New Year's Eve and Christmas Tree Collection Info

If you still haven't figured out what to do or how to celebrate the New Year you can make reservations at one of the fabulous and unique restaurants that you can only find in our area.  Here's a list of all of the Amazing Restaurants in the area and lots of them have designed special New Year's menus.

For a fun family experience you might want to check out the Family Scavenger Hunt in Downtown Collingwood...

You can check out the New Year's Eve Party at Blue Mountain Resorts or another great option (yeay fireworks) is the Blue Mountain Village

Party Safe and have Fun!

Christmas Trees

Bi-weekly Christmas tree collection will take place during the month of January.

This change significantly increases access to Christmas tree collection service and provides more flexibility to allow residents to keep Christmas trees up longer. Christmas trees must be placed at curbside Monday at 7 a.m. of collection week. Collection will occur at some time during the week and does not necessarily coincide with your garbage collection day. To determine your collection week click here. For more information please consult the waste management calendar or contact Customer Service at info@simcoe.ca, 705-735-6901, or 1-800-263-3199.

Julie's Awesome Gift Wrapping Advice

I love Christmas and wrapping presents.  For some, however the task of wrapping is daunting...and with only about 10 days left 'til Christmas read on for some excellent advice:

1.  It's not the gift that creates the moment of excitement...it's the fun, anticipation and excitement of unwrapping that creates the lasting impression...so yes...wrapping is important...it's the effort that counts.

2.  Now that you've decided to wrap...read on...because it can be easy as pie or frustrating as hell.  If you're a newbie to the wrapping world and have decided to go cheap...you'll soon find out that what started out with good intentions has ended with a bunch of ripped corners, jagged edges and irritation at what is supposed to be fun and easy.

3.  The key to success is easy.  First, make sure you have a clear workspace...dining room table is great (clear crumbs first).  Second, make sure you have at least 2 pairs of scissors handy so that when you lose the first pair you don't get hung up and waste time...keep on wrapping.  Three, use good quality paper...it makes all the difference and Costco has the best wrapping paper...worth the drive to Barrie (if the paper was available locally, I would buy it locally.).  Four...cut only the amount of paper you need to wrap each gift...plan it out...flip each box along the paper on all 4 sides and add in a couple of inches for folding in nice edges and then make your cut.  If you have too much paper things start to get bunched up and yucky.  Time spent now will be rewarded by a great looking finished product.

4.  If you can't get to Costco or don't have budget for wrapping paper, use newspaper and stick on a few twigs of pine or maybe a pinecone...you'll be amazed at how the rustic look of newspaper tied with twine or string with a sprig or two of evergreen and a hand written gift tag will just look spectacular.

5.  Wrap a few presents each day leading up 'til Christmas so that the task is not so daunting and overwhelming...creating undue pressure.

6.  Remember that the UPS Store offers gift wrapping service.  The UPS Store is located at 115 First Street in Collingwood (Maplelane Plaza).  First come, first served.

Happy Wrapping.

JC

Lots of Events

With so many Christmas and Holiday events, plus Grand Openings (Ms. Holly's Spa in Stayner) and Grand Re-openings Wendy's) make sure you use our events calendar as your one stop resource to finding out what's going on near you!

Collingwood Downtown announces Santa Claus Parade Winners

Although the evening was extremely cold and blustery, the crowds enjoyed a magical, light filled parade as one of the highlights of a day filled with Christmas celebrations. 

Many commercial businesses, non-profit organizations, and youth groups presented entries that celebrated the holiday season with music and lights.  Thanks to all the participants and congratulations to the winners.

Category winners are:

INDUSTRIAL / COMMERCIAL – First Place – Collingwood Fuels Limited; Second Place – GJ Custom Contracting Inc.; Third Place – Collingwood Veterinary Services

SERVICE CLUBS / NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS – First Place – Optimist Snowboard Club; Second Place – The McCaffrey Family; Third Place – Knights of Columbus Council  5793

YOUTH – First Presbyterian Church Youth

A special thank you is extended to all the sponsors, volunteers, and entries for making this year’s parade such a great success.

New Facial Cleansing Solution available at One Tooth

 

These are just in at One Tooth in Cranberry Mews...great Christmas Gifts...great for travel.

Boost Your Immune System with Dr. Shelby Worts

Boost Your Immune System - Dr. Shelby Worts

As the days get shorter and the temperatures start to drop, the cold and flu season is in full swing. 

Keeping your immune system strong and able to fight off the many infections that plague us during the winter months sometimes feels like a losing battle. But boosting your immune system and staying well can be more straightforward than you think.

·      Get outside every day. One of the reasons we get sick more in the winter is the lack of fresh air. We hole-up in our houses or offices or schools and breath in each other’s germs. Get outside for some fresh air every day. Move around. Get some big deep breaths into those lungs. Your immune system needs movement to work properly.

·      Don’t burn the candle.  Stress and overwork is a fertile breeding ground for bugs. Feeling worn out? Don’t get a Venti Americano and power through--go to bed early and rest, instead. Recharge the batteries and your immune system.

·      Eat good food. Most of the convenience foods we eat are full of sugar, fat and salt which stress the body and the immune system. Avoid sugar and eat lots of vegetables and fruits. And don't overlook your protein, either. This builds your immune system and keeps it strong. Switch the hot chocolate for a chai tea with manuka honey.

Join Dr. Shelby on October 22, 2013 at 7PM at the clinic and learn how to keep your immune system happy, strong and working all winter long. You'll also learn about options to treat colds/flus if you can’t prevent them. Come out and bring a friend to try various immune boosting herbs and supplements and sample Dr. Shelby’s famous sugar-free chocolate. 

StoneTree Clinic

115 Hurontario Street

Suite 200

Collingwood, ON L9Y 2L9

http://stonetreeclinic.com  (705)444-5331

Apple Pie Trail

Do you know what The Apple Pie Trail is?  Welcome to Ontario's Apple Country - a special place where the moderating effects of Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment create perfect conditions for growing amazing apples - and baking perfect apple pies!

Travelling the quiet country roads of the Blue Mountains, enjoy the sweet aroma of blossoms in the spring; ripening fruit in the summer; brilliant colours in the fall and crisp sheets of white in the winter. No matter what time you visit, the Apple Pie Trail is always delicious.

Apple Pie Trail - Year Round Culinary Adventure

New Look for Double Dollars e-newsletter

Well how do you like that?  My partner Dan decided that our Double Dollars e-newsletter needed a fresh new look and wow....look what he came up with!  Fantastic Dan...thanks because I think it looks just great!

Fresh new look

Still reinforces the brand

Still easy to read

Great new quick links

Well Done Dan!

Spectacular September Savings at Scenic Caves

Thunderbird Twin Zip Special

SAVE $10off the Thunderbird Twin Zip Package price on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Height/ weight restrictions apply and riders must be 10 years of age or older. Download coupon from website. Valid for up to 4 guests. No reservations required. 

Eco Adventure Tour Special Collingwood

SAVE $20off the Eco Adventure Tour price (Sundays thru Fridays). Treetop canopy walking and zip cable gliding on a 3hour guided tour. Age /height /weight restrictions apply. Coupon may be downloaded from website. Valid for up to two guests. 

An open-air concert with Michael Burgess at the Blue Mountain Village

New this year, Mountain Music - September 6-7, 2013 is a unique and eclectic musical experience featuring an amazing blend of world-class performers and local talent set to enchant and entertain audiences against the dramatic backdrop of the Niagara Escarpment.
Weekend Line Up
Friday September 6th at 7 pm - An open-air concert with Michael Burgess
Best-known for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in the Toronto production of Les Miserables, Michael Burgess has left a lasting impression on audiences across North America with starring roles in Man of la Mancha and Blood brothers, among others.  Mr. Burgess and his piano accompaniment will surely delight with a memorable evening of show tunes.

Saturday September 7^th 1-4 pm The Guitar Trail
Through the Village, up the hiking trail and across the top of the Escarpment, this one-of-a-kind musical experience features local musicians on acoustic guitars, banjos, djembe drums and well you just never know what's around the bend. Truly a musical trail like no other.
4 pm - Chloe Charles
Her unfathomable range defies classification. She has been compared to everyone from Bjork to Billie Holiday, Amy Winehouse to Adele, and Alicia Keys to Joni Mitchell. International touring has garnered Ms. Charles considerable positive press including features in Rolling Stone and Billboard where she was named in their "Top 5 Canadian Acts to Watch."
7 pm - Ash Koley
This crowd-pleasing duo draws on a diverse list of influences ranging from ABBA to the Eurythmics and from Peter Gabriel to Radiohead. The result is a quirky charm related through their own brand of up-beat classic pop.
For more information about Mountain Music and the Autumn Experience Pack please visit our website.

New Goals for September

If you're like me, the start of a new school year is also a time for me to refresh my goals both personally and with respect to business.  Truth be told, I've been dogging my work out schedule a bit over the past few weeks (yes I was sick...but I probably could have hit the gym a little sooner).  Moving right along, if you're planning on upping your work out routine or getting back to business when it comes to your daily food and alcohol intake now that summer is almost officially over, I strongly suggest that you check out Sarah Heipel's website http://www.goodenergycoach.com/and also subscribe to her facebook page and also her newsletter.  It's a wealth of interesting information and also motivational.  Plus for anyone that knows Sarah...her boot camp workouts are kick ass.