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07
Jan

What to Expect When Flying for the First Time

Through the eyes of Shay...

Flying for the first time may become nerve wracking. There are many elements and aspects that will go wrong at any given moment. To ensure a less stressful flight, you have to become prepared for every thinkable situation.

As of now, you have already booked your flight in advance and have your ticket ready to go. Here are some things to expect from start to finish when flying for the first time:

Pre-Boarding: Be sure you call the airport ahead of time and double check that your flight is still running on time and to make sure your flight isn’t canceled last minute. Whether you are driving down or taking a taxi, arrive at the airport three to four hours upon departure to give yourself time to find your way to your section.

Carry-on Luggage: Every luggage will be different from one person to another due to where they are going and the duration of their trip. During every flight, be sure to bring travel sized beauty products such as makeup removers, baby wipes, hand lotion, and hand sanitizers. These items may be purchased at your local drugstore and can be inexpensive. It is important to freshen up and it will always come in handy.

Other important items to bring include inhalers if you have asthma, an iPod, and a good pair of headphones for entertainment. Be sure to bring a pack of your favourite gum. Why gum? When the plane is taking off and is thousands of miles in the clouds, the pressure tends to become strong on your eardrums and it will prevent your ears from ringing. If you don’t chew gum, candy will help as well.

Tip: Often, airplane food has a negative misconception, that the food is dull or tasteless. If that is your concern, pack a lightweight sandwich to be sure that you won't starve until your next meal.

Security Screening: To make things smoother, make sure not to wear tons of jewelry or wear metal belts; otherwise, the alarm will go off when you go through the metal detector. Be sure to wrap your delicate items such as mugs and plates around clothing to prevent breakage. Be advised that your luggage can weigh up to certain amount per luggage. Depending on the airport, charges may vary. Once you have shown your boarding pass and walked through the gates, you will have plenty of time to use the restroom, grab food, and rest until departure.

Comfortability: You never know who will be boarding the same plane. If you are going to be traveling far, you may encounter long hours of screaming children and find it difficult to sleep. One easy tip is to pop in those headphones to your iPod and tune it out. Another tip is to bring a neck pillow on your carry on so you may rest more comfortably. An airplane is just another way of traveling, just in the air. You are now well informed and ready to explore your destination!

 

03
Dec

Airports that Beat Boredom With Technology!

Flying is always fun, but long waits for connecting flights can be boring, which is why airports continue to come up with different ways to make wait times less tiring and even productive. Last April, trying to escape the brutal winter, I proceeded on an overseas trip that took me through Toronto's Pearson, London’s Heathrow and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airports.

International airports always have well-trained staff to deliver quality customer service to passengers. Their employees use every contact with you to impress you. Air Canada, British Airways and KLM – the national carriers of the three countries – offer the same quality of customer service and are obsessed with projecting a sublime image of their countries.

Although all three airports have charming employees, Pearson is my favourite. The airport is ahead of its time when it comes to providing affordable communication facilities to passengers to fight boredom and satisfy their communication needs. With a large iPad-equipped Internet cafe at Air Canada's Departure Hall, you can keep busy while waiting for your flight.

Schiphol is charming, too, but you only have free Wi-Fi access for 30 minutes. After that be prepared to pay, and it isn’t cheap. I love walking around the hall, exploring and shopping.

Heathrow, on the other hand, is among the world’s biggest and busiest airports. Following attentively the easy-to-understand signs makes navigating the huge place easy. What thrilled me about the airport are the inspiring adverts that keep exercising my mind each time I pass through there. Wherever you look, you’re sure to see a poster or billboard advert that speaks to you. Meditating on the advert messages keeps me engaged while waiting for my connecting flight.

So next time you travel and find yourself bored while waiting to catch your connecting flight, find a way to exercise your mind and body.

14
Jan

Top Five Places To Sell Your Artwork Online

Through the eyes of Amy...

Whether you are a painter, jewelry crafter, graphic designer, or a DIY expert, all artists should get the recognition they deserve. Not only are the 5 websites listed below great places to showcase the best of your artwork, but help you fund future projects as well!
 
1. Etsy: Whether you are selling art pieces for the home, handmade jewelry, craft supplies, or even vintage goods, Etsy is the website to go to to find your own niche.
 
2. RedBubble: Share your artwork through the mediums of shirts, hoodies, stickers, phone cases, and more on RedBubble. The artist uploads their art on the website and decides on which clothing products they want RedBubble to print their artwork on.
 
3. StoreEnvy: Get started on creating your own brand with StoreEnvy. This website features emerging brands and allows users to create their own collection of their favourite works. 
 
4. BigCartel: With quick store setups, customizable layouts, and business-minded features, BigCartel is a simple to use website that gives artists the basic tools necessary in creating their very own brand.
 
5. DaWanda: With active staff members who post about trending items on the site, DaWanda allows artists to create and share new forms of artwork with the community.

26
Nov

Cashiers That Give You More Bang For Your Buck!

Have you ever been to an unfamiliar cafeteria and left with the feeling of an empty wallet? Well, don't be too hard on yourself for allowing that to happen- you're not alone. There are ways to get around the costly lunches if you're dining out during work hours.

I used to be very skeptical of people who would try to upsell meals to me, but after I started working in an office park with very limited lunch options, it became really hard to have a reasonably priced meal during work hours. I scoured the area for a good cafeteria and eventually found one in the lower level of an office tower just steps away from my building. However, it was an expensive cafeteria- or so it seemed. I felt as though every lunch I spent there meant parting with good money for ordinary meals like a mere burger with pop.

Eventually, I asked a server why their food was somewhat “expensive”. I was confused as to why I had to part with almost $10 for a mere burger and canned pop. He asked me what I usually ordered and he replied, “That’s the problem. Certain items on our menu are more expensive when you order them individually. The next time you order this or that, mix it with this and that to make a combo”, he advised. I followed his advice and I’ve been saving almost 40% of what I usually spend from ordering the same items.

From then on, I learned that making a combo isn't always an upselling scam. Here are some tips to help you save money during lunch if you’re on a tight budget:

Each time you walk into a fast food joint or cafeteria that you’re sure to return to, cultivate a relationship with the people who work there. Ask them to explain to you the combos that give you the best value for your money.

A friend of mine used to joke that whenever you walk into a more upscale food establishment, you'll end up paying more for the atmosphere than the food. I know it's hard, but try not to judge a book by it's cover. Beautiful décor and a staged photos of menu items can be quite deceiving! Quality and affordability can be found in very surprising places.

So the next time you walk into a food establishment for the first time, don’t rush the experience. Take your time to interact with the employees. They may help you save money!

19
Nov

Burt's Bees- Helping to Keep the Bees Buzzing

I read in the newspaper last month that 50 percent of all the bees in Ontario died last winter. As another winter approaches, I find myself worrying over the idea that more bees will disappear. This alarming news makes the efforts of bee conservationists all the more crucial. Just to refresh our memory, I would like to point out that one third of the food we eat is dependent on bees. Without bees pollinating, much of the food we get from plants will disappear, leaving us humans in an awfully hungry situation.

One company that has caught my attention is Burt’s Bees, a United State’s based beauty product manufacturer with substantial Canadian operations. The company is leading an unsung battle to save the bees. Burt’s Bees' goals include building hotels for bees, educating the public - especially its customers - about the importance of bees, and initiating a program to have people adopt bees.

The company's history is rooted in bees, understanding the importance of insects to the earth's ecosystem. The company is at the forefront of the battle to ensure that bees keep buzzing. It’s partnering with some organizations to promote the health of pollinators and fund honeybee sustainability projects in North Carolina through its Greater Good Foundation.

And here in Canada, the company is building bee hotels to help protect solitary pollinator bees from extinction by giving them a place to find food, water and nesting sites. Burt’s Bees is committing a significant portion of its profits from its special products to the Pollinator Partnership Canada to fund the bee hotels.

The disappearance of bees has caused major headaches for scientists and governments worldwide. It's not possible to save the bees alone; responsible corporate organizations need to come forward like Burt’s Bees and join the government in trying to salvage this situation. Let’s keep those bees buzzing.

12
Nov

Popular Athletic Shoe Brand Fun Facts!

There are many athletic shoe brands that have stepped onto the scene, but we can't deny the popularity of the oldies and goodies that seem to stick around. These brands have withstood the test of time, both physically and metaphorically, but have you ever wondered what brought them here today? Well, we're bringing you some fun facts about a few of the world's most famous athletic shoe brands!

1. Nike
Nike is an American company founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports. It changed its name in 1978 to Nike after the Greek goddess of victory. Its “Just Do It” slogan and swoosh logo are some of the most recognizable marketing items in the world today. It is considered to be the leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel.

2. Adidas
Adolf Dassler established Adidas in 1948 in Germany. Its roots, however, may also be traced back to 1924 when the Gebruder Dassler Schuhfabrik was founded by Adolf and his brother, Rudolf. The two split up in 1949 with Rudolf establishing Puma. The basic design of Adidas is the three parallel bars which is also incorporated in the company’s logo.

3. Reebok
The company was founded in 1895 as J.W. Foster and Sons in England. It came from a desire to create a spiked running shoe for his sons. In 1958, his grandsons, Joe and Jeff, renamed the company Reebok, which is the Afrikaan spelling of rhebok, a type of antelope or gazelle native to the continent. Paul Fireman brought it to the United States in 1979 after seeing a pair in an international trade show. Reebok has been a subsidiary of Adidas since 2005.

4. Converse
Marquis Mills Converse established the company in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company. In 1915, it began making tennis shoes. A company milestone occurred in 1917 when a basketball player named Charles H. Taylor walked into its office because of sore feet. He designed a high-top sneaker that became the classic we know today as “Chuck Taylor.”

5. New Balance
New Balance was established in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company. Its shoes are typically more expensive than its rivals because it maintains manufacturing plants in the U.S. and the U.K. Its shoes are known by its model numbers as the company prefer not to give it names that would distract from the emphasis on the New Balance name.

6. Fila
Fila Ltd. was established in 1911 in Italy. It is known for its logo that features its name in snakelike letters. It used to be endorsed by Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg. It collapsed in 2003 forcing it to sell to a hedge fund company. Fila Korea, however, was a distinct company and bought all the rights to the company in 2007.

08
Dec

Top Five Cinemas in Toronto

Through the eyes of Amy...

Toronto is a staple in the film industry, being used as the setting for numerous blockbuster movies. But not only is Toronto a film star, it's also a great city to go see movies in. Whether living in the East or the West, midtown or down near the water, Toronto cinema lovers with insatiable appetites for classic, foreign, and challenging cinema are never likely to go hungry. Here are five of the best places to watch movies:

1. TIFF Bell Light Box
Not only is this a world class movie theatre that plays host to the Toronto International Film Festival, but it also includes a cinema museum along with room for exhibitions, new art house releases, schlocky cult fare, children's programming, avant-garde screenings, a bookstore that sells the best film books in print, and space for a couple dozen film festivals.

2. The Bloor
The beloved single-screen Annex theatre entered a new phase of its life in 2011 when it was sold to the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. They renovated the theatre and reopened it under the name of Bloor Hot Docs Cinema in 2012. With a long history of showing cult, genre, and classic screenings, there is no doubt that the Bloor is set to become Toronto's chief venue for documentary work and will most definitely be the hub for North America's largest documentary film festival.

3. Toronto Underground
The Chinese cinema, formerly known as Golden Classics, opened its doors in the Spring of 2010 to cult and genre seekers. The Underground tends to stay true to its name by avoiding ostentatious signage and neglecting to update their screening schedule, relying more on word-of-mouth from their Facebook and twitter accounts to promote upcoming events.

4. The Revue Cinema
Located in the heart of Roncesvalles, Revue is a great venue for many of the better independent and foreign films. The self-proclaimed "only not-for-profit cinema" in Toronto, hosts some interesting series certainly worth watching.

5. The Royal Cinema
A staple on Toronto's independent cinema map since it opened as the Pylon in 1939, it remains a cherished Little Italy landmark, possessing one of the most beautiful art deco theatre interiors in Canada. This is one of Toronto's premiere venues for local and up-and-coming filmmakers to show their films, and also hosts a variety of popular film festivals.

13
Jul

Top Four Summer Smoothies

When the temperature outside heats up nothing goes down easier, or tastes better, than a frozen smoothie. Here are 4 healthy smoothy recipes for the summer. The directions for each recipe are easy, just combine all the ingredients into the blender and blend until everything is smooth and frothy, then pour it into a glass and enjoy.

1) Banana-Berry Bliss

This smoothie is chock-full of high fiber berries which will help you feel full and satisfied throughout the day.
- Ingredients
1/3 cup raspberries
1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup blackberries
1/2 ripe banana
1/2 cup Artic Zero vanilla ice cream
1 cup ice

2) Acai Berry Banana Smoothie

Acai berries are a super food, and the perfect addition to any smoothie. Not only do they taste great, but they are also packed with antioxidants, omega fats, protein, fiber, and amino acids.
- Ingredients
Unsweetened Acai Smoothie Pack
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 banana
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup ice

3) Applecado Smoothie

This creamy smoothie is good for your waistline and your heart. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, which can help to lower cholesterol. They also provide essential fatty acids needed to build cells and maintain skin health.
- Ingredients
1 Granny Smith apple, cored with the skin on
1/4 avocado
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 cup ice
3 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

4) Peachy Keen Smoothie

Almond milk is a great base for any smoothie. This milk substitute adds sweetness while being a good source of calcium. It is also low in calories and is free of saturated fat.
- Ingredients
1 peach, pitted
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1 cup almond milk
1 cup ice

01
Dec

Top Eight Activities to Make Your Work Commute Productive

Your daily trip to and from work doesn't have to be a complete waste of time. With some strategic planning you can easily use your commute to recharge and boost productivity. There are things you can do to change a lengthy commute from a frustrating time-eater to a productive part of your day. Here are 8 productive things you can do during your commute:

1. Bicycle or walk to work: Depending on how long your commute is, this is a great way to get in some exercise. It helps wake you up and keep your mind sharp, in addition to keeping your body in shape.

2. Reflect: Taking time each week during your commute to check in on your goals is a great way to stay on top of your to-do list. It's the perfect time to think about what in your life needs to be worked on.

3. Check emails and voice messages: If you’re not driving or riding a bicycle, your morning commute is a great time to get a head start on your workday. Attending to messages and answering emails on your way to work will help you get a good start on the work day.

4. Check in on your social networks: If you’re not driving, use your phone or tablet to interact with your network of business contacts on social media by sharing information and engaging with them.

5. Listen to music or audio books: These activities can help you relax and support your ongoing learning and development.

6. Mentally prepare for the day: If you'd like to get a head start on your day, you can use your commute time to get ready for what's on your calendar. You can also use this time to plan the rest of your day outside the work place. A workday without distractions relating to after-work responsibilities or activities can be far more productive.

7. Create a to-do list: Your commute is the perfect time to create a to-do list or fine-tune the one you’ve already made. By creating a to-do list and prioritizing the day's responsibilities, you're setting yourself up to have a more organized and focused workday. If you can't actually write a list because you're driving, it can still be useful to use a voice recorder.

8. Check in with your friends and family: You may have very limited time for this type of communication throughout the rest of the day, so use your commute time to call your parents, chat with your significant other, or text your friends (as long as you’re not driving).

05
Nov

Lacoste Bags Great Customer Service

What makes a great customer service experience? Well for me, one of the greatest factors is when a sales associate goes above and beyond to ensure a customer is satisfied. I recently experienced this type of service when I went shopping at my local mall for an airline messenger bag.

When I entered the store I browsed their selection and eventually asked the sales associate if they had the specific bag I was looking for in stock. She told me that they sold out since it was one of their best selling bags. The sales associate told me that my best bet was to go to the Lacoste at Yorkdale Mall since they had a larger store, thus a larger stock selection.

I asked her if she could double check with the store just to make sure they had the bag in stock at Yorkdale before I headed there. She agreed and called them for me. After she spoke with a sales representative at the other store, she told me that they only had one left and she asked them to keep the bag on hold for me.

I made my way to the other location and was greeted by a sales associate upon entering the store. At the cashier desk I asked for the bag that they kept on hold for me. The sales associate asked me to wait while she brought the bag out from the stockroom. When she came back, she had the airline messenger bag I was looking for.

She gave me a brief explanation about the material of the bag, including how to care for it. She also told me that it was their last bag and was on sale for 30% off. I decided to purchase the bag and after that purchase I was very satisfied with how smoothly the process went and how helpful the sales associates were.

Do you remember a shopping experience where the sales associate ensured your satisfaction? Share it in the comments section.