Kindness by the Spoonful

Besides sleeping and breathing, the need for a good meal is something we all share.

Unfortunately, not all foods are accessible. And the cheaper the food, the less nutritious, resulting in a large portion of our population lacking what they need to live nutritionally balanced lives.

Enter: Loving Spoonful – and its 250 volunteers – that give the less fortunate in Kingston what they need.

Loving
Spoonful‘s Executive Director Mara Shaw reflects on the  positive impact on the community. “Last year we provided 70,000 pounds of food to the community and that’s equivalent to about 70,000 meals. That’s about 7000 people that are being fed through the food that we deliver, then there’s another 250 kids in schools through the grow programs. Last year there were about 140 people who took our cooking classes.”

It’s clear Loving Spoonful does more than just deliver food. Teaching is how they make sure their initiatives making nutritious foods accessible do not go to waste.

Shaw elaborates, “We have cooking classes and figure out how to fund them so that people have more than enough. People can take home that butternut squash macaroni and cheese to their families and they can try butternut squash which they otherwise wouldn’t have tried. The next time we bring butternut squash to a pantry, people will take it home because they know what to do with it.” Continue reading

Not Your Grandma’s Theatre: Rediscovering The Grand

Growing up in Kingston, I’ve always associated The Grand Theatre with The Nutcracker performances during Christmas season. After a conversation with the Grand Theatre’s Performing Arts Manager Jayson Duggan it’s clear to me that they offer a wide variety of programming to attract every type of theatre-goer, from comedians like Louie Anderson and Roseanne Barr to world renowned dance programs like Ballets Jazz Montreal and Navdhara India Dance Theatre, plus legendary musicians like Gordon Lightfoot, Eddie Palmieri and Bruce Cockburn to name a few. Where have I been? Continue reading

Ways to Spend This Father’s Day in the YGK


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

Stretch in the Sun: Top Picks for Outdoor Yoga in YGK and PEC

Photo via unsplash.

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

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:

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