Beyoncé did it. So did Ri-Ri, Fergie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Duff, and countless other fashion fearless celebrities. No, they didn’t fire their stylists, but they dipped their legs in the latest trend: printed pants!

(I call them pajama pants because aside from the ’90s, jammer bottoms are well-known for being printed – not necessarily a good thing!)

With the warmer weather hopefully resurfacing soon (& for good!), printed pants seem to be a fitting trend. However, the question is, would you wear ’em?

Here are some examples of the different prints/cuts that may be coming to a sidewalk near you…

Beyoncé in Stella McCartney

At a leggy 5’6″, girl can pull off not only a vertical mural, but a subtle harem cut on her legs! Whereas these pants would literally cut off at the waves on my legs and it would look like a tribute to MC Hammer…Hawaiian edition.

SJP, Isla Fisher, Mandy Moore, & Katie Holmes in Current/Elliott’s Leopard Stiletto

I swear, if you haven’t seen these at the mall yet, they’re coming soon! And hopefully they’ll be cheaper than C/E’s $245CAD price tag. (Versus $198USD.) Sheesh!

I have a feeling that this look will go over well with the tweens. I was just at a grade school today, wearing my leopard print leggings, and a 5th grader started mouthing something to me. She then pointed at my legs and whispered, “I like your pants!!!”

floral print jeans

And Spring wouldn’t be complete without flowers, so what better way to express that than to have a garden look like it exploded onto your legs??

I haven’t been to the mall lately, but I’m pretty sure that this look is already trending in stores such as Forever 21, H&M, & wherever fashionable, youngsters are shopping nowadays.

We’re in the midst of Tax Season! So how do you prepare your tax return?

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 Whether you prepare your tax return yourself or get someone else to do it, here are some tax tips to remember:

– If you owe the government money, file your ’11 tax return before April 30th, 2012;

– If you purchased passes that allow you unlimited travel during 2011, you can claim them on your tax return (you are also allowed to claim the passes for your partner and children under age of 19);

– Parents with children: If you paid for your children to be involved in fitness classes or arts classes, you can claim those expenses on your tax return;

– Medical expenses, student loans, & tuition that were not claimed for 2010 can be carried forward to 2011;

– Apply for the Working Income Tax Benefit (a refundable tax credit for low income individuals and families) by completing a Schedule 6;

– If you have not included some information in your previous years’ tax returns (for instance you did not include certain expenses) you can fill a T1 Adjustment Form). This can increase your refund for a your old tax return, and you can get the amount back from CRA;

– If you did not claim a donation, it can be carried forward for up to 5 years, and;

– Ontario-specific: Remember to fill the ON-BEN Application in order to apply for Ontario energy and property tax credit, Northern Ontario energy credit, and Ontario senior homeowners’ property tax grant.

Good luck getting those returns in and hopefully getting your refund! 😉

After running out of my vet prescribed pet food, I was lucky enough to grab a bag of Royal Canin at the local animal shelter. I bought it not only based on brand recognition, but it was also breed-specific for my Persian. The 3lb-bag required a $2 donation, great deal!

Within a week, the bag was being gobbled up quickly, so I rushed back to the animal shelter only to discovered that their supply of quality pet food at the bargain basement price was all gone. 🙁

I looked up the prices for the Royal Canin and let’s just say that it’s budget-busting for the time being. So I’m looking at other alternatives.

I’m also not eager to return to buying food at my vet’s office because not only is it overpriced, but I’ve read reviews that the list of ingredients isn’t that much better than what I’d find on the shelves of a grocery store! So why should I dish out $70 for a similar item that would be 50% cheaper?

I don’t want to make decisions solely based on price, so I’m beginning to read ingredient lists as well. So based on that, I bought another brand while I was doing some shopping in the States.

(Geez, don’t even get me started on how much cheaper pet items are in comparison to Canada!)

Verdict? My cats aren’t touching this stuff with a 10-foot pole. Even though the ingredients are quality, they just aren’t biting. Luckily, at the back, bottom of the bag, there is a satisfaction guaranteed-type return policy.

And since I purchased it at a US Petsmart, I called the location closest to my house, and they said that they’d accept a return on an open bag as long as I had the receipt…which I kept.

So right now, I’m at a pet food crossroads: How do I determine not only what food is good to feed my cats, but what brand/type as there are just soo many out there?

Do you care what you feed your pet or do you just buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store?

Today when I went for a walk, did I count the birds? The spring flowers? No, I counted the endless bags of dog poop bags littered everywhere.

Taking your dog for a walk and putting their feces in a bag, then tossing the bag in a garbage. Respectable and responsible practice. Bagging your dogs feces and then throwing it on someones lawn, or hanging it in the trees. Despicable and disrespectful. Why take the time to pick up your dogs droppings then turn around and litter it on someones property? To me this practice is just as bad as leaving the droppings on the grass.

I’ve noticed more and more people doing this and want to know why some think this is acceptable?

Have you noticed an influx of pooh bags in your area?

I’m assuming that some dog owners don’t want to carry around a bag full of feces, but shouldn’t of they considered that when buying a dog?

If you are a bag bandit as mentioned above, please stop. It’s littering. And really, do you think your down the block neighbor wants to untangle a bag of feces from their tree?

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for quite a while. It is my favorite pizza recipe and I usually make two batches and freeze the dough for later use. Honestly, if you plan it ahead of time, it’s faster and way cheaper than take out pizza.

Pizza Dough

Makes dough for 2 pizzas

Ingredients:

1¾ cups warm water

2¼ tsp. instant yeast

4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• In a large bowl, mix water with yeast. Combine flour, salt and olive oil with the yeast mixture and mix until a dough is formed. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let it rise for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size.
• Deflate the dough and divide it in two. At this point you can also freeze it by wrapping it in plastic wrap and storing it in a large ziploc for later use.
• To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 500˚F/260˚C. Lightly sprinkle your pizza pan with cornmeal. Shape the dough and place it on the pan. Brush the edges with olive oil and top as desired. Bake the pizza for 8-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Woohoo! Tim Hortons Roll up the rim to win starts today. Let us know what you win!

Remember not to litter and throw your cup out in the garbage.

[Source: Reddit.com]

How do you think Harper should reply back?

*Offensive sentence removed*

A girl falls texting live on CBC News. I feel very bad for the poor girl and hope she’s alright! I’m also very proud to be Canadian, seeing people rush over to help her!

[youtube]g3jOlQqDPzQ[/youtube]

When I was single, I had a love-hate relationship with Valentine’s Day. Love/hate because while I fantasized about all the VDay clichés, at times February the 14th also seemed to rub salt into the wounds of my singleness.

So when I became attached, my excitement was revived during my first Valentine’s Day with my now-bf. I got surprised with flowers and wined & dined for the evening. I do enjoy eating out, so it gives me something to look forward to!

Now that the novelty has worn off a bit, which I think is normal 🙂 , we’ll catch a sappy movie, if there’s anything playing, and go out for dinner, but NOT on Valentine’s Day itself.

There are waaay too many people out, plus restaurants love to throw in some special prix fixe menu which is more expensive than their usual offerings. My bf has cooled it on the bouquets ’cause I’ve told him that I think that they’re a waste of money since they die soo quickly!

So I’m curious if Valentine’s Day is something that you still celebrate OR is it just another day for you & your partner/family?

Here is a simple sugar cookie recipe to impress your loved one with on Valentine’s Day. I love this recipe as it’s a perfect canvas for decorating on any given holiday.

Basic Sugar Cookies

½ cups Softened Butter

¾ cups Sugar

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1-½ cup Flour

½ teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoons Salt

• Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
• In a separate bowl, cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in an egg and then vanilla. On a low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until everything is incorporated.
• Equally divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until it is firm enough to work with.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about a ¼-inch thickness and cut out shapes as desired. Place the cookies onto parchment paper or a lightly greased baking tray.
• Bake for 6-8 minutes, watching closely until the cookies appear to almost turn golden around the edges. I also check the bottoms to see when mine are done as the top might still be very light but if the bottoms are a light golden brown they are done! Let cool completely before frosting.

I like my cookies simple but if you’re in the mood to get more festive, cut out the cookies with a heart-shaped cookie cutter instead of a round one. You can also top it with the icing recipe below.

ICING

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2 teaspoons Milk, Up To Double The Amount, As Needed

2 teaspoons Light Corn Syrup

¼ teaspoons Vanilla

4 drops Red Food Coloring, If Desired

• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and milk until smooth. Mix in the corn syrup and vanilla until smooth and glossy. If it is too thick, add the milk in 1/2 teaspoon increments.
• Add drops of food coloring to each bowl to reach your desired intensity of color. Spread over completely cooled cookies (Top with heart-shaped sprinkles, if desired). Let it sit until the icing is hardened, which takes about 30 minutes to an hour.

Shortly after January 1st, whether they’re officially or not, I always write down some sort of goal list. And sadly, YES, they sort of do resemble the list atop. 😉

As a sort of curve-ball, in conjunction to being more active, I would like to try one NEW form of physical activity.

I tend to get bored with the same old-same old exercise regime, so I am trying to mix things up! So a gf and I are talking about visiting a hot yoga studio.

From experience, one thing that helps in Resolution Keeping is making your list with a friend who will keep you accountable. Ideally, this should be a solid person in your life who you see on a regular basis and who will NOT hesitate to ask you those tough questions!

(Keep in mind that if one of your goals is to eat healthier, perhaps your buddy-back-up shouldn’t be someone who is a regular at the Drive-thrus.)

There’s a saying which states that it takes at least 21 days to form a habit. And since it’s been officially a month since New Year’s Day has passed, for those of you who have made ’em, have you kept up with those Resolutions?

Posted on Facebook

We have identified a supplier manufacturing defect involving TASSIMO Espresso Drink T DISCs sold in the US and Canada. This defect involves the way the T DISCs were assembled during a limited timeframe. In a relatively few cases, this has caused them to become clogged or burst during or after brewing, posing a burn hazard. We’re working with regulatory authorities to determine appropriate next steps. In the meantime, we’ve asked retailers to take these select Espresso Drink T DISCs off shelves (see below), and are also recommending consumers stop using these T DISCs. If you have affected Espresso Drink T DISCs, please hold on to them. By the end of next week, we hope to confirm how you will be reimbursed.

Please note there is no concern if you have already consumed a TASSIMO Espresso Drink as this does not impact the beverages themselves.

This issue only applies to TASSIMO products containing Espresso Drink T DISCs. Our consumers’ safety and satisfaction with our products are our highest priorities, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be quick to offer updates as more information becomes available.
The Espresso Drink T DISCs that we’re asking retailers in Canada to withdraw were sold alone (8 or 16 per package), in a variety pack or with milk T DISCs as part of Cappuccino, Latte, and Skinny Latte (8 Espresso T DISCs per package). Only TASSIMO Espresso T DISCs that have code information ending between 11213 and 12020 are affected. The code information is printed on the foil lid of every Espresso T DISC and on a side panel of the foil package.

Product Name:
■TASSIMO GEVALIA Decaf Cappuccino
■TASSIMO GEVALIA Decaf Espresso
■TASSIMO GEVALIA Skinny Cappuccino
■TASSIMO Nabob Latte
■TASSIMO Nabob Cappuccino
■TASSIMO Nabob Espresso
■TASSIMO Nabob Skinny Latte
■TASSIMO Nabob Decaf Cappuccino
■TASSIMO Nabob Variety Pack

Click here for their Facebook page and to follow new developments.

*There are further recalls even on machines.  Click here for more details.

Making pancakes is very simple but we still turn towards those pre-packaged, processed boxed mixes. With Alton Brown’s recipe for a homemade pancake mix you can get the same convenience but without the processed nutritional nasties. It’s a lot cheaper as well!

Instant Pancake Mix:

From Alton Brown, Food Network

6 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

• Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix and use it within 3 months.

Yield: 3 batches of pancakes.

Although, Alton Brown’s original recipe calls or buttermilk, I usually don’t have it in the fridge so I decided to use milk and added a splash of vanilla. It turned out mighty tasty 🙂

Since I didn’t add buttermilk, I also skipped the steps of separating the eggs, adding the whites to the milk, the yolks to the melted butter. You can still do that if you want but who wants to get this complicated in the morning?

Instant Pancakes:

Adapted from Alton Brown

2 eggs

1½ cups milk

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups Instant Pancake Mix, recipe above

Butter, for greasing the pan

Fresh fruit, optional

• Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don’t try to work all the lumps out.
• Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
• Lightly butter the hot griddle or pan and wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)
• Gently ladle the pancake batter using a ¼ cup measure onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
• Serve immediately or hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes

Recently after finding out that some of my vitamin levels are low I started taking a new multi vitamin.  I decided on Centrum, Caltrate Plus D, and B12 1000 mcg on the advice of my doc.  While she didn’t tell me what brand of vitamin to buy, I was quite overwhelmed with all my options.  I knew I wanted a tablet form rather then a plastic capsule, but other then that I didn’t know what to get. I stood there forever and ended up grabbing what was on sale. Do you take a multi vitamin?   Is there a brand you prefer or would recommend?

As early as this Fall, on CityTV, we will be hearing the infamous phrase, “Will you accept this maple leaf rose?” as the Canadian version of The Bachelor sets to air!

I’ll admit that, with the exception of a couple of seasons, one of the programs that my PVR is set to record is The Bachelor. However, in recent years, especially this current one with that knob, Ben Flajnik, it’s one of those shows that I have on in the background while I do other things. 😉

I’ve just grown tired of the format, fantastical dates that resemble the Travel Channel, the cast of characters who are far more concerned with screen time, and the list goes on.

YES, I realise that it’s a reality show, but there was a time that I was naive enough to believe that one can actually go on television to find love. Either that or The Bachelor used to be better, featuring more genuine people, who were more believable.

In any event, even though I watch the American version of The Bachelor, I don’t think I can stick it through a complete season of The Bachelor…Canada. I may initially tune in, out of curiosity, but I just think it would be boring/cheesy/wannabe American!

(If anything, 1 positive thing about the Canadian version is that there *may* be more visible minorities represented? Then again, I could be wrong!)

And besides, I despise all the Canadian versions of American shows like: Do You Think You Can Dance Canada, Canadian Idol, Canada’s Next Top Model, etc.

I just think that Canadians are better off producing their own, unique shows. And no, I am not talking about Heartland, Arctic Air, or any of those other shows that I cannot relate to as a suburbanite, living in a big city!

Disregarding my bias, will you give The Bachelor Canada a shot?