30 Things before 30: H20 Float Spa

The H20 Float Spa was something that Amanda was interested in doing that seemed interesting to try. It’s basically a sensory deprivation pod where you float and experience weightlessness in warm water filled with over 1000lbs of Epson salts. There are LED colored lights available if you want light inside, or you can shut everything off and float in darkness. You are able to hook up an iPod and listen to music during your float, or you can just float in silence. The H20 Float spa is described as a place that “provides a peaceful and private setting, allowing you to create time and space for yourself while completely disconnecting from the rest of the world. Pure Relaxation”.

Amanda and I booked for a Sunday Afternoon which worked out well as we went out the night before with some friends and stayed out later then planned. The spa is on the Danforth in a busy area filled with shops and restaurants. Parking was easy to find – we parked in a lot that was just behind the plaza that the float spa was in. Once we arrived we had to sign waivers that we understood all the rules and requirements and understood that we were responsible if anything went wrong or if anything happened in the pod.

We were led into the change room where we were given a robe and told to leave everything in a locker provided for us. There were no private change rooms – just a small room where all of us (4 women in total) undressed and changed into robes. I hadn’t been expecting that. First – most spas offer some privacy or at least private change rooms for those who want. Secondly, the float rooms that Amanda and I had booked had their own shower and facilities. I don’t know why we couldn’t have just changed in the privacy of out own float suites.

A staff member lead us to our rooms and showed us how everything worked. We had to start with a shower before entering the pod, and then once finished our float session we were to have another shower. The overall experience was okay. The float session was different – the water was warm and I found that it helped my muscles, but I was bored and ready to be done after 30 minutes. The float session was supposed to take an hour, but there was no way I could have stayed in there that long. I got out early, had my shower and spent the rest of the time in the waiting room playing on my phone.

I don’t see the benefits to this treatment matching the cost in any way. It was expensive (almost $100.00) and I could pretty much replicate the experience with my own bathtub, a bag of Epson salts and an LED light. While my muscles felt better, it was temporary and not worth the time or money spent. Even Amanda felt the same way after her session – she also finished early having gotten bored, and found that it wasn’t anywhere near as awesome as she thought it would be.

If you have some money you want to put towards a relaxing spa day, do that! Don’t waste it floating in water like we did!

30 Things before 30: Cocktail Making Class – Amanda’s Birthday

For Amanda’s 30^th birthday her sister-in-law and I planned both a night out with friends and a surprise party. It was a busy weekend but totally worth it! For the night out the first stop was to a Mixed-Up Relay at the Pantages Hotel in Toronto after getting picked up by this awesome pink party bus which was covered in fur inside and a pole in the middle! The event was two hours and consisted of us breaking off into three teams. Our host showed us how to make 4 different classic cocktails (a cosmopolitan, margarita, long island iced tea and one other I can’t recall). Then as a team we had to make them – being judged on speed, taste and quality. It was a lot of fun and an excellent way to start off our night. While it wasn’t a very in depth cocktail making class I would definitely look into doing another because I found it interesting and fun.

It also helped me cross something else off my 30 by 30 list - cocktail making! 

We spent the rest of the night at two Toronto bars which were a lot of fun. Then on Sunday we managed to completely surprise Amanda with the party which included her friends, family and some co-workers. It was an excellent weekend and made me realize yet again how much I enjoy event planning. While it doesn’t seem like a career in it is going to pan out, I am starting to consider doing something on the side from home. Maybe event consulting or small-scale event planning. I’ll have to do some more research and see what options are available!

30 Things By 30: Once – The Musical

The first time I had even heard of Once was during the 2008 Oscars when "Falling Slowly" was preformed. It ended up winning best song that night and for some reason the song just stuck with me. The lyrics and music were poignant in some way and I was instantly drawn to the song. While I never ended up seeing the movie (I do plan on it at some point) it became one of my favorite songs.  

A few years later during the 2012 Tony Awards – and I believe during the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade - I watched the song be preformed once again on TV. This time I was able to see the performance staging/acting of it as it was now a Broadway musical and the song became even more memorable. It was then that I realized I MUST see this show. I was also drawn to the stage version because it’s not common for films to be adapted into productions – traditionally it’s the opposite way around with musicals being adapted into movies – Chicago, Phantom of the Opera etc. (However I have realized that this seems to be a new trend as in the last few years shows have been adapted from Legally Blonde, Bring it On, Matilda etc… so maybe tradition is shifting).

I planned on seeing Once in NYC at some point but never got a chance to visit since it opened. The last time I was in the area I was in NJ with mom and hoped for a chance to make it into the city but we didn’t. The show came into Toronto a few years later but the timing didn’t work out so I once again missed it. Finally it was announced it was coming back and I was set on finally making my dream a reality and seeing it at last. For my birthday Brian surprised me with tickets and I was thrilled to finally get a chance to be seeing this said-to-be incredible musical.

Our tickets were for a Saturday afternoon showing on a day which ended up being incredibly snowy and icy. I had plans to take Paige pottery painting in the morning but had to leave the pottery studio early so that we have enough time to get downtown (Amanda an her cousin were there as well, so I didn’t completely abandon her!). About 10 minutes into the drive the car was slipping and sliding so Brian and I opted to take the GO Train into Toronto instead. By the time we caught the train and then took the subway up to the theater it was about 20 minutes to show time.

Our seats were incredible – on the aisle only 6 rows away from the stage! You could see everything clearly and with perfect detail. When we first sat down I was confused because there were people walking around on the stage with musicians playing some Irish songs. I soon realized that there was an on-stage bar set up and that audience members were able to walk up, look around, get a drink and listen to the music. Brian and I opted to stay in our seats and just enjoy the music from where we were. The stage was set up to look like an Irish pub and with the musicians playing it not only looked like it, but really felt like it as well. I was transported back to my Ireland trip and felt like I was in the same small local pub environment – despite being in such a large theater. 

When the show started the musicians – who were also some of the actors - just sat on chairs off to the side until they were needed to preform or play. There was no large orchestra or any large props/staging. Just the actors with their instruments off the side and the main set which was used for the entire show. They would bring in any key components as needed but even then it was kept simple – a piano, some tables, a vacuum and so on.  

The show was amazing – truly it was everything I thought it would be. The acting, singing and music were incredible. I felt like I was in Ireland and felt like I was really seeing a love story of people, not characters. Mirvish did a wonderful job with this show and it’s one of the best and most enjoyable ones I have seen in awhile. During the intermission I did chose to walk up to the stage and look around the set which was a really cool experience. I loved getting the chance to look out into the audience and see what the actors see each night (it brought me back to my childhood dreams of being an actress!) It was also interesting to see some of the props – which were very simple – up close. It really looked like all of the Irish pubs I visited and had a very inviting and comfortable feel to it.

The overall result of everything – the staging, props, set, actors, costumes, music – had a different effect then the typical musicals I have seen recently (ie – Wicked, Book of Mormon) I felt like I was sitting in a pub and not a theater. I could feel the emotion and truly felt as if I was part of the story in someway.

I absolutely loved this show and completely recommend seeing it if you have the chance!

http://www.mirvish.com/shows/once 

Jalapeño Peanut Crusted Haddock

I recently had the chance to try these delicious Jalapeño Peanuts made by Sensations (the Sobeys Brand). They are a wonderful mix of salty peanut flavour with the kick of the Jalapeno spice. As someone who loves all things spicy, I was immediately stuck with the idea to use these in cooking somehow.

The first idea that came to mind was to use them as a breading/coating for fish. I planned on using Halibut but the store didn’t have any fresh so I went with Haddock instead. I thought that a white fish would be best as it has a light and flaky texture and isn’t as “fishy” tasting as some other types.

Jalapeño Peanut Crusted Haddock Recipe

6 Haddock Filets

2 Bags of Jalapeño Peanuts

2 cups of flour

2 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon pepper

3 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

1. Mix the flour, paprika, salt and pepper and lay out on a large plate
2. Mix the eggs and milk in a container/bowl and whisk together
3. Use a food processer to crush the nuts into a finer texture (You could grind them super finely but I opted to leave them a but larger for more of a crunch) and lay these out on a plate
4. Take each piece of Haddock and press it into the flour on both sides 
5. Drag the flour coated fish through the the egg mixture 
6. Then press the Haddock into the peanuts until both sides are covered.
7. Lay covered fillets on a foil covered baking sheet
8. After preheating the oven to 350, bake these for 20 minutes.

I opted to serve this with Martha Stewarts Cilantro-Lime Rice which complimented the fish wonderfully. I loved the way the meal turned out and would definitely make this again! 

Punta Cana Princess

Ever since our last all-inclusive vacation Amanda and I had been making plans to take another one. We had been keeping an eye on various places and prices and decided to book last minute because we were flexible in terms of dates. The only plans we had were to find someplace hot and sunny that had a beach, and that we would go sometime in January. Once November came around Amanda had a few things pop up around that month which narrowed down our timeline considerably meaning we needed to make our decision sooner.

While I was open to going any place, Dominican Republic was at the top of my list as it’s an island I had never been to. I loved last years trip to Ixtapa, Mexico but wanted a beach that was more on the Caribbean side then the rougher Pacific Ocean. Cuba is an island that I would love to visit but they get very similar weather to Florida and beautiful sunny days aren’t guaranteed in early January. Mexico was another option however there were a few travel advisories issued which made us leery. As we started seriously looking we both decided we wanted to spend the extra money and pick a place that was adults only. It’s not that either of us have anything against children but the idea of a week away without any families and small children running around was appealing. Around Black Friday Sunwing had a relaxation package for some of their adult only properties. Of course some of these were a bit out of our budget (the amazing ones with 10+ restaurants, swim out rooms and amazing amenities) but there were some nice-looking mid-range options. One of these was the Punta Cana Princess, a resort that I had looked into a few times.

The price was good and the dates matched so we went with it and booked. The resort is a smaller property with just under 300 rooms – all of which are billed as suites. The resort had one large pool, was right on the beach, had five restaurants on-site as well as a small market. Almost all of the reviews were positive with previous guests raving about how amazing the manager was. Plus, it was part of a larger property meaning that we were able to visit/eat/spend time at the two sister properties.  

We left in the morning of January 2^nd excited about getting away from the freezing cold Toronto temperatures and arrived at the resort by 4pm. The flight was okay – mostly smooth with friendly staff. The man next to Amanda talked to us – well mostly her – the entire flight, but he was sweet. We had the priority package which made getting our luggage a breeze and Amanda had pre-paid all of our arrival taxes which made it great. Once at the resort check in was easy but we requested a room change as we wanted to be in the building closest to the pool/beach. While we were waiting the assistant manager came over with champagne and introduced himself to us. He made sure that we knew he was there no matter what we needed and to answer any questions. Once our room was ready, he actually walked us to it pointing out all the features of the resort. I found this to be an incredible gesture and he really went above and beyond for us.

The room was nice – it was on the ground floor with two double beds, a couch, an outside sitting area, fridge and a large bathroom. The bathroom however was clearly designed with couples in mind. First, there wasn’t an actual door. The bathroom had a large Jacuzzi tub at the entrance and a sink/counter area. To the back there was a toilet and a shower both with stall-like doors. This allowed some privacy but not much. It meant Amanda and I had to ensure coordination when the other was showering/getting ready. We made it work, but it’s the only thing I disliked about the resort.

Our vacation was exactly that – a complete vacation. We actually never left the resort and spent the entire week either laying by the pool or beach. I had wanted to do an excursion or two but we could never decide on which one so we ended up passing on them. Our days followed the same pattern – we woke up, ate breakfast, laid by the pool/beach, hung out with the friends we made, had some drinks at the pool bar, ate lunch, did more of the same, went in, showered, changed, ate dinner, watched TV and were sleeping by about 9pm (we are such thrilling 29 year olds huh?).

The staff at the resort were amazing – we loved the daytime pool bartender who took great care of us all week and any time the manager saw us he made a point of coming over to talk with Amanda and I to make sure everything was going well. The food was wonderful – we loved our dinner at the Mexican Steakhouse which had excellent beef fajitas. The Italian restaurant was nice but wasn’t one we were in a rush to return to. The fondue restaurant was a unique choice for the Caribbean but was very well done with great food – we ended up eating there twice.  The buffet was also decent – we absolutely loved their seafood night!

While we had a low-key vacation there was a lot to do around the resort. The activity crew always had fun games and contests going on and we made a lot of great vacation-friends from around the world that we spent time with. There was a super sweet older Canadian man from Saskatoon as well as a group from Oakville/Burlington. Some of my favorite people were a group of English tourists who were on their second week of their vacation. We had a lot of fun times with them and still keep in touch via Facebook.

It was a wonderful vacation and a great mix of sun, sand and relaxation. I loved spending a week with my best friend and look forward to future vacations! Also for anyone heading to Punta Cana this is a place to stay!