Vancouver

Vancouver for A Girls’ Weekend Part II: A Platonic Palm Tree Honeymoon

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The Burrard Hotel: a hip, palm treed boutique hotel in Vancouver, BC
Photo credit: Martin Tessler

Old friendships are worth the trip. Recently one of my dearest gal pals and I stayed at The Burrard Hotel, in Vancouver, B.C., to kvetch and eat donuts. It was a low-key ending to a high glam, big chillax girls weekend – a chance for this mama to take a break from adulting and bond with some besties while my little man was spoiled by grandparents.

A third in a series of British Columbia/Washington area getaways, my gal pal and I were stoked to nab a room at the colourful and mega central hotel, The Burrard.

Last fall when I travelled to Vancouver for some much needed mama solo time (Read more here and here). One of my not-so-often travel opportunities became available: a hangout with one of my fave Torontonians: my pal Elly, writer of books, traveller of the world, eater of things and third time running platonic honeymoon** buddy.  Read more

Vancouver For A Girls’ Weekend: The Sleepover Part 1

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As a bonafide extrovert on the Meyers Briggs spectrum, I need to level up my energy stores by participating in at least one girls’ weekend per year (if not more). Some of my favourite girls’ weekends have included surf fun in Tofino, festival fandango in Palm Springs or foodie forays in Edmonton. One of the best ways to recharge my people-loving jets is to organize a getaway full of long meals, smelly cheese and some hot tub soaks including an adult sleepover. There’s something that speaks to my 12 year old self when I have an adult sleepover/girls weekend with my besties. The communal acts of sharing drinks, catching up on non-work/non-partner/non-kid life and helping each other decide what to wear out is something I’ve always enjoyed.

A recent rendition of one such girls’ weekend happened in Vancouver – my former hometown and current location of the uber-luxe Fairmont Pacific Rim. As my bambino bonded with grandparents, I kvetched with friends at the downtown Vancouver hotel. It was divine and restful.
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How did you get that f*#king awesome job Gordon Glanz?

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Photo credit: Grant Harder

Spirit distiller. East Vancouver innovator. Call Gordon Glanz what you want, but the co-founder of East Vancouver’s Odd Society Spirits is fast becoming a pioneer in B.C.’s distilling scene.

Rewind his life narrative a bit and this isn’t surprising. He has a Master’s Degree in distilling from the land of William Wallace, haggis and damn fine scotch. Rewind even more down Glanz’s winding life path and you’ll read about how he’s gone from teen-aged experimental distiller to a grown-up, award-winning distiller at Odd Society Spirits’.  Read more

Westcoast to Winnipeg – This Summer’s 5 Best Summer Sips

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Victoria's Olo serves up a savoury summer sip: the What's up Doc?
Victoria’s Olo serves up a savoury summer sip: the What’s up Doc?

Summer is in full swing. My instagram feed is full of magic hour photos of patios, picnics and colourful cocktails. My real life feed is full of toddler trips to the beach, road trips with visiting family and when I can manage, a fancy cocktail or three. I love having folks for a bevvie on our deck. There’s nothing better than a tumbler full of quirky flavours spiked with some interesting spirits to mark the end of the day or the beginning of the weekend. I’ve been alternating my TGIF bevies between rose cordial spritzers and strong, extra sour mojitos. (The never ending pot of mint on our deck is a total enabler.)

Last year I interviewed some of Canada’s best bartenders for their favourite summer cocktail recipes and was completely inspired to up my host game. This summer, I decided to continue canvasing Canada’s cocktail stars to highlight the crazy talent we have in front of our bar stools from sea to sea to sea. Whether you love savoury sips with carrot garnishes or a rainbow twist on an old classic, I reckon you’ll swoon over the drink recipes below. Read more