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Welcome to Day 21 in Riverside’s #FebruaryMonthOfLove Blog. During the month of February, we have been posting a daily reason why,  despite the cold and bleak days in February, there are so many reasons to LOVE February.  Hey, we are now  a full week past Valentine’s day, and we are still going strong on this Love theme, so, there must be something to it!!

Today – is part 1 of a 2 part “Getting Ready to Love The Oscars Post!

On this day, we  tap into your love of glam and glitz and give some tips on how to your hair Red Carpet Ready– we’re talking about getting ALL your hair  glamed up.

First, get that Glam Red Carpet HairDo with a visit the team at “Hair Code”, at 743 Queen St East.  The name of the salon, is based on the notion that everyone is unique and thus their hairstyle should suit and enhance their uniqueness. Hair Code dares to suggest and “decode”, in style, one’s true hair code. Services are available to both male and female adults, as well as children, and include cutting, coloring and styling.  They have become a staple of Riverside and surrounding areas for not only providing great haircuts but for providing support to those in need and making a difference.

See for yourself – check out this runway, red carpet looks  from the fall 2014 Love On Queen Runway Show.

We are just getting started with our Manes!  Everything can get coiffed in Riverside.  The next stop is at WAXON WAXBAR  at  766 Queen St E.  They take walk-ins and their grooming services include: facial, body, and below the belt!

Lexi Miles,  Founder,  describes WAXON WAXBAR™  as a “high end, trendy environment with professional Waxologists and great prices, that even accepts walk ins… ”  Of course, you can  book an appointment – visit  here, or walk in!    You can even purchase some of your favourite products online! Click here to get started.

It’s Day 20 in February Month of Love, and bitterly cold arctic air  continues its stay in Southern Ontario. The forecast is for strong and gusty northwest winds to combine with the frigid temperatures to produce extremely cold wind chill values of minus 30 to minus 35 tonight through Friday morning.  This is a perfect reason to get all cozy with your loved one!  The Riverside BIA is continuing our daily Love Blog in February!

For todays Romance Blog,  we are having a Love Fest,  cocooning with an Irish and Scottish Spin as we journey back in time…

Love Happened on February 20, 1979 (and went on and on and on)

Snowed in with her two young sons, Nora Roberts , begins writing. And writing. And writing. With over 209 books published, Nora Roberts is now one of the most popular and prolific romance novelists of all time.Nora Roberts was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. While Nora was born and still lives in Maryland, she is of Irish descent.  Both of her parents have Irish ancestors, and has described herself as “an Irishwoman through and through”.  Yup, all you romance novelist fans out there, thank your lucky starts for thatcold snowy day in February that inspired Romance Novelist Nora Roberts to begin her long career .

Make your own Love History on February 20, 2015

Put on some warm Irish woolies, grab a Scottish  shortbread cookie (or 2)  and open a Nora Roberts romance novel.

Looking for the best  cozy Irish winterwear – then visit Irish Design House  (IDH) at 756 Queen St E in Riverside TO.   IDH is a a unique store stocking a selection of textiles, knitwear, jewelry and ceramics which is all lovingly handmade in Ireland.  Visit their store and and take advantage of their sweater sale.  Or if you want to stay warm and cozy with your loved one – shop-on line here.

Come Inside the Irish Design House for so many Irish Treasures

For Shortbread cookies everyone loves Mary MacLeod ShortBread.    Yes, there really is a Mary!  As a wee lass back home in Glasgow, Scotland, Mary learned to bake from her mother and French grandmother.  Founded in 1981, Mary MacLeod Shortbread is A true original – the first business in Canada devoted exclusively to the creation and sale of hand-made, pure, small-batch shortbread cookies.   Mary built her business by earning the trust of the community, genuinely appreciating every customer, and of course, by making the finest shortbread cookies possible. This sure sounds like a whole lotta Love!!   After over 30 years, Mary continues to bake exceptional shortbread cookies, offer fabulous corporate gift packages, and beautiful seasonal specials.  Too cold to head out to the store…well, then shop on-line here.  Everyone Loves Mary and her shortbread!

Love Mary MacLeod Shortbread

Remember to check back to www.Riverside-to.com for Day 21 in our #FebruaryMonthOfLove Series

On our 19th Day of February Month Of Love – we celebrate the Love of New Beginnings – recognizing Chinese New Year!  Here at the Riverside BIA we have been  blogging every day about Love in the Month of February.  We have been celebrating the great Love Happening things in 2015, or we have paid tribute to a historical Love event in February.  Today, February 18th  is Kung Hei Fat Choi! Chinese New Year –   the Year of the Goat (or sheep – see below).  We Love New Beginnings!

Chinese New Year is the most important and  longest national holiday in China, spanning a total of fifteen days with  New Year’s Day the most important date in the Chinese calendar and it falls on the second new moon after winter solstice – somewhere between 21 January and 19 February, meaning it changes from year to year.  In 2015, New Years Day falls on February 19th (Ya gotta just love February!)

2015 is the year of the goat, but you may see it referred to as the “Year of the Sheep” too.

The confusion stems from the Chinese character “yang”, which can translate in colloquial Chinese as either sheep or goat.

Those born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003 are goats, who can count their lucky colours as brown, red and purple.

Their characters are supposedly kind and peaceable, while their best months are supposedly August and November and their lucky flowers are primroses and carnations.  I think we can extend Kind and Peaceable to be in our Love theme – I know you agree!

There are even more days to Love Chinese New Years in February – with each day having  its own celebration: On Day 2 it is traditional to visit friends and relatives, on Day 3 people tend to stay at home as it is not seen as auspicious to socialise.

The final day, Day 15, sees the Lantern Festival, where red Chinese lanterns are released into the sky.(this takes us to March…so, odds are, you won’t see a Riverside BIA Blog on the Lantern Festival!)

Love Chinese New Year on February 19  – celebrate Kung Hei Fat Choy in Riverside Toronto….

– with a visit to Lucky Star Restaurant at 745 Queen St East and pick up some Chinese Food for a meal with your family, friends – all your loved ones.  Don’t worry, they deliver too!  Or, if you don’t want to clean-up, you can dine in!  Lucky Star is  a neighbourhood staple -Serving up fresh, hot Chinese food.   Lucky Star is an ideal spot for classic Szechuan and Cantonese dishes. Eat in, take out and delivery are available, all at a very reasonable price. Some of their Yelp Reviews claim the “best chinese food in Toronto! spicy peanut chicken will forever be my favourite food! this place is like home to me! the people are kind and always happy! wonderful place to eat and fast and reliable.”

Just another day to Celebrate Love in #FebruaryMonthOfLove!

Stay Tuned for Day 19 Tomorrow!

February 18th is  Drink Wine Day! Pop the cork and enjoy a refreshing glass of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot, Shiraz, or Zinfandel in honor of the occasion!   This day is also the 18th day in our February Month of Love Series…and we pay tribute to the almighty grape, in the liquid form – Wine.

People have been producing wine since at least 6000 B.C. There are dozens of ancient legends about humans who accidentally consumed fermented grapes and became intoxicated, which is probably how wine was first conceived. Eventually, people began experimenting with the fermentation process. The methods for making wine spread from the region of Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece, Rome, France, Spain, and eventually the New World. Today, over 20 million acres of the earth’s surface are dedicated to growing grapes for wine.

Studies have shown that drinking a glass of wine a day improves heart health, reduces forgetfulness, boosts immunity, and increases bone density. Riverside has plenty of ways to help you celebrate Drink Wine Day,

Looking back in time – some Wine inspired history takes us to New York in February 18, 1925

Prohibition-era lovers make eyes for each other at an estimated 30,000 speakeasies in New York City. Any date that requires you to knock three times and whisper a password has got to be pretty intriguing.  Prohibition never came to Canada and in the US, the law was repealed in 1933.

Make some Wine Love History on February 18th

If you are in the mood to entertain at home – pop into Riverside’s Wine Rack  at 731 Queen St E.  They are open until 11pm every day, and have in-store sampling and expert staff to help you select the perfect bottle.  For #FebruaryMonthOfLove – Barb and her team at the Riverside Location are raising funds for Habitat for Humanity.  For a $5 donation, you can put you or your loved one’s name on a heart to be displayed in store.  All the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity!  Thanks everyone for giving back!

There are many local watering holes you can take a loved one to in Riverside on February 18th – With the historical nod to Prohibition – why not visit Riverside’s own Prohibition Gastro House  at 696 Queen St E – No need to say the secret word in 2015.  Prohibition has Hooch Hour every day from 4 – 7pm; and 10pm – midnight – and are open until 2am every day (the Kitchen is open late if you are feeling hungry)

If you are looking for something a bit more romantic – then 747 Wine Bar (at 747 Queen E) is for you and your loved one.   With a broad selection of wines, there will be something to please everyone’s palate. Indulge in a bottle, enjoy a 5 oz. glass, sample many wines with 3 oz. glasses or enjoy a wine flight with three 2 oz. pours. Choose from over 25 wines offered by the glass.

Well known for their charcuterie platters, choose from our wide selection of cheeses – local and far and wide, meats – all made in-house, and seasonal garnishes. Their  main menu is diversified featuring small plates to share, and pair with our many wines available by the glass. They are featuring the food and wine from Spain right now! Check out the menu below.

Happy Wine Day everyone – this certainly is another  day to love  in #FebruaryMonthOfLove.

Check this Blog tomorrow for Day 19

Happy Pancake Day!  Pancake Day, also called Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras (which is French for “Fat Tuesday”), is the last day of feasting before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. It’s called so due to the tradition of eating pancakes on the day. This tradition comes from a time where any rich foods were eaten on the day before Lent, and fasting begins.

Whatever your religion – today is the day to Love Eating Pancakes and Love of Pancakes is our inspiration for our 17th blog during #FebruaryMonthOfLove.

For this Pancake Love blog in our continuing series – we are gonna shake things up a bit.  If you look to our previous 16 #FebruaryMonthOfLove posts you will see that our usual blog format is to look for some significant Love event  in History on this dayand then build to a present day celebration.  But, not today.  On this day,  bursting with Pancake Love – we created a Top  10 Why I love Pancakes list …drum roll please….

Top 10 Why I love Pancake List

• #10 – they are easy to make! – whether you make them from a mix, or whip up a batch of your own, they use simple ingredients that you have on hand – flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, sugar, oil.  It doesn’t get much simpler than that
• #9 – they cook up fast! – After you have combined the ingredients together just pour them on a heated pan, and they cook up in about a minute.  I don’t know of anything (unless it’s deep fried) that cooks as fast as that!
• #8 – You can eat them at any meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) – There are a few foods that you can make as a meal any time of day.  Pancakes are good at any time of the day – they can be a main course, or a
• #7 – You can make them in almost any flavour you can think of! – Whether it’s chocolate chip, cheese or savory or just about anything – there are virtually no limits to a Pancake Flavour.  And, you can top them with anything – think beyond the traditional syrup – go for whipped cream, peanut butter – make a sandwich out of them.  The possibilities are endless.
• #6 – You can make them in just about any shape!.  Put the mix in a squeeze bottle and create a shape via PanCake Art – or, take a cookie cutter, and press out your shape.  Anything you can imagine
• #5 – They are synonymous on a weekend breakfast with Family Fun!  Everyone has memories of a big pancake breakkie hanging out on the weekend!
• #4 – They be manipulated. You can roll, them, fold them, stack them and of course you can cut them with a knife and fork.
• #3 They are inexpensive to make, and have raised tons of money for many causes – how many fund-raising pancake breakfasts have you been to!  Everyone loves to eat them, and to make them – they are a crowd pleaser – and give us a great reason to gather friends who support a meaningful cause to raise money and eat a hearty breakkie
• #2 They last a long time.  Make a big batch of pancakes, and you have leftovers.  No worries, they will be yummy the next day.  You can freeze them and just pop them in the toaster.
• #1 – They have a Holiday Named after them!  How great is that – do you know of any other food that has a Holiday named after them?  I don’t think so!

There you go!  That’s my top 10 Pancake Love List – h0w does it compare to yours?  I bet you have more reasons!

So, let’s make some Pancake Love Happen on February 17, 2015 -Please come to the Free Pancake Dinner on Feb 17th , 6:30 – 8:00pm at the St Matthews Anglican Church  with Nell Bradshaw  & Natasha Varjacic of Homeward Reality.  Nell and Natasha is our Mother/Daughter Real Estate dynamic duo with more than 25 years experience serving buyers and sellers of Toronto Real Estate. Living and working in the heart of the Riverside district  Nell and Natasha are active contributors to the community.  They support many local charities, and host Annual neighbourhood events like a Spring BBQ , Halloween Pumpkin Patch and Easter Egg Hunt from their office at 807A Queen Street East (conveniently located across from Jimmie Simpson Park).  Today, they also hosting their  annual Free  Pancake Dinner 6:30 – 8:00pm at the St Matthews Anglican Church.  Please show your pancake love and come on down.

Stay tuned for Day 18 of #FebruaryMonthOfLove.