love stories, there was a tragic plot twist. These perfect shoes were a little pricey. Not Louboutin pricey, but not cheap. So I sadly left the store empty handed, but with a goal in mind. I would own these shoes!

Fortunately, this love story has a happy ending. With a little saving, I was able to buy my shoes.They were worth every penny. I LOVE them. They are well made, comfortable and classic. Perfect for work and play. (especially if "play" includes dancing up a storm for several hours...) Great for a holiday party!

"Is it wrong that we ordered this much food?"

When it comes to sushi, I'm a little picky. I blame Japan. Living there for a year spoiled me. When you've had the best, it's hard to settle for anything less. So when someone tells me that they went to the "best" sushi restaurant, I'm always a little skeptical. Until recently. A friend at work recommended we go to Yuzu Sushi on Adelaide. We went. I ordered the Crunch Spicy Salmon roll. AMAZING! It's now my favourite sushi place in Toronto.

The other week my friend Sibylle and I went. We decided that we'd each get the Crunch Spicy Salmon roll, and share something else. So we looked over the menu. Several things caught our eye. I was in the mood for Tempura. Great, we'd share the shrimp and veggie tempura.

Oh... but wait... the Gyoza dumplings also sound good... "Is it wrong that I want both?", Sibs asked. "Ummm, noooooo!", was my reply. So we got it all. When the food arrived, our table looked rather full. "Is it wrong that we ordered this much food" we wondered? "Ummm, noooo!" was our answer. Everything was so GOOD! Upon finishing our feast Sibs asked me "Is it wrong that I could totally eat more?". "Ummm, nooooo!", was my reply.

We decided it would be inappropriate for us to order anymore food. When we went back there for lunch today, there wasn't any doubt or questioning. We ordered it all again! Mmmmm...

Get Cooking!

I love to cook. And bake. The Food Network is one of my favourite channels. I can watch show after show for hour after hour, filling my head with tasty meal ideas. I find my favourite chef, and then buy their cookbook. I've now got quite a nice little collection! Without a doubt, my all time favourite is Ina Garten - The Barefoot Contessa. She's amazing! My friend Lindsay and I like to fantastize about being on her show as her "dear friends". We'd come over to her house and help her make a fabulous dinner... She'd fuss over us... Sigh... Sorry, got side tracked there for a minute! Back to the matter at hand. Cookbooks. Ina's books are GREAT! Total comfort food. Not necessarily the most low fat, but you can modify were needed. The food always turns out perfect. (p.s. I met her once at a book signing. We talked about granola!)

You also can't go wrong with Everyday Food. They have a little reader's digest sized monthly magazine which I'm in love with. Loads of great recipes. Perfect size for stocking stuffers. They also have a full size cookbook. LOVE it. The recipes are divided into seasons - so you always cook what's in season!

If you fancy yourself a domestic goddess, then you have to get something by Nigella Lawson (I've met her too!). My Dad likes to refer to her as the "British babe". Her food is a little retro at times. Has an old school English charm. She also makes the most beautiful kitchen and cooking products. (I've got several items!) They've become hard to find in Canada, so grab them if you see them! The last (but not least) lady to mention is Laura Calder and her book French Food at Home. She makes french cooking easy and accessible. (Dad also likes her - known as "that other babe")

Now we've got to talk about the fellas! Jamie Oliver is the MAN! Attractive and he can cook - sign me up! His food is simple, a little rustic and always easy. My other favourite man is Tyler Florence. He used to be referred to as my Food Network boyfriend (he got married a few years back so we had to breakup...). He specializes in making ultimate comfort food. Delicious!

So, if you know someone who likes to cook (or who you'd like to cook better...) consider picking up one of these fabulous cookbooks for Christmas!

(note, if you order online from Chapters, it's usually cheaper then buying in stores!)

For the "Big Kid" on your list

My Dad is a very difficult man to shop for. Like, impossible. I've lost count of the number of times we think we've got him something perfect, only to have him come home with the same item. "Hey, look what I just bought!". Urgh. Great. Back to the drawing board. He's a hard guy to surprise gift wise. But the other thing to know about my Dad, is that he's also like a big kid at times. He loves toys and gadgets. Anything with a "cool factor" (his term). In fact, if something has a "cool factor" and is under $20, he'll buy it. That's why I'm so happy there are stores like Rolo. This tiny little shop on Bellair St. is packed full of things with "cool factor". Tons of cool watches, gadgets, and toys. And a wide variety of price points. As part of his birthday present in the summer I picked up a pair of wind-up racing grannies. He LOVED them. I definitely recommend checking out Rolo if you've got a hard to shop for "big kid" on your list!

The Paper Place

I first heard about The Paper Place (formally known as The Japanese Paper Place) in university. Our printmaking professors spoke of it like it was heaven. Anytime a gallery field trip to Toronto was scheduled the print students would head over to the Queen West location and come back with sheet upon sheet of beautiful Japanese paper. When I finally went I immediately understood what all the fuss was about. The store is gorgeous. Amazing printed paper as far as the eye can see. So you may think it weird that I would recommend this paper store as a great place to buy gifts. Well, you would be wrong. They have great little items imported from Japan (some things still have the yen price stickers on them!). Calendars, water bottles, ceramic, tons and tons of super cute little stationery items and nick nacks. Fantastic place for stocking stuffers. I went on the weekend... A purchase or two was made...

Let the countdown begin!

I love traditions. And Christmas brings out the child in me. So one of my favourite Christmas traditions is having an advent calendar. My Mom buys them for me and my sister every year. It's sort of our deal. I can't (refuse to) buy one for myself. It has to be from my Mom. And she will go to great lengths to ensure I get one. In university she would send Christmas care packages with advent calendars for me and all my roommates. The best was when she mailed one to me the year I was living in Japan. (She definitely wins the awesome Mom award!) The great thing is this is a very affordable tradition to continue. We get the supermarket advent calendars. I think they cost less then $2.00. So be sure to get your advent calendar this week, and let the count down to Christmas begin!

Assistance from a shopaholic...

All of my friends know that I love to shop. LOVE. IT. When it comes to buying gifts, I take a lot of time considering what to get someone. I search. I scout. I go on reconnaissance missions. I'll think I've found the perfect gift. Then I see something else. Now the debate begins. Which item is better. Which one will the recipient like more? Oh how I agonize! And yet, I still love shopping and buying gifts for people! And not to toot my own horn (toot toot!), but I think I'm pretty good at it! It's not uncommon for friends to ask for my assistance when buying gifts for their loved ones. So, I thought I'd be helpful to everyone this year! Over the next couple weeks, I'll be posting my gift ideas and favourite stores so you can easily shop for everyone one your list! And if you are searching for someone in particular, please feel free to post a question!

(the photo is part of Holt Renfrew's fabulous holiday window display. Famous fashion influencers in snowmen form. Too cute!)

It's one of a kind!

I try to go to the Christmas One Of A Kind Show every year. It's a great place for gift shopping. But it can be overwhelming. There are a LOT of vendors. A lot of stuff. If you try to look at every booth, you'll be there for ever. I like to power shop. So to help you make your trip to the show a little easier, here are some of my favourites:

There are tons of food vendors. And almost all of them have samples(!) The Bean Ladies and Tickleberry's are always crowd pleasers. Great for stocking stuffers. Wicked Gourmet makes fantastic dips and sauces - and they have some great deals available at the show. My new favourite is Sohot Sauce (Cilantro Sutra was the best!) You also can't go wrong with cookies from Mad Batter Bakers.

If you're in the market for cute baby and children's stuff, Mally Bibs makes the most adorable leather bibs. For clothes, check out Red Thread Design. And then there is Monster Factory. They make the cutest stuffed animals (or rather monsters) for your little monster!

If you like pottery and cermanics, you're in luck. There are some great vendors at the show this year. Richard Fisher Pottery makes beautiful stuff. I got one of his mugs last year. It's the perfect size for your Sunday morning coffee. The designs also remind me of being at the cottage. At The Wroot Of It makes super cute and very girly pieces. Their mugs have cute little messages at the bottom so you get to see them as you finish your beverage!

Maybe you're like me and have a thing for bling. Well they've got that too! I loved Eles Designs. Saw her stuff earlier this year at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. Gorgeous. I also love Dushka Jewellery. I bought one of their necklace about 4 years ago, and still love today! There pieces are beautiful (although the owners are not necessarily the friendliest...)

Perhaps my favourite purchase was courtesy of Ophelie Hats. They make the most fabulous (slightly over the top) hats and hair bands. I bought a felt flower hair band from them. It's very similar to ones I've seen in fancy shops on Bloor St. but it only cost $20! Score!

I also loved the clothes from Luved. They make super comfy and stylish tops and jackets. Sweatshirt material but way nicer then a plan old hoodie. Perfect weekend wear. I sadly didn't buy one, and am now kinda kicking myself about it. Fortunately, they sell at stores downtown and online. So I can still get something!

Those are my favourites vendors from the show, but they have SO MANY things, you're sure to find something for everyone on your gift list! The One Of A Kind show runs until Dec. 6. I recommend going around dinner time as the crowds aren't as crazy. Happy Shopping!!

Say cheese!

So last Friday at the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo my cousin Sarah and I tried many great wines and samples some REALLY GREAT cheeses! They were so good that we had to buy them right then and there. One was a soft surface ripened cheese called Sir Laurier D'Arthabaska. The second was a ash covered goat cheese called Le Cendrillon. I've happily discovered both are available at Loblaw's

On Monday night I had dinner at my friend Traven's. (He made a fantastic batch of chili!) I decided to bring my yummy new cheese purchases for snacking. I think it's fair to say we were both glad I did! Upon trying the Sir Laurier Trav's only comment was "Wow!". I had to agree. It was even better then I remembered. Same goes for the goat cheese. However, I do agree with Traven's observation - it's delicious if you can get past the fact that it looks rather unappetizing. (The ash on top looks a lot like mold). Fortunately, we were able to get past it. Both cheeses were amazing!

Equally enjoyable was the movie we watched after dinner - The Brothers Bloom. Funny and completely charming. Made me fall in love with Adrien Brody again. (i LOVE him!!) Traven had Rachel Weisz to enjoy, so we were both happy campers.

Good movie, good food and a good friend = good times!

Like sand through the hour glass...

So are the days of our lives...

This post is dedicated to my friend Lindsay. She and I are big Days Of Our Lives fans. Like HUGE. I blame Lindsay for my new found obsession. It started about a month again. It was the night before our friend Sibylle's wedding and we had to get together to work on our speak for the reception. I had been telling Lindsay that I had recently discovered Rogers on Demand. I was thrilled that I was able to watch Young & the Restless when I got home from work. She wanted to know if Days was also available. It was. She got very excited. After our dinner arrived (Swiss Chalet of course) I remembered that I still had a load of laundry to pick up at the laundromat. I popped out of the house for a minute to pick it up. When I got back and opened the apartment door I was greeted with the funniest image - Linds curled up on the couch, eating her Swiss Chalet and watching Days Of Our Lives. Too funny!

So I started watching with her and within 5 minutes was hooked! I had watched Days YEARS ago and it took all of 10 minutes to figure out what was going on. Linds helped fill in the blanks. One episode was all it took. I had to watch more. It's my new guilty pleasure. Now Lindsay and I send each other hilarious "Disclaimer" emails through out the week, recapping our favourite moments. We share a love of a "Dashing" englishmen named E.J. (short for Elvis Junior) Our conversations go something like this "Is he a bad boy who wants to be good? Or a good guy who does things that are bad? Either way we LOVE him!"

So if you have a desire to see really funny over acting, loads of tears and drama and at least one passionate makeout a day - I highly recommend watching a soapy soap opera!

Give a gift

It's Christmas time again! It's so easy to get caught up in the fun of holiday parties and gift shopping. But it's important to remember that there are those out there that are less fortunate. This year especially. My office organized a teddy bear collection. It's great to walk by the reception desk and see piles and piles of cuddly stuffed animals. Hopefully these will help make someones Christmas morning a little brighter. I also hope this will encourage others to give what they can to those who really need it. Like the saying goes "it's better to give, then to receive!".

It's that time of year again!

It seems the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year. This year I saw stores that still had Halloween decorations out when they started setting up their Christmas displays. (That is a little too soon for my liking) Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE Christmas. The decorations. The caroles. The presents. The treats! LOVE it all!

And as always, my beloved Starbucks has it's own take on seasonal treats. Every year they bring out Holiday themed lattes. I like the Peppermint Mocha. It's like a candy cane in coffee form. Delicious. But my favourite thing to get is the Holiday Turkey Sandwich. It's got cranberry sauce and stuffing. Just like the holiday dinner leftover sandwiches I make at home. So good! My friend Sibylle and I had these goodies at the Santa Claus parade this year. Perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

Stop and smell the roses. And daisies. And tulips...

I love fresh flowers. They just make a space look... well... fresh! Pretty. Cheerful! They make me happy. Especially as the weather gets colder, it's lovely to come home to a beautiful arrangement of flowers. But, as with most things, I've very particular about what I like. I like to keep my arrangements simple. Sticking with a single type of flower in different colours, or a couple different types of flowers in the same colour, or the same flower in the same colour. Some might find this boring. I think it's simple. Elegant. Chic. Displayed in a simple glass vase, it's the easiest way to add a little cheer to any room.

There are two places in Toronto I go to buy flowers. The first is along Avenue Rd, just South of Davenport, there are a string of little flower markets. Each shop has buckets and buckets of beautiful fresh flowers. Tons of variety and fantastic prices.

My second favourite is a little store on College St. called Pink Twig. It's adorable. Girly and modern. The store owners remind me of me and my friends. If I were to own a shop, it would be like Pink Twig. They always have a great selection of seasonal blooms and other pretty home decor pieces like vases and pillows.

Cheers!

Are you legal drinking age? Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Don't worry, I'm not trying to proposition people. But if you like good wine and good food, you should check out the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo. My cousin Sarah and I went last year, and are going again this year. It's great! Fantastic way to try a lot (repeat a LOT) of different wines. We like to start with champagnes, then whites, then reds, then finish with a port. The vendors are very informative and can offer great food pairing ideas. Be sure to take a card of the wines you like. After a few samples its hard to remember what you had earlier. (wow, sounding like an alcoholic here...)

The show is on all weekend. You can buy tickets on their website: www.foodandwineexpo.ca

The Best in the World!

It's hard to believe that there was a time in my life that I didn't like olives. It seems hard to believe now. But I used to HATE them. I think it was because my Mom doesn't like olives (yeah, when in don't, blame the mother...). Then one afternoon last year I was having afternoon drinks with friends at the Hyatt. They served these spicy olives. I thought I'd try one. Boy am I glad I did! They were amazing!! I think I ate the whole batch. I was so happy to discover that Whole Foods sold a similar spiced olive. Pretty soon I was buying olives every week. I became a woman obsessed! So imagine my delight when I heard there was a place on the Danforth that claimed to have the world's best olives! They were even so bold as to name their store "The Best Olives In The World". Well, my friend Sibylle and I decided we'd be the judges of that! So on Saturday (after the Santa Claus parade!) we headed over. The store is located on the Danforth, just West of Donlands. What did we find?

Spicy Red Pepper Olives...

Lemony olives...
Mixed olives...The shop keeper was delightful. Super friendly, very informative and offered to let us try every variety of olive in the store. We were in HEAVEN! They were all so unbelievably good! We finally settled on three varieties to take home and proceeded to eat them until we had stomach aches. Well worth it! And, it should be noted that the store also sell the most amazing olive oil. I will be coming back here often...

Have hoop, will hula!

I like to try new things. I try to live by the motto "I'll try anything once". Well, almost anything... (Let's not be ridiculous now!) So when my friend and fellow blogger Running Shorts (check out her fantastic blog here) suggested we try a Hula Hoop exercise class, I eagerly accepted. Now, it should be noted that this is not the first time Running Shorts and I have done a crazy workout together (and I'm not talking about half marathon training runs). Last year we took a group strip tease class. This was easily one of the funniest workouts EVER! After learning how to do a sexy walk, wind our bodies like a snake, and whip our hair around we left with a new found respect for exotic dancers. (That's seriously tough work!) The day after was far less sexy as we had sore backs and bruised knees. Try discussing that with male friends and co-workers... You've never seen such interest!

But back to the Hula Hooping. So we had registered for a class with Hoop Toronto's Feel Good Friday. The classes take place at World TKB on Bloor Street. I really had no idea what to expect. The little bit of their website I had read promised a class that would release stress, boost our self esteem, and increase our libido (?!) What sort of class had we signed up for? When we got there, Running Shorts informed me that she had checked out the website earlier and discovered that there would be dancing involved. Now I was nervous. If our last adventure in "dancing" was any indication, this could go terribly terribly wrong... Fortunately, our hooping instructor Sadie immediately put us at ease. After teaching us the proper hooping technique we were off to the races! What a work out - we were sweating profusely after only 15 minutes. Then it was time for the interpretive style dancing. We were all given blindfolds. Normally this would not be something I'm into, but it actually put us at ease. We could be free to dance around with our hula hoops like circus freaks, and not worry about what other people thought. Genius! We then got to try hooping and dancing together. Surprisingly fun and easy. Sadie even showed us how to do a couple of simple tricks. Twirling while hooping. Jumping and hooping. Catching the hoop. We were starting to get pretty good. Although, (and I think Running Shorts will agree with me here) there were other, more experienced hoopers that looked WAY better! The class was an absolute blast and I would definitely go back! It really helped stretch and loosen our bodies. But in keeping with our tradition for strange post workout bruising, our hip bones did suffer a little...

So what's next for Running Shorts and the Little Honey Bee? Well there is talk about going to circus school to try our hand at trapeze and trampoline. Stay tuned...

(Photo not included in this post to protect the innocent...)

Beauty on a budget

I love shopping at Sephora. LOVE it. And while I buy a lot of products there, I don't buy all my makeup there. I've never been able to justify spending $50 on foundation. And you certainly don't need to. I often find a lot of great products at the drug store. Here are some of my favourites (all SUPER affordable):

Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup. It's a sheer liquid foundation that blends really nicely into your skin. Feels great and stays on all day. And it has an SPF!

CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain. Now I love a good lipstain, and this stuff is great. Applying it is very easy and feels like a felt tip marker. The colour is super intense. A couple swipes of #415 Teasing Blush and it looks like I've had one too many cherry popsicles (in a good way)! It's my tribute to the red lips on Mad Men.

CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara. I naturally have long curled eyelashes (tough life, I know...) so I like mascaras that are volume boosting. And this stuff delivers! Two coats of Very Black mascara and my lashes are blasted!!

Oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways...

I had loved Anthropologie's website for years. Coveted the clothing, accessories, and home decor. But the shipping costs to Canada were rather steep. And I wasn't sure how the clothes fit. What if I ordered the wrong size? So I was left to look at the site over and over, but not buy anything. But then earlier this year the local blogs went buzzing with excitement. Could it be?! Was it really true?! Anthropologie was coming to Toronto?!?! Yes! It was true! And we've been blessed with 2 locations! The first one to open was at the Shops at Don Mills. The second flagship store opened a couple months later in Yorkville. It's a stunning two floor retail space. The store is BEAUTIFUL! The Anthro merchandisers really know what they're doing. I would like to live in their window displays. The store is jam packed with pretty girly objects. I could spend hours and hours wandering around there.

I've purchased several pieces from Anthro, and I LOVE them all. Vintage looking shirts. Statement necklaces. LOVE LOVE LOVE! And note to the Frugalistas out there, they have a fantastic sale section on the second floor. But be warned... Anthropologie can become an addiction. A beautiful, pretty, girly addiction!

Santa Claus is coming to town...

You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm telling you why... Santa Claus is coming to town!! No need to check your calendars. It's not December 24th yet. But this Sunday Santa will be making an early visit to Toronto to take part in the Santa Claus Parade! I LOVE the Santa Claus Parade. I have ever since I was a kid. I remember my Mom and Dad bundling up me and my sister, buying us hot dogs and hot chocolate while we sat on the curb watching the floats come down Yonge Street. In highschool my friends and I would take the GO train down, singing Christmas carols with the other passengers. Nowadays, I'm lucky enough to live near the start of the parade. Each year I get to see all floats lined up at the end of my street. Then me and my friends get bundled up and stand with the little kids along Bloor Street watching the parade. It's sometimes hard to tell who is more excited - us or the six year olds.

It's also a day that we get to enjoy many of our favourite seasonal treats. We get hot chocolate and Christmas sandwiches from Starbucks. Following the parade, we head home and decorate gingerbread men while watching Christmas movies. And finally, we top it all off by ordering Swiss Chalet Festive Specials! I can't wait for Santa to come to town!

Let's get something straight

So I've mentioned before that I wish my hair was wavy. But it's not. It's straight. And if I'm going to have straight hair, I want it STRAIGHT! And smooth. And shiny. Which means using a very hot flat iron. I LOVE my Chi hair straightener! It gets very hot. Repeat, very hot. (Side note - I've accidently burned my neck a couple of times with this thing. It ends up looking like something else. Something far more scandalous then a flat iron burn. Try explaining that at the office...) And while this heat is necessary to get your hair poker straight, it can also be damaging. So to combat this, I use Loreal's Tec Hot Style Iron Finish cream. You rub a pea sized amount through dry hair before styling. It makes your hair frizz free, super smooth, super soft and SUPER shiny. I won't straighten my hair without it. And that's the straight up truth! You can find it at Trade Secrets.

Put your High Beams on

"Why does it feel like your putting nail polish on my face?" These were the words uttered by my dear friend Sibs while I was doing her makeup trial for her wedding. In all fairness, she did have a point. High Beam by Benefit does look and feel very much like nail polish (it's the bottle, the colour, and the applicator brush). I told her "Stop worrying. I know what I'm doing". And I did. And she looked AWESOME! So beautiful. Glowing. That is the beauty of High Beam. You brush a little into the inner corner of your eyes and along your cheek bones. Then blend blend blend. Your left looking like you have a naturally glowing, ethereal, dewy complexion. And HELLO cheekbones! In a word - gorgeous! And who doesn't want to look like that?

Pick it up at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Start Smudging!

I love finding products that are versatile. Multi purpose. That's why I LOVE Stila's Smudge Pots. It's an eyeliner and eye shadow all in one. The colour can be applied light, or built up for a more dramatic eye shadow look. When used as an eyeliner, you can apply it with a small shadow brush for a smoky, smudgey effect, or with a flat liner brush for a precious line. I love this look. I had long been a fan of the liquid liner look, but never had a hand steady enough to achieve it. This stuff makes it a snap! And it comes in a variety of great colours. My favourites are grey, black and bronze. Find it at Sephora!

It's Here!!!!

So I was walking around this morning after my run, enjoying the beautiful weather, when something magnificent caught my eye. Could it be? Was it really here? Yes friends, it is. It is here. The Martha Stewart Holiday issue has arrived in stores!! This years issue is all about sweets. And my oh my, do they look GOOD! I will be pouring over this magazine for the next few weeks. Deciding which recipes to try out, which ones to take to holiday parties, which ones to take to work. Thankfully there are many MANY recipes to choose from.

Now I know we just finished with Halloween. But I can't wait to put on a little Bing Crosby and start baking!

(and yes, I bought 2 copies. One for me, and one for a certain sister of mine for when she returns from Australia...)

Gotta go to the AGO

Last night my good friend Traven and I took a little trip to the AGO. I've been madly in love with the building ever since the Frank Gehry renovation. The spiral staircase and Italian Gallery are BEYOND beautiful. The architecture of the building is reason enough to visit.

But this particular excursion was to see the Alexander Calder exhibit. The main feature of this show is his miniature circus. I can not express how whimscal and charming these pieces were. Trampeze artists, knife throwers, elephants, a lion tamer - Calder's circus had it all!! The BEST accompaniment to the pieces was the video of Calder playing with them. His intense focus while demostrating how these figures worked was amazing! I only wish we had been allowed to take pictures. But sadly that was a gallery no no. The exhibit also features some of Calder's wire portrait sculptures. These were also fantastic. The AGO did a brilliant job lighting them, as they cast drawing like shadows on the walls that almost seemed animated.

The exhibit runs until January 10th, 2010. A must see if I do say so myself! (and I do)

Roam around the ROM

The other week I took a little trip to the ROM. I love visiting the ROM. I remember going there as a kid with my Mom and Dad to see the dinosaurs. This visit was to check out the Vanity Fair Portrait exhibition. The show is a beautiful collection of nearly 150 iconic celebrity photographs - spanning 1913-36 and 1983-present.

What I love best about going to galleries and museums is listening to other peoples conversations about the pieces. When I walked into the exhibit I was behind two girls in their earlier 20's. They stood for a long time in front of the first 2 portraits - one of Mary Pickford, the other of Conrad Black and his wife. Before moving on to look at the rest of the show they commented "Oh, I guess they mixed up the order. Like, I don't think these two are from the same era..." Oh. Good. Lord. No, Mary Pickford and Conrad Black are not from the same era. (This was almost as funny as the time I heard two university students on the subway talking about the world history exam they were about to take. One asked the other "So like, what was the deal with WWI?") I love people sometimes!

The Vanity Fair show is on at the ROM until January 3, 2010. (and if you go on a Friday, it's half price!)

Let's get ready to Crumble!

My favourite autumn dessert is Apple Crumble. Growing up, my Mom used to make it on Sunday night. Usually after a really good meal like Stuffed Squash or pork roast. It is the best way to finish off a meal. Fortunately it is unbelievably easy to make:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. rolled oats (quick cooking)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (just shake some in)
1/4 c. butter
6 apples, peeled and cut into thin slices

Place apple slices in even layer at bottom of baking dish. Mix first 5 ingredients together. Cut butter into dry mixture to form small crumbled mixture. Place over apples in even layer.

Cook in microwave oven for approximately 8 minutes on high. This time will vary depending on size of apples, and power of your microwave. It's done when apples are fork tender. A cold scoop of vanilla ice cream is the best accompaniment to the warm Crumble. This serves 4-6 people very generously.

But I don't always want to have company over in order to make this. And let's face it, if I made a full batch for myself, it would be gone immediately. (I have NO willpower want it comes to sweets!) Quarter the ingredient quantities and microwave in a small bowl for amount 4-5 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy.