[bc_video video_id="6283597758001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] If you are looking for what is hot right now, it is time now for my winter trends must-haves! Trend 1: At home mixologist with a WOW factor

• Flavour Blaster is an at-home accessory for your bar.
• Given we have been home a lot recently, there is a trend where self-made, self-proclaimed mixologists are trying to create some theatre at their own home bar. Flavour Blaster is the coolest accessory to impress!
• Flavour Blaster infuses any food or drink of your choice with an aromatic flavour bubble
• The innovative technology within the device creates decorative bubbles and aroma clouds, perfect for a theatrical serve.

[caption id="attachment_247070" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Flavour Blaster[/caption] Trend 2: Fall Sangria with my favourite Canadian Wines

• The IT drink of the moment is Sangria—but what makes this such a fun drink…is focusing on all the Fall flavours.
• Sangria is so perfect because it is great for sharing amongst friends and family and has so many flavour profiles—making it a perfect Fall drink.
• My two favourite local Canadian wines are perfect to make this drink
• Inniskillin is Canada’s original estate wine—and they have a white wine that is so perfect for an Apple Pie Sangria
• Use 2-3 varieties of Green and Red Apples, Cinnamon sticks, and some pomegranate seeds for colour
• Jackson-Triggs is Canada’s most awarded winery—and I love their red wine for a Stone Fruit Sangria
• Peaches, Pear, Vanilla Beans, Nectarine, Apricots, Cherries—flavours that are perfect for Fall.

Trend 3: Organic Traditions Pancake and Waffle Mix

• This superfood pancake mix is brand new
• Flavours come in matcha, original, and chocolate
• It has pre-biotic banana flour, coconut flour, and oat flour
• Very high in fibre
• Tastes and feels like a real pancake

Trend 4: Barumba Play

• Founded by a Canadian mom during the pandemic who was watching her kids play but without engagement in the activity
• Created foam blocks that can be made into many different configurations from couches to castles
• The blocks are super soft and the kids can be creative and build without missing all of the cushions off of your couch

Trend 5: Give your kids a new way to "play" with Backyard League

• Parents are always fighting to get their kids off their phones, Xboxes, or other gaming devices.
• Backyard League combines baseball and gaming into a real-world arcade game with real players.
• Play it anywhere, anytime. There are always players out there to compete with.
• The game uses a special baseball that connects to an app.
• When engaging in outdoor or indoor games—the ball will “talk” to the app and keep score, stats, metrics for you.

[caption id="attachment_247067" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Backyard League[/caption] Trend 6: Fall fashion with Canada's own: Sophie-Grace

• SophieGrace, a Canadian brand that brings together work and play.
• Women often struggle with the right pieces to put together for work and for the weekend.
• SophieGrace was launched by a local Canadian woman a couple of months before the pandemic and its collection mixes and matches classic looks good on everyone pieces without any need to overthink.
• The Hamilton pant solves the age-old issue for women of finding THE PERFECT BLACK PANT!
• The pant offers the comfort of an elastic waist and the elegance of a dress pant with a good amount of stretch for comfort.
• Wear these to the office, but then you can transition with a sweatshirt and sneakers—for the weekend.

[caption id="attachment_247068" align="aligncenter" width="209"] The Hamilton Pant[/caption]

• Ruth top is a classic staple for every Fall wardrobe. Pair it with a blazer on serious days or a leather jacket for something a little more fun.
• Sophie Grace also gives back with their Equal Pay scarf is perfect for a Fall Day.
• $50 from the purchase of every scarf is reinvested in microloans so female entrepreneurs can launch and become their own boss!

[caption id="attachment_247069" align="aligncenter" width="201"] Ruth Long Sleeve Blouse[/caption]

[bc_video video_id="6283593953001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] If you’re entertaining this holiday season, brunch is a great way to host your guests. We’re back to hosting in small numbers where people are comfortable and vaccinated. We haven’t done this in a while, so let’s ease ourselves into it. I love setting the table for a casual holiday brunch. For setting the table I’ve brought in warm earthy elements like twine and cinnamon sticks, copper flatware and mugs for cocktails, and wooden chargers.   [caption id="attachment_247075" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Kent Mule Mug[/caption] I chose white linen napkins and table runners, and stoneware which both feel casual but luxurious. For the centrepiece, I chose to incorporate greenery, and you can mix in real greenery as well with the faux if you like. [caption id="attachment_247074" align="aligncenter" width="316"] Linden Stoneware 12-Piece Dinnerware Set[/caption] Etiquette at the table is also super important for the holiday season. It's good to refresh your table etiquette since we haven't had as much experience in the past two years.  Here is a list of dinner party etiquette tips:

1. If you are hosting a dinner party and your table only seats 6, you should only invite 6 people
2. As a guest, do not place your cell phone on the table during dinner
3. If you arrive at a dinner party and the host has you seated next to someone you don't like, you should not ask the host to move your seat and do not move it yourself
4. As a guest do not pack up leftovers and take them home for the next day
5. Don't clear the table away quickly by scraping leftovers at the table and stacking dishes before moving them off the table
6. do not start eating as soon as you are served your food
7. As a guest even though you have been invited you still need to RSVP to let them know you are coming
8. Even if it's a casual party do not bring a friend without letting the host know
9. Don't allow your guests to help clean up, it's rude to have your guests help during a party
10. As a guest, you should always bring a gift when you go to a dinner party

  [bc_video video_id="6283277474001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Whether you’re looking for a perfect gift or a way to make healthier meals for your family, air fryers are a popular appliance in the kitchen.  I have put some to the test to see how they perform so you don't have to. Firstly air frying is a method of cooking that cooks with hot air, no oil needed. It is basically the same as a convection oven. So, if you have a convection setting in your oven, you don’ need to invest in an air fryer.  Convection or air frying both cook by blowing the hot air around the oven speeding up cook time and making things much crispier. Method: To test these air fryers I cooked frozen french fries and fresh chicken wings. All cooking temp were the defaults or recommended in the instruction booklets as per the manufacturer instructions. 1. Breville Smart Oven™ Air Fryer Pro Price: $629 What it does: 13 functions - Toast, Bagel, Broil, Bake, Roast, Warm, Pizza, Proof, Airfry, Reheat, Cookies, Slow Cook, Dehydrate Cook time: Used the default cook time of 25 min @ 400 degrees Results: The fries were done in 7 mins - crispy and golden. Wings were done about 8 mins crispy and cooked. I checked them at 8 min and they were overdone. Maybe down at 7 mins. Fall off the bone delish. Pros:

• Air fry frozen setting for cooking frozen foods - it adjusts the cooking time for you.
• LOTS of settings and LOTS of options, frozen settings, can cook more than one thing on separate trays.
• Very quick cooking.
• Can cook 2 things at once on different trays.

Cons:

• You have to preheat the oven before adding the food.
• Wings stuck to the pan badly but oiling the pan would add oil clean up was not easy (*use the roasting pan for wings because of the drip. The basket for fries.)

2. Cosori VeSync Pro Smart 5.8-Quart Air Fryer Price: $129 What it does: Wifi enabled Cook time: Fries at 380 for the recommended 25 mins but I checked it at 7 mins they were crisp and golden. Wings at preset 380 for 25 mins - but I checked at 7 mins and they were done. Pros:

• the smallest and lightest for storing away between uses.
• Preset buttons - fries, chicken steak, etc.
• Super easy cleanup - dishwasher safe.

Cons:

• The screen is a bit dark. I kept looking for a packing film to remove to make it clearer.
• One food item at a time.

3. Ninja Foodi™ Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill Price: $399 What it does: Six functions, this product is not only an air fryer but a grill as well. Cook time: Fries at 350 for 18-22 mins checked at 7 mins but added 2 more = 9 mins. Wings at 390 for 22 mins checked at 8 mins and they were overdone. I’m guessing 6-7 mins would have done it. VERY crispy. Pros:

• clear buttons, easy to use, smaller size - easy to tuck away.
• Very easy to clean - dishwasher safe.
• It also comes with the Foodi Smart Thermometer which takes the guesswork out of grilling and cooks your dish to your ideal internal temperature.

Cons:

• All of the pieces don’t nest together for storage

4. Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven Price: $449.99 What it does: Bake, Broil, Pizza, Roast, Toast, Bagel, Reheat, Warm, Dual Cook & Frozen Button Cook time: Fries at 400 for 10 mins. Wings at 400 for 10 mins. Pros:

• The quick reference guide for common items, frozen settings, can cook more than one thing on separate trays.
• No, preheat but longer cook time by 3 mins.
• Very quiet.
• Low smoke/steam.

Cons:

• Size, clean-up for wings was tough.

5. Ninja Foodi™ 6-in-1 8-qt. 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone™ Technology Price: $199 What it does: DualZone Technology allows the two dishes to cook at two different temperatures and times with a “smart finish” feature. Cook time: Fries at 390 for 18 min. Wings at 390 for 20 min. Pros:

• Cooking at 2 different times and temperatures.
• Smart cooking (it adjusts the time so they are done at the same time).
• No preheat.
• Super crispy evenly cooked.
• Easy cleanup - dishwasher.

Cons:

• Smaller individual cook capacity in each basket vs a single basket cooker (but total cook capacity is large).

Overall Results: They all work. You are really looking for the machine that suits your needs, fits your home at the budget that you are comfortable with. The crispiest were definitely from the Ninja.

[bc_video video_id="6283276636001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Are you planning your next big vacation? There are a few important things that I go through with my clients when we think about saving for a vacation. To help us, I have three different groups that we can use as examples to run through some strategies. One for a couple, one for a family of four, and one for a solo trip. First I want to talk about a “Sinking Fund”. A Sinking Fund is a stash of money that you put away over time for a specific short-term purpose. This will make even more sense when we get into some of my examples.  But overall, the idea is to avoid scrambling at the last minute for money or to pull from savings for other goals or even going into debt. Example #1 Couple For our first example, let’s say the couple is looking to travel in May. In this example, I have the couple flying to Arizona, staying at a boutique hotel. The overall cost of the trip is budgeted for a total of $5550.  If we divide $5550 by 2 people (assuming they don’t manage their finance together), that’s $2775 each. They each will have to save $693.75 per month and therefore $346.8 per paycheque into their travel sinking fund per month. A few things to point out for couples:

• May is a great month to go in because it’s off-season and therefore cheaper.
• Flexibility in terms of flight times is important, be open.
• And to help them manage what they’ve spent and potentially owe the other person, they can use an app like Split Wise.

Example #2 Family of Four For example two, I have this family travelling to Florida to an Airbnb in August. They will need to buy the vacation in advance as they aren't as flexible on when they can go so they don't want to take the risk of booking so close to the vacation. Something exciting here is that they can use Travel Points. The more you spend on travel (such as having to book for so many people), the more points you can collect and if you know this is an annual or more than once a year occasion, you might decide to find a credit card that can let you take full advantage. They have also decided to have a kitchen to make some meals at home. They need to set aside $830 per month and if they do this for 5 months at a stretch they can move to save for something else after! Example #3: Solo Travel This last example will resonate with lots of folks with the work from home that has been happening all year. As a solo traveller, you have lots of flexibility with less coordination to do with different people. In this example, I have the solo traveller finding deals and booking last minute. I checked in with the co-founder of, Good Weekend Co, a company that features curated getaways 3 hours outside of a city centre (I used their @goodweekendtoronto and found an awesome deal up North). They showcase really cool getaways and can sometimes show really awesome deals. And she gave us a few tips for this solo traveller to find the best deals for their budget. Tips:

• Using social to your advantage - turn on notifications. Use Insta Pages like Good Weekend Co. for local Travel or Social Pages aline for International Travel.
• Save up for it but be okay acting on a whim. Last minute deals for hotels & flights can become available that can work to your advantage
• Not being married to specific weeks or weekends because booking on a weekend like Valentine's Day or a Month like December will be more expensive.

In this case, rather than working backwards from the cost of the trip and creating a finite amount to put away, this individual can decide to continually save $300 a month and can book a last-minute trip according to how much they have in the sinking fund at that given time. This provides lots of flexibility. An important point is about living within our means and seeing the Sinking Fund as part of the bigger picture. In the case that your goal per month is unattainable, for example, you cannot save the amount of money that you'd like to before you go on vacation. Consider pushing your trip out further or cutting costs somewhere else that you are currently spending money on.

[bc_video video_id="6283277763001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] What if we upsized the latkes and downsized the meal? Instead of latkes being just one option among many on the big Hannukah bagel spread, what if they became the base for the Personal Latke Plate (PLP)? One crisp, fried latke per person that’s equal in size and deliciousness to three regular latkes, is set on a plate, on top of which inspired toppings are added to complete the meal. Exhibit A!