MissAdventures With Maya

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...