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Blogs

30
Jun

Happy Canada Day!!!

Here at SQM, would like to wish all our Canadian readers a very Happy Canada Day!!! And for our American counterparts, we would like to wish you all a very Happy (early) Fourth of July!
 
Today is a day to celebrate, so wake up and pour some fresh maple syrup over your pancakes, grab a cup of Timmies (or a Molson, if you prefer), and don't forget to end the night off with an epic show of fireworks, eh! With the Canada Day festivities upon us, we would like to remind everyone to stay safe. Remember to put some extra cash away because it's not worth picking up your car keys when you know you have had a bit too much to drink. A taxi cab is only a phone call away. And just remember to party your little heart out because...
YOU. ARE. CANADIAN!...eh! 
 
We want to know how you're celebrating Canada Day, so send us a message and some pictures to our social media accounts!
 
We can be found on Facebook as Sally Sensors and Sensors Quality Management – Mystery Shopping.  We can also be found on Twitter as @SQMInc and @Evaluate_It
 
Happy Canada Day!

09
Jul

Top Ten Ways to Stay Cool During the Summer

Through the eyes of Joshua…

Summer is here and you can expect the temperature to rise and the humidity to settle in. Here are a few tips to stay cool without relying too much on electricity:

  1. Drink plenty of water: Our body is composed of about 60% water. We sweat more when the temperature is hot - especially if you’re working or exercising in the heat. Drinking water helps replenish the fluids lost by excessive sweating.
  2. Keep still and quiet: It is important to maintain a calm and relaxed posture. Save the exercising and kinetic activities for the evening when the sun goes down and the air becomes cooler.
  3. Stay in the shade: You can read a book, sit down, or take a nap. When you move around, it makes your body temperature rise.
  4. Open the windows to let in a breeze: This allows the air inside to circulate and cool down. If insects are a problem, use screens to keep them out.
  5. Go swimming: Going swimming on a hot day is a great way to cool off. Head over to your nearest public swimming pool for a cool splash.
  6. Have a cold shower or bath: A cold shower or bath will instantly cool you off. You can also wrap damp towels around your body to help bring your temperature down.
  7. Use fans: Fans keep the air circulating and don't use as much energy as air conditioners. You can also produce a mini air-conditioning effect by placing a wet face cloth over the outer cage of the fan.
  8. Chew on ice cubes: It’s just like drinking water, only colder!
  9. Use a bag of ice: Place the bag on your forehead for approximately 30 minutes.
  10. Water spray bottle: If you go outside frequently, spray yourself with cold water from a spray bottle. It helps you stay cool and it feels good.

 

02
Jul

Top Five Beaches in Toronto

Through the eyes of Kevin…

Our beaches may not rival the beaches of Spain or the South of France, but they are definitely a good substitute for people that want to get away from the city and enjoy some sand, water, and sunshine. Here are my picks for the best beaches to visit in Toronto:

  1. Woodbine Beach: Woodbine Beach is located at the bottom of Woodbine Avenue, near Ashbridge’s Bay Park. Looking out over the sprawling waters of Lake Ontario, this beach is spacious and sociable. If you're looking for something more than lounging on the sand and taking a dip in the water, Woodbine has over 90 beach volleyball courts owned by the Ontario Volleyball Association, designated for public use. The water quality meets all standards and has been recognized for its safety and community engagement since 2005.
  2. Hanlan’s Point: Hanlan’s Point, located on the Toronto Islands, is well known for it’s clothing optional area. However, don't be discouraged to bring the family. There are clothing mandatory sections and nearby is one of Toronto’s first amusement parks, which causes the beach to get awfully busy on hot weekends. The water quality is pristine, having received a Blue Flag label, and you'll have trouble finding softer sand anywhere in the city.
  3. Sunnyside Beach: Just West of the Exhibition grounds, Sunnyside Beach spans a long stretch of sand along Lake Ontario. It is not the ideal place to swim, being the closest beach to the downtown core, but it makes up for it with its view, being able to see all the way to Hamilton on a clear day. The Gus Ryder Pool is also located directly next to the beach which draws in lots of overheated families looking to cool off. The beach is great on summer evenings and weekends, sitting on the beach or grassy area and enjoying the scenery.
  4. Cherry Beach: Located at the bottom of Cherry Street, Cherry Beach is a popular spot for kite boarding and surfboarding. The beach atmosphere is laid back and lacks the showy 'beach body' patrons who prowl some of the other beaches looking for attention. The water quality has also received a Blue Flag label and is great for swimming.
  5. Bluffer’s Park: Bluffer’s Park is located at the bottom of Brimley Road. The beach itself at Bluffer's Park is one of the nicest in the city. With the Scarborough Bluffs to the north, the park is both scenic and well tended. It is also an excellent place for a nighttime bonfire and hiking. The beach offers great water and sand quality.

 

25
Jun

Top Five Ways to Celebrate Canada Day

Through the eyes of Amy…

Canada Day isn't just about celebrating our country, it's also about spending time with family, friends, neighbors, and, of course, your fellow Canadians. Here are five great ways to enjoy and celebrate Canada Day:

  1. Organize a Cookout: Enjoy the outdoors by eating outside with family, friends, and neighbors. And why not celebrate Canada's multiculturalism by having a potluck and asking everyone to bring a dish from their ethnic background.
  2. Attend a Parade: Watch or participate in a Canada Day parade. Put on the red and white face-paint and wave your flags with pride while enjoying the radiant company of other Canadians.
  3. Visit a Museum: For a quieter celebration, visit a museum to learn about Canadian history. The insight into Canada's founding and development might make you appreciate how far we've come.
  4. Gather at Canada Place: Plan ahead and book some tickets to Canada Place, located in Vancouver. Enjoy the music, performances, and ceremonies. Enter a contest that tests your Canadian knowledge, or show the nation your artistic skills, and have fun with your loved ones.
  5. Go to the Beach: There is something so charming about the beach at night. With the fading warm glow of the sun, fireworks burning across the night sky, and laughter all around, ending Canada Day at the beach is a surefire way create fond memories.

 

23
Jun

Serving Up a Scoop of Customer Service

Through the eyes of Amy…

Summer is here, and its a great time to indulge in some delicious ice cream. However, what makes ice cream even more delicious is being able to enjoy it with a friend at a joint that serves up great customer service!

My friend and I recently visited an ice cream shop we'd had our eye on for a while. Upon entering the shop, we were greeted warmly by an employee standing behind a display of vibrantly colored ice cream. There were so many different flavors, from the classic vanilla or chocolate, to the more unusual strawberry-rhubarb or mango. As we tried to make up our minds, the employee informed us that all of their ice cream was homemade with the freshest dairy products, and that even their waffle cones were homemade.

Still indecisive about which flavor to purchase, the employee asked us if we wanted to try out a few samples. I have commitment issues, so the employee really had the customer service aspect nailed down when she let us try it before we bought it.  We tried the black licorice, toffee butter brittle, and cherry cheesecake. They all tasted delicious, which only made our decision tougher. In the end, my friend decided on the toffee butter brittle while I chose the strawberry.

The fresh, homemade ice cream served on a hot waffle cone did not disappoint. Whether toffee butter brittle or strawberry flavored, the texture of the ice-cream was consistent, creamy, and deliciously authentic. The excellent customer service and assortment of flavors will have my friend and I returning for this sweet treat!

18
Jun

Top Five Cultural Institutes in Toronto

Through the eyes of Amy…

Summer is here and what better time to really get to know our beautiful city of Toronto. Here are the top five Toronto cultural institutes that get us really excited about history and culture:

  1. Art Gallery of Ontario: Founded in 1900, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in Canada and has a collection of over 80,000 works. It's a great place to see Canadian heritage pieces, European masterpieces, and contemporary art. The Art Gallery of Ontario also hosts exclusive exhibitions such as the art work of Ancient Egypt and the masterpieces of Picasso.
  2. Royal Ontario Museum: For a better understanding of how nature and humanity are intertwined, take a look around the Royal Ontario Museum. Here you see exhibits from all over the world, such as the Forbidden City Exhibit, giving insight into different cultures and histories. There are also family activities such as arts and crafts which make the Royal Ontario Museum an amazing place to learn and be inspired.
  3. Gardiner Museum: Clay workshops are offered to all ages at the Gardiner Museum. With upcoming exhibitions such as the “The Queer Baroque of Léopold L. Foulem, Paul Mathieu and Richard Milette” and “Clare Twomey: Piece by Piece,” the Gardiner Museum reveals some of the most innovative and inspirational clay art work in the world.
  4. Museum of Inuit Art: Officially opened in 2007, the Museum of Inuit Art displays both past and present artistic expressions of the Inuit. Current exhibitions include the “New Acquisitions: Drawings from the Kivalliq” and the “The Matchbox Gallery: A Retrospective.” Coupled with an atmosphere inspired by the Arctic landscape, one can become fully emerged in Inuit history and art.
  5. Textile Museum of Canada: Located in the core of downtown Toronto and open seven days a week, the Textile Museum of Canada is home to 12,000 objects from more than 200 regions, displaying different clothing, fabrics, and textiles. The Textile Museum of Canada is currently hosting three exhibits: “From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru,” “Fashioning the Intangible: the conceptual clothing of Ying Gao,” and “Telling Stories.”

 

16
Jun

Save When You Shop at the Outlet Malls!

Through the eyes of Joshua…

The downtown core is the place to shop if you want to keep up with new trends. Unfortunately, it's also the place to shop if you want to go bankrupt. However, there are other ways to shop for your favorite designer brands without exhausting your wallet. Outlet malls, often located closer to residential areas around the city limits, offer a variety of stores selling their products at more affordable prices.
   
You may not always be able to find the latest pair of jeans or designer shoes, but outlet malls are a great place to shop for out-of-season or excess stock at an affordable price. The savvy customer may also be able to find further deals through marked down sales or by using a coupon book. Typically, coupon books can be found at an information kiosk in the mall. While coupon books may need to be purchased (though they can sometimes be offered for free), for those expecting to make some major shopping purchases, the resulting savings will certainly be worth the cost.
 
Despite the fact that outlet malls are located outside of the downtown core, they are neither small nor lacking in variety. Beyond the designer clothing and shoe stores, you can also find confectioneries, kitchenware, and book shops, among a variety of other stores.

Nearly every major fashion brand will have a store at an outlet mall, ensuring that one is rarely disappointed when looking for their favorite brand. Outlet malls are a great place to carve out your style while ensuring your wallet feels full from all the savings!

11
Jun

Top Five Emerging Restaurant Trends

Through the eyes of Joshua…

With Toronto's diverse multiculturalism, the classic fast food burger and fries are being pushed out by new ethnic restaurants and more up-scale, health-conscious establishments. We'd like to introduce you to a few new emerging restaurant trends making their way into the mainstream:

  1. Burger joints: Burgers have become associated with two things: low cost and lots of grease. However, this might be a dying cliché as restaurants are beginning to create gourmet burgers- a meal you can take pride in eating. These restaurants are focusing on promoting higher-quality ingredients (particularly the meat), and forgoing the plastic booths and kiddie playgrounds for a more sophisticated dining experience.
  2. Health foods: With the growing awareness of our society's obesity issue, new, health-conscious restaurants are beginning to emerge in an attempt to fight our fat and sugar-fueled diets. Alongside the growing popularity of vegetarian restaurants, many cafés are finding their niche with lunch meals, selling foods like paninis with organic ingredients, pasta salads, and a mind-warping range of free-trade coffees and organic teas.
  3. Burrito places: Mexican food is no longer limited to hard and soft shell tacos, but have branched out into alternatives like burritos. Served in wraps or bowls with meat such as steak, chicken, pork or sometimes fish, and packed with rice, beans, lettuce, and guacamole, the burrito is a great way to fill your stomach. 
  4. Middle Eastern food: Middle Eastern cuisine has taken off in Toronto. Moving beyond the subcategory of “Mediterranean cuisine” appropriated by Greek restaurants, the Middle Eastern food market has grown so much that chain restaurants are opening. These are great places to try something new, like stuffed grape leaves, hummus, or—an Iranian specialty—grilled tomatoes. 
  5. Asian food: While Chinese food is still a big draw and has certainly evolved past the fortune cookie, many other Asian countries are grabbing a piece of the restaurant market. Japanese ramen shops are ending the stereotype of ramen as only cheap college cuisine and instead are pairing them with quality soup broths, which is what ramen was originally known for. Another development has been the rise of Korean restaurants which has made kimchi a household name and recipe.

 

30
Dec

Welcome to 2014!!!

Everyone at SQM would like to wish you all a very happy and safe New Year.  We hope you have all had a safe and happy holiday filled with food, family, and friends.

With the New Year's festivities upon us, we would like to remind everybody to stay safe. Remember to put some extra cash away because it's not worth picking up your car keys when you know you have had a bit too much to drink. A taxi cab is only a phone call away.

Now that we are all back in the office, and into our regular routines after the holidays, we wanted to spice it up a little bit.

Every new year brings some changes. At SQM, we are seeing some changes within the company. We have also brought in some fresh interns that will be delivering blogs for all of our readers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In addition to this, we have launched another website for our mystery shoppers which can be found at www.evaluateitbysqm.com. Blogs will be released on this site every Tuesday and Thursday- focusing on ways to help you save! These blogs will be hot off the press and they will be posted on our social media platforms.

Speaking of social media, we have two Facebook and two Twitter accounts! We want to interact with all of our readers, so here they are:
We can be found on Facebook as Sally Sensors and Sensors Quality Management – Mystery Shopping.
Sally Sensors is a place to find our weekly deals and mystery shops in your area, while SQM will feature our blogs.

We can also be found on Twitter as @SQMInc and @Evaluate_It. @SQMInc is our primary account that will feature our blogs, while @Evaluate_It will alert all our followers about our daily deals!
We want to have an interactive experience with our readers, so don't be shy!  Let your voice be heard and let us know what you think.

23
Dec

Preparing for a Big Move!

Moving day can be a hectic, tiring, and stressful experience. Still, there are many ways to prepare for moving day that can help to ensure that the least amount of problems occur and allow for a smooth transition into your new home.

 

 

First, comes the preparation before the big day. You should always remember to make everything as easy as you can on yourself. One way of doing this is labeling all of your boxes and furniture with the appropriate rooms that they will be placed in. This makes your life easier because all of the heavy boxes and furniture will be carried over to their respective places, therefore ensuring that you don't have to lift these items again at a later time.

 

 

Now, you're probably staring at all of those boxes and furniture, wondering how you'll be able to carry them over to their respective places. Well, that's what friends and family are for... and moving companies, of course! Make sure you have made contact with everyone involved in the big day. This includes your friends and family members who will be helping you, moving companies, and of course, your real estate agent. Also remember to have your fully-charged cell phone handy, so that you can contact any extra hands that may be needed for the big move.

 

 

Secondly, when moving day comes, you need to be able to get up early. Be sure to leave the necessities out that are needed for the day. That means that you shouldn't pack up your toiletries and clothes just yet! Keep some cash handy for snacks to keep you and your movers (friends) happy. While full tummies keep everyone happy and energetic, it's also important to have a first aid kit handy to patch anybody up if it's needed.

 

Lastly, conduct a final inspection of the old place and ensure that you have not left anything behind! Make note of any items that become misplaced or damaged during the move and inform the insurance company of such losses. Also, remember to personally handle any confidential documents or valuables. Do not leave these in the hands of others- even if they're your friends.

 

 

Lastly, keep in mind that patience is a virtue. As long as you have the right attitude, the process should go smoothly.