Chic & Classy Toronto Event for the Posh Mom: TheTea Soirée {Giveaway}

Grab your Fascinators and Pearls and get ready for a day of indulgence and pampering for the very deserving mom that stands behind Coco Chanel's saying: "A Girl should be two things: Classy and Fabulous."

The perfect event to gather your special ladies, shop, get pampered, enjoy decadent goodies and refreshing tea all in one exclusive and elegant place. And of course, deck yourself out in your best High Tea outfit a la Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton).
Yes, I'm obsessed with her wardrobe! Also, I strongly believe I was British Royalty in a past life.

Modern Online Magazine for Moms, COCOLILY Magazine, invites you to Celebrate the Beauty and Elegance of Motherhood.

When: Sunday May 26, 2013
Time: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Intercontinental Yorkville Toronto Hotel
What:  A curated boutique event for mommies showcasing the top purveyors in the baby, toddler & mama industry. Enjoy shopping, delicious treats, live celebration vignettes, whimsically modern high tea seating, and a mama beauty bar.
Dress: Tea Party Upscale, Business Casual (no jeans or runners)

If you are in or plan to be in the Toronto area on Sunday, May 26, 2013, you won't want to miss out on the chicest event happening in the city for the lovely and modern mom.

With more than 50 hand-selected Toronto premier professionals who will be exhibiting the very best the industry has to offer including baby and toddler gear, accessories, clothing, skin care, parenting services, photography, stationery designers, cake artisans, event + food stylists, entertainers, party + event rental companies and more.  Browse and shop the latest and hottest essentials for the modern parenting lifestyle.

On top of this, you can relax in the Mama Beauty Bar and indulge in a mini makeover, manicure, relaxing massage and so much more! Wow! That sounds pretty amazing to me.

If you're big on Inspiration (hello Pinterest!) and event planning/modern entertaining, be inspired and experience celebrations come to life with their first live showcase featuring several inspiration boards from chic birthday parties to whimsical and fun celebrations.
The inspiration boards will feature everything from decor, cakes and sweets to stationary and the event stylists will be on-hand to discuss ideas and provide advice for your future events.

Tickets
Tickets are only able to be purchased online and they're going quickly so act fast!
Visit highteasoiree2013.eventbrite.ca to reserve your spot.

Cost: Adults $26.00 - Adult Tea Lounge, Children 5-11 $13.00 - Child Tea Lounge, children 4 and under are free.

What your ticket includes:

* Tea Lounge with assorted teas and buttermilk scones with Devonshire cream
* Entrance to the Mama Beauty Bar and all treatments (value $250)
* Mini Consultations with industry experts
* Access to over 50 hand-picked baby, toddler and celebration professionals
* Live Inspiration Board
* A copy of Help We’ve Got Kids + Swag Bag
* Automatic entry to win fabulous prizes

Check out these fantastic images from last year's High Tea Soirée.

More Information
To learn more about The Tea Soirée and purchase tickets (they're going fast!), visit them here: highteasoiree2013.eventbrite.ca or visit them on Facebook.
 
This event is all about you daaahlin', so for once mom, don't feel guilty for enjoying some time away to indulge and pamper yourself!

Courtesy of COCOLILY, one of my readers will win 2 Adult Tea Lounge Tickets to The Tea Soirée {ARV $52}.

For a chance to win, simply enter via rafflecopter below.
Contest ends Monday, May 20th.
Good luck!

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A Tea-lightful Mother's Day #Giveaway with DAVIDsTEA

Mom will surely be "tea-lighted" when she opens her gift this year to find this adorable DAVIDsTEA Bubble Teapot and the vibrant pink illuminating from the fabulous new Spring Collection box.

Form, meet  function.
The DAVIDsTEA Bubble Teapot {ARV $19.50} comes in different designs including a plain white or black that are super adorable but I personally am loving these dainty designs (as seen above). It has a fitted infuser with 0.3mm holes that will keep smaller leaves from sifting through while giving larger leaves room to expand. When your tea is steeped, just lift the infuser out of the teapot so it doesn’t get too strong. It makes the perfect pot every time, and looks darn good while doing it. What more could you ask for? Microwave and dishwasher safe. (capacity: 24oz/700ml)

And if that wasn't enough, The Spring Collection {ARV $25.50} will be sure to whisk mom away in the comfort of her own home with five exotic teas.
First, let super-fruity Pom Tango take you away to the fruit markets of India. Next, take a trip to Argentina with an energizing hit of Honeydew Maté. For an island escape, rich and creamy Coconut Oolong is the perfect taste of paradise. And refreshing, mango-spiked Daydreamer will take you straight to the beaches of Thailand. But if you really want to party, try some Copabanana. Trust me – it’s the hottest tea north of Havana. (25g of each tea)

The wonderful folks at DAVIDsTEA are giving away a fabulous Mother's Day Combo with a DAVIDsTEA Bubble Teapot (*Design/colour dependent on availability) and The Spring Collection {TRV $45} to a lucky CAC Reader!
To enter the contest, simply enter via rafflecopter below.

Contest ends May 10th, 2013.
*Open to Canadian Residents only.

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Meet You For Afternoon Tea at The King Eddy

 

Nothing says aristocratic decadence like an afternoon of ambrosial delights and soothing tea on fine china; ladies in their dainty ensembles catching up on all the latest gossip.

I absolutely love afternoon & high tea.
It's a great time to meet up with family and friends over some wonderful tea and delicious goods in a luxurious setting and also the perfect location for intimate gatherings & events.

Afternoon tea or low tea is a small meal snack typically eaten between 4 pm and 6 pm (earlier times for others). Observance of the custom originated amongst the wealthy classes in England in the 1840s.*
People often confuse both Afternoon Tea and High Tea as being the same; however, they are different. The term "high tea" was used as a way to distinguish it from afternoon tea and is usually served between 7-9PM (after dinner).

This weekend, I stopped off at Toronto’s oldest remaining luxury hotel, The King Edward (or also referred to as "The King Eddy"), located conveniently in the downtown core at 37 King St. East, to try out their new Spring Menu for their Afternoon Tea.
The King Eddy hotel has been an Afternoon Tea favourite for 110 years. Wow!

Afternoon Tea is served in the main lobby outside of Victoria's Restaurant inside the King Edward Hotel between 2:30 - 6:00PM.
The Kings Tea starts at $39 (this is the one I had) and includes all of the following below.

It was my first time having Afternoon Tea at this location so amongst their divine collection of teas, I went with the tea made blended exclusively for the hotel, the King Edward Blend. The King Edward Blend consists of floral Jasmine and Ceylon blended with the malty character of Yunnan. Finished with rose petals. This has to be one of my new favourite tea blends! And I've had a lot of tea in my years.

The aroma alone was heavenly and usually I'd have a dash of cream and sugar in my tea, but not for this one -- I wanted it pure. That's when you know a tea is simply amazing.

We then were started off with Savoury Finger Sandwiches.

 

Before I go on about the sandwiches, I have to say quickly how superb the staff were.

Not only were they extremely professional and kind, but my tea pot was always filled with hot water (never leaving it to get cold), water glasses brimming, cutlery and dishes clean and any and all questions I had were always answered or even explained before I even asked -- exceptional service!

The Finger Sandwiches we received were from top to bottom order in the photo above: Ontario Maple and Grain Mustard Confit of Salmon with Tender Leeks, Lightly Curried Coronation Chicken with Mango Chutney, Fresh Chopped Egg with Lemon and Dill, Medium Rare Beef with Stilton Butter and Port Jelly and a Wild Mushroom Brioche with Herbed Goat Cheese.

It's sheer coincidence the sandwiches were lined up in that order because it was the exact order of the sandwiches I liked best.  The Salmon Confit with Tender Leeks was absolutely delectable. I wonder if they take custom orders of just this sandwich at Afternoon Tea? I forgot to ask! But I would do it for this particular one because I loved it.

Next contender for my adulation was the Curried Chicken with Mango Chutney following closely next to the Egg with Lemon and Dill. Both were extremely appetizing. 

Although the Beef Sandwich and Brioche were pretty good, they were not on my top Love List.

What did rank the highest on that list though came after in the Selection of Delicate Pastries.

The 3-tiers of Pastries included: Strawberry Rhubarb Eton Mess, Sugar Shack Maple Tart with Bourbon Plumped Raisins and Candied Pecans, Slice of Spiced Carrot and Cardamom with White Chocolate Cream Cheese, Chocolate and Earl Grey Infused Madeleine, Freshly Baked Currant and Plain Scones served with Traditional Devonshire Cream, Strawberry Preserves and House Made Lemon Curd. 

I have actually heard many good things about the King Edward Afternoon Tea Scones so I was hoping that it would live up to the hype (I'm very particular about my pastries!).

*Cue the sound of trumpets and angelic singing.*

Both my sister and I were instantly smitten after biting into the Currant Scone. 

Dabbled with Devonshire Cream and Strawberry Preserves (our favourite combo on the scones), it was sheer ecstasy. 

We loved it so much, in fact, that we ordered a couple to go. The price for a couple (comes in 2 - 1 of each) with a side of Devonshire Cream, Strawberry Preserves and Lemon Curd is $9.99.

Well worth the price for how scrumptious it is.

The Sugar Shack Maple Tart with Bourbon Plumped Raisins and Candied Pecans was my next favourite in the selection of Pastries. The maple was evident and the perfect sweetness.

If you love Strawberries, you will delight in the Strawberry Rhubarb Eton Mess.

Very overpowering strawberry flavour with the crunchy marshmallow topping giving it a nice touch.

Giving a South-Asian twist to the comforting and popular Carrot Cake, the Spiced Carrot and Cardamom with White Chocolate Cream Cheese, was a unique yet tasty treat.

You can definitely taste the cardamom, so much in fact that it may have overpowered the carrot taste just a bit. The white chocolate cream cheese was really good.

What unfortunately was very plain to me was the Chocolate and Earl Grey Infused Madeleine.

I don't know if it was just mine, but I did not taste the earl grey at all, just chocolate. I'd probably pass on this one for next time.

Throughout the finger foods, I was indulging in cup after cup of the incredible tea and wanted to take some home for myself. A small tin started at $35 and the larger tin at $75. Unfortunately they mentioned the smaller tins usually carried what was available and that was usually of the green tea; of course meaning should you want any of the others you'd have to grab the larger tin.

I did find this a bit too pricey for my liking.

I loved the King Edward Blend a lot but not enough to shell out $75.  Hopefully they can price that down and also make this blend and more blends available in the smaller tins.

What we found so adorable during our tea time, was that seated next to us on a long table was a small party of young girls (probably around 6-7 years old) in their party dresses and wearing cute hats mimicking an Alice in Wonderland Theme.

It gave me some great ideas for my daughter's future birthday parties!

What's great is that they offer a Jester's Tea Party Menu for children 12 years and under for $20 which includes a really great selection of savoury and sweet finger foods and beverages.

I may just take my daughter with me next time. She would absolutely love it!

It was a pleasurable and decadent experience having Afternoon Tea at the King Eddy and surely has been added to my list of favourite spots for Afternoon Tea in Toronto.

To learn more about Afternoon Tea and their menu options at the King Edward Hotel, you can visit them at: www.thekingedwardhotel.com/afternoontea.

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For the Love of Chocolate (and DAVIDSTEA!)

I know, right?
The perfect cozy night in just got way better with DAVIDsTEA's The Chocolate Box.

Celebrate Love this month, whatever it may be for... like your love for chocolate or your love for tea... or your shoe collection...
with this decadent collection from DAVIDsTea.

These good-for-you tasty blends include: Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Rocket, Love Tea #7, Mint Chocolate Rooibos, Read My Lips and Red Velvet Cake.

I literally could smell the aroma of chocolatey goodness before I even opened the box!
'Twas a tough choice choosing which one to start with so I closed my eyes and picked the Red Velvet Cake and oh my gosh was it ever good!

The Chocolate Box retails for $29.50 at DAVIDsTEA locations.
Perfect to share with that special someone.
Visit DAVIDsTEA at: www.davidstea.com.

Gifting one of my readers the chance to win a DAVIDsTEA The Chocolate Box of their own.
Simply comment below telling me which of the blends in The Chocolate Box you are most excited to try and enter via rafflecopter for additional entries.
**Open to Canadians Only**
Ends 2/22.

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12 Days of Holiday Giveaways: Day 12 For the Coffee Lover

With the rush of the season, nothing goes perfectly once you kick your feet up then a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee.

One of my favourite must-haves in the home is a Keurig Coffee Brewing System (you can find the B60 featured on my 2012 Holiday Gift Guide).  

Coffee has never tasted better and been more convenient and quick to make then with my new Keurig - I just love it!

As a busy work at home mom, I cannot fathom how much a good cup of coffee or tea does for me and my productivity (and sanity).  My fellow moms let's toast our cuppa's to that, shall we?

A great company that I came across in Toronto is Home Coffee Solutions that provides an in-store + showroom and online shopping for best quality Coffee/Tea supplies and accessories.

They have such an amazing collection of products and I especially cannot get over their K-Cup Selection! Many of which I cannot find in my local stores. 

They also carry many other brewers, accessories and coffee/tea products to suit your needs at great prices!

I remember when I use to work in Corporate Canada and one of the most favored part of my hectic work day was when I stopped off mid-day for my daily coffee fix.  I spent way too much money on it and would have saved some bucks had my office carried their own decent coffee maker.

This was another complaint from friends during the college years that were roomed up in dormitories with a very lousy and sub-par coffee machine.

The Keurig B130 is the perfect coffee maker for those looking for a more compact size and perfect for in-room brewing such as offices, dorms, hotels, even if you have limited counter space at home and don't want to skimp out on quality coffee!

Regular retail value of the Keurig B130 is $99.99, but Home Coffee Solutions currently has a great Holiday special for $40 off at $59.99!

On the Final Day 12 of Carol Au Courant's 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways, I am giving away a Keurig B130 and Box of K-Cups {ARV $115} for the Coffee Lover on your List!

Enter via rafflecopter below to enter.

*Open to Canada only.

Ends 12/12.

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12 Days of Holiday Giveaways: Day 4 with DAVIDsTEA

I can't think of anything more comforting then coming in from a chilly trek outdoors to a roaring fireplace and a warm drink.
It's truly about the simple pleasures, isn't it?
What's your winter beverage of choice?
If you're a tea-lover like me, then you will absolutely love DAVIDsTEA.

DAVIDsTEA, contemporary, inspired and passionate about great-tasting tea with over 150 types of tea, including exclusive blends, limited edition seasonal collections, traditional straight teas and exotic fusions from around the globe. Not to mention the largest collection of organic teas and infusions in North America.

Every time I walk into the mall, I never leave without dropping by DAVIDsTEA for a cup of tea and almost always leave with some tea and/or an accessory to bring home.  I have a slight obsession with mugs and tea cups/pots. Love them!

It's a given that if you surprise someone, whether a close family member, friend, or even a neighbor or co-worker the gift of tea, it's always bound to bring a smile to their face.  Especially if it's DAVIDsTEA.

Check out these truly decadent flavours in The Winter Collection!
What's also great about these sample boxes filled with samples of different teas is that you don't have to worry if the recipient is a teabie (tea newbie) - this is the perfect introduction!

You can learn more about DAVIDsTEA on their website at: www.davidstea.com and also keep track of updates and specials on Facebook or Twitter.

For Day 4 of Carol Au Courant's 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways, one of my readers will win this amazing Winter Collection.
It's up to you if you want to gift it to someone special or save it for yourself for those cozy nights in.

Enter below via rafflecopter to be eligible to win.
*Open to Canadians only.  Ends 12/12.

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