It’s been a busy summer here in Winnipeg!
From Folk Fest to Fringe to Folklorama (which officially started yesterday), my calendar has been jammed packed with things to do. Although these festivals happen sporadically over the summer, there are also a number of events that you can sign up for here in the city that get you out and about and take pride in this prairie city of ours.
I got the chance to go on one of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s tours this past Friday, which happen all summer long and into the fall, until October 28, 2016. I wined my way through the Winnipeg Wine tour, however, there’s also The Breakfast Club, where you get to nosh on food from four different breakfast restaurants downtown; Tap In, a chance to experience beers and apps from four locations; A Movable Feast, where you get to bike around and sample five restaurant menus; Patio Crawl, a chance to soak up the sun and sip bevies at four downtown patios; and Winnipeg Wine, which includes two glasses of wine and apps at four locations. There is also a free Downtown Flashback tour, which is a noon-hour guided walking tour where you get to learn about the history of Winnipeg’s downtown. Most of the tours are $30 aside from the wine one, which is $75. There is also an option to stay at a hotel for the wine one, which is priced at $285 based on double occupancy (the participating hotel varies depending on the date).
My night started at Prairie 360 at 5:30 p.m., which is Winnipeg’s revolving restaurant (located on the 28th floor of Fort Garry Place, behind the Fort Garry Hotel). We each received two glasses of wine and some appetizers before moving onto our next stop, The Loft Salon, which as the name says, is a salon that offers bar service. Although I was excited to see which wine they were serving up, I was most excited for the hair touchups that they offered (I would never say no to someone playing with my hair). From there, we headed onto Resto 12, located at the Radisson Hotel on Portage and then the tour ended at Blaze Restaurant & Lounge at The Delta Hotel.
Thank goodness it was a Friday and a long weekend, because after eight glasses of wine (two per venue) and some food pairings (gotta admit though, considering the amount of wine we consumed, we definitely needed more food on this tour), not only was I happy that I wore loose clothing and comfortable shoes, but I was more than ready for bed at 10 p.m. (when the tour ended).
Since I knew we would be doing a lot of walking, I chose to go the comfortable route (with a hint of glam of course!) for my shoes. I wore my white sequin Keds x Kate Spade sneakers with a black romper from Dynamite (last year). I accessorized the outfit with a gold plate belt and some fun jewelry. For my bag, since I had to lug around my DSLR and the fact that I like bringing a sweater when I go out at night, I wore my Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 in the Damier Ebene print.
The Downtown Winnipeg Tours have been going strong all summer, but there are still spots left over for the rest of the season. The Winnipeg Wine one has three more dates left (August 26, September 30, and October 28), and the rest of the tours also have a couple dates as well (the Breakfast Club one looks so yummy!).
What better way to get out and explore our city than sip and savour in all it has to offer. Oh, and get moving ;).
Also, don’t forget to enter my Genuine Health giveaway, I’m giving away a tub of their new fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ powder and bars!
Special thanks to the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ for letting me take this tour. All opinions are my own.
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I hate to go there but summer is halfway over.
One of my favourite long weekends is now upon us and I’ll be heading out to Gimli, Manitoba (courtesy of Ford Canada and the new 2016 Ford Escape… but more on that later..) to take in one of the last long weekends of the season.
Since it’ll be nice this weekend I’m going to take full advantage of tanning time and try to get as much sun as I possibly can. With increased sun exposure though comes the need to be skin smart. That means lots of sunscreen, after-care products, and even self tanner (for those of us who don’t tan well, #fakeittilyoumakeit).
Although I haven’t had much opportunity to get out into the sun’s rays this year, I have collected lots of products that will be perfect for this long weekend coming up.
Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Lotion
I’ve talked about their sunscreen a lot (it smells like coconuts, yum!) but Sun Bum also has an amazing after-sun lotion as well. Ever get too much sun? Then this stuff is perfect for you! Not only can the sun cause damage to your skin, but you’ll need to replenish some moisture after you’re done taking in rays. Cool Down is enriched with soothing aloe and vitamin E, providing hydration to restore the skin’s natural moisture balance. It absorbs fairly quickly and feels amazing once it’s on.
Vichy Ideal Soleil Double Usage After-Sun Care
This guy is another after-sun product that is used in the shower. It soothes skin after exposure to the sun, nourishes up to 48 hours, and extends your tan. You can either apply it once you get out of the water or in your shower during your beach rinse off.
Green Beaver Adult Sunscreen SPF 40
Although we may be protecting our skin from the sun with more major brand sunscreens, we could potentially be harming our skin with parabens often found in the product. Green Beaver is a Canadian certified organic line that offers up SPF 40 with natural and gluten-free ingredients, meaning that you are completely covered by the sun’s rays, as well as any toxins that could be ingested in your skin. You can find it at London Drugs and natural food stores.
Skinceuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50
They say you should wear sunscreen on your face everyday, never mind just the days you’ll be exposed in the sun. Get easy sun coverage with this matte-finish product which doubles as a makeup primer. Available in one shade (it’s formulated with translucent colour spheres to provide a universal tint for all skin tones), it also repels oil to minimize sebum appearance and goes on as a weightless mousse drying to a powder finish. I’ve been wearing this all summer as my primer.
Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Mousse and Body Blur Instant HD Skin Finish
I’ve talked about this stuff a lot, but if you’re looking an amazing self-tanner, then check out this one from Vita Liberata. I don’t tan well in general, so I’ll usually slather myself in this stuff and just fake it. I love the mousse formula on this, just make sure you apply it with a glove for a flawless look (sold separately). Get an amazing tan after just one application.
Also new this season is the Body Blur Instant HD Skin Finish, which contains BB properties to minimize blemishes, cover imperfections, and smooth skin appearance while reflecting light for a photo-ready skin finish. In addition to smoothing out any imperfections, this also adds a tint to your skin so it’s an instant self tanner. You can use it all over your body and then rinse it off after in the shower. This is quite pricey at C$50, and I will say that it rivals the Sally Hansen Airbrush legs, so if you are interested in trying this out but don’t want to pay the steep price tag, give that one a shot. Sally Hansen also offers their formula in a cream version as well.
My number-one tip for sun exposure? Remember, we may not think it will do much damage once we’re younger, but the sun can reek havoc on our health and our skin once we’re older. Stay covered up and be safe!
Have an amazing August long!
Also, don’t forget to enter my Genuine Health giveaway, I’m giving away a tub of their new fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ powder and bars!
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As someone who is active pretty much everyday, I tend to sweat a lot. If I’m not teaching a class, I’m working out in one form or another. With it being summer, I love partaking in a couple of the marathons that happen here in Winnipeg. Most times I’ll just do a charity run, but some of the more dirtier ones are also super intriguing.
I’ve done Colour Me Rad before, which had me washing my clothes for months after running it, but probably the dirtiest of them all, Mud Hero was held here last Saturday in Grand Beach, Manitoba. I’m not usually one that likes getting dirty, but I’ve heard so many great things about this run that I wanted to give it a try. Mud Hero is a six-kilometre race with 16 obstacles. The majority of the obstacles were trekking through waist-high mud pits, so I was prepared to get really messy.
I made sure to pick up some inexpensive clothes and runners at Walmart before the race, as I didn’t care if my new nine dollar sneakers got messy compared to my expensive Nike Free Runs. I also made sure to load up on deodorant for before and after.
Mitchum was kind enough to sponsor my participation in the run (they are also a sponsor of Mud Hero), and they also sent me a shirt to get dirty in, as well as their new Dry Advanced Control Spray. The Dry Advanced Control Spray is available in two scents for women – Powder Fresh and Pure Fresh (my favourite) – and two Sport scents for men, goes on your skin instantly dry, has maximum wetness protection with the highest level of active ingredients, a 48-hour wetness and odour protection (an absolute must for Mud Hero), and is alcohol free.
I made sure to use the deodorant both before and after the race. It was so easy to use because you just spray it on, and like the name says, it’s a dry spray, meaning that you don’t have to wait for it to dry. Although Mitchum is sponsoring this post, I sincerely really like the product (I want to pick up some of the Sport ones as well, even though they are for men haha). I love how this won’t transfer onto your clothes, it also helps dry up your underarm area. This was my first foray into spray deodorants in general and I absolutely loved how quick and easy these are. You literally just spray and go. I usually go for the cream or gel ones, but have always been intrigued by the spray-on versions. After using the Mitchum Dry Advanced Control Spray, i’m finding it hard to go back to the cream or gel-based deodorants. These are so much easier and convenient to use.
My day started off with waking up at 6:45 am to make it to Grand Beach in time for my wave at 9 a.m. I was at the lake with my girlfriends, so I grabbed one of them to help me take photos, and we drove all the way to Hilltop Resort.
It took me a little under an hour to complete the 6K. Like I said, there were lots of mud pits, some climbing walls, obstacles to jump over, and then the real kicker was sliding down a tall, steep slide into a lake of mud below. Up until that point I was pretty good at keeping everything above my chest (and armpits) clean, however, after being engulfed in the swamp water, I was a mess. I climbed out of it, shook it off, and then realized that I wasn’t quite done yet. A couple more obstacles later I crossed the finish line, medal in hand and a smile on my face. I couldn’t wait to shower and freshen up.
Changing into a clean T-shirt and spraying some Dry Advanced Control Spray later, I got to chill in the beer tents and chat with some people and learn about why this was their great moment and what got them to sign up, like Doris and Heidi, 17 and 16 respectively, sisters who signed up together.
“My sister made me come to this, but I also get to run it with my boyfriend!” said Doris D., 17.
Glenn V., 49, was challenged to do the race by three people, but he was the only one who actually showed up. “This is cool, it’s outside and for a great charity. It also gets people moving.”
After the race I had a drink with a couple of brothers, Sean (26) and Daniel (24), who said this was one of their great moments because it’s a different thing to do.
“I’ve never done something like this before. It was a fun time, I got to jump in the mud. Live, laugh, love. Also, I loved all the dogs that were here,” said Sean.
Sean’s brother Daniel loved all the camaraderie and how everyone was super supportive. He also mentioned that they’ve never done a mud run before and this is a great moment because he got to face his fear head on.
Mitchum’s whole campaign message is all about great moments (Great moments make you sweat!), which after now completing Mud Hero, I can easily say that running this is one of my great moments, as I pushed myself to complete it (in under an hour, no less!), I got head-to-toe dirty (including inside my ears – I had the worst ear ache after!), and the fact that I couldn’t even run for two minutes six years ago. I would have to say that’s it’s a pretty big accomplish to finish Mud Hero, sweat, mud, dirt and all.
Let me know if you’re planning on getting dirty this summer with Mud Hero, as well as your great moments from this summer.
Special thanks to Mitchum for sponsoring this post, as well as hooking me up with their new Dry Advanced Control Spray, it was much needed! Also, if you are planning on doing Mud Hero this summer (they’re in Alberta next, August 5-7, 2016), make sure you check out the Mitchum tent where you can sample the product and get a coupon for a free Dry Advanced Control Spray. You can find Mitchum at drugstores and mass retailers nationwide.
Also, don’t forget to enter my Genuine Health giveaway, I’m giving away a tub of their new fermented Greek yogurt proteins+ powder and bars!
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