Travel August 28, 2018

A Fun Family Trip to Niagara Falls with GO Transit

white water walk — White Water Walk – Niagara Parks Attraction

Niagara Falls has been a getaway from my routine Toronto life for years. I’ve gone countless times as a child, with friends, as a newlywed and now as a mother of 2. Every time I’ve been, there’s one thing we always do that is something new. Whether it is as simple as eating somewhere different or as fun as trying out an attraction. The last time my husband and I went to Niagara Falls with our little ones was a year ago, on Canada Day weekend; Canada’s 150th birthday. We had the pleasure of going with GO Transit this time, as opposed to driving and here are my top 3 reasons why you should take the GO Train to Niagara Falls before the season is over:

1. No Traffic. The GO Train will get you there without having to deal with car traffic, road closures or accidents. You’re also being greener by doing so, fewer emissions into our environment. It was super convenient to get to Niagara Falls in 2 hours! Could be less depending on where you get on from. We got on from Port Credit.

2. Children are happy. Sitting in a car seat for consecutive hours is not fun. Some children get cranky, they cry and you will probably have to stop a couple of times to entertain them. On the GO Train, we were able to park our stroller facing our seats on our way to Niagara Falls. We easily entertained them with songs, books, a tablet and even took a little walk.

3. Price. The Niagara Falls GO service runs from Union Station in Toronto to Niagara; $30 round trip. Also, if you’re bringing bikes, there are designated carts for bikes. We actually sat in a cart for bikes, all to ourselves on our trip back. The price covers your round-trip GO Train fare plus a connecting WEGO bus pass that you can use for the weekend.
Having transit covered via your WEGO bus pass made a huge difference in getting from one attraction to the other within Niagara. The bus service was fast and we were always able to get a seat.

A Fun Family Trip to Niagara Falls with GO Transit

We took the GO Train on Friday night and got on the WEGO bus to the hotel. Some of you asked me on Instagram stories whether it was hard getting on the WEGO bus with a luggage, stroller, and 2 kids. To be honest, no. We had done this in Japan with both kids when we were using the trains, so I guess we’ve found what works. Luggage and bags are with my husband, I assist when I can and I have one kid on my hip while holding the other’s hand. When there’s a will, there’s a way!

WHERE TO EAT AT NIAGARA FALLS

If you’re looking for a quick bite, there are many places to eat! The options are endless. If you’re looking for authentic Italian pizza, check out Antica. There’s also a great firework viewing area right across the street from here. (see my IG story highlights). For lunch, on Saturday we went to Elements on The Falls. What an experience!

We had an amazing view from the window of the Falls, the service was impeccable and the food was delicious! They brought crayons and paper for the children, along with closed cups with straws. And yes, they have high chairs and a changing area in the washroom. Here’s what he had, read captions for food details:

This waffle veggie sandwich is a cold sandwich with eggplant, brie, zucchini, tomato, and lettuce.

For dinner, we went to the Queen Victoria Place Restaurant. The views are incredible here as well, and the food is great! Around 8-9pm, the live music starts and you can hear it from this restaurant and also see the light show on the Falls.

The ADVENTURE PASS: NIAGARA PARKS ATTRACTIONS

Majority of the times we went to Niagara Falls, we spent more time just walking up and down the streets to different stores, the casino, arcades etc. Only the last time we went with our kids did we check out the Bird Kingdom and we loved it! So this time we made sure we experienced more attractions. Especially with children, they get to learn so much. I highly recommend you get an adventure pass. You get to pick from all the attractions you’d like to go too. There are so many to choose from. We went with the White Water Walk, Whirlpool Aero Car, and the Butterfly Conservatory.

WHITE WATER WALK

I was blown away to learn that almost 70% of you had not been to the White Water Walk and now are planning to go! It was my first time along with my husband’s and we were both in awe at how incredible it looked up close. Class 6 white-water rapids are hypnotizing when you’re walking that close to them. Our children were in awe at how fast the water was going and Baby D had a ton of questions to go with his admiration.

WHIRLPOOL AERO CAR

At first glance I was scared. Especially after I was told that we couldn’t bring our stroller on board the aero car. My plan was to buckle them in. But let me tell you, worried for nothing. First of all, they had a designated safe area for strollers, and the cart had an area for adults holding children, it was fenced in the middle of the cart, away from the edge. Totally safe and went at a very safe speed as well. Basically slow, which was great for pictures! The attendant who spoke about the whirlpool and rapids was really friendly and even took pictures for people on the cart.

THE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY

niagara parks — The Butterfly Conservatory – Niagara Parks

For almost a month now Baby D had been obsessed with butterflies and saying he wanted to catch one. So going to this attraction couldn’t have come at a better time. He was ecstatic to be there! He listened attentively to the introduction video at the beginning of the attraction. (Make sure you do, because they will be giving tips on how to be gentle with the butterflies and to watch out for them sitting on the floor.) There are over 2,000 butterflies, made up of 45 different species here! Before entering the conservatory, or after you exit, there is an area with table and chairs for children to sit down and colour or to have their snacks. Also, some informational exhibits about bugs. Our kids spent a lot of time here, just running around looking at each one.

And that’s a wrap! What an awesome weekend. My family and I love that GO Transit offers a $30 round trip service to Niagara, and I’ve already inspired family and many of you to go! To see everything I mentioned above in action, check out my Instagram highlights under Niagara for videos. Tag me, (@HumJK) on Instagram. I would love to share your trip to Niagara on my stories. Can’t wait to see you all having fun at Niagara Falls!

[SPONSORED: This trip was provided by Go Transit and Niagara Parks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

where to stay at niagara falls

Travel June 20, 2018

The 7 Best Dessert Places in Seoul and Tokyo

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

1. Mr.Holmes Bakehouse – Korea

I cannot even tell you how much I loved this place! Not only was it a cute place to eat but the desserts are SO good. A bloggers dream basically, marble tables, white brick, and a neon sign backdrop. You can sit and have your dessert there and people watch. Because it’s on Gungham. Where all the rich folks chill, you’ll love people watching, with all the designer shiznit they’ll be wearing it’s practically a non-stop fashion show. I would’ve loved to stay but with two todds we had to bounce and get it all to go. Love the old school paper bag they put your goods in. Make sure you go earlier during the day because evenings you’ll find very few items left. We basically took everything they had left. All their cookies, croissants and some kind of cake. Everything was delicious and finished that night. We managed to save two cookies for the next day to savor. And one of our Todd’s, baby D, found it and demolished it. Definitely going back in a couple of years to Korea and will stop by this place again. Otherwise maybe check out their other location in Cali.

The 7 Best Dessert Places in Seoul and Tokyo

2. FLORESTA NATURE DOUGHNUTS – tokyo
Because they have the cutest doughnuts you’ll ever have.

3. Delice tart and Cafe – Ginza

This Cafe was actually one we just found out of the blue. I noticed it when we were coming out of the all-day breakfast place. You can read more about that breakfast place here. So Baby D kept asking for cake and we walk into this place and it’s best described to be like a cafe dollhouse. Super cute seating area. They have a dessert buffet style menu and then you can also purchase desserts on their own. The first time we went here we got a slice of tiramisu cake to go. They actually packed it in a pretty box with ice packs around it so it would stay fresh till eaten! A lot of places in Japan pride themselves on how fresh their food is and a lot of times won’t even allow for a “to go” option. We had to talk the places into it by telling them our hotel was next door or very close.

4. TOKYO DISNEYSEA LITTLE GREEN MEN DUMPLINGS

How cute are these alien dumplings from Toy Story! I found these guys on Instagram, saved it and when I got to Tokyo DisneySea I showed someone there the picture and they directed me to the store that was selling them. The outer layer is squishy like dumpling should be. And then the inside is filled with like a custard. One is chocolate, strawberry, and custard. The strawberry one was the worse. But that’s just my preference. Enjoy!

5. DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY – TOKYO

I’ll let the below video do most of the explaining for this bakery:

6. REMICONE – SEOUL

They have cotton candy! Enough said. This place is so cute and I love the clean aesthetic. Also, the price is right!

7. LINE FRIENDS CAFE – SEOUL

You’ll see this store everywhere around Seoul but the cafe is a specific one. They’ve got the cutest merchandise and then treats to match:

Top 10 Things To Do & See in Egypt

Travel April 11, 2018

Breakfast in Tokyo – Hawaiian Themed All Day Breakfast

The last time we were in Tokyo which was about three and a half years ago, it was really hard to find a breakfast place. Especially an all day breakfast place. So we opted for booking breakfasts at the hotel and all was great. This time we needed roomier places for the kids to play and run around in, especially since most of the day they would be in their strollers, our arms or walking. We booked an Air BnB twice on our two weeks and a bit trip. During those times we took our chance looking for breakfast places and to our surprise, a lot more options came up. Perhaps it was because we were staying in a different area from the last time. Which happen to be Ginza. Breakfast at Eggs n Things was a perfect option. Especially for kids.

For children, they had high chairs that fit perfectly close to the tables and they provided Hawaiin themed coloring paper and thick crayons. Not those cheap breakable ones.

Hawaiian Themed All Day Breakfast

Other breakfast places in Ginza we found and were considering to try were:

Mercer Brunch

Eggs n Things

Elle Cafe

The first day we went to eggs n things and loved it so much we went there twice! We were going to try Mercer Brunch the second day, especially because it’s right across from eggs n things. But at that time the line was longer and with two kids that could get complicated.

So here’s what we ordered at eggs n things:

French toast – It has a lot of vanilla in it. But tastes great! You can choose to get the original, where they put lots of whip cream and make it look pretty. Or opt out of whip cream altogether. Which is what we did.

Omelet – They have different ones. Veggie or meat. But in my opinion, don’t order this. It’s not the worse omelet we had on our trip but it’s not good. Watery and undercooked. But because this was the third time we found omelets not tasting good in Japan, I started to think maybe this is how they like their omelets. So pass on this one.

Pancakes – Lots of options and they’re perfect. We tried the chocolate chip pancakes and they really packed in the chocolate chips. So if you don’t want too much chocolate, let them know.

The banana pancakes are really good too. Our kids loved it! You have the option of having them baked inside or on top.

Breakfast in Tokyo

Eggs Benedict – The first day I had it with shrimp. Something different from my usual order of salmon. I was impressed. I got serious Hawaiian vibes from this dish. Very fresh and …excuse me while I wipe my drool. The second day I tried the salmon to see if it was better than the shrimp. Both were great, but if you go here once then try the shrimp Eggs Benedict.

The virgin blue/green drink I can’t remember what it was called, was $8 and not worth it. Watered down kool-aid. Instead get a tea, coffee or OJ.

When we go back to Tokyo, and if we’re staying in Ginza, I’d definitely eat here again!

PSST! SAVE ME FOR LATER. PIN BELOW IMAGE:

Travel August 29, 2017

Top 10 Things To Do & See in Egypt

Note: The things to do and see in Egypt are not in order based on best to worse or vice versa. I went in order to what we
did on our trip.

1. Sharm el Sheikh

If you go to Egypt then definitely book a flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. It’s on the coastal strip along the Red Sea, with warm water and has miles of beautiful beaches. This is a great relaxing break during your trip to Egypt. Some excellent places to hang out and eat in Sharm is the Little Buddha restaurant and the Camel Bar.

little budddha sharm el sheikh — Little Buddha Restaurant

2 – ATV riding, Tea & a Bedouin dinner (Sharm el Sheikh)

3 – Shopping in Cairo

Check out the Festival City Mall and the InterContinental Citystars Mall. The Citystars Mall is full of a great mix of American, European and Egyptian stores. This mall has 7 floors, approx. 650 shops, a theatre, food courts (yes, more than one), restaurants/cafes and 3 hotels connected to it. The weekends are really busy, so if you still want to see the mall busy but not to a crazy extent then go on a Friday. We stayed at the InterContinental that is connected to Citystars, which made it really easy to go to the mall when ever we remembered something we wanted to buy. Also convenient to have it so close when you’ve had a long day touring Cairo and still want to feel like you’re outside getting the most of this beautiful country. If you haven’t chosen a hotel yet, I highly recommend this one.

Gaby's Citystars Mall — Gaby’s Citystars Mall

4 – The Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza

The best way to see the Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza is by horseback riding to them. Having a guide is fun so they can teach you some history while you gaze at these wonders of the world. We went inside the great pyramid and it was definitely worth it! You may get hustled outside the Pyramids by children and men asking you to buy souvenirs. We just couldn’t resist and bought some.

pyramids tour going down — Going down inside the Pyramid

5 – The Egyptian Museum

The museum is located by the famous Tahrir Square. Exhibits at the museum include a collection of King Tut’s items and an amazing display of the new kingdom royal mummies. There are no cameras allowed in the museum, so they confiscate cameras at the door and give you a ticket to get it back on your way out. If you try to take any pictures with your phone, be aware that they have some under cover workers there that look like regular people, that will catch you and ask you to delete the picture right away. Someone in our group tried taking pictures and that was the outcome.

6 – National Military Museum

When you plan your day to go to the National Military Museum, add number 7 to your list because they’re close to each other. If you love learning about the history of a country then definitely go here. There’s a lot to learn and the exhibits are beautiful.

7 – Old Mosques

Right outside the Military museum you can walk to the Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque. You will be in awe at the amazing architecture.

The Saladin Citadel of Cairo is a medieval Islamic fortification in Cairo, Egypt. Located on Mokattam hill, center of Cairo, has a beautiful view of the city.

8 – Authentic Egyptian Food

Make dinner plans at Abou Shakra restaurant for authentic Egyptian food. The best food we had in Egypt was at this restaurant.

9 – Khan el Kahlili Market

Spend an afternoon shopping inside the Khan El–Khalili bazaar, where you can easily get lost in the, what looks like hundreds of alley ways to different parts of the bazaar, dedicated to different items. A section for jewellery, scarves, fabrics, food, souvenirs, hookahs and more. Most importantly there is so much history within these streets. The Bab al-Ghuri gate (seen below) dates back to 1503-1505.

10 – Dinner by the Nile

While you’re by the Nile, if the weather is beautiful go for a 30-45 min cruise down the Nile. But first go for brunch at Left Bank in Zamalek, followed by dinner at Seqoia. I was in love with Seqoia’s ambiance and decor. Under a big white tent, splashes of pastel and the fresh smell of the Nile, it couldn’t be a more perfect spot for dinner. The service was spot on and the food was delicious.

THE 7 BEST DESSERT PLACES IN SEOUL AND TOKYO

BREAKFAST IN TOKYO – HAWAIIAN THEMED ALL DAY BREAKFAST

Food July 13, 2017

Cafe Cancan Toronto Review: No strollers allowed. [FOOD]

Cafe Cancan is a fairly new cafe that opened up on Harbord Street in Toronto. Harbord street is a nostalgic area for me because I went to high school near there. The night before going to Cafe Cancan I did some research about the place and went on to their website to do some light reading about the cafe, the owners and anything I needed to know before I went there.

I love the fact that this cafe is actually designed by Tiffany Pratt. I love her happy go lucky style and everything she touches with her sense of design is incredible!

If you decide to visit this place, keep in mind that parking is a little bit hard to find in this area. We were fortunate enough to find a spot in the residential area, a block from the cafe. I was so excited to check this place out I didn’t mind the walk, although it was really hot. So I got Baby Z cozy in her stroller and we were on our way! So anyways, we get to the cafe and the front view of this place is just so pretty! If you know me, I have this thing with coloured doors. And a pink one! I died. It’s so cute! Immediately I thought, photo opp!

There are a few steps to enter into the cafe, but that’s no problem with the jogger stroller I have.

As soon as we entered Cafe Cancan we were welcomed by a lady and I asked for a booth for two by the door so I can tuck my stroller away. She looked at me and said “Okay, just a second.” and walked away. A few minutes later..

another lady came over. She leaned forward and said “Sorry, there are no strollers allowed here.” You can imagine I was taken aback and baffled. I had never been to a place, no where in Toronto and even in all of our travels with our stroller (Italy, Mexico, Niagara Falls *lol*) did anyone ever say to me, no strollers allowed. I guess I was at a loss of words so I was just staring blank at her and my brother who was with me also didn’t know what to say either. Then, and I don’t know why I said this… “I guess I could just leave my stroller outside and try to watch it from this booth?” And she replied, “sure.” I walked outside, and then of course after baby brain stopped kicking in, I realized, no way. I’m not leaving my $1000 stroller outside!

I started to think, forget it. I’m not staying here. Let’s just go home and eat whatever we can grab. But as we started walking back I thought, I shouldn’t change my plans because of one road block. I should find a way around it and do what I wanted to do. Why have this ruin my excitement to go there and enjoy the food and ambiance? So we walked back to the car, dropped off the stroller, I put a hat on Baby Z and we walked back in the heat.
It makes me sad to think that what if I was a new mom and this was my very first day coming out of my house and treating myself to a nice lunch with my little one and then to have them say to me “no strollers allowed.” I know for sure I’d go back to my car, go home and cry. Thinking perhaps moms shouldn’t go to cute places. Or maybe, baby and I don’t belong in a restaurant. But truth is, that’s ridiculous. And if a restaurant doesn’t allow strollers, then they should do their due diligence to write that on their website or by the door. Because I did mine by going on and checking to make sure it was a big enough facility. There was lots of space there for me to fold my stroller and tuck away. It wasn’t even busy the entire time I was there, there was a total of 3 tables being served and 2 people came in to get coffee to go. There’s also a decent long hallway to the patio in the back of the cafe.

We ordered burgers. I got the veggie burger and it came with a side of fries. I was really happy with the amount of avocado they used in this burger. I love avocado. It was nice. If I were to go back I would try something different as I wasn’t in love with it. It’s a messy burger so I cut mine in half. The soda was really good, but it’s $6. I’d love to go back for lattes and dessert.
The owners of the cafe were there and they were super nice. I didn’t mention what had happened. Would I recommend this place to others? Sure. Would I go again? Maybe. Only because the owners are nice, food was good and the place is so damn pretty!

P.S Later that same day we went to Lavelle and they were super accommodating. I folded up the stroller and put it against a wall that was pretty out of sight. Lavelle is a restaurant/lounge on a roof top on King St.

Have you ever gone somewhere and you felt not welcomed or discriminated?

DIY February 5, 2015

Alice in Wonderland Bridal Shower Details

It’s Thursday and you know what that means (on Twitter and Instagram at least)… Throwback Thursday! I like being different and thinking outside of the box, especially for party themes. I was really excited when I found a few ladies online, who shared their Alice in Wonderland themed bridal showers. All of a sudden, I didn’t feel so silly for choosing it as my theme. You still get a few people looking at you puzzled, like “whaaa? Alice in Wonderland? So, do you like, dress up as a rabbit?” Haha. That was the best response I got.

I compiled an album of images from my google search for ideas and inspiration. Here are some of them:

alice in wonderland — Tea cups, flowers & decor

alice in wonderland bridal shower theme — **Dress inspiration**

Teen Vogue Mia Wasikowska — **Dress inspiration**

As soon as I knew my theme, I was on a look out for everything that could work for decor. It isn’t hard to pull off this theme, especially around spring time when you have faux flowers, rabbits and green everywhere! I was fortunate enough when one day I got off the street car, at the wrong stop and accidentally found a tea shop that had dedicated their entire window display to Alice in Wonderland. They had tea pots, topsy turvy decor, clocks and more.

The store wasn’t open at the time, so I went back later. If you’re in Toronto you MUST check out this store for any of your high tea events; Pippins Tea Company on Queen Street West.

One of the items that I was SO in love with at this store was their tea cup clock. Kind of looked like this (Note: It’s not the size of an average wall clock, approx. 25 inches length and width):

The price tag was a bit much to be used only for the bridal shower and at the time not knowing where I would put it didn’t justify the purchase. One day though, I may hunt this piece down for a room dedicated to where my ladies and I can have our afternoon tea or even look into making this my DIY project.

The ladies who own and/or work at Pippins Tea Company are incredible! As soon as I told them the theme of my bridal shower they were giving me lots of ideas, tips and helped me out with letting me rent a large hot water dispenser for the event and gave me Alice In Wonderland boxes for free! (The boxes were used to put the prizes inside for the games we played.)

I bought all of my tea supplies and decor from Pippins. Best find ever!

alice in wonderland centerpeice — Pippins Tea Company: Key hole centerpiece

TIP: To give height to my centrepieces I added some books wrapped in colourful tissue paper. We did a poor job in wrapping them because we were last minute with this idea but it did the trick.

I got a styrofoam ball from Michaels and put these faux green grass pieces all around the top half and placed it on top of the pot.

TIP: If you can find a half ball, that would be so much better. The white part of the ball kept peeking through whenever a guest would brush their arm or hand against the top. A half would stay put and not move as much.

We left some of the loose tea we bought from Pippins Tea Company open and some already packed into tea bags for guests. Leaving it open allowed our guests to smell how amazing the tea was. It was hard picking only two flavours since they have SO many at their shop.

TIP: Label your teas. We forgot!

I used many different sets of tea cups for the event, just like the actual movie and story when all the characters in Alice in Wonderland are sitting around the tea table, notice how each one has a different cup/saucer?

I added a few other little Alice in Wonderland touches to the table decor. Clock, playing cards, rabbits and colourful food plates for the lunch that was served. If you choose to do this theme you could always just do high tea foods like sandwiches, croissants etc, however, I always like to do lunch as well. The lunch wasn’t part of the theme at all. I picked what the majority of my guests would love to eat, a fusion of Italian and Indian food.

I was bursting with excitement when my bridesmaids surprised me with an Alice in Wonderland themed cake, cookies, cupcakes and cake pops! What darlings to organize the very best themed sweets table I’ve ever set my eyes on. (Thank you loves!)

For the takeaways, I made these Alice in Wonderland themed gift bags THAT had AN
EYE SHADOW, EYELINER SET WITH LIP GLOSS. THESE BAGS ARE REALLY EASY TO MAKE.

You need:

white gift bags
black and Red construction paper
hole puncher
black ribbon
red tissue paper

Directions:

Cut out hearts and clubs out of the black and red construction paper. Put aside. Punch holes into the hearts and clubs as seen in above picture and do the same for the white gift bags. Weave the black ribbon through the hearts/clubs (make sure the ribbon only shows behind the shapes) and then through the gift bag. Tie in back. Fill the bags with the tissue paper and gifts. Voila!

To bring this entire event to full circle I had to play the part by ~~wearing a rabbit outfit~~ wearing a blue dress like Alice does in her story. At first I looked everywhere for a blue dress and I found one but it wouldn’t come in time from Dubai for my bridal shower. So I got permission from the designer to have something like it made here in Toronto.

alice in wonderland dress

I found a seamstress on Queen Street who I read in an article had done many dresses for different stars who would come to Toronto for shows. Kingi from Peach Berserk took my design and created it beautifully. I was on a time constraint otherwise there were a few things I would’ve asked to have fixed but otherwise it was perfect!

The Benefits of Shiseido WASO Skincare

Friday Faves January 16, 2015

Friday Favourites: Games for the Gamer Life & more

Favourite Idea

The 22-year-old founder of shipyourenemiesglitter.com, Mathew Carpenter has a found a way to make money off of the annoyance of getting glitter on yourself and not being able to take it off. I thought this was hilarious, innovative and pretty darn cool. Pranks are meant to be fun! You need to have a sense of humour to appreciate things like this and not take it personally.

Shipping your enemies glitter in an envelope could be mean or you can laugh about it and enjoy the glitter for years. Imagine this, you get glitter shipped to you, you open it and it blows up and is now everywhere! After hours of clean up, months later, you see a lone sparkle that was left behind. Would you flash a smirk or cry? I would smirk and maybe even laugh. I tip my hat to you Mathew. Well done and according to reports due to the high traffic on your site you’re starting to regret launching this idea and have put it up for auction.

Favourite Link

NERD ALERT: Do you remember playing MS-DOS games? I certainly do! I found a software library of some games you may have played back in the day: here

Favourite Tech

Introducing a PC games hardware called Razer:

Favourite Game

After watching my husband play Clash of Clans for weeks I started to get an itch to try the game out for myself. I’ve been using my Lumia 1020 ever since I cracked the screen on my Samsung S4. This game isn’t available in the windows store. So that being said, I recently got it fixed and the first thing I did was download Clash of Clans and I love it!

Favourite Quote

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Food September 1, 2014

Caramelized Apple French Toast

It’s been a great weekend with wonderful summer weather, but before this weekend I bet you couldn’t help but notice the leaves falling off trees. Fall is coming close and the summer season is ending in Toronto. This is the perfect fall inspired recipe for French toast. I think of Fall with the mention of apple pie, apples dipped in caramel, baked apples. YUM!

Did you know French toast was not invented in France.

French toast was around before France even existed. The exact origin of French toast is actually unknown.

French Toast

Ingredients

2 gala apples, peeled and sliced
3 eggs
4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided use
1 cup of cream cheese
2 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar; extra for sprinkling over top
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla emulsion (or extract)
2 tablespoons butter
a pinch ground cinnamon
½ cup whipped cream
Maple-Syrup
4 slices of Italian multi-grain bread (or whatever bread you prefer. The thicker the better)

*This will feed 4 people if each person is having 1 slice of bread.

Prep cream cheese filling:

Add cream cheese, the 2 ½ tablespoons of powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon of the vanilla emulsion to a bowl and using a hand mixer or kitchen aid mixer, blend until creamy.

Caramelized apples:

Place a large frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter has melted, add apples and sauté them for 3 mins. Apples should be soft and light brown. This is when you can add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Sauté them for another 2 minutes. Add water as desired for a more syrup like texture. Put into a bowl and keep them warm. Maybe in the microwave.

French toast prep:

Whisk together the eggs, whipped cream, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla emulsion until well blended.

Place a large frying pan over medium heat and rub a stick of butter in the hot pan. Dip a bread slice into the batter and coat both sides. Add it to the hot buttered pan and allow it to brown for about 3 minutes per side. Keep each slice when done in the oven so it stays warm until you’re done all the slices.

Putting it altogether:

Place one slice of French toast onto a plate, spread on a couple of tablespoons of the cream cheese; add caramelized apples over the cream cheese. Put another slice of French toast on top and add a dash of powdered sugar on top with your preferred amount of maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Beauty June 26, 2014

The Guide to Contouring For Different Face Shapes [Beauty]

Have you ever looked at images of actresses with and without make-up and wondered why they look so different?

Of course a bit of lipstick and blush can transform your face and instantly make you look more alive. But contouring is what really changes the way you look. Contouring is this years beauty buzzword. It can give the illusion of a smaller or bigger nose, high cheek bones, sharp jaw line or change your face shape entirely (which I don’t recommend).

I believe contouring and highlighting should enhance your looks, the natural shape of your face and bring out features that you adore. Many people have learnt the basics of contouring and haven’t researched further to learn that there is a contouring technique specific to your face shape.

SQUARE

The common characteristics of a square shape face are:

Your jawline is square
Cheekbone and forehead width are the same
Jawline and forehead width are the same
The sides of your face are straight

You may not have all of these characteristics and may have a mix of two face shapes. Some people have long square faces as opposed to wide square faces.

Famous Square Faces: Miranda Kerr, Angelina Jolie and Olivia Wilde

Contouring a Square Face

You can keep contouring to a minimum for this face shape. Most people focus on near the outer corners of the hairline. You can also apply contour along the jaw to soften it. Contour the corners of your face to slim your face and give the illusion of a softer edge. Add highlight to your forehead and chin to give your face some more dimension.

Remember to always use a foundation/concealer for contouring that is one or two shades darker than your skin and one or two shades lighter for your highlighter.

OVAL

Characteristics of an oval face:

Forehead is wider than the chin
Prominent cheekbones
Face gracefully tapers to a narrow oval chin

Famous Oval Faces: Megan Fox, Halle Berry and Rihanna

Contouring an Oval Face

Minimum contouring is needed with this face shape. You can apply highlighter to the forehead, chin and cheeks for more dimension. Some like to apply contouring make-up to their cheekbones to create the illusion of high cheek bones or angles. You can contour areas the way you please, like your nose and cheekbones. To contour the nose draw along both sides of the nose and below the tip. You can also lightly sweep product along your jaw line to give the illusion of a longer, slimmer jaw.

Tip: Suck in your cheeks and apply product to the hollow of your cheek line.

DIAMOND

Characteristics of a diamond face:

Cheekbones are the widest part of your face and are usually high and pointed
Your forehead may be wide but it tapers at the hairline
A longer face than it is wide

Famous Diamond Faces: Kourtney Kardashian, Linda Evangelista and Meg Ryan

Contouring a Diamond Face

The cheekbones are the highest part of you face. Contouring your cheekbones can make your face appear more even. By adding highlight to your chin and forehead, it will elongate these areas.

HEART

Characteristics of a heart face:

Your forehead and jawline are a similar width in appearance
Face is longer than it is wide and has a wide width
Your cheek line and the sides of your face taper into your jawline

Famous Heart Faces: Reese Witherspoon and Ashley Olsen

Contouring a Heart Face

A heart shape face generally has a prominent chin and cheekbones. Try to keep contouring to a minimum so you don’t end up emphasizing these features when they don’t need to be. Your face will look pointy if you enhance these areas too much. Contour along the hair line and a bit beneath your cheekbone. Highlight a little on your chin and forehead. Dot on for minimum application.

OBLONG

Characteristics of an oblong face:

Chin is pointed
Your face is longer than it is wider
The forehead and jawline are a similar width in appearance
Sides of your face and cheek lines are straight
Your forehead is tall and wide

Famous Oblong Faces: Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Winslett

Contouring an Oblong Face

Emphasize under the cheekbone area, forehead and below the jawline. Highlight cheek area where dimension is needed and spot on a little on top of the chin and forehead.

Tip: Always blend your highlighted and contoured areas so that it looks very natural. Avoid harsh lines.

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A Fun Family Trip to Niagara Falls with GO Transit

WHERE TO EAT AT NIAGARA FALLS

The ADVENTURE PASS: NIAGARA PARKS ATTRACTIONS

WHITE WATER WALK

WHIRLPOOL AERO CAR

THE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY

1. Mr.Holmes Bakehouse – Korea

The 7 Best Dessert Places in Seoul and Tokyo

3. Delice tart and Cafe – Ginza

5. DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY – TOKYO

6. REMICONE – SEOUL

Hawaiian Themed All Day Breakfast

So here’s what we ordered at eggs n things:

Breakfast in Tokyo

1. Sharm el Sheikh

2 – ATV riding, Tea & a Bedouin dinner (Sharm el Sheikh)

3 – Shopping in Cairo

4 – The Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza

5 – The Egyptian Museum

6 – National Military Museum

7 – Old Mosques

8 – Authentic Egyptian Food

9 – Khan el Kahlili Market

10 – Dinner by the Nile

As soon as we entered Cafe Cancan we were welcomed by a lady and I asked for a booth for two by the door so I can tuck my stroller away. She looked at me and said “Okay, just a second.” and walked away. A few minutes later..

For the takeaways, I made these Alice in Wonderland themed gift bags THAT had AN EYE SHADOW, EYELINER SET WITH LIP GLOSS. THESE BAGS ARE REALLY EASY TO MAKE.

alice in wonderland dress

Favourite Idea

Favourite Link

Favourite Tech

Favourite Game

Favourite Quote

Did you know French toast was not invented in France.

French Toast

Prep cream cheese filling:

Caramelized apples:

French toast prep:

Putting it altogether:

Have you ever looked at images of actresses with and without make-up and wondered why they look so different?

SQUARE

OVAL

DIAMOND

HEART

OBLONG

For the takeaways, I made these Alice in Wonderland themed gift bags THAT had AN
EYE SHADOW, EYELINER SET WITH LIP GLOSS. THESE BAGS ARE REALLY EASY TO MAKE.