Life can be so busy and stressful, the days and weeks seem to go by so fast! Thinking about what you did last weekend is hard enough and trying to remember what you did this time last year is nearly impossible. I didn't want to wake up in a few years and have no memories of the little events that happened each day, so I found the perfect solution for this problem! It is a pretty, turquoise notebook with the words One Line A Day: A Five Year Memory Book written on the cover in shiny gold printing.
It is a place to write a few notes each day about the things you did and who you spent your day with. Each page represents one day with five different spots for each year. I love this format because in five years when I go back through the journal I will be able to see everything I did each day from 2013-2017.
Since there are only a few lines for each day it is much easier to keep up with than trying to write a long journal entry. I think everyone should get themselves a One Line A Day journal so that all of your memories will be forever preserved in a beautiful notebook! I wish my mom or grandma had kept a book like this so I could have read about how they spent their time when they were my age.
The One Line A Day: A Five Year Memory Book is available at Chapters stores and Amazon.com
Now that it is winter time it can be hard to find a reason to go outside, but skating is the perfect way to get out of the house and get some exercise! I started skating when I was very young and I even played ringette for quite a few years, but once I got older I stopped skating. Last year I decided it was finally time to invest in a new pair of skates and get back out on the ice.
There are lots of indoor and outdoor skating rinks in Winnipeg, which are a great place to go if you need to brush up on your skating skills. I suggest you check out the local community centre in your area and find out when their rinks are open for pleasure skating! It surprised me how even though I hadn't been on the ice in years, I could skate just like I could back in my ringette days!
Last weekend I went to the River Trail at the Forks with Jesse for the first time ever which is a rare thing among life long Winnipeggers. It was so much fun! Inside of the Forks there is a small area where you can rent skates if you don't own a pair and it's a good spot to get them laced up too. There is a small rink in the center of the Forks where kids can skate around and people can go if they don't want to go onto the river. The path leading to the river is covered with rubber mats so it is easy to head right down there without falling.
When I went the River Trail was still a little bumpy but those spots were easily avoidable. It was the perfect place to go for an afternoon skate, especially on a sunny winter day. I had so much fun and I will definitely be heading back soon!
After you go for a nice long skate go grab a caramel hot chocolate from Mountain Bean, delicious!
Picking out unique presents can be hard to do, but it’s much
better than just buying a gift card (unless that’s what the person asked for).
There are so many awesome stores in Winnipeg that sell items that are more special than
the generic things you can buy at the mall. Here are a few great
places around Winnipeg to check out when doing your Christmas shopping.
This store is right in Osbourne village and has the perfect
gifts for the fashionista in your life. Their shelves are filled with beautiful
dresses and gorgeous accessories that will make any girl very happy on
Christmas morning. The Hush side of the store has lots of dressy going out
clothes, and the Shout side sells more casual looks. Either way this store has
something for every style of girl! Check out their site to see some of their
new items!
Both of these stores sell so much more than just books, they
have tons of items that make great gifts! The atmosphere in these stores makes
Christmas shopping so much less stressful. Go to the Starbucks in Chapters or Prairie Ink in McNally and grab a hot coffee, then take your time browsing the store! They sell
everything from whiskey stones for Dad or Grandpa, to yoga mats for your Mom or
sister! They also carry Fred Flare products, which I love (their cute ice cube
trays make perfect stocking stuffers). Chapters also sells the Kobo, their version
of an E-reader. This product is one of the hottest gifts of the season, so pick
one up for the bookworm in your life!
This store is perfect for anyone who loves things made
locally, the whole store is full of products made in Canada! The store
carries beautiful jewelry, purses, notebooks, handmade pillows, and pretty much
a little bit of everything! They also have hand knit items that they will
customize to whatever colour and style you choose. This store’s right in the
Exchange District so while you’re there, browse some of the awesome other shops
in the area like Hilary Druxman!
These are just a few of the places in Winnipeg that are
awesome for Christmas Shopping, I’ll post more soon! What’s your favourite
store for present buying?
Now that it's getting colder outside it is inevitable that sooner or later we will all get sick. Being in a classroom or an office full of people is probably the fastest way to catch a nasty cold, and most of us have to be in that setting every day. The internet is filled with supposed fixes for being sick, but it's hard to know which ones work and which ones don't. I've had plenty of colds in my life and I have discovered little things that can help make you forget about being sick and start feeling better. Here are my tips for fighting that cold!
Organic Peppermint Amore Tea
As soon as I feel that scratchy, sore throat starting I make a trip to DAVIDsTEA for a hot cup of Organic Peppermint Amore. It's caffeine-free and absolutely delicious! If your cold is much worse than just a sore throat they offer a blend of tea called Gail's Organic Cold Remedy, a green tea with ginger, lemon grass and lemon myrtle. You can also buy any amount of tea you want, so you can make it at home when you're too sick to leave the house. There are two DAVIDsTEA locations in Winnipeg, one in Polo Park Mall and one in Grant Park Shopping Centre. Even if you aren't sick I suggest you go stock up on tea just in case!
Vitamin C
Everyone always says that having lots of Vitamin C in your diet will stop you from getting sick. Whether or not this is true is something that many people argue over. It could just be me perceiving that the Vitamin C actually is making me feel better but either way a nice glass of orange juice can be just the thing to boost your energy and help you fight that cold. One kind of double-duty treats that I like are HALLS Vitamin C throat drops. They relieve your sore throat while the Vitamin C supplements they contain help make you healthy. These are my favourite throat drops! They taste as good as candy so make sure you buy a big bag!
ZZZZZ …
Rest Up!
Sometimes when we are sick it is our body's way of telling us to slow down. When we are busy and stressed we don't take time to eat nutritiously or get enough sleep. Having to take a day off work because of a cold can do your body so much good. Resting during the day can be essential especially when our symptoms seem to worsen at night and we may not be able to fall asleep. Being warm can also help make you feel better so put on those wool socks, sweats and a hoodie and bundle up! Having an extra pillow behind your head can open your nasal passages and help with that stuffy nose. So take the day off, throw on some mindless television (my favourite is anything Kardashian) and rest up!
Get Friendly
When we're sick and our noses are red and drippy, we don't always look are best. Hiding away from the world can make you feel worse. I believe that having a visit with a friend or loved one can lift your spirits and make you forget that you're sick. Even if you don't have the energy to carry on a conversation, having a person you care about by your side can make you feel better. The only problem with this is your friend may catch your cold! If you are both sick that would be ideal because you wouldn't be concerned with germs. But something we have all learned from our mothers that would hug us even when we were at our sickest, is that to our loved ones, making us feel better is more important than the risk of getting sick.
Everyone has a different way of making themselves feel better so try my suggestions and come up with your own too! I'd love to hear what your favourite cold remedies are so feel free to leave me some comments!
The other day I took my friend Leanne out for lunch for her birthday. We only had an hour break between our classes so we decided to check out The Underground Cafe. It's on Arthur Street just a short walk from Red River College. I had only recently heard about Underground, it's in the basement of a building so it isn't super noticeable if you are driving down the street.
Inside is a warm little cafe with beautiful murals painted all over the walls. The tables and chairs are an eclectic mix of different coloured retro pieces. Underground is a very trendy, hip cafe that offers a selection of foods with many vegetarian options. They are famous for their Sun Burger, a vegetarian patty topped with dill sauce sandwiched between a toasted whole wheat bagel.
Leanne and I split the Sun Burger and the B.T.C.L (bacon tomato chicken lettuce) so that we could try a bit of both. The Sun Burger was interesting, I am not used to eating vegetarian burgers so the taste combinations were very different to me. I did enjoy it but I was glad to have the B.T.C.L to balance out the meal. The chicken was really tasty and the bacon was thick and smoky. Overall I liked the food.
The good thing was the speed. The restaurant was pretty busy when we went at noon, but it only took about 15 minutes for our food to be ready. We were finished in time to make it back to class! There are tons of awesome places to eat in the Exchange District and I am on the hunt to find my favourite one.
If you want to check out The Underground Cafe's menu or find out more about the company check out their website!
Last night I was lucky enough to get to dance on stage at the Weird Al concert for the second time. In each city the Weird Al tour goes to, they ask 2 local dancers to perform on stage as the "grunge cheerleaders" during the song Smells Like Nirvana.
It was an awesome night! My friend Kayla and I were asked to arrive at the MTS Centre at 4:00 pm, 3 1/2 hours before the show started. We were greeted by Lloyd Fox, the Senior Manager of External Broadcast & Event Production, and he lead us to our dressing room. Lloyd provided us with a CD player and a copy of the song we were dancing to and we were asked to come up with a routine to do onstage.
We practised our dance until we had it memorized and then we put on our costumes. We wore black bodysuits, black skirts and we had big red pom poms. The time went by fast and at 7:40 we were asked to come wait backstage. It was so exciting waiting for our turn to dance. The big screens played a video showing how much Weird Al is mentioned in pop culture. There were clips of SNL, Friends, The Simpsons, Family Guy and a few more, that all referenced the famous parodist.
Then the lights went black as we stood on the stage. Out stumbled a Kurt Cobain-esq Weird Al, wearing a blonde wig and grunge clothes. The guitarist played the beginning riff of Smells Like Nirvana and we started our dance. It was so cool being on stage and seeing the audience from the perspective of a performer. I have been in the crowd at so many concerts at the MTS Centre and now I was standing onstage, I was awestruck.
When we were finished performing, we were allowed to watch the show. It was hilarious! You don't have to be a big Weird Al fan to enjoy his show because it is just so entertaining. Al had several costume changes including a tiger print suit, a fat suit, a Star Wars Jedi costume, and a giant furry peacock suit. The band that plays with Weird Al even wore different costumes to add to the comedy.
The song that the crowd was most excited for was Amish Paradise, the parody of Gangster's Paradise. Two fans even came to the show decked out in Amish style clothes with long fake beards.
The show ended with a 3-minute long song with lyrics that were literally gibberish. Weird Al, along with his bassist and guitarist sang the made-up lyrics while simultaneously doing arm and head movements. I found it amazing that they can remember the lyrics to the song when none are actual words, so I ask Steve Jay, the band's bassist, how much practice it took to learn it. He said the song started off as just a short few lines of gibberish and every tour they add more and more on to the song. He said that since he has been touring with Weird Al since the early '80s "it has become tattooed on his cerebellum".
Everyone that was a part of the Weird Al tour and that worked for the MTS Centre was so nice to us. They really made us feel welcome, like we were a part of their team. After the show we got to go backstage and take a picture with Weird Al. He is so nice in person and very different from his onstage persona. Weird Al is wild, crazy and exploding with energy. Al Yankovic is a kind, nice father and husband who just happens to be a successful performer and parodist. He was so friendly to us and thanked us for being a part of his show.
It was a great night that I won't forget. When I'm an old, wrinkly lady I can tell my grandkids about the times that I got to perform onstage with Weird Al!
The beautiful mural on the outside of the MCC Thrift Shop
Shop
On a budget? Unemployed student? Lover of deals? Sometimes shopping does major damage to my wallet so when I get the itch to buy something but I don't have much money I go bargain hunting. One of my favourite places for finding great things for super cheap is the MCC Thrift Shop.
The store has had a couple of different locations but for the last year they have been at 445 Chalmers Avenue. They have a large mixture of items including clothes, dishes, furniture, books and movies. All of the stuff they sell is donated by local people and businesses, and the proceeds go to fund the Mennonite Central Committee. Also, all of the staff at the MCC thrift shop are volunteers and they are all very friendly.
Now that there are hardly any places left to rent movies in the city, I check out the thrift store to stock up on old VHS tapes and DVDs to watch at the cabin or at home. They have movies I forgot even existed but that are classics!
The main reason that I like this thrift store is because there are so many hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. My mom and her co-workers usually check out the store once a week for a day they call "thrifty fridays". Her favourite item to buy is antique china. She has managed to find some pretty awesome stuff and lots of it has turned out to be worth way more than she paid!
The best item I have seen come out of the thrift shop so far is a fortune telling teacup that was made between 1904 and 1920. My mom bought it for $0.25 and it's worth $125.00! There is a guide online that shows you how to use tealeaves to read your fortune with the cup. Around the rim it says "would'st learn thy future with thy tea this magic cup will show it thee."Such a cool find!
You never know what kind of old treasures you can find in a thrift store so next time you're in the mood to shop and find a deal check out the MCC Thrift Shop!
Fall is here! That means it's pumpkin season! Mmmmm pumpkin. Don't worry, I won't bore you with a post about a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte or even try to get you to bake a pumpkin pie. You're all too smart for that. I have something much more tasty!
I have discovered a truly Winnipeg twist on pumpkin, that only someone who gets a Slurpee in the middle of winter would really appreciate. Pumpkin ice cream! Yep, you heard me.
I always drive past Sweet Tops Ice Cream on my way home from school, and today I noticed their ad for pumpkin soft serve. I stopped in and got a big cone to reward myself for working hard (or at least that's how I justified it).
The first taste put a big smile on my face, I don't know how I didn't think of the combination myself! The ice cream is made with real pumpkin pie filling so it doesn't have a fake or over-sweet taste. It reminded me of my Grandma's homemade pumpkin pie!
Sweet Tops, located at 949 Henderson Highway, has been around since 1993 and it's the perfect ice cream shop to take you back in time. The vibe is very retro and they have all of the classic ice cream flavours. They are still open every day from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm so you can stop by whenever you get a craving.
With Thanksgiving coming up soon I recommend you take a break from the boring pumpkin pie and have pumpkin ice cream instead! It will make for a wild Thanksgiving!
I love shopping! There are so many great places in Winnipeg to find beautiful clothing and accessories. Through my extensive research in the field of shopping I have come across Hilary Druxman, a jewellery store right in the Exchange District (so close to Red River College that I could shop there on my lunch hour).
I first discovered the store a few years ago when a family friend told me she got a ring custom designed at the shop. I checked the store out for myself and I couldn't help but make my first Hilary purchase! Ever since I put on my first Druxman design, I have been absolutely hooked! I've lost count of how many necklaces, rings, bracelets and charms I've purchased, but I have a good rotation system so each piece gets its turn to shine!
All of Hilary Druxman Inc's jewellery is designed and crafted in their Winnipeg studio, another great reason to love their products. The studio is so beautiful, all of the designs are displayed in a very neat and clean fashion making it easy to view all of the amazing pieces.
Many of the designs have been created to donate money to different charities and organizations. Twelve unique pieces of jewellery can be purchased that each bring out your inner philanthropist. Now you can look good and feel really good too!
The custom work they do there is gorgeous. It still shocks me that everything is created right here in Winnipeg. Hilary's designs have been featured in many magazines and lots of celebrities have been spotted wearing them! In 2004, Hilary opened up a retail store in Santa Monica, CA, and she even has an online store so you can do some shopping right after you read this!
Next time you're in the Exchange District go check out her store, I promise you'll love it!
Winnipeg is one of the best places to watch sporting events. No matter what game you're at the fans are incredibly loud and show off how proud they are to be Winnipeggers. Hot summer nights are a great time to check out a Bomber or Goldeyes game and (pending the NHL lockout) the cooler months are a great time to go to a Jets game!
Lucky for us, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have made it to the finals this year and the first 2 games of the series will be at Shaw Park. Last night I went to the ballpark to check out the game and it was awesome! There is almost no better combination on earth than beer, hotdogs, popcorn and baseball. The weather was perfect, just the right bit of breeze to remind you that fall is coming without feeling like winter.
Even if you aren't a baseball fan, the Goldeyes games have so much to offer. There are tons of great consessions with everything from pizza to ice cream to poutine. There is even a Hu's Asian Bistro attached to Shaw Park which serves delicious, fresh dishes packed with flavour.
Last night I stuck with the classic ballpark hotdog (always a good choice) and I tried their Angry Fish Pilsner. It's brewed locally by Fort Garry Brewing Company and the souvenir can makes a great addition to any sports room. One of my favourite things about Goldeyes games is when the staff throws free stuff into the crowd! I have no idea why I would need a plastic pig or a miniature baseball but there is nothing like the excitement of jumping up and catching that free stuff.
To top off a great night, the Goldeyes won the game with a walk-off homerun in extra innings. I have never heard a louder crowd at Shaw Park then when Barbaro Canizares smashed the ball right over the fence. Tonight is the last home game of the season so go get your tickets! If you can't make it then I highly recommend that next year you put going to a Goldeyes game on your summer to do list.
One of my favourite places in the city to get a cup of coffee is Mountain Bean Coffee Company. Located at 2001 Henderson Highway just before East St. Paul, Mountain Bean is Winnipeg owned and operated.
They have tons of tables to sit at, and even a few couches perfectly positioned in front of the fireplace. The Bean is a great place for studying, there are always spots open and they offer free Wi-Fi. They have so many choices for drinks and food it can be hard to pick what to have! I love the Cinnamon Summit, it's a latte made with cinnamon and white chocolate (I am drooling just thinking about it).
If you don't drink coffee they have a way bigger selection of teas than some other local shops, my favourite is the Marrakesh Mint Green Tea. One of the reasons why I love Mountain Bean is because the owners and staff are so friendly. They are so energetic that they always make me feel happy even at 6:00 am when I'm half asleep. I have a feeling that I'll be spending lots of time studying at Mountain Bean now that CreComm has started! I hope you'll all take my advice and go grab a coffee from the Bean!
Welcome to my shiny, new blog! Come here for updates on all of my favourite places in Winnipeg to eat, shop, drink and play! I'm always looking for new spots to visit in the city so let me know if there is somewhere I should go.
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