Winterlicious

Starts: January 29, 2010
Ends: February 11, 2010

As part of Toronto’s WinterCity Festival, Winterlicious offers two popular programs for you to savour.

Winterlicious Culinary Events:
10 mouth-watering culinary events featuring some of Toronto’s diverse cuisine and notable chefs.

Winterlicious Prix Fixe Promotion:
150 of Toronto’s restaurants offering three-course prix fixe menus at one of three price point categories:

$15 Lunch and/or $25 Dinner
$20 Lunch and/or $35 Dinner
$25 Lunch and/or $45 Dinner
(Per person, plus taxes and gratuity)
View all menus at: www.toronto.ca/winterlicious

http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/se/restaurants.nsf/winterlicious?openform

Toronto’s WinterCity Festival

Starts: January 29, 2010
Ends: February 11, 2010

Cost: Free

WOW! Series at Nathan Phillips Square
-Beat the cold with a spectacular fire installation, gravity-defying aerial dance performances, ice sculptures and themed skating parties.
Warm Up Series at Toronto Attractions
-Five special performances and events produced by Toronto-based artists and institutions.
Winterlicious at Toronto Restaurants
Experience a series of mouth-watering culinary events or indulge in great food at great value with the ever-popular prix fixe promotion.

Address:
WOW Series! takes place at Nathan Phillips Square
100 Queen Street West
Queen Street West and Bay Street
Map to this event

TTC: Exit Queen Subway Station (wheelchair accessible) or Osgoode Subway Station.

Brazilian Carnival Fever 2010

Starts: February 6, 2010 09:00 PM
Ends: February 7, 2010 03:00 AM

Cost: $20 – $29

5th Annual Brazilian Carnival Fever 2010

High quality team of performers and band members from Banda Carnavalesco, a full entourage of Brazilian Musicians with rhythms of SAMBA, MARCHA, AXÉ MUSIC and BATUCADA

Brazilian DJ Vince

Special Guest Appearance by Carlinhos Pernambuco, Brazilian Musician performing an arrangement of Brazilian pop rock, Afro Brazilian rhythms and Brazilian ” samba ” beats

Advance tickets: $20

Tickets @ door: $25

For more information contact:
Phone: 416-299-5932

Address:
1305 Dundas Street West
Dundas & Dovercourt
Map to this event

http://www.brazilfest.ca/

Trends in the health, diet and fitness are constantly changing. One day something is good for you and the next day it’s not. This can become confusing, overwhelming and self-defeating. The key to optimal health is to live an optimal lifestyle, and that is where the average busy and often stressed person fails. There are components to fitness that are equally shared: mind and body and soul.

Mind:

Mental health pertains specifically as the ability to learn and to grow intellectually. A healthy mind is one that is able to interact with people and the environment. It is also able to cultivate and sustain healthy relationships.

How to improve your mental health:

• New experiences and learning new skills enhance this aspect. It is also important to make the time for self-reflection, which many people overlook.
• Meditation, reading, journal writing and puzzle solving to name a few, are a few good methods to sharpen the mind.
• Concentration also mentally prepares you for the next aspect, training the body.

Body:

Physical health seems pretty self explanatory but many people tend to overlook the other components of fitness. Naturally, any type of movement or physical activity is beneficial to improve health. If you are currently following some type of fitness program or routine, remember, cardio alone is not enough. Incorporate resistance/strength training as well as flexibility. Take care of your body and it will take care of you!

How to improve your physical health:

• cardio- train your heart at least 4-7 days a week, 30 minutes minimum
• resistance/strength training 2-4 days a week
• flexibility training 4-7 days a week
• Keep a healthy BMI (Body composition and proportion of fat free mass)
• Eat a healthy diet. Eat small meals evenly throughout the day
• Refer to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living and Canada’s Food Guide http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

Soul:

• Spirituality, for some is still a vague subject.  It is simply recognized as the ability to put into practice moral or religious beliefs. Spiritual wellness may not be something that gets much attention, yet its impact on your life is unavoidable. The basis of spirituality is discovering a sense of meaningfulness in your life and coming to know that you have a purpose to fulfill. For many people it is based on religious beliefs, for others being at peace with nature can give a sense of spiritual connection.

How to improve your spiritual health:

• Be quiet. Take time for yourself every day, even if it’s just before going to sleep, or when driving home.
• Practice being non-judgmental and have an open mind
• Be receptive to pain or times of sorrow. It is often in these times when we discover how spirituality can help us cope.
• Practice forgiveness
• Pray, meditate or worship
• Live joyfully

You will feel stronger, happier and be able to do more activities no matter your age.  Practicing wellness will reduce the effects of aging and allow participation in sports and recreation that might not be possible with lower levels of fitness. Having greater levels of fitness will reduce the incidence of injury and also reduce the chance of illness.  Good health is something that we should all be investing in. Health is wealth.

This evening, I tuned into some of the mainstream television shows (ie. Grey’s Anatomy) and noticed a common theme: relationships don’t last. It seems that  when someone starts to want different things than their partner, the solution is to call it quits. I find this is particularly true of women. What is it with women having to “just be”, “go find them selves” or “think about what they want” ? Women: you should have figured that stuff out before committing yourself to someone else! I won’t lie, I have found myself uttering those very words in past relationships. To be frank, when you leave to figure out whatever it is you need to figure out, remember, the person you left may not always be waiting for you when you return.

Why do couples drastically decide to split rather than working through the changes? You will not always want the exact same things in life but those differences can bring you closer if you chose to see them as opportunities to grow. I think that the independence of modern women offers more choices in life but those choices also add confusion and indecisiveness. I know of many couples that parted ways because the woman’s expectations were not met or there was “something missing”.

For those of you that watched Oprah today, you would have seen the attractive, successful and single 41 year old woman who could not commit herself to any man. They pointed out her “wish list” which included : handsome, funny/silly, smart, attractive, gets along with and is liked by all members of his family, never before married, no children, dresses well, does not drink through a straw…they ridiculed her high standards and stated that that “man” does not exist out there. They made her simplify her “wish list” to instead, emphasize her core values that she was seeking. This opened up more possibilities of meeting someone. When she went out on dates however, her old habits surfaced and she would reject men for minuscule things! They blatantly told her that she will always be alone if she does not become more open and realistic.

This generation of women is all about the next best thing. It is awful that we are never thin enough, attractive enough, rich enough, popular enough, successful enough…the problem is we want too much! Women- take heed and don’t make your life a reflection of your beloved characters on TV. While there is nothing wrong with being ambitious, don’t forget to be grateful for all of the good things you already have. Before you move on and decide to leave Mr. Now for Mr. Next, think about what you will be giving up and if it is worth it?

“You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel.”

Firstly, happy New Year dearest readers! Thank you for all of your support over the past year. Hopefully, 2010 will bring about the best. Confidently Single will continue to provide articles on the topics that are on your minds.

Watching the TV and reading the Headlines on various magazines this past week, common key phrases keep popping up: “New Year, New You”, “How to Have Your Best Year Ever”, “Have the Body You Always Wanted” and so forth. As we all know, this is the time of the year we see gym memberships go up as people flock to the gyms to lose the holiday weight. Come February, the gyms will pretty much have the same amount of people before the holidays. Same thing goes for product marketing and diets. While these things are valid to consider, don’t buy into the hype. I can assure you that there is not a single product out there that will help you lose weight quickly! If you are on diet that promises rapid weight loss be weary that severe calorie restriction only results in decreasing your metabolism. Therefore, when you resume your normal eating patterns, the now excess calories will be stored as fat. And what’s worse, you may even gain more weight than what your initial weight was before the diet.  People often ask me how to lose weight quickly or get six pack abs. My answer is always the same: diet and exercise.

Losing weight is a process that requires commitment. If your goal is to lose weight, be realistic and understand that there is a timeline to healthy weight loss; about 2lbs a week. There are many ways to go about it and the outcomes depend on: your level of fitness, how much time you have available to work out and having a good support system. The other crucial part of weight loss is diet. Food is life giving and meant to be enjoyed. Many people have negative relationships with food that become detrimental to success and good health.

There is another component that is equally essential and that is your lifestyle. If you don’t get enough sleep, constantly feel stressed, never make time for yourself, smoke and drink large amounts of alcohol, for example, no amount of diet and exercise will give you results. Losing weight is not about fitting into a size 0 pair of jeans. It is about feeling healthy, feeling energized, feeling durable to do daily activities. It is about having a healthy relationship with yourself. To truly attain an optimal level of health, you need to have a good balance of mind, body and soul.

If weight loss is one of your goals for this year, be patient! Do not get discouraged and stick to your plan. This month, I will go into further detail about the mind, body and soul concept.

Please refer to my other articles as well:

http://confidentlysingle.com/?p=89

http://confidentlysingle.com/?p=70

If you have any questions on health and weight loss, you can email them to:

dorothy@confidentlysingle.com

Ladies, when it comes to buying something for your boyfriend, you don’t know where to start sometimes!  When it comes to men, choose gifts that suit his temperament and nature. Rather than looking for generic gift items, find something suitable to his interests and hobbies. If you are still confused about what to get, the gift ideas listed below will come in handy, as it will give you some ideas of what he may enjoy.

• Guys are generally into some type of sport or fitness routine. How about accentuating his wardrobe with a stylish gear or equipment? Tickets to a sporting event work well too.
• What is one thing that a man never parts with? His wallet, of course!! Get an elegant leather wallet for your boyfriend.
• Depending on whether you like him in formal attire or casual one, suit him up. Make sure you buy clothes, which he will feel comfortable wearing and reflect his personality.
• How about a gift basket filled with men’s toiletries?  Women are not the only ones entitled to pamper themselves. Gift certificates to a men’s spa can serve as a gift alternative.
• Jewellery is also not limited to women. Get him a nice watch, ring or even a chain.
• Men are usually gadget freaks. You can go for an electronic notebook, mp3 player, GPS system or cell phone.
• If you want to give him something practical, stock him up on some essentials. A guy is always in need of socks, underwear and undershirts.
• If your boyfriend loves to read, get him a book or a year’s subscription of his favourite magazine.
• Fragrance qualifies as top gift option. Men are also particular about smell, so before buying the perfume, make sure you know his taste.
• Among the other generic gift ideas you can try out: an elegant pen, music CD’s, movie DVD’s and video games

As if Christmas shopping wasn’t bad enough to try and pick gifts for your friends and family, it becomes more of challenge if you have a girlfriend to buy for. Guys know that not only do the gifts you buy show how well you know her, your lovely is also looking at them from a “how much he loves me” angle. I hate to say that there are women that have this type mentality but they are out there. So to help you poor fellows out, with a little research, you can buy your girlfriend the Christmas gifts she will appreciate. No two women are alike so don’t think that what you bought your ex will work this time around. If you are really stuck, here are some fool proof gifts you cannot go wrong with.

Spa Therapy Treatment

One of the things that many women complain about is how their feet are killing them- stupid high heels! That’s why the luxury of a pedicure will delight and pamper her all at the same time. This is a great Christmas gift idea and they usually sell in the $25-$50 range.  If the foot spa isn’t luxurious enough for the special girl in your life, then there are many ways to pamper her. There are various massage and facial treatments to choose from and the effects last for weeks.

A Novel

If your girlfriend reads a lot of books, this Christmas gift idea lets her feel appreciated that you noticed her interests. If you’re having trouble finding that specific novel, then get her a gift card for a book store instead.

A Designer Fragrance

We all know how important the right perfume is for women, and more likely than not, you may have bought her the wrong scent before. Perfumes can be tricky since not all scents smell the same way on a person. Try to find scents that compliment her personality, ask a sales associate for help or just pick scents that appeal to you and tell her how much you will enjoy smelling it on her body.

Lingerie

One of the simplest and most romantic gift ideas a guy can buy his girlfriend is lingerie – after all, it’s something she wears, so you should have an idea of what she already likes. Just make sure you get the right size though, especially if you want to see her in whatever you buy!

Gift Baskets

All women love products that will beautify them. Moisturizers, lotions, bubble bath, lip gloss, and so on. Help her stock up on her favourite products.

Next Week: Gift Ideas for Him

An age old tradition, Gingerbread is traced to Europe back to the 11th century. Crusaders returning from the Middle East and brought back a spice – ginger. The first gingerbread houses were made in Germany. Children story writer, Brothers Grimm, made them famous in the very popular fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”. You may be thinking that building a gingerbread house is a childish thing to do but on the contrary, it can be a lot of fun and even romantic, in a silly way. You can go old school and bake your own gingerbread and buy candies at a bulk store or you can buy a gingerbread house kit that has everything ready to be assembled! If you want to learn the skills from some pros,  take your date to a Gingerbread House Workshop.

Dating and relationships are constantly evolving.  The same holds true for what happens in the bedroom.  Topics that were once taboo, are commonly accepted and women continue to thrive on their sexual power. While we have a lot more freedom to express this side of ourselves, there is still a lot of stigma attached to women who enjoy sex a little too much. Men always tend to wonder how a woman gained her experience. They start to assume these women are party girls or have been around the block a few times. I know a lot of women tend to hold back on initiating sex in the beginning of a new relationship because they fear being labelled so. Has it ever occurred to men that women may enjoy sex just as much, if not even more? Women wonder if they should play the naughty or nice card to satisfy their needs.  If you are confident in yourself and have a bold personality, go for it and own it. The majority of men love it when a woman is the first to initiate some bedroom bliss. But not all of us are vixens of pleasure, at least not from the start. If you are on the shy side but still want to take control, do not despair. Men need a little direction sometimes but tend to be quick learners. Here are a few tips to get you started:

*Wear lingerie that makes you feel sexy and confident. Whatever assets you got going for you, highlight them. A sexy scent helps too but go light on the perfume. If you need to set the mood, light some candles and play your favourite music. Need more courage? Pour a glass of wine and embrace him with a deep kiss. You don’t have to do much after that.

*Talk dirty. You don’t have to sound like a porn star but if you feel silly and laugh while doing it, it will be anything but sexy. If this is too much of a feat, then whisper in his ear describing what you enjoy that he is doing or what you want him to do next.

*Join him in the shower – When he goes into the shower, give him a few minutes head start. He will be pleasantly surprised to see you naked. Soap him up and let him do the same for you.

*Give him a sexy massage. Get the massage oil or lotion. Start your massage from the nape of his neck and work your way down to his feet. Men are quite sensitive to touch and have several areas that provide them with arousal. Explore his body and see how he responds to your touch

*Wake him up with a shower of kisses – men are always good to go in the early hours of the morning. Men get that kind of message loud and clear.

The basic idea is to excite him with subtle hints of the final reward, without having to ask him for it. Don’t be afraid to take charge, have fun together and make it enjoyable for both of you.

Perhaps you are in a new relationship or you are in a relationship that spans several years. Whatever length of time you have been devoted to your significant other, there are going to be times where you feel that life gets in the way and pulls you apart. There are a lot of couples out there that are more devoted to their job than their loved one and this shift can be a recipe for disaster. I have talked to people who have stayed in a married relationship for 10 years, 30, years and 50 years. The secret to staying happily married: growing as individuals together. We all know the basic dynamics of a good relationship: communication, honesty, loyalty, understanding, patience, compassion, and so forth.  What really stood out for me in these relationships was the same thing: these couples led individual lives and never treated their significant other as a “possession”.  However, they also spent a great deal of time doing things together. Whether it was something as simple as cooking dinner together or going for a walk or taking a vacation together or learning a new skill, these couples were able to strengthen their bond though common experiences.  You and your significant other both wear many hats in the relationship but you should be each other’s best friend above anything else. Make the effort to experience new things together and the relationship will never get boring. That is why it is important to have common interests. So for all of you on-line daters out there, make an effort to read someone’s profile rather than just check on their physical attributes!  When you go on a date, make an effort to get to know the person. Don’t ask about what they do for a living, ask about what makes them feel like they are living. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Looking for something to do this weekend? There is lots to choose from this weekend. Here are just some of the events taking place across the city:

Bloor-Yorkville Holiday Magic

Starts: November 21, 2009
Ends: January 31, 2010

See Bloor-Yorkville transformed into a magical holiday wonderland!

Official Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 21! Join us between 5 and 6 pm for refreshments and a circus performance, along with special guests Zaib Shaikh and Brandon Frila, stars of the hit comedy, “Little Mosque on the Prairie”!

Over 25 retailers will have ballot boxes available to win great prizes. In addition, 20 more retailers will be holding promotions during the event!

For more information contact:
Phone: 416-928-3553
Ext: 27

Address:
All across the Bloor-Yorkville Neighbourhood

http://www.bloor-yorkville.com/

2009 Gourmet Food & Wine Expo

Starts: November 19, 2009 12:00 PM
Ends: November 22, 2009 10:00 PM

The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo offers guests an unparalleled opportunity to sample over 1,500 fine wines, beers and spirits and savour the culinary stylings of Toronto’s best restaurants. The Expo embraces the style and sophistication of a cocktail party paired with unprecedented educational opportunities and compelling feature areas.
VIP Evening on November 19 is open to the public – cost: $35.
Must be 19+ years of age to attend; no infants or children are permitted.
Hours:
Thursday, November 19: 6 pm – 10 pm (VIP Night)
Friday, November 20: 2 pm – 10 pm
Saturday, November 21: 12 pm – 10 pm
Sunday, November 22: 12 pm – 6 pm

For more information contact:
Phone: 1-866-414-045

Address:
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building
222 Bremner Boulevard

Map to this event

http://www.foodandwineexpo.ca/sitepages/

Eh!U European Film Festival

Starts: November 19, 2009
Ends: December 3, 2009

Cost: Free

Come join us and celebrate our fifth anniversary with 2 weeks of award winning European Cinema in Toronto!

Free Admission to All Screenings, Donations Welcome!

Entrance on a First Come, First Serve Basis.

All Films Subtitled in English.

All Films 18 and Over.

For more information contact:
Phone: 416-972-1476
Ext: 25

Address:
Bloor Cinema – 506 Bloor St. W – Nov 19th
The Royal – 608 College St. – Nov 20th – Dec 2nd
Cineplex Odeon Varsity – 55 Bloor St. W – Dec 3r

http://www.eutorontofilmfest.ca/2009/

416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival

Starts: November 17, 2009 09:00 PM
Ends: November 21, 2009 04:00 PM

Cost: $1 – $9

The 416 Toronto Creative Improvisers Festival is a series of concerts, 3 or 4 a night over 4 or 5 days that feature some of Toronto’s finest improvising musicians. These improvisations often take the form of completely free-form spontaneous compositions, created entirely “in the moment, at the moment of performance, by the performers”. At other times, a drawing, or graphic, or other object may be used to inspire the music.
A special feature of this year is Voices of Montreal, 514 meets 416, the opening night features three inter-stellar performers from Montreal to start the festival off with some aural fireworks. New also this year, is a free workshop about free improvisation music, open to the public of all ages and abilities, facilitated by Rod Campbell, custodian of the Improvisors Pool since 2001, at the Palmerston Library.

For more information contact:
Phone: 416 645 0295

Address:
Tranzac Club,
Palmerston Library,
292 Brunswick Street,
Toronto, ON
Spadina and Bloor
Map to this event

http://www.416festival.com/

Whodunit? OCAD Mystery Art Sale

Starts: November 18, 2009
Ends: November 21, 2009

Cost: Free

Toronto’s most anticipated annual art event! Whodunit presents work by OCAD students, faculty, alumni, acclaimed artists and designers. Proceeds support OCAD. The artist is revealed after work is purchased.

Whodunit? OCAD Mystery Art Sale schedule:

Public Preview:
Wednesday November 18 and Thursday November 19
12noon – 6pm

Friday November 20
12noon – 8pm

Free

Preview Gala:
Wednesday November 18
6:30 – 10pm

Tickets: $150

Public Art Sale:
Saturday November 21
10am – 4pm
Buy tickets for Preview gala at: https://www.beanstream.com/scripts/cart/view_products.asp?merchant_id=117489529&category_id=1
Gala tickets $150

For more information contact:
Phone: 416-977-6000

Address:
OCAD – Auditorium
100 McCaul Street
Dundas & McCaul Streets
Map to this event

http://apache.ocad.ca/events_calendar/eventdetail.php?id=1648

LAF | Light Art Food: Bloor Street Walk

Starts: November 21, 2009 04:00 PM
Ends: November 21, 2009 08:00 PM

Cost: Free

LAF (Light Art Food) artists, store and restaurant owners collaborate to turn Bloor St from Lansdowne to Dufferin into a late-fall walking destination. On cold, dark Nov. 21 we invite you to participate. Artists are creating nightlight sculptures to light up Bloor Street. Retail stores are transforming their windows with lights projects. Restaurants are opening their kitchens to prepare taster menus at minimum costs – we encourage you to restaurant hop and try everything.
Check www.bloordale-bia.com for updates and contact information. Events and collaborators are posted now. New events, some with extended hours will be listed as they become available.

For more information contact:
Phone: 416.539.8129

Address:
Bloordale is along Bloor Street from Lansdowne Ave to Dufferin Street

http://bloordale-bia.com/