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8 Holiday Festivals in Toronto this Year
It is holiday festival season in Toronto! From artistic displays to holiday shopping, visiting Christmas markets and holiday festivals is the best way to get into the holiday spirit. Here is a list of some of the holiday festivals in the city this year.
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Our Favourite Christmas Recipes: Part Two
Part two of our holiday baking series will be sure to get your creative juices flowing. “White Cherry Chip Cookies” I love this recipe because my family loves eating them. I adapted it from another recipe one year around Christmas when I had finally finished writing exams. That the cookies came out in Christmas colours was a happy coincidence. -Vicky 2 cups of all-purpose flour 2 tsps of baking powder ½ tsp of salt ½ cup of shortening ¼ cup of milk 1 egg 1 cup of white sugar 2-3 tbsp of vanilla extract A handful of maraschino cherries, cut into quarters In large bowl, cream shortening, sugar, egg, milk,…
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Our Favourite Christmas Recipes: Part One
Christmas is a time of creating fond memories, celebrating family traditions, and giving to others. In our homes, baking is an integral part of the Christmas celebration. There hasn’t been a Christmas that has gone by without someone pulling out the old recipe books and creating some tasty treats. With three days left till Christmas, we’ve decided to include some of our favourite recipes for the Christmas season, hopefully they can provide some inspiration for your own holiday baking! “Squished Reindeer” This is a recipe I started making a few years back and it has quickly turned into a baking tradition. My family fell in love with these tasty sweets…
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5 Movies to Watch This Holiday Season
Who doesn’t love a good Christmas movie? Come on, the snow, the romance, the deep lessons of morality? All wrapped up with a bow. Christmas movies have become an integral part of how many of us celebrate the holiday season. From providing comfort, to challenging our perceptions, to reminding us the true meaning of the season, movies help us connect to, understand, and appreciate all we have to be thankful for this time of year. While everyone has their favourites, the ones embedded in personal traditions, I thought I would share a few of my favourites with you. So get cozy, sit back, and enjoy! The Classic: It’s a Wonderful…
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8 Beauty Product Stocking Stuffers
With only 8 days left till Christmas, you feel like you’re on top of your shopping, you have all your gifts purchased but then you look over to the fireplace to see the stockings empty! Little gifts to fill up a stocking are usually the last thing on your mind during Christmas shopping as the big purchases take up so much of your time. Stocking stuffers are all about the quick, easy, and inexpensive. Here’s a list of stocking stuffers for those beauty addicts on your list: 1. Burt bee’s Lip Gift Set $9.97 These are great natural lip balms that are very moisturizing. They also come in 4 different varieties…
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Shop for Everyone Along the Danforth
The holidays are hard. How can you get the perfect gift for everyone on your list while still trudging through your daily activities? With the added stress of holiday parties and end of the year work schedules, holiday shopping can be hard. This list will help you get to everyone on your list, all in one neighbourhood! The Music Lover The Danforth has something for every music lover. Aside from the obvious concert hall, check out these music themed gift ideas! Music lessons at Elite Music Academy Some vintage vinyl from Mike’s Music A new or used instrument for the budding musician from The Twelfth Fret Don’t want to go…
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A Secret Santa Gift Guide for that Difficult Person in your Life
Well, it’s that time of year again! Gift buying is pretty fun, but what if you’re stuck participating in a Secret Santa, and you get the ONE person in the whole event that you rarely talk to? Plus, you’re expected to buy something nice for someone you barely know? If that’s not pressure, then I don’t know what is! Seriously though, trust me; been there, done that….and I never want to do it again. So here’s a list of gift ideas for you, in case you end up like me, going through a whole mall trying to find a gift. Bon Appétit Gift Card Gift Card The gift of food…
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How to Survive Post-Holiday Depression
All of December is spent preparing for the holidays. And let’s face it: it can be too much. Our efforts go towards planning and organizing holiday dinners and parties. We spend more than we can afford on gifts and decorations. We see family and friends day after day. But after all the hype and adrenaline has run out, what’s left? In a short few hours, all of that time, money and socialization is gone. If you’re anything like the 20% of Canadians who experience anxiety, then you’re struggling to get through the last few days before work or school resume. Here are some strategies to get you through until your…
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Winter Recipe: Cheeseball Snowman
Ingredients: 2 (250g) packages of cream cheese, room temperature 2 cups white cheddar cheese (or any other kind of white cheese), shredded 2 tablespoons minced shallot 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tobasco) coarse salt and black pepper, to taste fresh rosemary sprigs 5 raisins pretzel sticks 1 baby carrot crackers (1 large Breton cracker for the base of the hat, and 3 regular Ritz crackers for the top of the hat) Mix the cream cheese in a bowl with 1 ½ cups of white cheddar cheese. Add the minced shallots, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Mix together and add…
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Have Yourself a Merry, Stylish Christmas
The holidays are here and it’s time to give yourself a treat and find the perfect outfit for that amazing Christmas dinner. Have a walk down Danforth Avenue and find the top boutiques in Toronto that will have you dressing to the nines with their exclusive and stand-out designs. Share the joy! Boutique Lavilla, 766 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON (417)406-3444 Located on the very heart of Danforth Avenue, Lavilla is like an uncut diamond: once you pass through the roughness of its façade, you find an amazing variety of chic and modern outfits. But its most valuable treasure is the Spanish clothing brand Desigual, noted for its patchwork and asymmetrical…
