May 17, 2016 - Long Weekend Staycations Within 2 Hours of the City

(Featured image via BlogTO) Mother Nature hasn't been overly consistent these past couple weeks. Between the pellets of snow last weekend to alternating sunshine and thunderstorms, it's been hard to plan our daily outfits and activities, let alone the long weekend's. Luckily though, it seems like the weather is finally settling down and harmonizing itself, and this weekend is supposed to be sunny and hot (we might even hit a high of 26 on Monday)!

As a proper welcome to the much-awaited spring weather, we've compiled a short list of long-weekend staycation trips, within a couple hours from the city, that you can take with your family, friends, or significant others (or, if preferred, by yourself)!

Healing Salt Cave Niagara Falls, ON

Yes, it's ironic that on our first warm, sunny weekend, we're suggesting you hide yourself away in a cave, but the Healing Salt Caves in Niagara Falls will leave you feeling so refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the summer! We see it as a sort of spring cleaning for your body - the salt caves have infinite health benefits for respiratory, cardiovascular, and dermatological conditions. And really, considering you'll start seeing results and have an easier time breathing after only 20 minutes, you'll still have the rest of the long weekend to spend exploring Niagara Falls (and maybe take a wine tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake) .

Pillar and Post Niagara-on-the-Lake

Speaking of Niagara-on-the-Lake, if you do choose to visit one of their many vineyards, we will obviously not advocate drinking and driving back to Niagara Falls, so why not stay at Pillar and Post, an eclectic and incredibly aesthetically appealing inn. The decor is reminiscent of a very fashionable grandmother, and the skylight in the main lobby would be especially scintillating on a sunny weekend like this one. The inn also offers spa treatments and other [indoor and outdoor] activities!

Classroom Suites Picton, Ontario (Prince Edward County)

The long weekend is the perfect time to visit Prince Edward County. Located a little bit over two hours from the city (sorry, our title lied!), you'll need the full three days to really enjoy everything Picton has to offer. The classroom suites are located about 15 minutes from the Sandbanks Provincial Park, so you can spend the day relaxing on the beach, or get active with a hike through the park. Bursting with vineyards (and the occasional brewery), what better way to spend the first weekend of 20-something degree weather with a wine tasting. For a more laid-back afternoon, wander around the Picton area and stop by and support small businesses like the Ungallery or the Black River Cheese Company (to go with all that wine).

Power Yoga Canada Muskoka 

Consistently appearing on Best Trip lists, and with over 100,000 seasonal homeowners each year, Muskoka is the epitome of summer-getaways in Ontario. If you want to really immerse yourself in nature this weekend, get your zen on with Power Yoga Canada . Not only is a retreat a great opportunity to finally spend some much needed outdoors time (after our never-ending run of winter and miserable weather), it will send you back to work on Tuesday feeling relaxed and ready to face that pile of work you left on your desk when you bolted out the door on Friday!

Mar 09, 2016 - Family-Friendly March Break Activities

March break is the awkward in-between season when it's too warm to do winter things like skiing and ice skating, but too cool to do spring things like go camping and outdoor swimming. It can be hard to keep your kids entertained during March Break: you don't want them to spend the whole week sleeping in and watching TV all day, but you also don't want to spend the week acting as their chauffeur, which only interferes with your work schedule. Instead, why not use March Break as an excuse to take some time off and plan some forced family fun. We've put together a few family-friendly March Break trips within driving distance of Toronto that will not only entertain your kids, but will get you out of work for a few days.

Tap Into Maple (pictured above)runs from March 1st through May 31st in Ontario's Lake Country and Springwater and as the name suggests, celebrates "all things maple". Check out local maple syrup producers, or attend some of their events (syrup-related or not). Over March Break, you can even learn about maple syrup production with a horse and wagon tour through the sugar bush.

Fulton's Pancake House and Sugar Bush is a 400-acre farm a little closer to Ottawa, so it's a bit far for a day-trip, but a great family vacation if you're looking to get away for a few days. Every day of March Break has a different theme that your kids can even dress up to, and if there's still snow you can even bring your skis and toboggans. They offer family packages which include pancake meals, face painting, and horse-drawn sleigh/wagon rides.

What kid doesn't thrive off of doing crazy things that impress their peers? BugFeast! begins March 12 at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory and gives kids the chance to taste foods made with bugs! The event only runs through March Break and will even have food truck-style foods using insects! 

If you can't take time off but want to get your kids out of the house for the week, send them to Petit Chefs Academy's March Break cooking camp. At Petit Chefs Academy, your kids will learn how to cook healthy and delicious meals that will hopefully appeal to even the most picky of eaters. Maybe you and your kids can even start taking turns cooking dinner for the family (or at the very least, they'll have a new appreciation for the effort you put into it).

Feb 01, 2016 - 4 Weekend Getaways to Help You Enjoy Winter

There are two types of people in Canada: those who embrace winter, and those who curse Mother Nature every morning as they trudge angrily through the snow to scrape the ice off their car. Admittedly, we're the latter, but that doesn't mean we want to spend close to six months sulking by the fireplace, awaiting warmer weather. We believe your car is more than just a tool to get you from Point A to Point B- it has the ability to take you on adventures. Instead of wishing away half the year, we've come up with a list of fun ways to embrace winter, all within a couple hours from Toronto, regardless of your feelings toward the season.

For the hibernator: Millcroft Inn & Spa- Caledon, ON

If you hate winter but want to enjoy the beauty of the snowy trees and frozen waterfalls without having to step foot outside, the Millcroft Inn and Spa is a beautiful vintage building in Caledon, ON, overlooking the venue's millpond. A popular venue for weddings and wedding shoots (especially in the winter), you'll be able to appreciate the scenic view without having to step foot outside. Instead, relax with their many spa services and award-winning cuisine.

For the nature lover: Take a waterfall tour- Flesherton, ON

If you love being outside in the winter, take a waterfall tour in the Flesherton, ON area. You can use the Bruce Peninsula brochure to plan your own tour and visit one or all the falls. The photo above is of Eugenia Falls, which makes for a very picturesque hike.

For the adventurer: Winter caving- Niagara, ON

If hiking around frozen waterfalls isn't enough of an adrenaline rush for you, you can almost literally become a part of winter by taking a winter caving, or spelunking, adventure in the frozen caves. The photo above is a view from behind the falls on the Niagara Escarpment.

For the family: Fern Resort- Orillia, ON

If you're looking to take your family on a weekend getaway, Fern Resort in Orillia is a family-friendly resort with plenty of outdoor kids' activities including a 1.5km skating trail through the forest! The resort also has dog sledding, ice hockey, hay rides, and other winter activities.

Arrowhead Provincial Park in Muskoka is also a great family option if you're looking to take a day trip as opposed to a full weekend one. Pictured above, and similar to Fern Resort, Arrowhead has a 1.3km skating trail that just opened this year and has become an immensely popular location for social media photos.

Winter is as much a part of Canada as hockey or Tim Horton's are, and since it tends to last for six months of the year, we may as well embrace the cold with these fun winter activities.