When social media platform Facebook announced its rebranding into Meta last year, Mark Zuckerberg brought the concept of the Metaverse to light, exciting users with the prospect of finally entering virtual reality. The Metaverse is designed to be a virtual reality space where people can coexist to either socialize or play games. Virtual reality has always been a distant dream, but the unexpected progress of technology has brought the possibility of the virtual world closer than people anticipated. With the tools available, the prospect of the Metaverse has allowed virtual reality to come to life. While it can act as…
Author: Nadia Elkharadly
Looking for something new to see at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival? #NotAllFedoras is a sketch comedy show co-created by Miroki Tong and Eric Weiss that skewers some of the more harmful aspects of toxic masculinity in fan communities. I first connected with Miroki through wine circles, where she was similarly doing work to create a more diverse and inclusive wine and hospitality industry through her pithy Instagram blog posts. It doesn’t surprise me at all to learn that she had a previous life in the performing arts, and was raising voices for positive social change during that time of…
When it comes to fashion, I love to dabble in different styles. From designer duds to vintage finds, to shopping local or finding unique pieces on my now renewed travels, I love to shop and find great clothing and better deals. But if there’s one thing I truly love when it comes to clothing, it’s a great pair of jeans. Classic, comfortable, and timeline, great denim can be hard to find, so when I do, I get a little obsessed. And I’ve definitely developed an addiction to Mott & Bow jeans. Mott & Bow is a fashion brand born out…
We sometimes take convenience stores for granted, but they are always there when you need something last minute. Convenience stores are literally everywhere, but there’s one place that’s adding a local vibe to the ubiquitous store concept. Waypoint is new Canadian convenience store concept that engages with your community and features locally sourced products at its multiple locations across the country. Waypoint’s Localicious program was developed to support small local snack producers with shelf space and visibility in the various Waypoint locations. The program is different from province to province, highlighting the variety of snack options to come out of different parts…
With travel restrictions finally easing in a world that’s ever adapting to COVID-19, I finally took the chance to jump on a plane and escape to a place that I hadn’t been to in years: Paris. As an aspiring francophone, a history buff and a lover of a good promenade, Paris has always held a special place in my heart. I was thrilled to get the chance to return to the city of lights, and began dreaming of all the landmarks and must-sees that I had to visit. Once my wishlist was made, it came time to determine where I…
Recently I wrote about my face related fact-finding mission with ICLS Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, a premiere medspa and plastic surgery clinic in Oakville, Ontario. Since Zoom meetings were now a permanent part of life, and with the added wrinkle (see what I did there) of masks coming off, I was focused on what I perceived to be my “aging face” more than ever. As I described in my first article, my first consultation with Nurse Practitioner Kelli Mraud from ICLS was virtual. Along with learning about the various treatment options ICLS had to offer, I learned that general phenomena…
It’s not remotely an exaggeration when I say that I’m a terrible cook. Don’t get me wrong, I love food, and I love to eat, but I generally prefer when my food comes to me in its final prepared form. I’ve been known to ruin even the most rudimentary of recipes, and to mess up even the most mundane of meal kits. So when SPATULA Foods came my way, claiming that ANYONE could produce a gourmet meal in minutes with their offering, I was understandably incredulous. But this is one instance where it not only feels great to be wrong,…
For the second year in a row, international renowned whiskey brand Tullamore D.E.W. is showing their support for the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion with their spirited benevolence O’Everyone Campaign. This time around, the celebrated Irish whiskey is shining the spotlight on family by celebrating parents in all their forms this Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with the O’Everyone gift pack, that donates 100% of all merchandise sales going to CCDI. Inclusion; it’s a word that has been thrown around a lot. Maybe you’ve seen it as the all-important I in DEI or EDI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, depending…
Even in 2022, surgery in general, and cosmetic medicine in particular, remain male dominated fields in the already male dominated world of medicine. So when I had the chance to work with a plastic surgery practice that was run by women, I was intrigued, and soon found myself inspired. I recently spent some time at ICLS Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Clinic here in the Greater Toronto Area. Together Dr. Julie Khanna and Dr. Maryam Saheb-Al-Zamani lead the ICLS Plastic Surgery department in Oakville, Ontario. ICLS is on the forefront of their industry when it comes to innovation and experience, with…
I’ve worn glasses since I was a teenager, when my teacher thought I wasn’t paying attention in math class becase I struggled to see the blackboard from the back of the room. As it turned out, that was part of the issue. Now, at age 41, it’s not just the world in the distance that’s a blur for me, but those things in the foreground as well. I first realized my “up close” vision was degrading partway through the pandemic. Increased screen time, increased indoor time, increased doom scrolling time; it all contributed to my eyes, and my age’s, betrayal. …
Today is National Gin and Tonic day, and we’ve got an exceptionally Canadian way to celebrate, with Valley of Mother of God Dry Gin. Made locally in Ontario and born from the aromas and flavours of the wild Canadian landscape, award-winning Valley of Mother of God Dry Gin is elegantly smooth and deliciously complex. A 10th generation Master Distiller from London, England, helped craft this luxury gin from a mélange of 20 indigenous plants, herbs and classic gin botanicals. With Canadian provenance and British heritage, this unique expression of character and refinement is heavenly sipped neat, but its versatility in…
Post-workout recovery is just as important as your workout itself. Your physical fitness doesn’t end when your workout does, take it from professional US Women’s soccer star and two-time World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd, she knows a thing or two about how important it is to take care of your body after a vigorous workout or game. Though recently retiring from professional women’s soccer shortly after becoming the leading scorer in US women’s soccer Olympic history, Carli continues to push her own limits, and holds taking care of her body in the same committed way she approaches her work outs…
Valentine’s Day shoppers can breathe a sigh of relief this year! It’s a time where restrictions still plague local businesses, and shoppers are worried that supply chain and delivery delays will leave them empty handed (Oracle Retail Research) going into Valentine’s Day. Thankfully, local Toronto retailer SAM and LANCE is giving shoppers a chance to “gift with purpose” by extending the availability of their gift-giving treasure trove of local, socially conscious products from women owned brands to the UberEats Platform for local same-day delivery! Launched in 2019 by sisters, Alora & Veronica May, SAM and LANCE is a Toronto-based online shop…
This piece contains very few spoilers and does not analyze the Samantha question (though this writer truly missed her favourite OG SATC PR queen. I’ll include some links of great articles taking on the much needed analysis, but for me, this was about how the series made me, and I imagine other people, feel about our pasts, presents, futures, and friends. Like many other women my age, I dutifully watched Sex in the City in my 20s. And now, like many other women of my age, I devoured its long-awaited reboot And Just Like That. Throughout my many rewatches of…