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[bc_video video_id="6255399111001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] We’ve been spending yet another long weekend in lockdown…but don’t worry, Travel and Lifestyle Expert Natalie Preddie shares some fun ideas you can do with the family right in your backyard.

Pitch a tent in the backyard

Setting up a tent in the backyard is great because it’s a change of scenery from the norm, a different destination. You can even go inside if it rains- and use the indoor plumbing! When you are camping in a tent you can pretend that you are anywhere, if it's warm, imagine the Caribbean.

Play outdoor games

Outdoor games are a great way to get the whole family active.  Set up a cornhole or a ladder ball game outside.  These are great games to play if your family has a competitive edge. For some even more active fun, create an obstacle course using objects around the house!

Stargazing

Go stargazing with the family! Print off a star map and point out constellations. This works best with a telescope, but can be done with the naked eye. Wrap yourselves up all cozy in sleeping bags and get ready to stargaze!

Bug and bird safari

This is a great way for kids to learn about the environment. Make a list of bugs to find, bring a magnifying glass and get hunting! Or similarly collect photos of birds to look for and bring a pair of binoculars.

[bc_video video_id="6255067551001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Just like we change our clothing for each new season, the same should be done for our beauty and skincare, so our Beauty Expert Shobana Lakkavally shows us some products swaps we can make for summer. Swap a hair straightener for a hair STEAMER The L’Oreal Professionnel Steampod 3.0 is the OMG product of the year. It uses steam and heat to straighten hair, reducing damage and frizz. It works by filling up the tank with distilled water, only use is on dry hair. The steamer also can curl your hair and work on all hair types! Where was this in high school when we were straightening our hair with a clothing iron? Shobana’s Tip: To maintain the health of your hair, detangle each section before styling and apply heat to the ends for the least amount of time. They are the oldest parts of our hair and the most fragile. Swap in clean skincare that is recycle ready Serums are a go-to for the most impact but a lighter, less greasy feel. One we recommend is the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum - which hydrates and brightens and decreases dark spots enhanced by the sun. The Vinoperfect line is the latest in Caudalie’s mission to go zero waste by 2022.  If your skin is dry, make sure to apply moisturizer along with your sunscreen, if it isn’t you may be able to skip it this summer! Skincare is not a one size fits all. Shobana’s Tip: Interested in clean products? Sephora Clean list includes products void of 50+ questionable ingredients. The Detox Market also has a curated selection. Swap out creams for liquids and balms Light liquid layers can have a skin-like feel. Selena Gomez’s blushes, from Rare Beauty, are lightweight and water resistant, vegan and cruelty free. Shobana’s Tip: Use your fingers to apply cream and liquid blushes. The warmth of your skin will help them melt into your skin. Cleansing your hands prior to application is a must! Foundations with skincare properties look like skin and feel like skin. A cult fave is the L'Oréal True Match Foundation which infuses hyaluronic acid which is great for hydration. This foundation is affordable and comes in 45 different shades. Shobana’s tip: After applying blush, I like to go over it with my foundation brush to blend it in. Because there is still some of your foundation color on your brush, you are mixing the blush with your skin color creating a custom color. Swap your disposable press-ons for reusable, curated nail art Toronto’s iconic Nail Salon, Tips has created beautiful customized press-ons. Using your measurements, they create custom, press-on nails. You can opt for nail art, or just keep it simple. Prices for sets start at $60.00. Swap out over-processed skin care There is a lot of skin-over processing happening. If you don’t know where to begin, we recommend a gentle exfoliating serum a few times a week. Serums that have lactic acid, which is gentle but also has hydrating properties, are great like the Drunk Elephant Protini Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum.

[bc_video video_id="6255067032001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Recently backyards have become the place to hang out! To help in making backyards easy to fall in love with, you can add new technology to your space. Lighting and Lamps Lights can be used in your outdoor space to brighten them! Two kinds of lights that are good options are both string lights and mini-lights. These lights can be hooked up to a Wifi enabled outdoor plug and controlled by voice command. When you're inside you just have to speak to turn them on. If you're outside, you can use an App on our phone to switch them on or off. Outdoor lighting comes in all shapes and sizes these days. The Bolleke hanging lamps are a great choice and have colourful loops that are made to resemble a hair elastic. They can be tied or hung from just about anything. Another great lamp is the playful Edison lamps. These are all charged via USB and can light up from 6-24 hours depending on the brightness setting you use. For your pool or pond, a great option is light-up inflatable planets from Amazon. They're solar powered which allows you to just blow them up and send them on their way! They start to glow as soon as the sun goes down. Outdoor Speakers Having your tunes outdoors is an absolute must! The KitSound Diggit Bluetooth speakers can stake right into the ground and will give you great sound. If you get another speaker it can pair-up and play for up to 8 hours!   Weather and Bug Management As soon as the sun goes down the mosquitos know it's time to pop by. To aid in preventing bug bites, it's great to get a solar-powered light that has the ability to be a powerful little bug zapper. When you're too hot outside it can really ruin your time. Misting can be a huge help in keeping you cool during the hot weather! The XPower fan from Airflow Go hooks up right to an outdoor hose. After hooking it up, you can toggle the speed and misting to cool off 600 cubic feet per minute. When the season starts to dip in the warm weather, it means staying warm outside no matter how much the temperature dips. The Heatsail Dome lamp is as chic as one of those cool indoor aerc lamps. This one keeps you cozy with an infrared heater. The heater can be customized in a range of colours, or upgraded to a bluetooth speaker.   Lawn Let’s chat about the green stuff! The Husqvarna Robotic Lawn Mower from Canadian Tire maps out your lawn and trims the grass. If anyone tries to wander off with it, an alarm will sound. Magic!

[bc_video video_id="6255072960001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] It’s cocktail season!  You may not be distilling your own spirits but selecting the right herbs to grow can transform cocktail hour into instant happy hour.  Frank Ferragine shares what herbs to take from the planter box to that margarita on the rocks. Mint: Always grow mint in a pot, if you grow in the yard be mindful that mint grows like a weed and there will be a lot of it. Sometimes it does not grow due to the size of the pot, try going with a larger container size when growing mint. Make sure mint is kept in moist soil and in a spot that gets lots of sun. The perfect cocktail for MINT is a Mojito of course! Mint Mojito: Ingredients

• 2 tsp sugar, more or less to taste
• 10 fresh mojito mint leaves
• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) white rum
• 2 tbs fresh lime juice
• 6 oz. bottle club soda (chilled)
• crushed ice
• lime slices
• mint sprig

Rosemary: Rosemary is a wonderful aeromantic plant that will last you for years. Start from cuttings in a pot placed in full sunlight. Rosemary looks like clippings from a pine tree with a taste to match. The rich, woody flavor of rosemary can be added whole or muddled as a featured player in gin or vodka. Rosemary pairs great with berries, so it's best to mix rosemary with citrusy and sweet drinks. Rosemary, Berries and Gin: Ingredients: 

• 500g frozen blackberries
• 4 lemons, chopped into little pieces
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
• 10 juniper berries
• 5 tbsp honey
• 500ml Bombay Sapphire gin
• 1 litre soda water

Basil: When growing Basil make sure to keep it away from windy spots and be sure it gets plenty of water and sunlight. Harvest leaves from the top a few at a time so the plant will have continued healthy growth throughout the summer and beyond. Basil has a taste that can be sweet, peppery or citrus-y with clove overtones that pairs specifically well with strawberries and will work well with light spirits such as gin or vodka. Strawberry, Basil and Vodka: Ingredients: 

• 3 Basil Leaves
• 2 oz. Strawberry Syrup (strawberries, honey, lime juice)
• 2 oz. Vodka
• 2 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda or Club Soda - chilled
• Optional Garnishes: Lime Wedges, Sliced Strawberries, Basil Leaves, Sugar for Rim

Dill: Make sure to plant dill before the start of spring and be sure to harvest early on in the season. Dill likes to be grown in cooler conditions. Sow the seeds directly in the ground from April through May, after all danger of frost has passed. Plant dill in full sun and protect it from strong winds. However dill can grow fairly well in poor soil conditions. In terms of cocktails, add dill to vodka to give it a wonderfully fresh taste. When we think of dill, we think pickles, so try pairing it with cucumber for a nice refreshing cocktail. Cucumber and Dill with Gin Fizz: Ingredients:

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 oz. club soda or sparkling water
• fresh dill
• 4 round cucumber slices (save one for garnish)

Cilantro: Cilantro is not an easy plant to grow and requires full sun. It grows the best in hot weather in a well-drained, moist soil. As much as some people complain that cilantro has a soapy taste, it delivers a full flavor if you do it right. Combine it with tequila to get the best out of its tropical vibe. Cilantro Margarita: Ingredients:

• 1 tsp cilantro leaves washed and removed from stems
• ½ lime cut into quarters
• 1 tsp raw sugar
• 2 fl oz. silver tequila
• Seltzer water

Cheers!