Party Time

Is anyone else shocked by how fast this month has flown by? It feels like I’ve been all over the place, from PEC to Muskoka and Bancroft and back again, and there’s SO much to share with you guys I don’t even know where to start! There’s a lot of really great content coming up between now and July 1st, in fact, there will be a new post up almost every single day between now and then, so get ready for a lot of FUN!

Now that I’m back in Toronto for a hot second I’m finally able to start sharing some of the awesome things we’ve been working on around here. First up, I FINALLY decided on furniture for my apartment (months after moving in) and I’m THRILLED with how our new headquarters looks now that it’s come together. We’ll be sharing a full tour with our friends at CB2 later this Summer, but you’ll get a sneak peek in this post.

So what exactly IS this post? We’ve got two main things to share with you here, one being an introduction to Eivey. I’ve always been obsessed with organizing and cleaning out my closet (my best friend and I had little “closet cleanout” parties throughout our very type-A childhood), and thought I donate most of my extras there are a few special pieces that I have a hard time piling into a bag and waving goodbye to. That’s where Eivey comes in – a new Canadian website that makes listing and selling your high-end items super simple and, dare I say, fun? You can list items to your “closet” (here is mine if you feel like shopping!) and other users can follow you to get notified when you add something new. Best of all, Eivey sends you a mailing package directly so all you have to do is pop your pre-loved item into the mail.

The amazing ladies behind Eivey approached us to host a little wine and cheese closet cleaning party with some of our friends, and my childhood nostalgia alone prompted an automatic yes! Everyone brought a couple items and we all shot photos and posted together over epic cheese plates and rosé punch. Rosé punch you say? Which brings me to the recipe portion of this post!

We pretty much live off of Zevia sparkling water here at HQ, and we figured this mini party was the perfect time to dream up a new Summery recipe! We used their deliciously refreshing Mandarin Orange flavour with a trio of our favourite melon, fresh mandarin orange slices and a splash of our all time favourite rosé, SUMMER WATER (get it here at a special price!)

Scroll down for the full recipe and more party pics!

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What you’ll need //

Zevia’s Sparkling Mandarin Water
Honeydew Melon
Watermelon
Cantelope
Mandarin oranges (clementines work too)
Summer Water Rosé

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Instructions //

Use a melon baller on all three melons to create a bowl’s worth of mixed colours. Peel your oranges and add the slices to your bowl. Put the bowl of fruit in the freezer for 10-15 mins. Stir melon and orange slices in a Yari mixing glass with ice, muddling a bit while you stir.

Add Zevia’s Sparkling Mandarin Water and let sit in the Yari in a cool place for half an hour, letting the fruit “steep” for more melon flavour.

Fill a glass with ice (we used this copper pineapple sharing cocktail glass) and pour the Zevia and fruit combination over into the glass (or glasses)

Top it off with a splash (or two) of rosé and garnish with slices of melon!

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This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

So far our Spring here in Toronto has been, well, rather dark and stormy. Inspired by all of the doom, gloom and downpours we created “the perfect storm” in a crystal faceted glass, complete with it’s own little storm cloud and a flash of pineapple lightning!

What goes into this amazing drink besides a cotton candy cloud puff? We used Zevia’s sugar free ginger ale as the base, Kraken Rum, and a touch of lavender water and sugar (either/or will do if you don’t have both) to add a touch of Spring floral flavour to the cocktail.

Scroll down to see what happens when a our storm garnish meets this refreshing rainy-day drink!

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What you’ll need //

Zevia’s Ginger Ale
Spiced Rum
Lime juice
Lavender water
Lavender sugar (optional)

Garnish
Cotton Candy
Fresh pineapple ring
Drink umbrellas

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If you’re using lavender sugar you can choose to rim each glass or simply sprinkle some in to the drink itself. Fill two glasses 3/4 full of ice, pour 1.5 oz of spiced rum in each glass. Squeeze in a half a lime and add a few dashes of Lavender water, top it off with Zevia’s Ginger Ale. You’re ready to garnish!

First cut out a lightning bolt shape out of the pineapple, place in the freezer for a few minutes to stiffen it up. When you’re ready to serve, float a lime slice on top of each glass and place a straw and drink umbrella on either side. Form a loose cloud shape out of cotton candy and place your frozen lightning bolt on top, the sugar should help it stick. Carefully place the cloud on top of your drink and watch the magic happen!

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Quartz surface by Caesarstone Canada

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Dreaming up recipes is one of the best parts of throwing a party, and when it came to the Pink Moon Party we knew the “magic potion” would have to be front and centre. Instead of breaking out a cauldron and getting to brewing, we turned to our favourite kind of sharing cocktail: punch!

With the witchy woman theme of this enchanted event in mind, we got to work on the perfect whimsical botanical punch. With a hint of rose, cucumber, gin, and Zevia’s sparkling cucumber lemon water (a team favourite), this beverage is best served cool in the prettiest punch bowl you can conjure and topped with fresh rose petals!

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What you’ll need //

Zevia’s sparkling cucumber lemon water
Hendricks Gin
Lemon juice
Rose Water
Cucumber slices and Fresh (or dried) rose petals for garnish.

Recipe //

Put all ingredients in a punch bowl, wave around your magic wand (erm, spoon?) and serve! As previously mentioned, this recipe is best served in a crystal punch bowl, like this one from Cocktail Emporium, to your favourite girl gang!

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This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

We’ll be the first to admit we got a bit ahead of ourselves with this summery recipe, but come on, the official first day of Spring IS this month! It’s not such a terrible stretch, is it?

Anyway, whether you’re still firmly stuck to staying cozy by a fireplace somewhere or you’re ready to break out your bikini, one thing we can all agree on is the truly delicious nature of this concoction. A little bit slushy, a little bit granita, and totally processed-sugar free thanks to Zevia, it’s perfect for patio season and beyond.

Scroll down for the full recipe //

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What you’ll need //

Zevia Lime Sparkling Water
Limes
Fresh strawberries
Ice
A high-power blender

Chop up a handful of fresh strawberries and add to the blender, blend until you end up with a puree. Use a citrus juicer to juice approximately 3 limes, strain and add to blender. Add a pitcher’s worth of ice to the blender and blend until crushed and resembles a slushee. Transfer your slush into the pitcher and store in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy.

Using a serving spoon, fill two glasses with the strawberry lime slush and pour Zevia’s Lime Sparkling Water over, garnish with a fresh strawberry and you’ve got a sugar-free frozen treat!

Feel free to add vodka or tequila to the mix if you’re craving a cocktail!

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This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

As post-vday February drags on and the days slowly start to get a tiny bit longer it’s important to keep spirits up – with spirits! If you’ve already burned through your countless boxes of Valentine’s chocolate, plus the extras you bought on sale at the drugstore on the 15th, this cocktail is for you. Inspired by the sweet fruity flavours found in red heart boxes, this month’s Zevia creation is a blend of bold berry flavours, plus a touch of chocolate of course!

Scroll down for the full recipe

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What you’ll need //

Zevia Black Cherry sugar free soda
Dillon’s Strawberry Gin
Fresh strawberries
Dark chocolate

In a cocktail shaker, combine 3oz strawberry gin with one can of Zevia Black cherry soda and shake with ice. Pour through the strainer into coupes and garnish with fresh chocolate dipped strawberries. Make a small incision on the side of the strawberry to rest over the lip of the glass. You’re ready to enjoy all the flavours of a box of chocolates without all the sugar!

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