Several of you must know that cheese is my weakness: old, aged, smoked, soft, cream, the list goes on! I can never go back to processed cheese or mild tasting ones either. I relish in the sharp distinct taste some cheeses hold and paired with the right wine or food, life is complete. But you may be asking, why all the cheese talk?

Well I had the lovely opportunity to attend an event that was organized at Chien Noir Bistro in downtown Kingston to preview and kick-off the upcoming, The Great Canadian Cheese Festival which is less than a month away in Prince Edward County on June 6 and 7! Some great local producers gathered together along with local media, bloggers and special guests to sample delicious food and drinks.

A few snapshots from the afternoon:

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival- the the biggest artisan cheese show in Canada—takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, in Picton, Ontario, at the Fairgrounds. 

See you in the beautiful Prince Edward County also known as the "Gastronomic Capital of Ontario" by The Globe and Mail.

For more information and tickets, visit www.cheesefestival.ca

“Cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey.” - Jack Layton

A common goal is what the Canadian Cancer Society fights for on a daily basis - as a national community-based organization of volunteers, they fund research and advocate the prevention of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer.

Every year, Canadians across the country join together in the fight against cancer at the community fundraising event, Relay for Life. With well over 400 relays taking place across the country, participants spend months fundraising on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society and get recognized for reaching their individual fundraising goals at Relay events. The move to declare June Relay For Life Month paves the way toward bringing together Relay participants to experience an event that rallies hundreds of communities across Canada over the past 16 years.

{I relay for my mom and how she overcame a major stride last year with early detection but also all my family friends who've fought a hard battle with different shapes and forms of cancer.}

An event that unites so many brave participants, resonates a sense of pride throughout to create a world where no Canadian fears cancer. I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the province wide media relay and talk with local Kingstionian Shirley Brown - a proud breast cancer survivor, fighter and major supporter of the Canadian Cancer Society (applause please!). She has walked miles and raised thousands - "If it wasn't for all those who funded the research before me, I wouldn't be here" Shirley states. Money raised through Relay For Life helps save lives as two out of every five Canadian will develop cancer in their lifetime. Shirley like many others hopes to further educate the general public and communicate the message about the fight against cancer. Join Shirley, accept the baton and be part of Relay for Life 2015 in Kingston!

Relay For Life in Kingston and Surrounding Areas
Kingston 1000 Islands Sportsplex, on June 6, 2015 from10h00am-10h00pm.
Napanee District High School, on June 12, 2015 from 7h00pm-7h00am.
Parham Ball Field on June 20, 2015 from noon to midnight.

Don't forget Kingston! 
$10 registration night on May 13 at the Canadian Cancer Society Kingston chapter at 496 Days Road from 5-7h30pm! Want to volunteer? Relay for Life is the perfect event!

To continue the province wide media relay in support of Relay for Life, I'm handing over the virtual baton all the way over to Moose FM in Timmins!

Learn more and register today at relayforlifeontario.ca or call 613-384-2361.

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are among the most popular social media tools that individuals and many companies use to either promote themselves or simply share relevant content with others. Now days online personal branding is crucial as most employers will Google you when job hunting. But rather than utilizing a form of media everyone is utilizing, being creative and thinking outside the box is sometimes what employers will look for.

Ever heard of an elevator pitch? Well imagine an online pitch to elevate your career. Video resumes are a great way to show your personality and pitch yourself in less than 2 minutes whether it is general or job specific - they can be a clever complement to your existing job hunting resources i.e a traditional resume.

The number one rule of thumb is to be clear, concise and have a powerful but also memorable message that will grab your audiences attention. In terms of content, state your desired outcome and build a short story around it to illuminate your skills. Use words that create a visual image in your listener’s mind and focus on connecting the dots based on your experiences. A great piece of advice would be to not recite your resume but show a unique side of you, something that wouldn’t necessarily be portrayed on a piece of paper. A video resume gives you plenty of room to express who you are, while conveying the message of why you would be the right person to hire. Be creative, yet professional as preparation, hard work and lots of thought is required! 

So if you've struck a chord in your audience with a lasting word or phrase and left them wanting more, then you have literally ‘hooked’ them. But remember, create a video resume if it is relevant to the job you want to do and not because you can.

Hint
Instagram videos, Vine and Youtube are great resources!

Good luck with job hunting!

Day trip  ✔

Winery tour  ✔
Dinner for two  ✔

These are all splendid adventures when visiting Prince Edward County come spring time but why not incorporate them all into one evening! What am I talking about you may ask? Countylicious of course! It is a twice annual prix fixe ($35 for 3 courses) culinary celebration that helps launch The County’s tourism season that attracts local food lovers to fill their bellies with delightful locally-inspired meals and wine.

Count me in!
This weekend, the month long food festival Countylicious brought my foodie partner in crime and I on an adventure to the Drake Devonshire Inn located on the picturesque Lake Ontario where we awaited Chef Matt DeMille's delightful classic creations using homegrown ingredients with a flavourful twist. Boy were we excited and impressed - imagine a place where food could be described as rustic chic meets laid-back vibe with a sophisticated flare. You'll be wanting more!

Such a stunning view, I wanted to stay the night!


Where: 24 Wharf St., Wellington | www.drakedevonshire.ca

For more information about Countylicious, visit www.countylicious.com

Many of us are addicted to social media and all of its commodities, however some forget that it can actually be leveraged as a digital platform to extend your reach and to influence others. Your online presence and managing your digital footprint is quite crucial in this 21st century tech world we live in.

First question, have you ever Googled yourself?

Well you will be surprised that friends, associates and clients are in fact looking you up. This may come as a revelation, but Google is now used as a resume but more precisely it is your personal brand. Unless you are head over heels about each listing on the first page, it's time for you to dominate and conquer -  this means a fresh start to a blank slate and for you to share accurate, relevant and valuable information about yourself.

Claiming your name on main social networking sites such as Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn is the first step, as they rank higher in Google search results. As a college student this may be very useful as potential employers will most likely be viewing your online profiles. Depending on your major, having an online portfolio or a visual resume would be considered an asset as it'd showcase your personality, artistic abilities or even writing skills. The options are endless as to what you can do online - though this must be done in an efficient and effective manner.

Hint
If your full name is common, stand out by including your middle name.

Once your name is present online, it is important to grow your network and build a platform. Whether it be gaining more followers on Twitter or following groups on LinkedIn, show the online world who you are and what your message is. Sites such as about.me and visualize.me are great tools to express in depth who you are and what you’re interested in. As a student or a graduate, networking with the right people online could lead to great opportunities for the future.

Final Words
Be creative and be yourself!

This past weekend, Ottawa was home to the second annual spring edition of the Wine & Food Festival featuring local microbreweries, the best wines for spring/summer, culinary and beverage demonstrations, and fabulous food trucks. My foodie partner in crime and I made our way up to indulge in what Ottawa had to offer on the Friday and let me tell you, I now know I am obsessed with food trucks and all their unique creations. From asian inspired cuisine to classic Canadian comfort food, it was no difficult task to pick what we wanted to sample.

A few snapshots of the festival:

All I wanted to say was, "Can I have some more please?" Who knew Filipino was so darn good!

With a Parisian bistro feel, located just a few blocks away from historic Market Square, Le Chien Noir Bistro in downtown Kingston is known for serving up fresh, seasonal, high quality, and local ingredients along with a spectacular wine list.

This neighbourhood hangout spot offers feel good classics with an innovative twist and friendly service in a beautiful art deco inspired setting. You are greeted with high detailed tin ceiling, elegant crystal chandeliers, exposed brick walls and a spacious zinc bar. Offering traditional French dishes such as Duck Confit, Boeuf Bourguignonne and Tartare, this bistro would not be complete without highlighting charcuterie and Canadian artisan cheeses.

Though not a dish primarily found in France, a rather fancy poutine can also be found on the menu; frites, Quebec triple cream brie, shredded duck confit, and green peppercorn-cognac jus. The flavours overwhelm your senses and you are simply in food heaven from indulging oh so much. Customers are also met with a vast representation of seafood; fresh oysters, PEI mussels in a thai red curry, seared sea scallops and seasonal catches.

This establishment features a modern spin on French classics and does it quite amazingly. As a Montrealer, Chien Noir is a reminder of home and brings back so many good foodie memories that can be attributed to the man in the kitchen, Chef Derek MacGregor. His food philosophy is all about simplicity and fresh quality ingredients. The concept of Farm to Table is true to his heart, having grown up in a small community near Cornwall surrounded by fresh foods and grandmas whom were exceptional cooks in the kitchen. He is a firm believer of embracing the local food community and has created great rapport with many of the farmers such as Patchwork Gardens, Honey Wagon and Kitchen Gardens. All of which resonate beautifully in the dishes made.

Le Chien Noir Bistro is a charming and welcoming destination, dishing up pleasurable experiences time and time again.

Montreal is truly a foodie haven, there are endless spots to indulge and fill your belly with heavenly delight. With oh so many cuisines and areas that resonate with French heritage, there is also a nice mix of ethnic immigrant diversity. These are my top picks for foodie spots in my hometown of Montreal:

Fairmount Bagel

The real deal.

Restaurant Maison Indian Curry House

Thali lovin' with authentic Indian cuisine.

As a self-proclaimed introvert (who is actually quite bubbly and friendly), I relish in silent moments and taking time for myself to recharge. Being alone is precious as it gives me time to think, as life can be crazy sometimes - crazy good and crazy bad or in between. While I don't out right advertise all the work I do within a day or week, that is my choice. I have wonderful moments and highlights every week whether they are related to blogging, my job or social life and share at my own accord. At other times, I'm boggled down with oh so much work yet I don't complain as I'm passionate about what I do.

Taking time for myself is my time to be creative, be productive but most importantly appreciate what life brings my way and the people around me - it is time to reflect. Without this, I certainly get overwhelmed with all I'm trying to juggle mentally, and this certainly causes extra anxiety and stress. On a side note, appreciate the power of saying no - I've recently learned to adapt this into my lifestyle and it has done wonders. Going on, being by yourself gives you the motivation and the opportunity to open your mind and explore new ideas, then put those ideas to good use. We're so concerned with finding ways to fill every single minute of every day interacting with people that we forget to take a step back and give ourselves some quality 'me' time. I've come to realized that fear of missing out is a thing of the past - while I do live for the present, remember that if you're mental batteries aren't recharged, how will you function on a day to day basis?

So whether you enjoy having a sweet treat in solitude or sipping on tea in a coffee shop or playing a sport - find what makes you happy and unwind!

How do you recharge?