August 2016 • Page 2 of 4 • modexlusive

#butfirstcoffee: A second chance for Second Cup with Batch 49

August 23, 2016

I was invited to taste Batch 49, Second Cup Canada’s newest coffee blend, perfected to suit the Canadian pallet. “Better, not bitter” is their motto and I will admit that I am hooked! The medium brew was full bodied and smooth with no bitter or burnt aftertaste. I did the taste testing with black coffee and it almost reminded me of a light espresso… that good coffee taste we all crave. I could drink this brew without milk, if I had too.

4 tips on how to taste coffee

Drink it black
It can’t be too hot
Take a deep short sniff first
Slurp it in your mouth to splash it all around your tongue to catch all the flavours

Second Cup is reinventing the experience they offer to their customers by focusing on brewing really good coffee and introducing local fare to the mix. Although Second Cup is a Canadian-owned and a publicly-traded franchise, they truly value their franchisees and have gone through great length to focus on local when possible. Recently in Ottawa, all 20 Second Cup locations replaced their food with fresh daily-baked goods from Orleans Bakery! Yum!

Second Cup also offers a full-service mobile app and rewards program… just like its competitors (hint hint)

A trip down memory lane- I remember loitering at Second Cup inside Eglinton Station on Fridays after school. It’s where most of the high-school gal gossip would “brew”, but most of all where we got to connect with each other and hang out in our “civies” (a.k.a. normal streetwear or non-uniform clothes!). Then in University, I’d grab my Second Cup before every 7-10 business class to stay awake. Second Cup has been a huge part of my life, and I am sure it’s the same for you too!

If you know me, you know that I am happy to support Canadian when and where I can. I urge you to give Second Cup a second chance! And if you do, please let me know! I would love to hear your thoughts.

Summer Mixtape: Get ready at home with your gal pals through Airtime app!

Mode Xlusive

August 17, 2016

First, I want to thank my pack-rat self for holding onto my Dance Mix ’94 cassette tape, to realise this photo. You now understand why I can not throw anything away! “I’ll hang on to this, just in case… ”

Is anyone else guilty of making mix tapes? My older sister always recorded our favourite songs from the radio and crafted THE best summer mix tapes! Of course, the art was all about starting and stopping the record button at the perfect time. You don’t want to cut the song and you surely don’t want the “AM 640…” tune before your favourite song starts! PS- Only people who grew up in Toronto in the 90s will get that reference. These mix tapes were perfect for listening to your walkman in the car, jamming at home when you’re chilling in your (TINY) room, over plucking your brows or just doing crazy makeovers on yourself with your sister’s Cover Girl makeup! Guilty- sorry Raissa.

At that time, I was too young to be going out, but essentially my getting ready routine hasn’t changed much. Blast a wicked playlist on my phone and get dolled up! If I were to make a Summer 2016 Mixtape, there would be way too much Drake and Justin Bieber on it. Maybe it’s a Toronto thing, maybe they are super talented… I don’t know. They just give me all the feels right now. So here is my ultimate “Getting ready for a Girls Night Out” summer mixtape:

Drake – Too Good (Ft Rihanna)
Fifth Harmony – All In My Head (Flex) Ft. Fetty Wap
Drake – One Dance Feat. Kyla & Wizkid
Justin Bieber – Sorry
Major Lazer – Cold Water (Feat. Justin Bieber & Mø)
Fifth Harmony – Work From Home Ft. Ty Dolla $Ign
Clavin Harris – This Is What You Came For (Feat. Rihanna)
Sia – Cheap Thrills
Kungs & Cookin’ On 3 Burners – This Girl
OMI – Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)

So, what if you made all these awesome playlists on Spotify, but wanted to share them with your friends, who are also getting ready at home? What if you wanted to sing along to your favourite songs while getting ready? Well, now you can! Introducing, Airtime, an app that lets you hang out in group video, share music, videos and playlists and so much more! It’s as if Snapchat had a baby with Spotify and you fed it Youtube for breakfast. Now it makes sense right? hahaha

If you join Airtime, make sure you come find me (@Chantal.Sarkisian)!

#Squidgoals: Mermaid for a day at Aquamermaid school

Health Ottawa

August 17, 2016

This past weekend, I, along with my blogger friends, was invited to try out AquaMermaid, Ottawa’s first and only mermaid school. Yup, you heard me… I was a real mermaid for 1 hour, and I totally loved it!

First, what an awesome workout on your abs! Swimming is such a great way to stay active and refreshed at the same time. I say this, but you will NEVER see me doing laps in a pool, I am more of a dipper (in French we say “saucer”). What I am trying to say here is that, I shouldn’t omit swimming from my workout routine, especially if I can do it #MermaidStyle!

So how does it work?

At the base of the tail, you have a set of flippers where you place your feet, one next to the other. You then wrap the flippers in a bathing suit type fabric and pull it over all the way to your waist. It’s quite light and comfortable and fairly easy to move in. Other than having your feet strapped in, it’s not as claustrophobic as I imaged. The tails come in different sizes, colours and fabrics! I chose the pink because it matched my bathing suit 🙂 You can also buy your own Mermaid tail and practice at home!

We learnt the three basic swimming movements: front, back and side. All of which entail (tail! haha) a graceful wave-like flowy motion from your feet to your hips. If you’re a good swimmer, this should come pretty easily to you. After a few tries, I got the hang of it and only got better as I swam more.

This would be awesome for a birthday party, bachelorette, or just for a fun with the girls! Who knows, you may get addicted and get lured (more fish puns!) into a membership.

If you’re looking to try an introductory class with some gal pals, they are available at Lower town pool and costs $60 for one hour. Classes are available for kids and adults.

Thank you to Aquamermaid who hosted us for this session!

Chantsy Eats: Getting social over dinner at Social Thai

Food

August 15, 2016

Looking for a new restaurant in Ottawa, to add to your repertoire? Spice things up with Social Thai on Bank Street!

I hosted a media dinner at Social Thai a few weeks ago, to bring a little love and share yummy pics of the newly owned restaurant. We had the chance to sample a few things off the menu, including spring rolls, pad thai, green curry, Social Thai curry special, mango salad and fried rice.

The meal was epic! Some dishes, spicier than others, reminded me of how much I miss having authentic Thai food at my disposal. The flavours were deliciously authentic and presented in beautiful ornate dish wear, specially handmade for the restaurant.

I think what impressed me the most, was the short, but effective cocktail list! My favourite drink was the “Phuket Wave” (pronounced pu-ket… not &*@# it! hahaha.). It had Gin, Coconut Rum, cucumber, lemon, salt and pepper! So fresh and balanced, perfect for our summer heat wave!

If you decide to go, do tell the owner Chaw, that Chantsy sent you!
If you choose to stay in the comfort of your own home, Social Thai is also available on Uber Eats Ottawa! Use my referral code “eats-chantals293ue” if you order!

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Month: August 2016

So how does it work?