Downtown Toronto, Family Vacations in Toronto, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk, Toronto Entertainment, Toronto Family Travel

Outdoor Toronto Swimming Pools To Enjoy

June 23, 2017

Pack your towel, sunscreen, a good book and your favourite swimsuit and spend the afternoon soaking up the rays and splashing around at one of these great Toronto swimming pools. They are the perfect place to chill out on a hot day.

If you are not from Canada you might find it strange that we have so many outdoor pools even though we can only use them for a portion of the year. However, it’s the long cold winters that really make Canadians appreciate and enjoy the summer months so much more.

Alex Duff Christie Pits – Toronto Swimming Pools

This swimming pool is popular with both families and young hipsters and it features a 25m pool, a kid’s pool and an enormous hot tub. Also, you can enjoy the thrill of hurling yourself down the two storey waterslide to splash into the pool below. There is also a diving board iboard in the big pool, so you can dive and cannonball again and again.

Gus Ryder Sunnyside

This 25 metre swimming pool has stunning views of the downtown toronto apartmentswaterfront and skyline. Plus, if your goal is to get in shape they offer offer Aquafit lessons, so that you can burn some calories

while you cool down. The surroundings of this lovely park include lots of sand and trees, so if you use your imagination you could almost pretend you are at a tropical resort.

Alexandra Park

This chilled out 2.7 hectare park offers more than just a swimming pool. It also has a picnic area, a ball diamond, a volleyball court, a community garden and much more. On a warm day it is often packed, so it is a great place to socialise and make new friends – or maybe even find someone cute to go out for ice cream with!

Monarch Park

Slide down the two storey wat Outdoor Swimming Pools er slide, plunge off the diving board or chill out in the wading pool – there is a lot of room to play at this great swimming pool. There is also a playground, so it is a great place to bring the kids on a sunny day. Your young ones can cool down in the wading pool without worrying about getting splashed by the bigger kids.

Greenwood Park Outdoor Pool

This is another park that is great for kids, as it has a shallow pool for little ones and a big pool for the older kids. The 35 m pool is approximately 2 m at the deep end and there is a great raised seating area where you can chill out. It is a lovely spot for a summer picnic, but you will need to bring your own lunch as there is nowhere to buy food.

These are just a few of the best outdoor Toronto swimming pools that you can enjoy this summer. Where is your favourite summer Toronto swimming spot? Let us know in the comments below.

Downtown Toronto, Fitness and Health, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk

Healthy Toronto Restaurants and Cafes

January 11, 2017

Is your New Year’s resolution for 2017 to eat healthier? Here are some healthy Toronto restaurants that will make your goals easier to achieve.

Eating healthier and more nutritious food will bring you many benefits. Not only will you lose weight, but you will also find yourself with more energy, better skin, a boosted immune system and much more. Most of the time eating healthy means stocking up on veggies, whole grains and lean proteins from the supermarket and cooking up nutritious meals at home.

However, what about those nights when you just don’t have the energy to cook for yourself? Eating out at a restaurant or café doesn’t have to mean giving up on your healthy food goals. There are many places that serve up nutritious and delicious food that will be good for your body.

Live Food Bar

This healthy Toronto restaurant in the Annex will help you to feel more vibrant and alive, with its inventive and flavourful sugar free, gluten free, raw gourmet dishes. The entire menu is gluten free and they use high quality organic ingredients. Try the Mediterranean Platter that is great for sharing, with cherry tomatoes, cashew dill ricotta, hemp basil pesto and sunflower falafel.

Impact Kitchen

This healthy cafeteria focuses on serving up healthy dishes that are as nutritious as possible. It aims to dispel the myth that good-for-you food has to be bland or boring. Some of the tasty dinner options include grilled flank steak and bison meatballs, or you can head there for breakfast and feast on granola bowls or a Power Breakfast that features salsa, scrambled eggs, sweet potato, avocado, spinach and chorizo.

Urban Herbivore

Healthy Toronto Restaurants This vibrant Kensington Market restaurant offers a fantastic salad bar where you can fill up on greens and quinoa, as well as yummy healthy sandwiches, dairy free cupcakes and gluten free treats. Try the grilled vegetable sandwiches which are warm and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and stuffed with veggies such as zucchini, grilled eggplant, spinach, sweet potato and shredded carrot.

What’s one of your favourite healthy Toronto restaurants you’ve visited before? Please feel free to share your recommendations with us in the comments below. Dont forget to check out these quick and easy healthy snacks when you are busy and on the go!

Community Events, Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Fitness and Health

How to Beat the January Blues in Toronto

January 6, 2017

The exciting buildup to Christmas and New Year’s is over – now it’s just cold. However, don’t get too sad as January holds plenty of fun things to look forward to.

You may be feeling a little bit blah after the holiday season. You’ve returned to work, you’re a little bit worse for wear after indulging in too much eggnog and cookies and the January days can be dark and dreary. However, there are many ways to lift your spirits and avoid the January blues. Here are some of the great things that you can do in Toronto this month.

The Next Stage Theatre Festival

January 4-15, 2017

Brighten up your January with some excellent theatre and comedy. This year the festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of offering a diverse showcase of thought provoking and funny theatre. Since it began 10 years ago, the festival has been attended by over 75,000 guests. Check out the schedule here to see which plays, improv shows and comedies are currently on.

The Second Annual Something Strange Circus Sideshow Festival

January 21, 2017

The second year of the Something Strange Circus Sideshow Festival will be an eclectic gathering of freaks and geeks from all over the world. From ventriloquists to contortionists to sword swallowers to stuntmen to burlesque dancers and much more, this show will baffle and amaze you.

Eat Some Poutine

On a cold January day, there’s nothing more comforting than piping hot chips smothered in rich gravy and squeaky cheese curds. Poutine is a Canadian

January Blues

delicacy and there are many great places in

Toronto to feast on this warm and satisfying dish.

Fancy Franks offers special poutines with unique toppings such as Korean Beef Ribs and a fried egg or BBQ Pulled Pork and a deep fried pickle. The poutine at Leslieville Pumps is made with rich dark gravy made from the beef smoker and aged potatoes. For more suggestions, check out this guide to the 15 Best Poutine Spots in Toronto.

Go Tobogganing

Zooming down a hill on a toboggan with the fresh winter breeze in your hair is a great cure for the January blues – it will bring you back to the carefree days of your youth. You’ll have lots of great tobogganing hills to choose from. Check out Riverdale Park East for an inviting slope and great views of the city skyline, or Withrow Park for a steep incline that has a set of stairs along the side to make getting back to the top easier. Donora Park, in a quiet residential area, has a smaller hill that is very kid-friendly.

Ripley’s Aquarium Beach Bash

January 27, 2017

If the January cold is really getting to you, why not pretend that you are in the tropics for a few hours? The Beach Bash in the Six is a beach party in the middle of winter where you can party in your swimsuit, sip on a rum cocktail and go for a ride on a surf simulator. It might be freezing outside, but it’s summer in here!

How do you like to beat the January blues in Toronto? Let us know in the comments below. Check out our blog too on some fun things to do in Toronto!

Business Travel, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk

How to Relax After a Busy Day at Work

November 18, 2016

A few suggestions for recharging your batteries and how to relax after a busy day at work.

Some work days can be so exhausting that even though you were simply sitting at a desk all day, you feel like you have run a marathon. Perhaps you had to speed through some work to meet a deadline, or you had to mediate in tense and stressful meetings, or you had to do a mind-numbing task that leaves you mentally drained. If you have had a day at the office, when you come back to your home in your furnished accommodation, your priority should be to relax, recharge and rejuvenate yourself. Here are some simple tips on how to relax after a busy day.

You might be tempted just to put on some trashy reality television and zone out with a bag of potato chips, but here are a few different ideas for relaxing after a busy and draining day at work:

Create an at Home Spa

You can totally immerse yourself in a soothing spa-like environment, without having to pay the expensive prices that spas charge these days. With a few little touches you can turn your bathroom into your own private home spa. Scatter a few tea light candles around the room and turn the lights down. Burn some incense or use an oil diffuser with a relaxing scent such as lavender. Treat yourself to some luxurious bath bubbles and run the hottest, bubbliest bath ever. As you ease yourself into the hot bubbles while the candlelight flickers around you, you’ll forget about everything that was stressing you out.

Take a Walk

Walking is a great way to relieve stress and help you feel more calm. The physical exercise will release endorphins in your brain which will improve your mood. Plus, the fresh air and sunlight will also benefit your mood and overall well-being. Look for a nearby park in Toronto or nature trail and go out exploring. It doesn’t matter if you walk with a friend or a four legged friend or just by yourself – you’ll benefit either way and will help you relax after a busy day.

Work On a Creative Hobby

Many people find that having a creative hobby that they enjoy really helps them to relax and recharge when they come home from a stressful day at work. It allows them to turn off their analytical left brain and use their creative right brain for a while. Often being immersed in the act of creating something can put you in a calm “flow state” and allow you to forget about everything else for a while. Your creative hobby can be anything you are interested in, whether it is knitting, painting, wood working, jewellery making, drawing or anything else.

Watch Something that Makes You Laugh

Another great way to unwind after a busy day at work is to put on a funny movie or TV show or watch videos of your favourite comedian. Researchers at the University of Maryland in the USA have linked laughter to healthier blood vessels, reduced stress, higher anti-body production and a stronger immune system.

These are just a few ideas for relaxing after a busy day on the job – what’s your favourite way to relax after a busy day?

Business Travel, Family Vacations in Toronto, Fitness and Health, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk, Toronto Family Travel

Quick Healthy Snacks when You are Busy

August 8, 2016

It can be incredibly challenging to eat healthy when you are travelling. Whether you are on a long flight, a bus journey or an epic road trip, often the only food available is from convenience stores and fast food outlets. Greasy fast food will not only pack on the calories, it will make you feel bloated and tired when you are in transit. If you can bring along some quick healthy snacks on your trip, you can refuel with nutrients that will give you energy and help you feel great.

Looking to prepare some healthy foods for your next trip but don’t know where to start? Here are a few ideas of some quick healthy snacks:

Dried Fruit

This travel snack ticks all the boxes – it is healthy, tasty and extremely portable. It is also great for kids because it won’t make a mess or cause stains in the car or the plane. There are many great tasting types of dried fruit including dried bananas, apple rings and dried peaches. Look for fruit that has doesn’t have any additives like sugar, colour, flavor or preservatives.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Having travel snacks that are high in protein is important, because the protein will keep you feeling full for longer. Hard boiled eggs are a great travel snack, so boil up a few before you go and keep them in a container. They can last a long time if you don’t peel the shell, as the egg itself is the perfect wrapper.

Trail Mix

Another great portable healthy snack is trail mix. You can bring it along in a Tupperware container or Ziploc bag and grab handfuls whenever hunger strikes. There are lots of different types of trail mix out available out there in the bulk section of the grocery store. Or, you could make your own by combining the nuts, seeds, dried fruits and other items that you prefer.

Granola Bars

A store bought granola bar can be the perfect item for keeping you fueled up when you are on the road. However, when choosing your granola bar be aware that some brands are loaded with sugar that you may as well be eating a chocolate bar! Look for these quick healthy snacks with low sugar and plenty of natural ingredients.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a fantastic food! It offers lots of protein and energy and it’s very portable. You could bring along a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter on a road trip and stop for sandwiches whenever you are hungry. You can also bring along some crackers or celery sticks for spreading peanut butter on – whatever tastes good to you. Finally be sure to check out some healthy on the go snacks children love.

These are just some ideas for portable quick healthy snacks that are great to bring with you when you are travelling, so you can satiate your hunger without filling up on junk food and arrive at your destination or furnished apartment in Toronto feeling great.

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