Getting Car and Renters Insurance

When we were planning for our move from NYC to Toronto, we bought a used car.  We were going to need car insurance again!  I had used Allstate for car and renters insurance when I lived in MN and had retained them for renters insurance in NY.  So, when we bought the car in MN, we had it insured temporarily until our move through Allstate.  When we arrived to Toronto, we tried to just call-up Allstate Canada to have our car and renters policies transferred, but low and behold it isn't that easy.  In Canada, they have separate underwriters than in the US so there is no such thing as just "transferring" your policy per se.  For the renters policy, we were going to have to have our rings re-appraised even though we've had them continuously insured through Allstate since we got engaged.  The experience didn't make us feel like we were being rewarded for customer loyalty so we decided to check out prices with other companies - if we had to start over, it may as well be at the best price.

Exploring TO: Art Gallery of Ontario

Northwest corner of AGO

Last night was officially my first visit to a Toronto museum.  I know what you're thinking, how could I have been here almost 6 months and not made it to the Bata Shoe Museum yet?  Crazy I know - but since I can't figure out why there even is a shoe museum, I haven't made it a priority.  But, last night I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario!  On Wednesdays admission is free (normally $20) so decided to check it out.

Must Try Italian - Enoteca Sociale!

Picture by Aislinn Smith

We found a fantastic little Italian restaurant in the West End of Toronto called Enoteca Sociale.  It is really a close second to the quaint places we used to love in NYC, and we'll definitely be back.  Check out the full review on Yelp or Blog TO, and then head over to check out the restaurant when you can!

Honest Ed's

There is a store on Bloor and Bathurst called Honest Ed's.  I've never seen anything like it.  I often feel like I've happened upon Times Square if I drive by it at night as it literally lights the neighborhood.  It is a humongous superstore, a predecessor to Wal-Mart I would say, known for the original & quirky sayings of its founder, great deals, and a no-frills shopping experience.

More News On Target Corp. in Canada!

In an effort to keep everyone up-to-date on this all important subject, here is a link to a press release:  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/target-corporation-to-acquire-interest-in-canadian-real-estate-from-zellers-inc-a-subsidiary-of-hudsons-bay-company-for-c1825-billion-113449674.html 

It says that Target has signed a deal to purchase the leasehold interest in up to 220 sites currently owned by Zellers.  And, the best news is that Target will be in Canada by 2013 - that is two years from now!  Much better than the four years we heard about a little while back.  One step closer to the joy I get from a trip to Target! 

Weeked Wine Tasting in Niagara

Follow-up from my previous post.  We had been wine tasting up in the Hudson River Valley when we lived in New York, and while the white wine was pretty good, it was nearly impossible to find a good red wine.  We assumed Niagara would be the same, but we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of some of the wines we tasted - some better than others.  For our first time in Niagara, we drove down Saturday morning and spent the day wine tasting, then stayed near the falls for the night.  We tried a few wineries on the escarpment and several others in Niagara on the Lake (NOTL).  The one thing I realized early on is that some of the wineries are family-owned while others are corporately owned - the difference isn't necessarily obvious on the outside, but I prefer to support the family businesses. 

Exactly What IS Boxing Day?

I wasn't in Toronto on December 26th this year, but everywhere I went Americans were making some comment about it being Boxing Day back in Canada - and I should know what that is because I live in Canada now?  I had heard of Boxing Day when I lived in the US, but didn't pay much attention.  However, in Ontario, Boxing Day is actually a statutory holiday, so I did some digging to figure out what I could about Boxing Day hoping not to look so ignorant when people make comments in the future.