Redpath Waterfront Festival, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to Harbourfront to check out the Waterfront Festival.

We got off transit at Spadina/Queens Quay and headed east.

We walked through HTO Park ... there was lots going on.

There were a few people enjoying the park.

Gord tried walking across a balance strap.

It was hard!

 Kids could get a tattoo.

A pirate was talking with kids about buried treasure.

Book ~ "One Plus One" (2014) Jojo Moyes

From Goodreads ~ Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell - until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. 

Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages ... maybe ever.

Jess cleans houses for a living and also has a part-time job in a pub.  Her husband, Marty, claimed he was depressed and needed to get away for a while and moved back with his mother.  This left Jess to raise their daughter, Tanzie, and Marty's teenage son, Nicky, who getting bullied because he's different (he wears mascara and dresses in black).

Tanzie is a math whiz and gets offered a scholarship at a private school and Jess just has to come up with the difference, which she can't afford.  If Tanzie wins the Math Olympiad, though, the prize will more than cover their cost for the private school.  The Olympiad, though, is in Scotland and Jess can't afford to get her, the kids and their huge dog, Norman, there.

One of Jess' clients, Ed, is a computer geek who became a tech millionaire.  Unfortunately he is being investigated for insider trading so has to lay low and stay away from the company he'd created.  With nothing else to do, he offers to drive Jess and her family to Scotland.  It takes a lot longer than necessary for various reasons and by the end, Ed's once pristine fancy car is full of dog hair and drool, barf, chocolate and lots more.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style and thought it moved at a good pace.  It's written in third person perspective, though there are a couple chapters that are in first person point of view (and it's obvious why).  The interactions between the characters was good ... funny and serious, depending on the situation.  As a head's up, there is some swearing (the "F-bomb", etc.).

I liked Jess and Ed ... they have incredibly different lifestyles.  Ed is used to eating out all the time, having a couple cars, a nice house, etc. and has an Italian model for an ex-wife.  Jess, on the other hand, has to watch every penny and make it last.  On their roadtrip, Ed wants to eat in restaurants while Jess has the kids take extra food from a breakfast buffet which lasts a couple days or she buys the fixings to make sandwiches.  Though Ed does offer to pay so they can all eat in a restaurant, Jess is too proud to take him up on his offer.  It was interesting to watch Ed evolve as he's forced to live someone else's lifestyle.  I usually find kids' characters annoying but I liked Tanzie and Nicky.  And Norman was a hoot!

Book ~ "Waiting For Prince Harry" (2014) Aven Ellis

From Goodreads ~ Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use - when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer ... Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry - Kylie’s ideal man. A hot, fun ginger boy would be worth breaking all the rules for, of course. And Kylie is sure Harry just needs the right, centering woman to settle him down. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

Or does it?

Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger boy - yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry - all bets are off. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to take a chance, to face her fears, and live in the present? And could this stranger be the Prince Harry she has been waiting for? Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this chance encounter, and she knows her life will never be the same because of it.

Kylie wasn't having a good time at her brother's wedding so she escapes to the hotel bar to have a drink and some time to herself.  She has a crush on Prince Harry and in the bar falls into the lap of a man who she finds even hotter than Harry.  Without introducing themselves, they connect and talk for hours and she's devastated to realize she'll never see him again.

But Harrison tracks her down.  Yay!  It turns out he is the captain of the local professional hockey team and they become friends and then quickly more.  Kylie's quiet life in a boutique doing visual displays is radically different than Harrison's ... he is recognized wherever he goes and has women constantly throwing themselves at him.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I rarely read pure romance books so this was a nice change.  I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well. There was tension but also resolution and things move along rather quickly.  It was humorous (I thought the pool table scene was cute).  It is written in first person perspective from Kylie's point of view.  As a head's up, there is a fair amount of swearing (F-bombs, etc.).

I like the main characters, Kylie and Harrison and thought they were good together ... their interactions showed that they were on the same page most of the time and cared about each other.  They have a couple blow-ups where their age and immaturity to handle some situations comes through but they then have the maturity to realize how to fix it and do.  There is a happy ending (yay!) and each gains the strength from the other to stand up and be who they really want to be.

If you are looking for a cute romance, you should check it out.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge from the author in exchange for my honest review.

River Gambler, Toronto, ON

I received a couple of complimentary tickets to go on a cruise tonight on the River Gambler on Toronto Harbour.  Gord and I love boat cruises!

We left just after 8pm and docked just before 10pm.

Shotberry offered everyone huge chocolate-covered strawberries with liquor tubes on the side.

Mine was coconut/chocolate-covered with ice wine ... yum!

It was raining when we got on the boat.  Boo!

As we started cruising, though, the rain stopped, the clouds shifted and the sun set.  There were some gorgeous colours!

Luxe Box - summer 2014

My summer Luxe Box arrived today.

Sign up to receive 7 to 8 trial sized beauty and lifestyle discoveries every season.

The cost is about $27 a box.

Here's what was inside ...

Burrito Boyz, Toronto, ON (Adelaide W)

Trish and I got together this evening to see 22 Jump Street.  She and I have been pals for about ten years and did boxing classes together for a few years.  Gord came along too.

Before the movie, we met at Burrito Boyz (John/Adelaide W) for supper.  It's been a while since I've had a burrito there ... I love them!

It was quiet when we got there at 5pm but got busy after that

I ordered a large chicken burrito ... that's my burrito being made.

Lots of ingredients to choose from

Here is my burrito ...

It was huge and delicious!

Yum!

Gord got a chicken burrito too.

Trish is vegan and got a sweet potato/ground soy burrito.  

So colourful!

Here are me and Trish ...

Moxie's Grill & Bar, Toronto, ON

I had supper with my pals, Deb, Franca and Liz tonight ... we used to work together and have been friends since the mid-1990s.

We met tonight at Moxie's at Wellington/University, which opened in November.

It was quiet when we got there about 5pm.

But it was fairly busy when we left about 7:30pm.

Session Toronto Craft Beer Festival, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to the fifth annual Session Toronto Craft Beer Festival this evening ... this is the fifth one we've been to.

This year it was held right downtown at Yonge Dundas Square.  I was wondering how it was going to work there ... and it did.

A regular ticket was $40 (plus tax) which included a glass and five tasting tickets. Tasting tickets were $1 and one ticket got you a 3 ounce sample.  We'd bought Princess Passes ($100 + tax).

With this pass you will have a separate entrance to the event with no lineups, private bathrooms, 30 tasting tickets, access to the princess area which features a catered buffet, unique beers and private music/entertainment, and a chance to shmooze with important industry folk. 

Well, there was no private music/entertainment and no schmoozing with important industry folk.  But we did have a private entrance, unlimited sandwiches and cupcakes, private bathrooms (rather than port-a-potties), bottles of water and, most importantly, a place to sit (there were tables and couches).

Gord and I ... thumbs up for the princess passes

The VIP area

Liberty Village Art Crawl, Toronto, ON

I walked over the Liberty Village Art Crawl this afternoon ... it's not far from my 'hood.

35 talented artists and artisans in the fields of original art, photography, jewelry design, furniture, fashion design, body care and more, will gather on location to exhibit and sell their products. 

Food trucks/vendors and DJs all day Saturday!

It was held today in Liberty Village Park (it was in another nearby spot yesterday).

I came in from the east end along East Liberty (from Strachan).

This chapel, built in 1877, is one of only two buildings
remaining of the Toronto Central Prison

The art crawl was next to the old chapel

There were vendors selling natural products, hats, pet supplies, jewellery, fitness, paintings, photography, etc.

beautybox five - June 2014

I received my June beautybox five today.

Beauty Box 5 is a subscription-based, beauty sampling service that delivers 5 deluxe samples and full-sized products right to your door every month.

Subscriptions are $12US a month or $99US for a year.  Shipping is free.

Here's what was in the box ...

• Nicka K New York Nail Color - Ripe Apple - full size - $4.99 value
• Organix Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner -  7.4ml samples - $0.31 value
• Glam Natural Mascara - black - @0.135oz sample - $15.12
• Eslor Introduction Collection Calming Kit - Soothing Refiner & Cleanser, Replenishing Scrub, Comforting Mask and Soothing Cream - 0.7oz samples - $14.48 value
• Vita Bath Body Wash - Wild Red Cherry - 2oz - $1.33

Total value:  $36.23US

Want to receive a free introduction box?  Of course, you do!  Just go to www.beautybox5.com and enter the code FREE614 at the checkout (offer valid for first-time U.S. customers only; code expires on June 30, 2014).

Books ~ "That Night" (2014) Chevy Stevens

From Goodreads ~ As a teenager, Toni Murphy had a life full of typical adolescent complications: a boyfriend she adored, a younger sister she couldn't relate to, a strained relationship with her parents and classmates who seemed hell-bent on making her life miserable. Things weren't easy, but Toni could never have predicted how horrific they would become until her younger sister was brutally murdered one summer night.

Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, were convicted of the murder and sent to prison.

Now thirty-four, Toni is out on parole and back in her hometown, struggling to adjust to a new life on the outside. Prison changed her, hardened her, and she’s doing everything in her power to avoid violating her parole and going back. This means having absolutely no contact with Ryan, avoiding fellow parolees looking to pick fights, and steering clear of trouble in all its forms. 

But nothing is making that easy - not Ryan, who is convinced he can figure out the truth; not her mother, who doubts Toni's innocence; and certainly not the group of women who made Toni's life hell in high school and may have darker secrets than anyone realizes. No matter how hard she tries, ignoring her old life to start a new one is impossible. Before Toni can truly move on, she must risk everything to find out what really happened that night.

But the truth might be the most terrifying thing of all.

In 1996, Toni and Ryan were dating and in their last year of high school.  They planned on working over the summer and then moving in together after they'd saved enough money.  Her home life wasn't great.  She and her mother didn't get along ... her mother kept trying enforce the rules that Toni kept breaking.  Her younger sister, Nicole, seemed perfect ... she got good grades and got along with their parents.  Toni had been friends with Shauna, one of the popular girls, just before high school but they had a falling out and Shauna was making Toni's life miserable.  Shauna had turned everyone against Toni and all she had was Ryan.  It became worse when Shauna and her gang befriended Nicole.  One night, Nicole was brutally murdered and all the evidence pointed to Toni and Ryan and they were sent to prison.

When they are 34, Toni and Ryan are paroled.  They are not allowed to have contact with each other which is fine with Toni because she just wants to start a new life (she'd cut off contact with him years ago so she could emotionally survive).  She moves back to her hometown and gets a job and a dog.  Then Ryan starts contacting her because he wants to clear their names ... Toni just wants to keep her nose clean.  But when she starts getting accused of things she hasn't done, she gets mad and wants to make someone pay.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well.  In the beginning, the chapters go back and forth, starting in 1996 to then jump to when Toni is in prison counting the days until her parole, then back to 1996, then forward again, etc. until it catches up to today.  This strategy worked for me because it built the suspense rather than starting in 1996 and telling the story chronologically ... we meet the teenager Toni and grown-up Toni side-by-side so we can see why she is the way she is today in the beginning of the book rather than having to wait until it's today.  It's written in first person perspective from Toni's point of view.  As a head's up, there is swearing (lots of F-bombs) but it's used appropriately.

I liked Toni and Ryan.  They basically just had each other and, though they were teenagers, I was buying their love for each other and figured they would have made it had they not gone to prison.  I liked today's Toni ... she was hardened, wanted to be left alone and didn't want any BS in her life.  Ryan, on the other hand, didn't want to live the life with restrictions as a parolee since he hadn't committed the crime.  Shauna was a major bitch in high school and today ... it surprised me that she was able to cause the amount of havoc she did and get away with it.

Trius wine club - June 2014

Gord and I have been members of the Trius Wine Club for over ten years.

Every month, 2 bottles of our best wine will be delivered to your door along with Winemaker Craig McDonald’s tasting notes and Chef Frank Dodd’s recipes.

The cost is $43 a month and it's only available in Ontario.

Our Trius wine club box arrived today.

Here's what we got this month ...

• Showcase Guardian Pinot Gris 2013 "Clark Farm Vineyard ($25.20) ~ The recipe included that pairs with it is Salmon Rillette
• Trius Cabernet 2012 ($14.95) - The recipe included that pairs with it is Creamy Ontario Mushroom Soup
• A voucher for a free Govino wine glass 4-pack  ($12.95 value)