A Cottage Getaway to Muskoka Soul

The Great Room at Muskoka Soul

I never had a cottage growing up. The idea of cottaging was really foreign to me, as I grew up in an urban neighbourhood filled with new immigrant families like mine that didn't own a cottage either. I actually never went camping until I was in grade 12 and once spent a week at Camp Tawingo in grade 6 - no wonder I have such bad seasonal allergies.

So what does one do when you don't own a cottage? You rent one! I rallied my closest high school friends earlier this month and we started looking at properties for rent online that would sleep at least three couples. The one cottage that stuck out that I kept coming back to was a gorgeous property called Muskoka Soul that actually sleeps 10.

A huge kitchen + BBQ for all our group dinners

After running the numbers and checking availability, we settled on a two-night mid-week getaway for the six of us. If you're just getting into the cottage rental game now - you're out of luck for most weeks and weekends for July and August. Those tend to book out a year in advance. A better move is to burn a few vacation days and take the cost-savings of booking mid-week. Most of us worked a half day from home on Monday and left at Noon for the 2.5 hour drive to Muskoka Soul, a luxury lakeside retreat on the shores of Lake Muskoka, just 10 minutes past the town of Gravenhurst.

16 Ways To Dress More Stylish This Spring

A change in seasons is a great excuse to make some changes to your life.

Now that we've officially welcomed spring and seem to have the weather to match, I want to share some easy ways you can use all that spring cleaning momentum to boost your style this season. 

1. Go window-shopping in stores to borrow styling ideas that you can try out this week. Don't be afraid to snap a quick pic for reference. I'll admit I've gotten in trouble for my paparazzi skills in stores so you'll want to be discreet. 

2. Start a special savings fund for investment purchases only and treat yourself to a well-planned splurge. If you take your latte money and put it in a savings account, you'll be on your way to a pair of Louboutin's in no time flat. 

Hip + Urban Girl of the Week: Avery Swartz + Camp Tech Giveaway

This week we geek out with Avery Swartz, Founder of Camp Tech to talk about 2 of her favourite things: family and code. Camp Tech's motto is Friendly, Fun, Practical and Professional. I love the concept of teaching a nerdy topic in a cool environment where you don't have to be afraid to ask questions or be embarrassed about making mistakes. Avery's classes are taught by a team of professionals and topics range from Wordpress, Photoshop to SEO for all levels. Check out her interview and see how you can win a free class of your choice!

Tell us more about Camp Tech! How did you come up with the idea?

I’ve been an independent web designer for 7 years (I run my own studio). I noticed a trend about a year and a half ago, where more and more people were asking if I could teach them to build their own website using WordPress. I taught a few WordPress workshops on my own (not under the banner of Camp Tech), and sold out 3 of them. I figured I was on to something, and that was the beginning for Camp Tech. We’ve since added more instructors and classes to the roster, but the WordPress for Beginners workshop is still the most popular.

Are you self taught or did you go to school to learn how to code?

My background is in Fine Arts; I went to theatre school at Ryerson (not for acting – for behind-the-scenes work). So that’s where my art education and design fundamentals come from. After working in the Toronto theatre community for 5 years, I went back to school and took Print and Web Design at Toronto Image Works. I learned the basics of coding, but the Internet has evolved a lot since I graduated, and code has become more sophisticated. Most of the code I use today was self-taught (by reading tutorial websites and industry publications).

Here's $5,000 To Help You Realize Your Potential...

(Top) Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo (Middle) Machu Picchu, Santorini (Bottom) Bahamas, Amex Event

A sponsored hip + urban girl post.

Hey Potentialist Pinners! Have you entered our "Realize Your Potential With Pinterest" contest yet? There's still time to pin your way to one of three prizes for a $5000 American Express Gift Card. Check out our board for inspiration!

Similar to Lisa's story, I made travel my top priority for the last 2 years. I'm fortunate that my career in online marketing and advertising is mobile enough so I can take my work on the road. I truly have the best of both worlds - doing what I love and continuing to build my career while seeing places that I once only read about in Conde Naste Traveler.

We found inspiration for our board through the places we visited and ones we hope to see but there are many ways to show how you realize your potential every day. Here are some questions to ask yourself to tap into your own inspiration...

Urban Eats @ Little Anthony's - Toronto

Next time you’re walking past Richmond and York streets, take note of Little Anthony’s. 

This casual, yet classic, Italian restaurant is tucked into the corner of Toronto’s prime Financial District. With an ultra modern interior with dim lighting and cozy tables, the restaurant is not completely overflowing with suits and it has a lively after-work crowd at the bar. What’s even better is that the food is as good as the location, offering refreshing Italian dishes that are easy on the eyes and on the wallet.   

I had the pleasure of recently attending a media dinner at the redesigned Little Anthony’s restaurant. This meal served up enough food for me to get a taste of the homemade pastas and savoury mains that the classic, yet casual, Italian restaurant prides itself on. Little Anthony’s head chef, Garth Legree, formerly of Splendido and The County General, brings the food to life, by using fresh ingredients and making the pastas in-house. Working alongside Chef Legree is owner Andreas Antoniou, who left a career in the financial sector to follow his restaurateur pursuits. 

Before the meal began, Andreas spoke about how working in the financial sector gave him the best restaurant education since he experienced fine dining with clients on a regular basis. Just through his experiences, he observed the “dos and “don’ts” in the restaurant industry. During our meal, Andreas greeted every guest and stopped by to fold a napkin at our table, showing his appreciation for his guests.

Now on to the fun stuff! Here are some highlights from my meal:

Hug and The City

Each week we filter through many events to bring you a shortlist of unique things to do in and around the city. So check back each Monday and we'll make sure you always have something to look forward to throughout the week!

Arts & Crafts
> a pop-up shop for all things related to Arts & Crafts 10th anniversary celebrations and Norman Wong photography exhibit.
When: Thurs, May 23
Where: 1093 Queen St W (Unit 2)

Midnight MRKT
> A pop-up night market pairing music, drinks, street style and food with local retailers.
When: Fri, May 24
Where: 2nd Floor Events (461 King St W)

Sunday Bingo
> Eat food. Drink drinks. Play bingo. Share a lazy Sunday afternoon with new friends, the thrill of the bingo board filling up, cool prizes, DJ's spinning, cocktails and more!
When: Sun, May 26
Where: 2nd Floor Events (461 King St W)

Leashes-By-The-Lake Dog Walk-A-Thon and Pet Fest
> It's time for dog owners and animal lovers to leash up and lace up for a great cause hosted by The Etobicoke Humane Society.
When: Sun, May 26
Where: Amos Waites Park (2445 Lakeshore W)

The Tea Soiree
> Shop the finest essentials for your modern parenting lifestyle while being treated to a Tea Lounge, pampering beauty stations and curated shopping. For mamas and their little ones.
When: Sun, May 26
Where: Intercontinental Yorkville Toronto Hotel (220 Bloor St W)

WIN a Nexus 4 Smart Phone from TELUS!

Getting sick of your old smart phone? The new Nexus 4 has a high-resolution display, intuitive voice command and one of the longest-lasting batteries on the market. This smart phone runs Android 4.2 which uses the latest and fastest version of Google’s mobile operating system and is currently available from Telus on a new two-year rate plan. 

Want Style on a Budget? Visit Dufferin Mall.

I pride myself on knowing all the shopping hot spots in the city but I have to admit it, Dufferin Mall was totally off my radar. If you're from the area, you're probably smirking. That's because, for quite some time, Dufferin Mall didn't have a reason to be on anyone's radar. 

Well lovelies, times have changed!

Stillwater Spa Giveaway

Stillwater Spa is located at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Toronto (Bloor & Avenue Road) but you'll quickly forget about all the hustle and bustle as soon as you step into this urban oasis. I recently checked in for a 60 minutes massage to release some tensions and to just bliss-out. The first thing I noticed upon my arrival was the aromatherapy smells that enveloped the spa and the sounds of tranquil waterfalls. My mind was at ease already!

While lineups are one of my pet peeve, this time I actually didn't mind waiting for my turn - there is a steam room, sauna and whirlpool for relaxing before your treatment and the lounge was cozy and had comfy seats. Guests are encouraged to treat themselves to complimentary coffee, tea, apples and biscotti while they wait. Now onto my treatment! My therapist was very accommodating and definitely knew what she was doing as she took note and worked her magic on the areas that needed the most attention. At the end of my massage, I left feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready to take on the city again!

I had such a wonderful time at Stillwater Spa that I'll love for you to experience it yourself! So we've got one Bestie & Me Treatment up for grabs. This package includes massages, manicures and pedicures... and the best part? We want you to enjoy it side-by-side with your favourite BFF (whether that is a girl friend, sis or your mom)!

All you have to do is comment below and tell us who your Bestie is and why! Don't forget to include your name and email or Twitter so we can contact you. We'll be picking one lucky winner and pampering her and her plus one so enter before 11pm EST on Sunday, May 19.

Follow Stillwater Spa on Twitter and visit their website for a complete list of services they offer.

How-To Get Bold & Beautiful Brows

I’m obsessed with eyebrows. I flip through magazines scrutinizing the brows on the models and celebrities barley glancing at the clothes, and I analyze the shape of my friends’ when they post selfies on Instagram.  

In recent months it’s been the bold and bushy brows of ladies like Lily Collins and Cara Delevingne that have left this sparsely-browed girl particularly jealous. Luckily I discovered an eyebrow expert, Mary Dang - brow groomer extraordinaire and owner of Toronto’s Eye Love Brow Bar, to help me emulate the power brows that Mother Nature did not bless me with. 

In a few steps and with a few key products Mary has shown me how to get the fierce bold brows I desire, and now I’m sharing the wealth with you.