Fave Five: Edition 1

 1. Vacation Spot: 

Cuba

2. Go to Cocktail

Amaretto Sour

3. Favourite Film

Empire Records

4. Beside Read

Prep: A Novel

5. Gourmet Fix

Thai food

Cuba In Photos- Part Deux

Life is STILL crazy busy; add in internet issues (thanks Rogers) and a week and a half (and counting) cold, and you will understand why my blogging-including a proper Cuba recap- has been lackluster recently. 

I though it was time I did a second photo dump from my trip:

Beach volleyball

Ocean...can you believe how clear the water is???

The big hut is where the entertainment crew hung out. There were tons of huts/umbrellas and lounge chairs on the beach.

This was the 'relaxing pool'. Music was played from the bar, but there were no kids, games, etc. It was really quiet, few people and right beside our bungalow. And the bartender was awesome.

Patio that we had drink on. The building behind it was an Italian a la carte and the building on the right was the buffet.

Path to the 'relaxing pool'. The building at the end of the path was the pool bar.

Ocean from the causeway leading to the mainland.

Apartments where the resort workers lived.

Houses on the mainland.

Downtown in one of the cities.

More of downtown.

I promise that a recap of the trip is coming soon. More Cuba pictures can be found here and the BEST night of our trip can be found here.

The Canadian & The Cuban Guava

I had a great time in Cuba. It was a really low key trip (full recap coming soon) but I forgot what kind of traveler my friend is. She likes to go to bed early, like 9pm, and compared to me she is a bit anti-social...compared to me, most people come across as anti-social. My boss once said she could put me in a room by myself and I would turn it into a networking event, leaving with three new contacts. 

Anyway...I decided that our last night was going to be a good one and we were going to do it my way...no going back to our room by 9pm, we were going to have fun. I needed one night out being me and doing things my way- being super social and having a lot of fun. Plus, I needed something to blog about, up until this point the only 'story' I had for the blog were Canadians looking for hockey scores, and days spent by the pool/on the beach reading.

So, I did the good friend thing and told other people that we were going to the sports bar that night to celebrate Friends birthday, putting my Friend on the spot and not giving her a say in the matter. Sneaky, of course, but I knew it was the only way and that she would have fun. Friend complained all day about it and unwillingly followed me to the bar that night- after she took a nap from 8:30pm-10pm.

When we got there, three girls we became friendly with- K, S and T- were already there. We started the night off with birthday shots, which Friend originally said she wasn't going to do. But I peer pressured her and told her she had to do one shot and then I didn't care what she did the rest of the night- which ended up being her requesting more rounds of shots.

Birthday shots!! No idea what they were, but they were really good!!

Some time had passed and I decided that I could go for some French fries (we did an a la carte that night and the menu didn't really appeal to me)...the sports bar was enclosed and just outside of it was a 24 hour snack bar, where they could get you almost anything you wanted. Outside I went and there was a strapping young man waiting for a hamburger- he ordered 1 and somehow ended up with 3. We got into conversation and turns out that he was from Niagara. I pulled out my peer pressure skills and convinced him to come have a drink with us- citing that we were from the same place and it was my friends birthday, so how could he not? It was not a hard sell. 

The hours passed by with drinks, more shots (as suggested by my once reluctant friend), food and laughter. T told us that we should eat cucumbers and plate of sliced cucumbers appeared from the snack bar. Cucumbers, apparently, are supposed to prevent hangovers- they contain water to keep you hydrated, electrodes and vitamins. Life was great, I was having a blast. 

We eventually finished the bottle of rum.

You know in Mexico how they have the worm in the tequila? Well, in Cuba they put guava in the bottle of rum...I can't remember if it's a piece of fruit or the pit or a seed or what...all I know is that someone had to have the guava (just like someone has to have the tequila worm). T, S, K and Friend all declined it. Niagara was asked to have it before I was asked (thank goodness).

Niagara did not disappoint. He took the cup with the guava in it and asked a couple of questions- what is it and will I die- before throwing that thing back like a champ. He became the hero of the trip. Everyone in the bar cheering for him. 

And to think, Niagara only wanted a hamburger and then I convinced/asked him to have one drink with us. He ended up staying for 3ish hours. Thanks goodness he did, because he made the night...he was a really great sport about everything...and became a hero to everyone in the bar.

Before Niagara left the bar, we split the last cucumber slice. I suggested that we wishbone it- making a wish as we broke it- but that was easier said then done.

We were eventually joined by Guelph, North York and Toronto. It was so, so, so much fun hanging out with everyone and I was sad to see the night come to an end.

This was hands down the highlight of my trip. Thanks to Friend for agreeing to go out and to everyone else in the bar who joined us. 

Oh and the cucumber theory? The next day all of the girls were fine. We ended up seeing Niagara just before we left and he told us that he had a hangover that morning...but he was the only one who had the guava, so that's probably why.

Cuba In Photos- Part 1

As mentioned several times, I had the opportunity to go to Cuba at the end of May. I have been crazy busy with work, life and my dad's campaign so I haven't had a chance to do a recap of the trip. I thought I'd just be lazy and do a photo dump, which is better than nothing, right?

So here we go...

Beach

Characters from Shrek were just randomly walking around.

The guy who would bring us cushions for the pool chairs would also give us a flower every day.

View from our balcony.

So much fresh fruit...I was in heaven!

Market that was on the resort.

Another view from our balcony. From right to left- Cuban flag, Canadian flag, two resort flags, German flag.

Everything at the resort was walking distance, but there were golf carts to drive you around if you didn't want to walk.

Drink of choice for the week: strawberry daiquiri with banana liqur 

Lobby bar

Playing games on the beach. The guy between the two girls is the one who told me that the New York Rangers made the Stanley Cup Finals!!

Ocean

Starfish that a lifeguard gave me.

Birthday shots in the sports bar!!

If you didn't want to ride in a golf cart, they also had this train.

6 Things To Keep In Mind While Travelling

I recently, as on Sunday, returned from a fabulous trip from Cuba!! I had a blast and will be sharing aspects of my trip over the next week. While I was gone, I did a series of vacation guides; what to pack, carry on luggage, beauty products and reading list. On my way home, I realized that I should have also done something on airplane etiquette.

"Etiquette" might not be the right term but here are 6 things to keep in mind while travel by airplane. 

1. It is not your flight attendants job to know your travel itinerary.

Our flight home had a stopover...we dropped some people off and some people got on, we didn't stop for very long. In fact, we reached our stop over at 8:15, we weren't even supposed to leave our airport until 8:20, and it was 28 minute flight from. 

Anyway, a girl on the flight was complaining that she didn't know about the stopover and that she had a connecting flight in Toronto, which she was upset that she would miss. The stewardess was very nice to her and told her that they could call Toronto and ask them to hold the flight, but they would need to know her flight number and airline. She didn't know this information and felt the stewardess should know this info or be able to find it on her own. Because, you know, stewardess' know everything about every single flight and airline, including the ones they don't work for.

In the end, all was fine as we reached Toronto an hour and half ahead of schedule. But still.

2. Seat belt signal means to sit down and put your set belt on.

You would think this would be a simple, self explanatory thing to follow. Apparently some people think it means get up and take your stuff out of the overhead compartment as we start our decent. Other people think it means stand in the aisle and drink as we hit major turbulence. 

In both cases, I thought the passengers were going to fall over and hurt themselves, which they thankfully did not. I also thought luggage was going to fall on someone or that someone was going to get a beverage spilled on them. Lucky, neither happened.

3. Listen to your flight attendant.

I have no idea how many times I heard the flight attendants say bottles of alcohol in plastic bags had to be stored under the seats, not in the overhead compartment. They repeatedly said if alcohol was in carry on luggage or a box, it was ok for the overhead compartment, otherwise it had to go under the seat.

Even after they said this, people would hold up a plastic bag with alcohol and ask if it was ok to go in the overhead compartment and each time the flight attendant said no. One guy even asked this question about each of the three bags he had.

4. Planes are cold...dress accordingly.
It is a well known fact that planes are cold. Even if you are leaving a warm destination, like Cuba, the plane will be cold. Do not travel in shorts and a tank top and then complain for almost 4 hours that you are cold.

On top of that, complaining, arguing with the flight attendants, blocking the aisle and going to the bathroom every 5 minutes will not make the plan warmer.

5. Take a poll of passengers on your flight to help you make major life decisions.
There was a couple who were returning from their honeymoon and the bride had yet to decide what she was going to do about her last name. She decided to poll passengers around her for their opinion. The leading choice by passengers was actually for her husband to take her last name.

There was also an engaged couple on our flight, who were thinking of getting married in Cuba, and decided to poll passengers for a wedding date.

No idea if these people will take the advice and opinion of their fellow passengers, but it was still funny and a great way to pass the time.

6. You are not at home on your couch.

A popular debate with flying is about armrest...how do you share them, who gets dibs, etc. Something else to remember, you are not at home on your couch...do not sprawl out.  

The guy next to me had serious personal space issues. He felt the need to have his legs in the space in front of my seat, to use the entire armrest, to continually shift his body so that he was leaning into my seat...it was awkward and uncomfortable.

And there you have it...6 not so important but important enough things to be aware when flying.

For the record, the next time I fly anywhere, I'm going to be more prepared and have a life decision to ask fellow passengers for input on. So much better than flipping a coin.

Vacation Guide: Reading List

This is actually my last, full day of vacation...tomorrow is a travel day and I will be arriving back in Canada early Sunday morning. This is a scheduled post- I'm writing it before I leave- but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'm enjoying my time in Cuba and don't want it to come to an end.

The last vacation guide I'm doing is a reading list, my vacation reading list to be specific. Reading lists are, in my opinion, pretty personal. People like different genres, have different books on their 'to read' and 'have read' lists. Reading and vacation go hand in hand, lots of spare time to get lost in a book or two. I'm not sure if I'll make it through my entire list, but here are the books I'm attempting to read while in Cuba:

 

1.  Revenge Wears Prada- I've heard mixed reviews about this book. I liked The Devil Wears Prada and I like Lauren Weisberger as a writer, plus this has been on my reading list since it came out.
2. Prep: A Novel- This is one of my all time favourite books and the only actual book I'm bringing with me (the rest are on my Kindle).
3. Ten Girls To Watch- This is a re-read for me. I've only read the book once but I liked it and want to read it again.
4. Trust Fund Babies- I've heard good things about this book and it's another book that's been on my reading list for ages.
5. Commencement- I'm not sure where I heard about this book and I actually don't know, off the top of my head, anything about this book. It was added to my reading list in the past month or so it's a more recent addition to the list.
6. The Swimmer's Assistant- Yet another re-read. I love this book and it's by one of my favourite bloggers, Amber. I haven't read it in a while and it's a perfect beach/pool/vacation read.

I am bringing my Kindle with me that has close to 350 books on it, most of them I have yet to read, so I will not be lacking reading material, that's for sure. The above mentioned books are the ones I am hoping to read while I am on vacation and if I get through them all, I'll have other books on my Kindle that I can read. 

Today is my last full day in Cuba...we fly back to Canada late tomorrow night. All of the posts this week have been scheduled...I took a break from being 'connected' this week...no Blackberry, email, text messages, social media, etc. I cut myself off, to give myself a break and a real opportunity to unwind and relax. 

I'm sure that as much as I enjoyed Cuba, I'll be looking forward to coming home to my family, friends and of course, this blog. 

Vacation Guide: Beauty

On a daily basis my beauty routine is very simple. When I travel, I keep my beauty routine very basic and limit the number of products I bring with me. As with everything else when I travel, less is more. 

I bring travel and sample size products with me and leave expensive products at home. You are on vacation to relax...you should be enjoying your surroundings, not spending hours in front of a mirror. Vacations are a great excuse to give your hair and face a break from styling and makeup. 

Here are the beauty products I generally pack while traveling:

1. Hydrating spray- I love hydrating sprays and use them all year round. They are perfect to refresh as well as hydrate your skin. Great product to have in your beach bag.
2. Face cleanser wipes- Great for removing light makeup, sunscreen  and of course cleansing your face. 
3. Sunscreen- This is a must!! The higher the SPF the better. 
4. Bug spray- A lot of people forget to pack this. Bugs are an issue in a lot of destinations.
5. One hair product- Do not bring all of your hair products or multiple kinds of products, Pick one that is a 'must' for you or that you can't live without. Garnier Surf Hair Texturizing Cream is my go to product year round. I have curly hair that goes frizzy in humid weather. This product can be applied to wet or dry hair, keeps frizz at bay and leaves me with perfect 'beach' waves. 
6. First aid kit- You just need the travel size. Band aids can be surprisingly hard to come by when traveling. 
7. Mascara- On vacation, I might wear make up to dinner, but that's about it. I keep it very simple, with mascara being one of two makeup pieces I bring. If I don't have a mascara sample, I will bring a drugstore brand (NYC Color is a personal favourite)
8. 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner- You only need to bring one bottle to get the benefits of both products.
9. Toothpaste & brush- I buy the travel pack to use while I'm gone and throw it out when I'm done.
10. Moisturizer- This is key. Being in the sun all day is very drying to skin.
11. Lip product- The second of two makeup pieces I bring is either lipstick or gloss to wear to dinner. Again, if I don't have a sample, I bring a drugstore brand.

I also pack aloe vera for sunburns and after bite for bug bites. I also bring a couple of hair elastics, bobby pins and hair clips, but again, I keep things to a minimum and really simple. I cannot stress enough to leave your valuable/expensive beauty products at home. If you would be upset if the product was lost or stolen, or if you spent more than $10 on it, don't bring it. 

When it comes to beauty products, pack only what you will need. You will likely not want to go an entire week without moisturizer, but I promise that you will survive an entire week without eyeliner.

Vacation Guide: Carry On Luggage

If I could, I would only travel with carry on luggage. Unfortunately, when you are traveling to a different country for a week, this isn't really an option- too many things to bring and too many restriction with what you can include in your carry on. 

As a general rule, anything that I HAVE to bring with me that has a higher value or I would be upset if I never saw again, I pack in my carry on. With that being said, I try not to travel with anything that fits either description. 

Besides my travel documents (passport, boarding pass, etc), here is what I pack in my carry on:

1. Tote- This is what I use for a carry on if I am checking a bag. It's good to pick something generic- you don't want people to think you are affluent, as this increases your chances of having your stuff stolen. I also use a tote because when I am at my vacation destination, this becomes the bag that I take to the beach/pool with me and I use it as my purse.
2. Clutch- This does double duty, I use it as a wallet and as a purse for nights out.
3. Lip balm- Airplanes are so drying, so this is a must travel item for me.
4. Bathing suit- I n case my luggage goes missing, I can still enjoy the pool/beach while I wait for my luggage to turn up.
5. Earphones- I bring my own to use on the plane to listen to the inflight movie and/or radio.
6. Deck of cards- In case your flight gets delayed, you have something to occupy your time. It's also a great way to meet people, asking them if they want to play.
7. Shirt- In case my luggage goes missing, I have something to change into and will be appropriate for day or night.
8. Skirt- In case my luggage goes missing, I have something to change into and will be appropriate for day or night.
9. Bobble Water Bottle- You are not allowed to bring water through security, so these are perfect! You can bring an empty Bobble through security and fill it up when you are on the other side. This water bottle also has a filter, making water safe to drink. 
10. Magazine- I always bring a couple of magazines on the flight with me. Not only are they great to read, but I usually leave them behind in the airport or airplane when I am done with them, so someone else can enjoy them too.
11. Sunglasses- I love my sunglasses and would hate to lose them or for them to be damaged, so I pack them in my carry on.
12. Kindle- I love my Kindle and would be devastated if I lost it or it got damaged, so I pack it in my carry on. Yes, it's great for reading and passing time, but I like to save the battery for when I'm at my destination.
13. Snack- Airplane food is not always appetizing and not all flights include meals, so it's a good idea to bring a couple of snacks.

Wondering what I pack in my luggage? You can find out here.

Vacation Guide: What To Pack

I am so excited to be in Cuba! Not only is it fun to be on vacation- no email, Blackberry or anything work related...as much as I love my job, I do need an opportunity to relax and unwind- I'm in Cuba with one of my BFFs celebrating our 30th birthdays!

I have done a lot of traveling in my life and have mastered not only the art of packing but the art of curating a vacation wardrobe.

I travel light and bring pieces that can be mixed and matched, and pieces that transition easily from day to night. It's becoming more and more common for suitcases to be opened and items to be taken ("luggage theft"), with this is mind I do not pack any jewelry or any of my nice clothing. I only pack items that I would be ok with losing or would be ok if they got damaged. 

So, what am I packing for Cuba?

1. Tank tops- I bring these in a variety of colours. They are casual enough for pool side and dressy enough for dinner
2. Bathing suit coverup- Great for throwing on to go somewhere for lunch. I actually have a couple of cover-ups that pair nicely with a denim skirt...making it an acceptable outfit for dinner.
3. Flip flops- I LOVE my Havaianas! They are so comfortable, which is a must for long walks. Plus they are perfect for the beach/pool and they are fancy enough that they can be worn to dinner.
4. Large shirt- I always buy a couple of shirts that would be way too big for me (think XL). They are long enough to be bathing suit coverups and are large enough to be breezy for hot weather.
5. Polos- Like tank tops, are perfect for day or evening and can easily be dressed up or down.
6. Cardigan- Perfect for layering over tank tops and polos and to keep you warm on cool nights. Cardigans are also a really easy way to dress up an outfit.
7. Jeans- For cooler nights and ideal for traveling.
8. Sandals- I'll pack one pair of sandals that will go with every outfit I bring. Sandals are a simple way to dress up an outfit.
9. Bathing suit- How can you go to an island and not bring a bathing suit?! Plus, how adorable is this suit?
10. Skirts- I know that dresses are popular for vacations, but I actually stick to skirts. They are easier to mix and match with different tops. I usually pack one or two denim skirts, as they are great to wear while getting to and from the pool and beach. 

I also bring a sweatshirt or zip up hoodie with me on the plane. They take up a lot of room in a suitcase, which is why I bring one one the plane, instead of packing one. Plus airports and planes tend to be on the cooler side. I will end up packing about 18-20 individual pieces of clothing, (including socks, sleepwear, etc) for the entire week, which really isn't a lot.

Any seasoned traveler will tell you to pack light and only bring the essentials. Two pieces of advice that I highly endorse!!

Hush, Charming Apple & Toronto Fun

One of my birthday presents this year from my parents was an overnight trip to anywhere I can get to by train. I decided to go to Toronto. While I go to Toronto a couple of times a year, I hadn't been to Toronto with my parents and sister (or to visit my brother) in a couple of years. I thought it would be fun to spend time in the city with my family. 

Unfortunately, at the last minute, my sister wasn't able to come. This ended up working out better...yes, I know that sounds horrible, but I will explain in a bit. 

My parents and I stayed at the Eaton Chelsea, which is where we always stay, so I highly recommend it! This beautiful property is located in downtown Toronto, between Bay and Yonge streets...walking distance to a ton of great shopping, entertainment and restaurant options.

 

My parents and I got to Toronto in the early afternoon and headed to Elephant & Castle for lunch. I had hoped to spend the afternoon wondering around the Distillery District-I LOVE this area! It's so pretty with the old buildings and tons of interesting shops, galleries and cafes-but it was too cold to spend long periods of time outside. We ended up walking to the Eaton Centre, stopping in at a number of shops along the way. 

Winterlicious (Jan 31-Feb 13) was taking place while we were in Toronto. This is a city wide event with over 200 restaurants offering prix fixe menus. It's a great (and affordable) way to try different restaurants. Today is the last day of Winterlicious but Summerlicious will be happening in July...I totally plan on going back to Toronto for this!

I had heard a ton of great things about Hush and was happy that we were able to get reservations. It was an interesting venue, exactly what I expected for a restaurant located across the street from TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) Bell Lightbox. I loved the venue and I loved the food even more!

I ended up ordering the Wild Mushroom Bruschetta (wild mushroom, arugula and goat cheese) as my appetizer, my entree was the Parmesan Crusted Chicken (pictured), and the pumpkin and salted caramel brownie for dessert. Everything was as mouthwatering as it sounds and looks! 

After dinner, we headed to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)...which was the one thing I wanted to do for my birthday. AGO has an amazing collection. While I love modern and contemporary art, I was really interested in the Canadian collection; which includes First Nation, Group of Seven and Emily Carr pieces.

Remember how I said it ended up being a good thing my sister couldn't come? We had originally planned to go to AGO during the day because my sister is 18 and underage. When I found out she couldn't come, I immediately changed our plans so that we could go to First Thursdays, which is a 19+ event. 

On the first Thursday of every month, AGO host an event from 7pm-11:30pm. They have live music, a DJ, special collections, installations, talks...food and drinks are for sale...all the galleries are open, so guests can view the collections. 

Part of First Thursday that we attended included something called Order Up! Basically, you were randomly given a food item to make such as rotting popcorn or antique squid. My brother was tasked with making a 'charming apple' (pictured...although you can't see the raised eyebrow). The organizer saw my brothers creation and was so impressed, that he took it to be displayed!

You can find a full list of what was offered at the First Thursday I attended, here.

This was such an amazing and fun event! If you are planning a trip to Toronto, definitely plan to be there for the first Thursday of the month...this is an event not to be missed. My brother and I are both really into museums and art galleries, so we knew this was an event we'd enjoy. My dad liked it so much, that he's already planning our next family trip to Toronto specifically around First Thursdays.

After we were done at AGO, we headed back (with my brother) to our hotel. We went to the hotel lunge (T Bar), where we had a couple of drinks and hung out for a bit. It was so great to see my brother and spend time with him. 

The next morning we had breakfast at our hotel, at Bb 33 Bistro and Brasserie. It was a really great breakfast buffet that included Eggs Benedict. My mom was anxious to get home (and it was going to be another cold day), so we headed home right after breakfast

Thanks to my parents for an amazing birthday present and to my brother for rearranging his schedule (including arranging to leave work early). I had a fantastic time in Toronto and can't wait to go back!

I also want to thank Teresa and Vanessa from Tourism Toronto for helping me plan my trip and for letting me know about The Junction (an "up and coming" area in Toronto, that I will be making a point of visiting soon). They both had a ton of ideas and suggestion...thanks ladies!