1. Kapalua Resort, Maui, Hawaii

Image Source: Pbitennis

Kapalua has been called one of the most beautiful vacation spots in the United States of America. It is also one of the best destinations for bird watching. Visit Maui and explore all 22,000 acres of Kapalua Resort with your family for a sunny vacation you’re sure to remember for a lifetime!

2. Sandpiper Bay, Florida

Image Source: Club Med.bg

A top rated Club Med resort, Sandpiper Bay has amenities to please the whole family, as well as activities and events to create a memorable vacation experience. Soak up the summer sun and luxuriate on the miles of untouched beaches, take a wave runner to the port of the St. Lucie River and explore the unique plant and animal life there, or explore a wildlife reserve. Sandpiper Bay is a sought after vacation destination, and it’s easy to see why!

3. Cancun Yucatan, Mexico

Image Source: Delange.org

Another famous Club Med resort, Cancun Yucatan offers a diverse vacation experience in a picturesque location. Every Mexican vacation is different, due to the vast diversity and rich culture of the country. Head to Cancun Yucatan for excursions to any of the several ancient Mayan archaeological digs, swim in clear, temperate waters, and experience a taste of Mexican culture.

When it comes to last minute vacations, North America has a lot to offer. Whether you seek luxury on the beach or a taste of history, North America has a vacation destination that is perfect for you!

Author Bio:
Jessica is a freelance writer and a mother of two children who shares her passion for travel. She enjoys lounging in the sun and writing travel articles- when she’s not on vacation, that is!

If I could place my bets on one trend that’s sure to take off in 2012, it’d be postal subscription services for product samples.  Tea Sparrow is another Canadian monthly mail service that  MMV readers will surely be interested in – especially since it’s based in our very own city of Vancouver!

Dedicated to “bringing the world of tea to your door”, Tea Sparrow is a loose leaf tea subscription service based in Vancouver. Each subscription period, you can choose from two different Tea Boxes – herbal teas only, or a mixed tea box which includes a mix of caffeinated and herbal teas. Each Tea Box comes with 5 different teas. There is 1oz of each tea for a total of 5oz. Every month is different, so you’ll always have new teas to discover and enjoy. Each tea box will brew approximately 50 cups of tea, so there’s plenty to go around for yourself and your tea party guests.

Some of the teas that you can expect to find in your January Tea Box may include the Royal Blend (black tea), Midsummer Night (green tea), Red Rocks (rooibos) or Sangria (fruit).  On the Tea Sparrow website there is additional information about the ingredients in each blend of tea as well as brewing instructions.  If you end up falling in love with a particular blend of tea, you can contact the tea blender directly to purchase more – there is contact information included in every 1-oz sample of tea in your Tea Box.

In terms of pricing, Tea Sparrow costs $25/month for a 1-month subscription, $22/month for a 3-month subscription and $20 for a 6-month subscription.  This, of course, includes free shipping to anywhere in North America.  Tea Sparrow will be sending out their first tea box in January 2012, so order now to receive your first Tea Sparrow in January.  Stay tuned for photos from Modern Mix Vancouver when we get our first tea box next month!

QUO X ORLY NAILPOLISH
Festival sparking colours for your fingernails that will surely brighten up a NYE party, and continue to sparkle throughout January and beat the winter blues away.
($10 from Shoppers Drug Mart)

DIY FEATHER EXTENSION KIT 
Button and Bauble was at Spend on Trend and Make It Show earlier this year, selling DIY feather extension kits.  Large range of colours, way more affordable than going to a salon, and easy-to-follow instructions on how to get them in your hair.  Shop local!
($12 for two feathers and two micro-beads at the Button and Bauble Shop on Etsy)

THOMAS SABO CHARMS 
Does she dream of Paris? Get her an Eiffle Tower charm.  Is she a figure skater?  Get her a skate charm from the new winter collection.  With countless sterling silver charms to choose from, it’s easy to find a symbolic, meaningful charm for your lucky friend.
(Starting at $40 at Thomas Sabo Oakridge Centre)

S’WELL WATER BOTTLE

Merging fashion, a charitable cause, and functionality, S’well is a perfect gift for active people on the go.  Keeps hot beverages hot, and cold beverages cold.  (How does it know?!) A rainbow of pretty colours to choose from.
($35 online at store.swellbottle.com)

KIEHL’S ULTIMATE STRENGTH HAND SALVE
A wonderful choice for dry hands, this heavy-duty moisture treatment is a thick, rich formula offering all-day care and protection with a soothing eucalyptus scent.
($27.50 at Kiehl’s on Robson Street) 

PASSPORT TO PRANA 
With this yoga passport, you gain a free one-time access to each of 40+ studios across the lower mainland.  Notable studios involved in this program include Westcoast Hot Yoga in Yaletown and various branches of Bikram’s and Semperviva.  A great pick for a non-commital yoga fan who wants to play the field before settling down.
($25 at PassportToPrana.com)

LUXE BOX SUBSCRIPTION 
An innovative subscription concept.  Get deluxe beauty samples delivered to you on a regular basis, with featured brands including Stila, Essie, Benefit and Dermalogica. ($12/month)

BC-based artisan coffee and fresh-baked pastries.  Fresh and delicious sandwiches.  Confectionary delights for your sweet tooth. Inspired by the boulangeries (bakeries) of Paris, Bel Café (801 West Georgia St.) is the newest addition to the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.    “By providing a truly equal focus on all aspects of the café experience, Bel Café will strive to elevate the coffee scene in Vancouver,” says Nathan Gilmore, manager of Bel Cafe.  His goal to create enjoyable, memorable experiences through the pairing of high-quality artisan coffee with equally high-quality food. “The café has a unique ability to be many different things to many different people, all at the same time.”

Bel Cafe has a clean and modern feel, with high backed cushioned benches, a cool blue and brown color scheme, and just enough natural light to give the cafe an airy openess, but dark enough for an intimate conversation.  Stopping by for a quick nibble, I had a sweet, creamy macaroon to go. I’m looking forward to revisiting and properly sitting down for SPOT tea or 49th Parallel coffee and fully submersing myself into the Parisian cafe experience Bel Café.
has to offer.

Halloween is over, the Holidays are here!  How do we know?  Because the famous seasonal Starbucks “red cups” and holiday favorites are back!  See below for a list of seasonal offerings available at your local Starbucks!  Which ones have you tried?

Holiday Beverages at Starbucks:

• Caramel Brûlé Latte – the sweetest of Starbuck’s holiday drinks (in my opinion).  If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll love the Caramel Brule latte.  This one is topped with sweetened whipped cream and sugary crystals of caramel brûlé.
• Eggnog Latte - did you know that Starbucks has been serving the Eggnog latte for 24 years?  It’s a holiday favourite and they haven’t changed a thing!  As an alternative to the Eggnog latte, you can ask for a Tazo Chai Latte with steamed eggnog instead of milk.
• Gingerbread Latte – this one’s made with gingerbread syrup and topped with whip cream and nutmeg.
• Peppermint Mocha - a chocolate-y drink with a candycane flavour.  This one’s topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Holiday Baked Goods at Starbucks:

• Chocolate Crème Whoopie Pie – a thick vanilla cream frosting between two cocoa chocolate cakes, topped with a white icing drizzle.
• Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop -  a mix of chocolate cake combined with butter cream icing and candy cane pieces, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with candy cane bits
• Cranberry Bliss Bar - a sweet cream cheese icing, hints of orange zest and paired with tart dried cranberries.
• Holiday Gingerbread Loaf – made with candied ginger, warm spices and cream cheese icing.
  

This year’s event was in a much more intimate location at the Waldorf Hotel.  Two main rooms showcased local artists’ work, among booths of non-profit organizations seeking skilled volunteers to support their cause.  As I had already won artwork the previous year, I wasn’t able to bid again this year.  That being said, I spent most of my time chatting to other attendees and I was most interested to find out why they were at Timeraiser.  For some, their reason was because of a love of art combined with a sense of community. For others, they were directly involved with the organization (an artist, a non-profit worker, a volunteer), or a +1 of a previous Timeraiser winner.

There was no doubt, however, that the resounding theme for why guests attended this year’s Timeraiser, was for Timeraiser’s innovative “win-win-win” scenario.  A win for the emerging artists who are paid fair market value for their artwork, a win for the non-profit agencies who can connect with enthusiastic volunteers, as well a win for the attendees, who have a chance to get a piece of artwork while volunteering for a cause they are passionate about.

The results are in! Here are some key highlights from the event:

• Over 275 people attended and 150 people made a pledge to get involved in the community
• 18 of the 19 pieces of artwork went for the maximum bid of 100 hours
• 4,340 volunteer hours were pledged, 24% of which were pledged by artwork winners
• 75+ community and corporate leaders were in attendance
• 27 non-profit agencies seeking skilled volunteers were in attendance
• $13,000 was invested in the careers of emerging and mid-career Vancouver-based artists

That being said, the cordon bleu sandwich was quite tasty.  It just didn’t look appealing at all.  Leave me your thoughts in the comments below!

]]> http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2011/10/12/quiznos-chicken-cordon-bleu-advertisement-vs-actual-sandwich/feed/ 0 http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2011/07/25/tetley-infusions/ http://modernmixvancouver.com/index.php/2011/07/25/tetley-infusions/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:47:57 +0000 vanessa http://modernmixvancouver.com/?p=4446 **this is a sponsored post from Tetley

If hot tea is for winter, then iced tea is for summer!  Although Vancouver hasn’t gotten the best summer weather lately, my fingers are crossed for the hotter weather, still to come. Tetley Infusions is a liquid iced tea mix you add to your water. And it’s completely natural with no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives. With delicious flavour combinations like Peach & Mango (green tea), Cherry & Orange Blossom (white tea), and Strawberry & Raspberry (red tea), these are definitely worth “breaking your beverage routine” to try. Tetley Canada’s new summer campaign is all about breaking your beverage routine with something new. In their first “routine experiment”, here’s what happens when grocery stores start having personal shopping butlers…

For more information, check out the Tetley Canada Facebook Page.

First up, location. Vancouver is a what is known as a coastal harbour city which is found in British Columbia. It’s the third largest metropolitan area in the country and is actually the most densely populated Canadian city which probably explains the wide mix of people which you will find here. If you logged on for a game at Cheeky Bingo for example, you’d be amazed by the variety of people from the city who are playing. Vancouver attracts people from all over the place due to it’s wide range of culture and arts that is always going on.

Vancouver became a city in 1886, originally it was built up around a logging sawmill in 1867, where a settlement of Gastown grew up. As Gastown grew it became a town known as Granville. It was with the announcement of a railroad reaching the town that it was renamed Vancouver. Having a railway line proved to be very useful because of it being a natural seaport. Vancouver became a vital link in the trade route between the Orient, London and also Eastern Canada. The port in Vancouver is still the busiest and largest in the country. So Vancouver was full established.

Today the city is a really popular choice for tourists and tourism is in fact the second-largest industry here. We want you to get the most out of our city which is why we’re giving you ideas about where to go.