MissAdventures With Maya

I don't know what it was about Chicago that had me talking like a 1920's gangster, but I loved it! I also adored this incredible City By The Lake, with its big shoulders and all. Here are some of the highlights of my first trip to Chi-Town with my darling friend, Butters: Art and Architecture... The Art Institute of Chicago is a must for all the art obsessed. It's $25 USD per adult ticket but you could easily spend half a day there, soaking in all of the centuries of art they have on display. If that's too steep on your pocket book, check out Millennium Park, the home of "The Bean!", which is actually Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate sculpture.  It's a fascinating piece in front of the city's skyline of buildings that reflects everything; people, the city, the sky, your dreams, aspirations, et cetera. It is among many other sculptures in the park that are free to snap numerous selfies with. Across the street from the iconic bean sits Chicago...

S taying hydrated can be the most boring part of the summertime, especially if you are one of those folks who isn't really into drinking tons of water, if any. There are a million options these days to boost the appeal of water; sweetened and flavoured with multitudes of juice (real and artificial), stevia spiked still and sparkling, with lime, with lemon, with colours. You name it, it's out there. My go-to has recently been my favourite, that easily transitions into "Cocktail Hour" without any major effort: ICED TEAS. David's Teas has endless iced tea options. With and without caffeine, but all delicious. I steep the following, which easily stand alone without any sugar added, and drink over ice for most of the day, then add a splash of Cava or Prosecco to transform my hydration to celebration. Everyone's fave cocktail now has a tea version. This herbal mix has a strong bitter orange flavour and pairs well with cheese and fruits. Spike it with Cava a...

W hen your digestive system is out of whack your whole world becomes a horrible place to live in. That's why I am just as diligent at how gorgeous my guts are as I am at the taking care of my outward appearance. If your insides are rotten, who cares how pretty or fit you are: you're a mess, girl. So here are some of my favourite secret weapons, aside from the basics (Lots of water, sleep and physical activity): I start the day with a Vega One shake because I don't often roll out of bed desiring a plate of food, I would rather drink my morning meal. I make it even more simple by just adding it to some cold almond milk and shaking it vigorously (upper arm workout!). Each serving includes: 20 grams of protein, 6 grams of fibre, 6 servings of greens, 50% of your daily food based vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, 1.5 grams of Omega-3's, probiotics. It's only 160 calories to boot, which you could burn off by that aforementioned upper arm workout. Any dietary co...

I recently watched the documentary film "Won't You Be My Neighbour?" with my cousin Ali. I forewarned him that I would probably cry, which I did, because I grew up with Mr. Rogers', my heart and soul a part of his neighbourhood. Tears aside, he was a remarkable human being who taught entire generations of children to "look for the helpers", among countless other lessons. This valuable message of seeking those who are not only capable of helping but have the desire to help applies to every aspect of life. Today we focus on my neighbourhood helpers, of whom I could not live without: My Tailor If anything rips, tears off or needs to be taken up or in, Teresa Le is the woman to go to in Midtown Toronto. She's not only a professional tailor, but sometimes I think she's a wizard. You won't catch her tooting her own horn as she describes her work as reliable and affordable, which it is. But really, it's kinda amazing what she can fix. She'...

S ummertime always inspires me to shop for bright and interesting décor. Actually, pretty much every season inspires me to shop but patterns and colours other than black are born and bred in my life during this particular season. My current obsession has been the impromptu picnic. Girl, I'll picnic at the drop of a dime and being prepared is the essence of pulling it off in style. So I recently invested in a Fouta. What's a fouta, you wonder? Originally a lightweight 100% cotton towel woven for use in hammams in Tunisia, this incredibly versatile fabric also doubles as the ultimate picnic blanket OR beach towel, shawl on chilly evenings, makeshift tent (I've seen it done!), sarong at the pool and the best wrap for an afternoon snooze. The Fouta has me feeling fab in every summer situation. Why is it so perfect? It doesn't really weight that much, so it's easy to toss in my purse and hit the road.  I bought my foutas online from Famille Nomade, who support the ...

S ensory deprivation. It sounds as though it ought to be a punishment, but it's quite the opposite. You know how your iPhone freezes up, some weird glitch that requires you to reboot it by turning it off. Well, you too need to reboot and turn off . However dreamy and simple that sounds, it isn't; especially if you're like me: always on the go, mind racing the track in its own Nascar race of thought, adding as much to my calendar as humanly possible. Meditation has never been my forte so I felt it was time to get serious about changing that and seek professional help. I booked an appointment at Float Toronto , located at 1159 Queen Street West. I took advantage of the Intro 3-pack offer for $120, but in hindsight, this experience is worth the $65 per session. I also took a chance and booked the first session of the day, which allows you to have 2 hours in the tank and starts at 7am. Seeing as I'm up with God during these sunny summer mornings, I figured this was the...

A chieving a summer glow has many paths; self tanners, powdered bronzers, sitting in the actual sun (if you dare!) and adding a touch of glimmer with dry oil. I say glimmer and not glitter , as the latter is almost impossible to remove from every nook and cranny of your life once exposed (insert all Pride celebration memories here). I love the Midas touch of Nuxe's Shimmering Dry Oil , available at Shopper's Drug Mart or Sephora (get your points, girl). This multi-use dry oil is amazing, adds that golden touch to face, body or hair and leaves you looking like a goddess. There is a subtle fragrance which is a delicate balance of orange blossom, Magnolia and Vanilla that adds to the feminine appeal of this product without being overbearing. The thing I love the most are  the endless possible uses. You can really have fun with the ways to incorporate a touch of sparkle into your beauty regime: mix into your lotion, spray directly onto your skin and watch the glow highlight yo...

L ove fashion? Well so does the ROM. The current fashionable injection at The Royal Ontario Museum has it’s attendees transported into another world, one that has us dressing in more elaborate and architectural narratives and living in crystalized forests that appear to have sprung from a Jim Henson fantasy film.   “Transforming Fashion/Transforming Space:   Iris Van Herpen and Philip Beesley “ This is a must-see exhibition that showcases Van Herpen’s fashions interpreted through the use of a 3D printer and   mind bogglingly   laborious handmade construction of mostly dresses and shoes that defy what we think fashion should be. The heavy influence of architecture will change how you view the structure of everything you own and any potential purchases, honestly. It’s effects are transformative. Wherever this world is, I want to live in it if this is how people are dressed.  Then alongside the fashion is the world that Canadian architect P...

Tunirrusiangit: Kenojuak Ashevak and Tim Pitsiulak As the heat waves ebb and flow over the city, I focus on cultural pit stops to break up my cycling sessions as well as try to minimize my exposure to the sun. Nothing beats the air-conditioning hiatus after a hard workout. I'll cover the usual suspects this summer: AGO, ROM, the HarbourFront Centre. Feel free to leave a comment if there are other indoor events in Toronto that I should check out! Here's what is currently happening at the AGO: Inuit art this powerful requires a thorough examination: I have already seen this exhibit three times since its opening and each time am struck with its beauty, mystery and weight. Ashevak, known as the “grandmother of Inuit art”, is famous for her use of seamless graphic storytelling and a penchant for using magic markers. It’s her stonecut work that I found myself captivated by time and time again. Her affinity for owls is translated gracefully onto paper. ...

I t's vital to keep our local economies thriving and that means investing in goods and services in our  neighbourhoods before we go big box. Thankfully, I learned this at a young age while operating a small business instead of a classroom and had first hand experience in how that affected the micro-economies we were building, the employment rates of people we actual knew and what success really looked like to each other. I love keeping it local and Eleven Thirty is a prime example of a brand I will buy into. Like most women, I love me a sweet bag. By bag I mean purse, pocketbook, handbag, evening bag, catchall, carryall, whatever you call it, I LOVE IT. And over the years, I have acquired a bit of a collection which came from necessity; I'm pretty hard on my bags, so a constant rotation needed to be implemented for the sake of longevity. Sexual innuendo aside, I am always looking for a bag that can take a beating without having to forfeit style. That is where Toronto...

I sn't it just like Science to have ridiculous names for things? Maybe it's due to the Latin origins of these terms, I mean, it isn't as if they knew we'd be cracking jokes or cringing at the names of things and conditions centuries later. Turdus Maximus, Angina, Fukalite, Cummingtonite, Galactic Bulge to name a few.  These are 100% legit and laughable, but then you get to words that immediately induce a gag reflex out of nowhere: fungus, excretion, pus, vulva, cyst, moist, mucus, discharge, goiter and my personal favourite, sebum. Ew. I'll give you a moment to compose yourself, go ahead, deep breath. Well done, you. As icky as that exercise was and as gross as sebum may sound, there are ways to combat oily skin, which is what too much sebum causes. Generally you suffer from excess oil production because of your genetics and hormonal surges (ugh, that's going on the list), but there are TONS of articles online that suggest dietary adjustments can make a hu...

S ummer reading is one of the season's luxuries; tucked away under a tree in a park, on the dock at the cottage, in a highly air conditioned space while the heat and humidity reign like wildfire outdoors. Wherever your nook, it's an indulgence in our fast paced lives and a much needed part of modern self-care practice. It is a vital part of my existence and I can easily complete a couple books a week when I find ones that interest me. (TBH, I'll even finish an awful book just so I know what I hate about it) After all, your computer isn't the only thing that needs to have constant uploads. Here's what I read this past week: This a fantastic reference on the history of Queer art from around the world, small enough to carry around and generous with imagery, it's perfect for languid afternoons. It's like visiting several museums in one sitting. It's written by Alex Pilcher, who works at the Tate in London. Edward Behr takes you on a journey w...

O h New York, how lovely you are in the spring time. You're my destination when I'm exhausted of the never-ending Winter blah's of the Great White North. Each visit gets better and I'm left with a longing to return every time we say good-bye. My travel buddy is always my bezzie mate, who appreciates all of the same qualities and highlights of New York as I do: the dining experiences, the luxury boutique hotel, the galleries and museums, the long walks in Central Park and of course, the shopping. We're both highly skilled at cramming as much as humanly possible in a long weekend in NYC that leaves us with enough memories to reflect on until our next sojourn. Here are some of our top picks: The Stay... We have made The Refinery Hotel our home away from home. I'm pretty sure I won't stay anywhere else as it encompasses everything that is important to me in a hotel: exceptional onsite dining and entertainment (best rooftop lounge, classic live jazz at Wi...

I think about scents to the point of obsession. I'm so sensitive to smell; mine, yours, theirs, that food, wine, place, flower, shampoo and of course, perfume. The power of scent is loaded with the past, the present and the possibilities of what could be and the various emotions that are along for the ride. But the scents of our youth are hardly what we would spritz on our adult selves and that evolution, albeit a personal one, is still a fascinating exercise. Try it yourself for a fragrant trip down memory lane.  Here is my personal timeline of scents: The 80's This was the decade of discovery; sneaking into my mother's extensive collection of perfumes and eau de toilettes in her bedroom when she wasn't looking, which really didn't matter because she would smell the guilt on me. From Chanel no.5, White Diamonds, Poison to Opium, Shalimar, all the CK scents and numerous mystery bottles from Europe, I spent this decade damaging everyone's olfactory systems...

S ome things in life you can take for granted: awful friends, cheap potato chips, chunky heeled shoes. But your face is NOT one of those things. It's the first thing people see. It's how your expressions are delivered and is so tightly knit with the confidence we project to the world. Protect it well from the ravages of our environment, especially the sun. Then there are the statistics from the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation that upstage the mere vanity of it all. One in every three cancers diagnosed worldwide is a skin cancer, 80-90% of which are directly caused by UV radiation, (that's alarming considering how much over exposure to the sun that is) In Canada alone, over 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year! So what can you do without living in the shadows for the rest of your life? Wear sunscreen, naturally. The market is saturated with them; from 15-100 SPF, finding the right one can be menacing, exhausting and expensive. Having lived under the Mid...