Father’s Day is just around the corner (June 18!) and whether you’re celebrating your Dad, you are a Dad or know a Dad – it’s time for all the patriarchs to get the credit they deserve and treat them to something they’ll enjoy. Ditch the tie and take them out to explore! There’s no better place than Kingston to do that. I’ve compiled a list for the Dad in your life, whether he’s a foodie, an adventurer or a handyman – there’s something here for him! Continue reading
Author: keepupwithkingston
Stretch in the Sun: Top Picks for Outdoor Yoga in YGK and PEC
I love yoga for so many reasons! It’s inclusive, calming, requires very little equipment – just a mat! – and begins and ends lying down (bonus).
When summer rolls around I want to spend every waking moment soaking in the beautiful sunshine! So what’s better than combining a yoga practice with fresh summer air and the sound of birds chirping?
There are a number of options to choose from between Kingston and Prince Edward County to get your downward dog on al fresco. Learn where you can catch your stretch in the sun in the list below! Continue reading
Where to Treat Mama to a Meal This Mother’s Day
What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than sharing a beautiful meal. It’s right around the corner (May 14!) so if you haven’t considered how you’re going to celebrate mom this year (or how you want to be celebrated!), now’s the time. Here is a list of my favourite places to take Mom for a good meal this Mother’s Day in YGK (and surrounding areas) Continue reading
The Grocery Basket is Filled With Local Goodies
Kingstonians are lucky for a number of reasons: our convenient proximity to beautiful waterfront, our stunning historical architecture and our abundance of fresh local food and strong culture of supporting local shops and farmers.
Exciting news, a new addition to Princess street (east of Clergy), The Grocery Basket, has made accessing fresh local produce and supporting local farmers fun and easy.
I strolled in this afternoon and was greeted by the sweetest young woman, Brianna, who volunteered to give my husband and I a little tour of the new space. Brianna explained the store’s effort to provide as many local ingredients as possible and introduced us to all the The Grocery Basket has to offer.
The Grocery Basket is a multi-purpose shop with prepared, frozen meals and lunches to-go as well as fresh produce, fresh baked goods (daily), handmade cheeses and vegan food items that are hard to find in regular grocery stores (like dairy-free cream cheese and avocado-oil mayonnaise!).
With produce curated from my favourite local farmers: Main Street Market and Wendy’s Market (Wendy sources from local independent farms), seeing all of the fresh goodies reminds me of the joy I get from shopping the markets on Sunday mornings. Now, it can feel like Sunday morning on any week day or night. Exciting!
After just a quick drop in, I pick up a bag of Main Street Market pea shoots, a bunch of garlic, a honey vanilla tea and my husband grabs a coffee. As we walk out of the store, he says, “I feel like you’re going to be visiting there a lot.” He’s not wrong.
Keep up with The Grocery Basket: Facebook – @thegroceryygk, Instagram – @thegroceryygk, Twitter – @thegroceryygk.
The Juvenis Festival Highlights Kingston’s Young Talent
Kingston is filled with so much talent, from musicians to artists and actors — the list is endless. That’s why The Juvenis Festival is a perfect opportunity to witness all of the talent that the local youth have to offer. From April 29-May 7, a number of performances and workshops led by youth (ages 13-30) will be taking place. Though led by youth, the Juvenis are for people of all ages to enjoy.
I will be speaking with fellow bloggers Anna from STRUCKBLOG and Rosalyn of The Staycationer on Thursday, May 4 from 6:30 as part of a Blog-Writing Panel at 274 Princess Street.
I couldn’t pick just one event to highlight! I thought I would share their full press release to cover all of the information.
Read their list of events to find out what’s coming up:
My Day Sipping SimplyWell’s Detox Waters
Detoxing seems to be the name of the game for me this month! First, I had the opportunity to try Shiva’s Delight’s charcoal face mask and now I’ve sampled SimplyWell’s detox waters! I’m excited to tell you about them. I spent a day last week drinking my way to a healthier liver, faster metabolism and whiter teeth.
It’s always good to reset the digestive system, cleanse the body of toxins and reduce inflammation. So let me give you the details on my SimplyWell one-day detox! Continue reading
Boss Ladies of the Limestone City: SimplyWell Owner, Jehna Duncan
[UPDATE: SimplyWell is no longer in business. It is missed! I keep this interview up to honour the important message of women support each other and community spirit]
When I first discovered SimplyWell’s beautiful space, I fell in love with the concept and loved that Kingston finally had a delicious juice spot. When I found out the owner was an ambitious young woman, I was so impressed and interested to know how she got her start. In two years, owner Jehna Duncan – with the help of her team – has turned SimplyWell into a holistic one-stop shop catered to helping people with digestive health issues.
After sitting down with Jehna, I learned that her journey to business owner is filled with girl power because of the encouragement of other Kingston Boss Ladies. Learn how this Boss Lady went from selling her juices in the market to her light-filled storefront on Princess street. Continue reading
Treat Your Skin Right with Shiva’s Delight
I really appreciate good skin. This means maintaining serious blackhead management and I am always on the hunt for new products that will help me with this task.
I’ve been watching those hilarious videos of people ripping charcoal masks off of their faces to achieve soft skin and wondered to myself, “how far will I go to rid of my blackheads?”
While at a recent market I spotted the Activated Charcoal Clay Mask with Honeysuckle at Shiva Delight’s stand and owner Casey reassured me that I don’t need to peel a mask off my face while screaming bloody murder to attain silky smooth blackhead-free skin. Continue reading
A Special Vendor at The Loft Market
The Loft Girls Loft Market is a special place where female entrepreneurs and artisans can share their finest work with our community. The Loft Market happens once a month at the Tett Centre. The next one will be Tuesday April 18th and they will continue in the fall (watch their site for more details on where the Loft Girls will be next).
This month’s market was extra special to me because I came across two young girls selling their framed artwork to raise money for their friend Marcus who has cancer. I felt so moved by their compassion and personal effort to help a friend that I wanted to spread the word! Continue reading
Top Ten Tips to Detox Your Home
Spring feels like the perfect time to reevaluate things in life like ditching old clothes or furniture and starting fresh! I figured while getting full swing into spring cleaning, I might as well reconsider some of the things I use to clean my space and try to go a greener route. I spoke to local expert, Julie Boucher of Own Your Happy about ways to go green when cleaning.
Julie, who started making her own laundry detergent 20 years ago, started the website Own Your Happy in 2013 to share as many DIY holistic recipes as possible, “I was always sharing random recipes with people. So instead of emailing a bunch of people, I decided to start Own Your Happy,” she says. She’s now on a mission to detox 1000 homes in 2017 with her tips and tricks! She is full of insight on how to approach a greener life and she’s compiled her own list right here to help you detox your home! Continue reading
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