France 1: Chardonnay grapes in Chablis

When an opportunity presents itself to spend part of your favourite month of the year, October, strolling through the golden French countryside, you take it. The other week my other half and I took off with three very clear goals in mind – 1) try to relax,  2) try all the local wine we could get our hands on, and  3) stuff our faces full of warm fresh fluffy pastries. oh sweet, sweet, gluttony, followed by a lot of walking mind you.

I'm an avid traveller, if you couldn't already tell, and  i whole heartily believe that your mind and body feel better when you are out exploring something new. I read once that "travel makes you modest, because you see what a small part you occupy in this world" and it really is true. There is so much to see, touch, and learn when you get up and go anywhere. When i travel I come back feeling refreshed, reinvigorated and with a new found appreciation for my day-to-day life. 

Our trip into Paris started near the old Opera on Rue la Fayette just north of the Louvre where we spent a wonderful evening catching up with two very dear and newly married friends (welcome to the club you two!) who are lucky enough to call his beautiful city home. The next morning we kissed Paris goodbye zipping off straight for the most northern part of Burgundy wine region to a little quaint town called Chablis – obviously well known for their amazing white wine and chardonnay grapes. So of course, we made a point to try some of that deliciousness.

insert obligatory travel dork 

shutters for days and days and days,

chardonnay fields forever 

i know what you are thinking, and yes, trust me i would have brought these home if i could for that backyard vineyard i'm dream of

downtown Chablis, main square

it tastes even better than it looks

Chablis is the most beautiful very small town, seriously you should go there

Chablis is a very, very small town. There is basically just the one main road, which makes it perfect for a half or full day stop as part of a bigger trip. If you happen to find yourself here, head to the main square and pick up a walking tour map from the tourist office. You can easily navigate this tour which takes about all of an hour and gives you a good bit of history, highlights architecture and walks you through the entire town. The main square has a small number of cafes that serve up a good croque-monsieur and cold glass of Chablis. The streets are lined with wine shops that happily offer tastings and information about production, and there are a few wonderful home decor shops and small patisseries.

As for wine itself, Chablis are crisp, and refreshing almost more of a dry taste than fruity. Since Chablis wine is made from pure Chardonnay grapes some experts say that it's the "purest" expression of what true chardonnay is. 

(more posts about the trip and travel guides to come)

Off to Paris

we are packed, on a plane and now off to explore France. we will be hitting a few different towns, and are planning to sample a whole lot of wine and champagne and delicious cheeses. stay tuned, touring travel guides to follow! 

Let the mountains be my home

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity ... " 

(John Muir)

last weekend i escaped my city life for fresh air, unbelievable mountains and the sound of water rushing past. for an entire week I was shipped off to Whister, BC for an event, and was left almost hoping to never return. what more can you ask for in a perfect location really. John Muir had it right, nothing can make you feel healthier and happier than escaping to the wilderness. for me the mountains did just that. I literally felt myself unwind, my muscles relax and i found comfort in my surroundings.  

the event I attended was held at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, which, let's be honest, is a dream hotel and world unto itself. the service is unbelievably impeccable, and the amenities go far above and beyond any other hotel experience. from luxurious sized rooms, friendly staff, restaurants with great food, indoor/outdoor pools and to even free early morning and late evening yoga classes. just once, i recommend you treat yourself to this bucket list experience.

to follow that, if ever you are looking for a fancier outstanding meal out in Whistler, literally head straight to the Rim Rock Cafe. situated in Creekside, this fine dining experience offers by far the best seafood and game meat selections prepared to perfection. I recommend trying the flavoured oysters to start followed by the venison tenderloin ... trust me (i ate them).

broken up into little resort like pockets, Whistler is highly accessible via walking or bike trails, that provide a nice variety for exercise breaks. surrounding some this amazingly lush and rich green environment you will want to be outdoors, so just throw on some SPF and shades, and off you go. if you find yourself in this area and know you have some extra time, head out on one of the many Eco Tours (some include canoeing, skiing or zip-lining), or to the Aboriginal Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, or plan a trip to Alexander Falls.

one afternoon the weather was perfect and I had a little free time from my event, so I quickly ran over to the Peak to Peak Gondola and headed further up the mountain to take in some killer views.
if heaven is a real place, i think i found it on top of the mountains amoung the clouds.
it's so surreal to me to be in a place where you can be walking in shorts in one minute and in a snow suit skiing around the next.

being a winter lover, i had found my beloved snow and was blissfully loving life that afternoon.

like Muir said, "wilderness is a necessity". i know that now. i surprised myself with how much i loved this place. it's peaceful and perfect to say the least. it is a spot i'll definitely be escaping too when the city gets too much and maybe, just maybe one day ...  i might finally follow that urge to move out into the forest. 

The Markham Fair

Hello Markham Fair! i haven't been to this particular local fair, or any fair for that matter, in years, so i made sure to enjoy a full day of animal meeting, fair food eating, live magic shows and concerts, games, rides, cooking lessons, craft shopping and fireworks watching. i love everything about going to the fair and I've decided it will now be a fall season ritual i make sure i practice every year. we happily all pigged out on Tom's donuts, lobster mac & cheese (from one of the best gourmet food trucks), and even a whole bbq turkey leg – because sometimes you just gotta, even if it looks totally barbaric. nothing beats the lights and kid like excitement you feel at a fair.

i even made a little video to share ...

itunes music  //  Circle - Fashion me a drum

just a few more pictures from our day at the fair.

Ain't he just beauttttiful.

nothing will beat fresh lemonade from a lemon shaped stand.

fall windy weather with sunshine and braids.

only the best  lobster mac & cheese for her, and bbq pulled pork for him!

i wasn't kidding about that caveman dinner time turkey leg. 

my favourite ride will always be the ferris wheel. 
you just can't beat the coloured lights and a good view.

the best ending to a perfect fall day.

Scenes from the Staycation Vacation

{ weekends are infinetly better when they start with organic coffee and Wychwood Market }

{ brunch dates at Pain Perdu for pain due chocolate and lattes }

{ pool time all the time - true to my Pisces nature }

{ professional taste tester in the making as you can see,
New Liefmans Beer, Aperol sprtiz on the patio and the all time summer mint chocolate chip classic }

{ a visit to the new Ripley's Aquarium Toronto for the Mr's birthday celebration kick off }


one has to be careful about vacationing this hard, because dang, a girl could get used to this! 
i think i've got this staycation thing down pat.

See more pics on my Instagram @Oomphlove

The Pantry Fine Cheese

Located on the at the intersection of Gerrard and Coxwell in Toronto, you will find a new little shop that just opened it’s doors called THE PANTRY.

While this boutique store may appear tiny in size, we all know that good things come in small packages, and in terms of some of great Canadian artisan cheeses, this statement could not be more true in the case of this shop. Owner and operator Jeremy Lago is a Sommelier, now turned Fromager who has hit the nail on the head when it comes to filling Toronto’s needs for all things cheesy goodness.

Focused on solid relationships with local farmers, Jeremy has brought to Toronto a celebration of some of the best assortments of Ontario artisan cheeses that we should all feel extremely proud of. From the creamy Crossroads Sheep Gouda, to the handcrafted Five Brother’s cheese with traits of Gouda and Swiss; or an aged variation of an Oxford harvest cheese called Tipsy that has soaked for 6 days in a Merlot Cabernet. Last but not least, my personal favourite, The Aged Five Brothers, with its the creamy, mouthwatering, nutty and caramel like flavouring. Walking into the shop, there is no way your taste buds can even accurately anticipated what you will experience.

In fact, anything you find at The Pantry is nothing short of spectacular. The shop also specializes in offering locally sourced accompaniments (for exceptional pairings), and an olive and pate bar to help you put together a perfect afternoon or evening plate to enjoy alone or along with friends and family. Being a Sommelier too, it goes without saying that Jeremy is the best at making exceptional recommendations for wine and cheese unions.

It should also be mentioned that he even does cheese wheel wedding cakes. Yes, you read that correctly.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Pantry’s first wine and cheese pairing party hosted at The Lazy Daisy’s Café. Organized along with the fine folks from Fielding Estate Winery, a large group of us sat down to a well-informed lesson on the art of the paired tasting. Leading with explanations on textures, colours and tastings notes the group of us were in inseparable cheesy heaven.

I cannot say enough about not only buying local goods, but also the benefits on shopping from local small businesses – which The Pantry is quickly topping that list. There is not a chance you will leave this shop feeling unsatisfied. It is quickly becoming one of the hot new shops in the east end of town. 

Thank you Jeremy for celebrating some Canadian food talents and for teaching us the pleasure of fine food feasting. www.thepantryfinecheese.com. @pantrycheese 

#thewhiteshoeproject

image via here

when i was younger i remember never waking up to an alarm. in most cases i got up with the sun jumping out of bed, throwing on my sneakers and heading out the door to play outside. as i got older my responsibilities kept getting bigger and my days always seemed to get shorter and shorter. it is easy to get lost in our day-to-day routines, but sometimes a small movement can give you the wake up call you needed to remind you of that kid you used to be.

insert By-Us Co., the creative minds behind valuable initiatives worth talking about. recently By-Us Co launched their latest online campaign @theWhiteshoeproject, focused on bringing back adventure and exploration. the group explains that "it's a project driven by the 'wearer' and the miles that they tread ... white shoe is a canvas that collects stories and experiences." i am so supportive of this simple yet brilliant idea and can't wait to get behind it with my fresh pair of white kicks. to participate just grab your shoes, get out there, get adventurous and curious, and share your experiences through the hashtag #theWhiteshoeproject

www.by-us.co/thewhiteshoeproject

Sun, Sand & Salt - Our Caribbean Cruise

two weeks ago we left on a 7-night Caribbean cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line and let me tell you, it was heaven. we planned this vacation as an early "hooray we are celebrating our one year anniversary," but once we arrived i didn't realize exactly just how much i needed this relaxing vacation until i was on it. the boat we sailed on was the Norwegian Getaway, released in February of 2014. with a capacity for 4,000 people and a staff of 1,500, anything you could ever dream up to even want on vacation is there for you. from basic to luxury rooms, casual to fine dining experiences, bar lounges, pubs, cafe's, gelato bar, an all ice bar (literally ice, ice chairs and ice cups), a cigar lounge, spa, casinos, theaters, comedy club, jazz club, even a multitude of fully equipped kids centers on board. there is enough to keep you, and your family busy for the entire week, and enough quiet spaces to keep you relaxed as well.  

yes, there was daily pina colada's.

sun, sand, salt water, what more can you ask for?

if you have never been on a cruise before i highly recommend it. i'm not someone who sits still well for long periods of time, so to do an island style vacation in just one place has always had me worried. when we sat down to talk trips and the idea of cruising islands was thrown on the table, and i got a little ecstatic. i like that you can tailor each day to whatever you feel like in that particular moment, and as a Pisces i very much loved the variety of days at sea combined with days on land. the staff on the Norwegian were just exceptional, as we always felt at ease no matter what our needs or questions were. in general, cruising is one of the oldest forms of vacation and luxury travel - and luxury it is. 

enjoying the island of St. Maarten and some mahi, mahi

we boarded the ship in the Port of Miami and spent our first two sunny days on the Atlantic. we felt spoiled rotten by waking up to the sunrise while having coffees on our balcony, followed by time at the pool and hot tub, being hand delivered an array of tropical drinks. in the evenings those first two days we dined in Japanese teppanyaki and then French Bistro restaurants and followed up our evenings with cocktails at a comedy club and show.  On our third day we arrived at the first of three islands, St. Maarten. located in the northeast Caribbean just east of Puerto Rico, it's divided into two territories known as "St-Martin / St Maarten – one French and one Dutch. believe it or not these two territories come complete with separate currency and international calling. we started the day with a morning island tour and history overview, then spent the afternoon salt water swimming  and book reading on Orient Beach. we had some of the best mahi mahi i've ever had right there on the beach washed it down with local island beer.  at the end of that day, once everyone was boarded on the boat, it headed out to sea again to arrive in the very early morning at our next island, St. Thomas. this island, along with a few others, make up what is known as the U.S Virgin Islands. St. Thomas itself is said by many to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. watching from the comfort of our balcony as the ship docked, this island is surrounded by big beautiful boats and yachts, and tons of tiny ferries shuffling residents and guests from one place to another. seriously, what a dream way to live! on the island of St. Thomas we arranged to take a KonTiki tour boat where we sipped early morning rum punch (yum), while listening to a live steel drum band. we toured this island this time by water, had a very good lesson on local coral, and was  then delivered to a private beach for the remainder of the day, where you could sun, snorkel and dive.

a beautiful day in St. Thomas on a private beach.

Blue Lagoon Bay in the Bahamas!

after one more full day at sea our last island stop was in the Bahamas. of course, extremely well known for the Atlantis resort, the majority of tourists off loaded our cruise ship and headed straight there for the action. we on the other hand decided to take off to Blue Lagoon Bay. sometimes it's nicer to be off the beaten trail and because we did just that, we felt like we had this whole huge island to ourselves. after a 30 mins catamaran trip to the Bay, we met some wonderful people, ate delicious local food and got entertained by some very cute dolphins and sea lions. of course, we wrapped up this day with yet ... more relaxing sun time on a beach.  :)

i love this man and i couldn't have ask for a better early anniversary vacation.

travelling down south at the end of April i was honestly a little worried about the heat and weather, but it was actually wonderful. it proved to be a great time to travel because it wasn't rainy season just yet, it wasn't overly hot or humid, rates were lower, wait times were shorter, and the boats and beaches are not nearly as busy. overall we hit three spectacular islands and it was yet another perfect holiday. for anyone who might be reading this thinking "it sounds nice but i definitely couldn't do it because i would get sea sick,"  let me tell you we know a ton of people who suffer from severe motion sickness and yet LOVE cruising. they have found that booking a room in the centre and mid height a the ship always helps, as does using sea bands. also, all boats offers sea sickness patches that is a small sticker that they place behind your ear and will put you at ease for the whole week. i already have the itch to go on a cruise again, and would like to do a summer Alaskan once next. 

i love the water. i love the smell of it, the sound of it and the sight of it. there is nothing quiet like watching the sunrise and sunset on the ocean everyday and knowing that there isn't a thing  around you for miles and miles.

We're Back!

 ... and we're back. it was by far one of the greatest vacations i've had yet, and while i'm happy to be home in some ways, i miss the sound of the ocean, pina colada's and sandy beaches already. i look forward to sharing photos, a full cruise review and island reports in the coming days once i get myself back on track and re-organized with our regular blog  programming. happy monday everyone!

Caribbean Cruise

images via here and here

we are off! the hubby and I are so excited to be off on holiday! it's been a LONG hard winter here and we are headed for some fun in the sun. This is also our early one year anniversary gift to each other and we couldn't be happier. we both love to travel and look  forward to sharing some travel guide info when we get back. Toodles!

Traveller - Time for A Getaway

the countdown is officially on for my much needed and very much anticipated Caribbean cruise! we booked it a few months ago and finally it is just around the corner. I couldn’t be more ready than on a day during a freak snow storm in the city. #comeonspring! I have been on a cruise once before and as someone who finds it difficult to sit still in one place for a very long time, i can't recommend cruising enough. I love knowing that i'll get to see a few various places and most importantly i love  feeling of moving on the water. i'm a pisces, can you blame me? this time next week i'll be slipping a cold pina colada on the beach or boat with these items on my body or on hand.

Nautical Print Cross Back Swim Suit - Old Navy;  Coral Lipbalm - Sugar; Where'd You Go Bernadette - Chapters; SPF 40 - Kiss My Face; Surf Spray - Bumble & Bumble; Playlist - Ellie Goulding; White Cotton Cover Up - Bloomingdales; Flip Flops - Old Navy; Navy Stripped Beach Bag - Polyvore; White Hat - Aldo Accessories; Beach Towel - Shop Style, Popsugar.

La Societe - Toronto

two images via here and here

on my birthday my husband surprised me with a wonderful evening out. he cleverly knew where to find my notepad with scribbles of "restaurants i want to try" and arranged to picked me up after work and whisk us off to dinner at a placed called La Societe on Bloor Street. when we try a new restaurant (especially when celebrating) we allow ourselves to be a little more self indulgent than normal by testing a few different options on the menu. on first impression La Societe is a place that transports you to Paris and back for an evening. designed to look like a parisian style bistro this place is very unique. the cuisine is exactly as you could find in France and is by far some of the best food we have ever tasted. mouth watering heaven.

here is my best advice on how to enjoy an evening here:

head over before your reservation time and gracefully start your evening at the bar and order a Negroni, or Lillet cocktail. once you are settled on the bar stool with your drink sit back, sip and take in the scenery. allow yourself to start to feel relaxed. 

then while you are begin walked to your seat in the dining room, look up. take in that breathtaking art that is a stainglass ceiling 

start out by ordering the a charcuterie platter to share. one with a mix of duck and pork pate, terrines and pickled vegetables all arranged on a wooden board with the very best in dijon mustard pairings.

next order a glass of white wine like a Pinot Gris and a bowl of their french onion soup. for an entree you cannot go wrong with the classic duck confit. the aroma and fall off the bone meat are really outstanding. i don't just want to go back for it again, i need to go back.

end off this perfect evening with a latte and a macaron.

what a birthday! it was the best day, with the best scenery and the very best date. I feel so grateful for all the wonderful things that happened last year and can't wait to see what is coming around the bend for this one.