Lionel Ritchie has been dancing in the streets (and occasionally on the ceiling) since 1983. I want to dance in the streets too! And maybe try pilates in the park, or yoga in a parkette, and hula hoop down the street!
Hey, do you know why did the hula-hooper crossed the road? . . . trick question. She didn't cross the road at all. She hung out and hula hooped right in the middle of it!
WHAT IS OPEN STREETS TORONTO?
Open Streets is an initiative to open Toronto's streets on two Sundays, 9:00am-1:00pm this summer, getting the GTA outside, physically active, and socially connected. Walk, bike, skate, unicycle . . . anything goes as long as it's human-powered. Stop, shop and brunch along the way and support local businesses. Participate in all kinds of activities located at various hubs along the route. By the way, if you're unfamiliar with slacklining, you MUST check out this kid slacklining like a boss at an Open Streets event. CHECK IT OUT HERE. (FYI I'd be tangled and unconscious in a matter of seconds.)
WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE?
Open Streets TO is opening 5kms of city streets to people, connecting the west end of the city to the east end, while participants take part in fun and active recreation. This is a "soft close," meaning cars will be able to pass through the route safely at several designated points.
WHAT MAKES THIS MORE THAN A "STREET PARTY"?
Picture yourself smack dab in the middle of Yonge Street. You on your bike, the kids are on their scooters. There are no cars, just people. Lots of people—free to explore the city in a fun and ACTIVE way. This is #OpenStreetsTO. It's uniquely awesome.
Enjoy the last Sunday of summer before school starts (yes, I'm sobbing a little) by exploring Toronto's most iconic streets at ground level. Mingle with the community, get active, and have fun! Watch this video or visit openstreets.org to learn more. Party on Toronto!
Here are some more family fun activities that don't require an iPad or earbuds:
I just flew home from Vegas, and boy are my arms tired. Bah-dum-dum. Actually, every part of my body is tired. They don’t call it "The City That Never Sleeps" for nothing. If you've never been, grab your girlfriends and go. Not in your budget? Then throw a party with a Vegas vibe instead. It’s cheap and easy (just like the women staying in the room next to me on the strip).
PLAN YOUR CASINO NIGHT
Get the Party Started: Send out glitzy invites. Anything with Wayne Newton on it will do just fine.
Dress: Cocktail attire will set the mood—classy or cheesy, it’s up to you.
Food: Finger foods allow people to nibble while they play. Or you can ask each guest to bring a Vegas-inspired dish for your All You Can Eat Vegas Buffet! Set up the food buffet-style, and invite guests to chow down before they play or in between games.
Drinks: If ever a party called for fancy cocktails, this is it. Martinis and sparkling wine hit the jackpot! You’ll want to be at the craps table instead of playing bartender all night, so set out a few labelled, pre-made pitchers of cocktails on a table with glassware, ice, swizzle sticks, and garnishes, and let guests serve themselves.
Casino Games: Set up a variety of games—roulette, blackjack, poker. Provide plastic poker chips to use as money. Play for keeps—each player pays into the pool and the one with the most chips at the end of the night wins the pot. Or give out prizes at the end of the night for most chips, best costume, or best pole dance routine. What? It’s Vegas baby! Anything goes.
But just remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas . . . unless a friend posts incriminating photos of you on Facebook or writes about your antics in her blog. Then you’re screwed.
Not sure what to serve at your party? Check out these fabulous ideas for finger foods and fancy cocktails.
Header Image: ShotHotspot.com via photopin
I'm afraid for our brains. Not in a zombie apocalypse way, but in a the-internet-is-turning-our-brains-into-swisss-cheese way.
I'm on my computer all day and then on my smart phone to some extent for the evening.
Check out these 10 Ways The World Wide Web Has Changed Our Lives
It's my job. There, that's my excuse. But there's no excuse for everyone and his cousin's brother to be online 24/7, is there?
Living life digitally is REWIRING OUR BRAINS. I'm sure of it. Case in point, my attention span has noticeably shortened. I have at least six screens open on my computer at any given time, and I flit back and forth between screens like a humming bird. It's not healthy.
And what about our eyeballs? Straining to make out digital text can't be great for our vision.
I don't have a doctor's note to corroborate these claims, but I know I'm right. Google it and you'll see that back pain, carpal tunnel, weight gain, anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other health issues have been linked to internet addiction.
And let's not forget the social implications. Or more accurately, the "anti-social" implications. Visited a doctor's office lately? Magazines are so 2003. Chances are 95% of the people in the waiting room will be on some kind of device. Magazines are germy, I get it. But wow, it's quite shocking when you really take a look at this phenomenon.
The same applies to parties and other social events. People are so busy posting pics to Instagram and texting friends who aren't with them. It's weird and wrong, and a total buzzkill.
But what's most disturbing to me is tweens and teens walking (or riding their bikes) home from school, oblivious to the world around them as they look down at their phones.
It's time to look up people!
Watch this:
Remember life before http://www? Check out these 8 Ways to Free Yourself from the Debilitating Disease of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
photo credit: Federico_Morando via photopin
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