The founder of View the Vibe has officially entered her 40s and with knowledge and determination she plans on staying young on both the inside and out. Nicki’s Pick is a weekly beauty column that features Nicki’s favourite beauty products and latest discoveries for women in their 40s. These products are tried and tested by Miss Nicki, and if she lists it here you can trust that this is how she is staying young in mind, body, and spirit…
Summer, summer, where are you hiding? I know you’re out there somewhere…
Ah well, until you decide to make an appearance I will stick to shopping, eating and drinking my summer underground because all my favourite spots are conveniently located on my travel route.
Being that we live in a cold-half-of-the-year country, it’s normal that we have underground paths that lead us to live a life free of the snow, sleet, rain, and cold. I personally love having the ability to pick up coffee, wine, groceries, perhaps a new pair of shoes, and stop into the food court for some delicious treats. It’s such an amazing time saver and I don’t need to go outside.
To boot, I heard through the grapevine that a new rewards program is about to hit all the Oxford Properties. Launching at the end of May, “Savour the Rewards” will have you looking out for screens as you exit the food court to submit your name (as many times as you want after you’ve registered – FYI) and get some amazing rewards on all the fabulous restaurants in the food court. And better yet, every time you tap your card on the screen, you automatically get a chance to win an amazing luxury trip with the flight and hotel included. After this winter, that is ultimate motivation to sign up and tap that screen!
But putting food aside, one of my favourite things to do is pick up a coffee or tea on my way home to “calm” my nerves or, better yet, browse through the LCBO to plan what cocktail I will be making later than evening or on the weekend. If you haven’t been underground, you may not know what awesome drinks you can get down there, but that’s why I’m here!
Here are some of my favourite drinks and where to pick them up…
Booster Juice (located in MetroCentre)
This is the perfect pit-stop for breakfast, lunch on the go, or to satisfy an afternoon craving (’cause a smoothie is way better for you than a bag of Miss Vicki’s and you know it). I personally love greens so I do have my faves for each time of day. The Spinach Is In It (spinach, parsley, acai, apples and mangos) is my favourite for breakfast – I even make it at home when I have time. The Green Hornet (carrots, celery, spinach and parsley) is the one I choose for lunch. And in the afternoon, I need sugar, so I go for the Pineapple Freeze (pineapples, bananas, strawberries and vanilla frozen yogurt), which is the most delicious summer indulgence without the guilt.
Starbucks (in both Royal Bank Plaza and Richmond-Adelaide Centre)
Okay so I know you can get Starbucks at almost every street corner, but when you’re underground with hoards of people, I will sometimes pop in there to indulge in the Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers™ Beverage which is so fresh and delicious it tastes like summer. A blend of lime, citrus and hints of mint and cucumber, this healthy option to coffee is shaken with real lime slices and even offers a boost of caffeine from Green Coffee Flavour, but without the flavour of coffee. Cool, right?
LCBO (in Royal Bank Plaza)
Yes, I saved the best for last. It’s almost time for summer and I am thirsty – aren’t you?! The beauty of the LCBO is they come out with the Food & Drink magazine that offers up a ton of great seasonal cocktails. Recently I discovered their tiki summer party series and oh my… inspiration for summer cocktails are in abundance! I know which one I’ll be concocting this summer: The Watermelon Wave made with 1.5 oz spiced rum, 0.25 cup chopped watermelon, 0.5 oz lime juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and garnished with a pinch of nutmeg and a watermelon slice.
Now, have I gotten you in the mood for summer? Well even if it’s not fully here yet, might as well head down to the PATH to get ready for it, cause Mother Nature surely wouldn’t be that mean to us.
This is a sponsored post and you can see more on the Oxford Properties Blog.