December 2015

Romantic Holiday Gift Ideas

December 18, 2015

Want to see the eyes of your special someone light up with happiness this Christmas? When it comes to buying Christmas gifts for your beloved you want to give them something special that will really make them feel appreciated and loved. If you are looking for inspiration for romantic gifts this holiday season, here are some great romantic holiday gift ideas to get you started:

A One of a Kind Portrait
Find a local artist whose style you like and pay them to paint a one of a kind portrait of your special someone. It can be based on your favourite photograph of them or of you two together. This will be a one of a kind gift with a major impact that they will treasure for a long time.

Weekend Getaway Romantic Holiday Gift Ideas
Instead of Christmas gifts, reveal that you are taking your special someone on a surprise weekend getaway. You can book a bed and breakfast and whisk them away for a couple of nights. You can choose somewhere that they will really enjoy and you can even plan activities or a special dinner to surprise them.

Christmas Tree Ornaments
A beautiful and meaningful gift you can give someone you care about could be Christmas tree ornaments with their name on them or ornaments that represent a special memory the two of you share. You could make it a Christmas tradition that every year you give them a different personal ornament, so that decorating the tree becomes a beautiful trip down memory lane. If you are crafty, you might even want to try making your own ornament.

Inscribed Jewellery
Jewellery is a timeless gift for your special someone, but you can make it even more meaningful and special if you inscribe it with a personal message. It can be a ring inscribed with your initials or a bracelet with a quote that has meaning for both of you. There are also matching necklaces you can wear that can be inscribed with messages, initials and much more. A piece of jewellery is a lovely gift, but a personalised one of a kind piece of jewellery is something even more special. Romantic Holiday Gift Ideas

Equipment for Their Hobby
Think about what your special someone is passionate about and what they enjoying doing in their spare time. Do they like to go hiking? Are they an artist? Do they like to write? Are they interested in gardening, sports, reading? Pinpoint their favourite hobby and then get something that is related to what they enjoy. For example, if your beloved enjoys painting you can get them a new canvas and some high quality paints and brushes. They will find you were thoughtful and chose a gift that reflects their personal interests.
With these wonderful romantic holiday gift ideas you will be sure to make your partner feel special on Christmas morning. Dont forget to check out our blog for thoughtful and creative stocking stuffers ideas!

Thoughtful gifts are meaningful and will create special Christmas memories that you will treasure for many years.

Entertainment, Holiday Events, Lifestyle talk

Creative Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Christmas

December 15, 2015

When it comes to buying Christmas presents, sometimes a challenging part can be filling the stockings. What do you do when you’ve found all of the big presents, but you can’t think of ideas for the little trinkets? You don’t want to simply give boring gifts, so put a little more thought into it so that you can put something different in the stockings of your loved ones this Christmas.

Here are some ideas for creative and thoughtful stocking stuffer ideas for Christmas:

For someone who loves to write and jot down ideas, give them a beautiful leather bound notebook with a small pen hidden inside.
An activity tracker, such as the Fitbit, can be a great gift for someone active so that they can keep track of their steps taken and calories burned as well as set progress goals.
Small bottles of fragrance or cologne can be a lovely stocking stuffer for a special someone who always loves to smell good.
For the wine lover in your life, why not give them an attractive stylish corkscrew?
Jewellery also makes for a great stocking stuffer, as it is just the right size. When choosing jewellery for someone, take a look at the style that they usually wear to get an idea of their taste so that you can buy something they will like.
The people in your life who love art would really appreciate getting art supplies in their stocking, such as coloured pencils, a set of watercolour paints or high quality drawing pens.
A mini flask can be a lovely gift, especially if it is paired with a bottle of the recipient’s favourite alcohol.
Cooking gadgets, such as an egg yolk separator, a jar opener or a knife sharpener can be great gifts for your friend who really loves cooking.
When you have someone in your family or friend group who is geeky about a particular show, book series or movie, whether it is Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Doctor Who or anything else, getting them items along that theme will never go wrong. Try keychains, mugs or anything else emblazoned with their favourite fictional characters.
We all know that one person who is obsessed with their hair, so great stocking stuffer ideas for Christmas for them could be hair clips, barrettes, hair ties, a cute mini travel brush and mini sized bottles of their favourite hair products.
For the friend or family member who can never get enough spice in their food, give them tiny bottles of their favourite hot sauce that they can bring with them anywhere they go.
To give someone a nostalgic blast from the past, buy them a copy of an old comic book that they used to really enjoy when they were a child.

The key to finding great stocking stuffers that are out of the ordinary is to think about your recipient and what they like. Thoughtful and meaningful stocking stuffer ideas for Christmas will really make their holiday special.

Community Events, Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Events, Family Vacations in Toronto, Holiday Events, Toronto Family Travel

Great Christmas Activities for Kids in Toronto

December 8, 2015

The city of Toronto really lights up around Christmas time and becomes a dazzling, sparkling winter wonderland with a magical and festive atmosphere.
If you are visiting the city with your children, there are many fun and exciting things that you can enjoy during your time in Toronto. Here are some of the best Christmas activities for kids that the city has to offer:

12 Trees of Christmas
At the Gardiner Museum you can check out the beautiful display of Christmas trees, enchanting for children of all ages. The event begins on November 12th with the lighting ceremony of an enormous tree and afterwards you can walk around the museum and check out the trees- each decorated with a unique theme. Each of the 12 trees has been designed by one of the city’s top designers and will be on display at the museum.

Toronto Christmas Market
Get some Christmas shopping done and get lost in the magical atmosphere of the Toronto Christmas Market, taking place in the historic Distillery District from November 20th to December 20th. This charming event captures all of the heritage, charm and tradition of a European Christmas Market and it is a great place to pick up some unique local hand crafted products. There will also be family friendly entertainment there including carollers, children’s choirs and musicians.

Black Creek Pioneer Village
Visit this historic 19th century village and you will feel like you have stepped back in time – it is filled with actors in period garb recreating what life is like for early settlers. It’s especially fun to visit this attraction during the holidays, as the village will be decorated for Christmas and there will be horse drawn wagon rides, visits with Santa, Christmas tours and a Gingerbread Village contest.

Outdoor Skating
Get out in the fresh air, strap on your skates and spend a chilly afternoon gliding across a frozen rink. Skating is a great activity for kids of all ages and it will really get everyone in the holiday spirit. When your little ones need a break they can warm up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Two of the most popular free outdoor skating venues in the city are the Natrel Harbourfront Centre rink and Nathan Philips Square.

These are just a few of the fun Christmas activities for kids you can do in Toronto during the holiday season, so why not plan a winter getaway with your family to this exciting city this year?

About me, Announcements, Business Travel, Family Vacations in Toronto, North York, Relocation, Toronto Family Travel

Welcome to The Avondale – A Fresh New Look!

December 4, 2015

The Avondale apartments for rent north york are conveniently located in the heart of North York and is mere steps from all the excitement and energy that Yonge Street has to offer. Close to Mel Lastman Square, the Performing Arts Centre, Parks, Shopping and Restaurants, major highways and transit – The Avondale is the natural choice to stay!

The Avondale apartment is the ideal home away from home and a great alternative to staying in an expensive hotel in Toronto. You have the advantage of more square footage and being able to prepare home cooked meals in your own fully equipped kitchen. Weekly housekeeping services and in-suite washer and dryer are just a couple of the amenities offered that will make your travel experience much more enjoyable, comfortable and affordable. The Avondale also features a bowling alley, fitness centre, swimming pool and billiards room to help you unwind after a busy day at work.

Recently we made some exciting new changes to our furnished apartments.

The Design – A New, More Modern Look

Featured in our re-design was a more modern look that introduces warm tones and highlights the great features of our suites. Borrowing from the success of our James Cooper Mansion, we introduced a more modern, elegant and sophisticated look at The Avondale.

The open design of the kitchen, living room and dining areas allow for the free flow of traffic and natural light. The neutral colour scheme of creams and browns is carried throughout the suite – with a few bright red accents. Wood flooring is used throughout the living spaces, which ties the space together.

The walls have been painted in a neutral tone and feature accent walls in a warm grey tone. We chose the neutral tones for the walls so that they would be calming and relaxing and offer an environment that was pleasing to the eye.

In the living room the sofabed and accent chair offer ample seating and are upholstered with a soft fabric.

For the bedroom we also chose calm and neutral tones, with a few bold accents such as red pillows on the bed. With a large window featuring stunning views and a bedside lamp for reading, the bedroom is a calm, comforting oasis for relaxation.

The apartment also features a dedicated workspace along with high speed wireless internet which is the perfect spot to set up a laptop and answer your emails or get work done. Offering a bright lamp and a comfy chair, we think it is a wonderfully pleasant work environment.

The apartment’s new look makes it an even more enjoyable place to relax and recharge when you are visiting Toronto, whether you are there for business or pleasure. Why not book a stay in our Avondale apartment so that you can experience the new design for yourself?

About me, Business Travel, Relocation

Sales Techniques for Corporate Housing

December 2, 2015

There are sales techniques for corporate housing to capture prospects. Its important for Enid, our Senior Account Manager to build real connections. By doing so, she conducts research to find who her target markets are.

She then attends industry networking events such as those organized by CERC (Canadian Employee Relocation Council) and trade shows including the OIAA (Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association). She ensures shes accessible and visible and with that, she is more successful at transforming a good lead, qualified prospect into the perfect guest for temporary housing in Toronto.