Luminato: June 1-10

If you're in the Toronto area and are looking for something cool to do over the next few days, you MUST check out Luminato, happening at Toronto Harbourfront.

They've been testing out the lights over the past few days and last night it was so bright we couldn't sleep, but as you can see, it was well worth it!

There are a lot of cool things going on with this festival including a free opening concert from Chantal Kreviazuk. Check it out!

Our First Attempt at Using the Meebo Room

Ok, we're going to test out these meebo room thingy's and see what comes of it! On Monday May 28th, we're going to start a chat at 3pm EST (that's 2pm Central, or 12pm if you're in the west coast) on Monday May 28th and try it out! Everyone try to think of a juicy topic to discuss!

You don't have to be a meebo member to use it, just change the guest name to your nickname and you're set! See you then :D

Toronto Week of Style

Yesterday evening we attended a bit of Toronto Week of Style, which is a free style event going on until Saturday. We weren't really clear on what it was before we went and after having been there for a bit still aren't quite sure...

The fashion shows were amateurish and short and at the break we snuck away for martinis. Luckily, a few bloggers were there including Makeup Junkie and iwantigot and we all sat together.

In all fairness this is the first time they've put this show on and so I always give kudos to people who look for new ways to promote the Canadian fashion scene. It just isn't there yet. Maybe next year.

B Espresso Bar and the Pineapple Basil Martini

B Espresso Bar is our absolute favorite cafe in Toronto. They make the best lattes in town and have a fabulous selection of lunch dishes including pastas, pizzas and mouth watering panini's. We often try to meet people here for business lunches and find every excuse to come here.

Generally they are only open until 5pm so we were really surprised to discover yesterday evening walking by that they are open until midnight on Thursdays for "Italian Cocktails Night". We popped in for a drink and were glad we did because we had the most delicious refreshing martini we've tried yet.

The bar manager, Alessandro recommended we try the Pineapple Basil martini (the Martini Andrea). While we were skeptical at first, we figured we'd give it a try and see. It was so, sooo good! It is made with fresh pineapple and fresh basil leaves which is a surprisingly delicious combination. Apparently it takes a little while to make because you have to mash everything together so that it isn't chunky.

We took a photo of the menu so we could attempt to duplicate it at home, but we aren't holding out hope that it will be as good.

Now we just need to go back and try some of the other ones. Apparently the watermelon one is to die for!

Would You Wear This? The Skin Cancer Bikini

This is right up there for odd, er, "fashion"...We came across an article today about a bikini that develops "malignant moles" on it the longer you are exposed to the sun to encourage/scare you into spending less time in the sun.

Would you wear this for any reason whatsoever?

photo credit: Gizmodo

Freebie Friday: Baby Proof

Attention: Yummy Mommies Everywhere!

If you love Chick Lit and are a young mother with small children or one on the way, or are even thinking about having children soon, this will be an awesome treat!

The first one of you to respond to my post in the forums saying you would like to review this book on ChickAdvisor, will get it for free! This is for someone who has not won something on ChickAdvisor within the last 6 months. (Being in the review club does not count as having won something, so if you've gotten a freebie there you are still eligible).

Here is some info about the book...

With the runaway New York Times bestsellers, SOMETHING BORROWED (2004), SOMETHING BLUE (2005), and now BABY PROOF (2006), Emily Giffin has firmly established herself as one of publishing’s brightest young stars.

BABY PROOF was an instant New York Times Bestseller and received praise from the nation's top publications. Giffin tells the story of Claudia Parr, a thirty-five-year-old book editor whose marriage to Ben seems ideal in almost every respect, particularly in their shared desire for a childfree life together. Their relationship is focused on fun, freedom and possibility, rather than parenthood and the life-changing responsibilities that come with it. All's well until Ben suddenly changes his mind and decides that he does want kids after all. This fundamental shift forces Claudia to reassess what is truly important to her and determine what she is willing to sacrifice in order to preserve the life she wants.

BABY PROOF is a witty, heartfelt story of what happens to the perfect couple when they unexpectedly find themselves at odds over the baby issue – and explores whether there is such a thing as a deal-breaker when it comes to true love.

Although BABY PROOF is at its core a love story, it is also an undeniably sharp social commentary about the last remaining taboo for women: it's okay to try to juggle children and a career; it's okay to be a stay-at-home mother … but in a society that praises the virtue of motherhood above all else, what happens to a woman who chooses to forego having children altogether? And in an era when an increasing number of women are choosing to do just that, BABY PROOF is a novel that today's smart, independent women can relate to.

Our New Meebo Chat Room!

Meebo.com, one of our fabulous partners, has launched instant chat rooms so you can chat online with a bunch of your friends at once! We've created our own chat room, which you can participate on from this blog! Fun, fun!

Lalala Human Steps

We were graciously given tickets to this highly technical and unusual ballet production by their promotions company and attended yesterday evening.

Alex couldn't be dragged out when he found out it was the ballet so I brought a good friend of mine who has a huge appreciation for the arts. I wish I could say we liked it. We really wanted to. The musicians were great and the dancers were very talented.
But the show? WTF???

It was the most painful performance of any kind I've ever been subjected to. There was so much oddness I don't know where to begin. There were these video balls that kept dropping from the ceiling with various wierdness on them (spinning ovaries??). The dancing was highly technical and strange. There were many moments of silence where all you could hear were the dancer's feet tapping on the ground as they walked around like ducks or flapped their arms like some very odd birds, often breaking into random waltzes, sometimes man on man.

This went on for nearly two hours solid with no break in between. I think they were afraid that if they broke for intermission, people would leave. I'll be honest - that was our plan.

It was like being trapped in a room for two hours with nothing to look at but a Jackson Pollock painting; A piece of highly unusual "art" that about 5 people in the universe can understand or even want to. The kind of art that can only be appreciated after some experimentation with some, in Austen Powers speak, "mind expanding drugs".

My friend took the opportunity to have a nap during the show, which was probably the best use of time. One person in the audience kept doing loud sarcastic clapping before each piece ended to "hint" at them to please stop with the torture. Some of us were laughing and it wasn't supposed to be funny.

I've had the pleasure of being invited to several awesome shows at the Hummingbird, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I will continue to remain hopeful and positive that there will be many more fine performances to come - but this was not one of them.

Unusual Workouts For a Bikini Ready Body

Bikini season is almost upon us and are we ready? Most of us still have a little fat to trim, but the regular exercise routine is flagging in the home stretch. What do you do when you hit that rut? It's time to shake things up a little!

We read on msnbc.com about four crazy fitness fads that just might be the jump start your body needs to finish the job.

Laugh 'til it hurts. New York-based Crunch Fitness now offers the Abs'solutely Hysterical class, a 30-minute laugh attack taught by a comedian.

Strut your stuff. You know all about the pole dancing craze, now try the class with the best footwear. Crunch Fitness also offers Stiletto Strength, teaching you runway-worthy moves that will give you a fantastic calf and posture workout at the same time. This new fad was recently featured on the Tyra Banks show (4/30/07).

Sweat it. Definitely not something you'd do over your lunch hour, Bikram Yoga takes you through 90 minutes of strength-building postures in a heated environment no less than 105F (41C). The heat increases flexibility and lung strength while flushing toxins through sweating. Check your local listings for a studio in your area.

Kill Bill. Equinox Fitness brings you Forza, an hour-long workout with a samurai sword (ok, it's a fake of course) that combines two different Japanese sword fighting techniques.

We know what you're thinking: Great, here I finally got all the moves down for Step Aerobics...

Would you shell out for specialty classes like these?


Mamaluv is a busy mom whose exercise routine mainly consists of carrying screaming children out of the supermarket. She is more than ready for bikini season.


Read Mamaluv's blog!

How RBK Earned My Love

Yesterday I attended the RBK launch of their new Run Easy campaign where all media were invited to "run at the speed of chat".

When I'm asked to try out new products I don't give a hoot about how fabulous the marketing materials are or what brilliant slogan they've come up with, all I care about is the product: Would I buy this or recommend it to my friends? Well, RBK made that REALLY easy for me. After pimping us out head to toe in their latest line and taking all of the media on a 2K run to test their stuff, we definitely give it a big thumbs up!

The pants look fantastic on the tush and the light aqua shell jacket they gave me is adorable and exactly what I was looking for, but what really sold me was the shoes. I workout regularly and I've been wearing New Balance exclusively for the past 6 years, and was skeptical to try another brand, but I must admit I preferred the Reebok Premier Pump Paris trainers they gave me (ridiculous name and all), which felt so good on my feet I hardly noticed they were there. They are very light and designed to help keep my feet stable as I run because I tend to overpronate. (In English, my feet roll to the side a little when I run.) I would definitely buy these runners again in a heartbeat and I love the lime green accents.

Check out their newly launched website where you can create your own running trails, share ideas, upload photos or try someone else's route. It's a great way to stay active, have fun while doing it, and look fabulous.

I'm officially converted.

FloorPlay: Defining Sexy

We had the pleasure of receiving tickets to see FloorPlay tonight at the Hummingbird Center and wow, it was HOT! The sexy costumes, choreography and chemistry of the Latin themed numbers made it hard to keep your feet still as it somehow seemed wrong to be sitting. It was like an orgasm on stage.

What was really cool was that the dancers interacted with the audience, even before the show began. They danced through the isles several times during the performance, which made you feel more engaged. The second act was even better than the first and we loved the tango number with the dancer in the red dress.

However, for those of you looking for a story, be warned, this is just music and dancing, there is no plot. FloorPlay is just pure visual entertainment and we guarantee you won't be able to peel your eyes away.

We recommend this for those of you who love dance and all things sexy.

FloorPlay runs May 10 - 12, 2007. Check out our deals page to get 10% off!

Not sure if you'll like it? Get a sneak peak here and watch a mini movie!

Sexy Canadian Designers Part 3: Andy The-Anh

We LOVE Andy The-Anh. His collections are always sexy, feminine and sophisticated. If you consider yourself to be a girly girl on any level, take note: This label ranges from office chic to stunning evening wear. In an Andy outfit, you demand to be noticed.

Originally from Vietnam, Andy moved to Montreal in 1981. In 2001 he began designing for POW before starting his own label, ANDY 4 years later.

Andy is always a crowd pleaser at L'Oreal Fashion Week in Toronto so good luck getting a seat! He has already opened two flag ship stores in Montreal and one is expected to open in Toronto shortly. We can hardly wait!

To see videos of his spring 2007 and fall 2007 collections, check out these from Grant Padley and his crew at Atomic Clock!

www.atomic-clock.tv

To read more about Andy, visit his website at www.andytheanh.com

Photo credit: www.andytheanh.com

Isabella Blow Dies at 48

The fashion world was shocked to learn today that Isabella Blow an eccentric British stylist and muse, known for her love of outrageous hats, has died at the age of 48. She was suffering from ovarian cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. Read more...

Photo Credit: Usatoday.com.