The 12th annual Rogers Santa Claus Parade will hit the streets of Downtown Vancouver on Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 1:00pm in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. This festive event, including many local organizations and businesses, is a kick-off to the holiday season for many and will be filled with family fun.

Rogers Santa Claus Parade in Vancouver

Starting out at 1:00pm, the parade will begin at West Georgia Street and Broughton, travel east along West Georgia, turn south on Howe and finish at Howe and Davie. Over 300,000 spectators flock to this event each year so be sure to arrive early to stake out your viewing spot.

You can also enjoy many activities around the Coast Capital Savings Christmas Square (in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery) that will be open form 10:30am to 1:00pm. The square will have a gingerbread decorating station, face painting, letters to Santa station, and an entertainment stage featuring exciting music and dancing performances. That is where you can also drop off your donations to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.

Most Needed Items for the Food Bank

• Canned fish or meats
• Canned beans, kidney, black bean, chickpeas
• 100% nut butters
• Pasta and rice
• Canned vegetables, pasta sauces
• Canned fruit, packed in its own juice or water
• Whole grain breakfast cereals
• Hearty soups, stews and chili

Along the route, volunteers will collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations on behalf of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. For every $1 donated, the Food Bank can purchase $3 worth of food – so remember those loonies on Parade Day!

Win VIP Seating

I have 4 VIP seats to give away in the Rogers Santa Claus Parade VIP viewing area. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment naming what items you would be able to donate to the Food Bank this season (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow the parade on Facebook and Twitter with #RogersSantaClausParade for the latest updates. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, November 25, 2015.

Update The winner is @lainiesoleil77!

The Robson Square ice rink opens for the season on December 1st, providing affordable family fun in Downtown Vancouver throughout the holidays and beyond.

Photo credit: BC Gov Photos – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool

Skating is free with your own skates, otherwise rentals are available. The rink also features a concession stand with snacks and warm drinks. It will be open throughout the holidays and will also host its annual Christmas Day and New Year’s Day skates.

Robson Square Ice Rink Hours

Sunday to Thursday: 9:00am to 9:00pm
Friday and Saturday: 9:00am to 11:00pm

Holiday Hours
Christmas Eve (December 24): 9:00am to 9:00pm
Christmas Day (December 25): 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Boxing Day (December 26): 9:00am to 9:00pm
New Year’s Eve (December 31): 9:00am to 11:00pm
New Year’s Day (January 1): 9:00am to 9:00pm

Robson Square Ice Rink Rentals

Skates: $4.00
Ice Cleats: $2.00
*Helmet included with skate rental

The The Robson Square ice rink will remain open until the end of February, 2016. Tag your photos with #robsonsquare on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share the fun. Robson Square is located at 800 Robson Street between Robson and Georgia, Howe and Hornby.

You haven’t truly lived until you’ve spent the night on the floor of the Denver airport. Circumnavigated by vacuum cleaners, trying to sleep while lights shine at full blast, and with the chatter of a 24-hour news channel hovering on a television above your head. How about pairing that with two cancelled flights, a rental car three days later, and an overnight at an express airport hotel sipping wine from plastic cups and hoping the roads are clear by morning? Actually, I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

Unfortunately, such is a reality for holiday travellers like John and me who make it back to Iowa (where John is from) at least twice a year to visit his family. Thanksgiving (American), Christmas, New Year’s Eve, we’ve been through MSP, DEN, ORD, MCI, CID, and more all to see our loved ones before packing up and reversing our trek.

Fees, allowances, de-icing, boarding order, customs, wait times, leg room, connections 60 gates apart, snow, sleet, and those random bonus security checks. Getting through the holiday season without stress is tough enough that travel shouldn’t have to lump on that extra emotional baggage. Through the years I we have honed our holiday travel style, skills, and techniques and I’m happy to share some Travel Tips for the Holidays with you, courtesy of Travel Leaders and including some of my own insights:

Travel Tips for the Holidays

Make a checklist and check it twice. Before any trip, it’s important to make a checklist of essential items like chargers for electronic devices or prescription medications. It’s easy to forget the items you use every day and you don’t want to spend your trip seeking replacements.

Portable power. Can’t find out outlet in the busy airport? No problem. Bring your own portable battery backup. I use the Anker Charger that I bought on Amazon. It has 4 USB ports and can fully charge my phone several times before it needs re-charging.

Label prescription medication. I once traveled to Iowa with strep throat and brought my medication with me. It’s a good thing because at the Walmart down there you need to show your passport just to purchase some Advil Cold & Sinus.

Check-in online. Airlines generally allow passengers to check in online 24 hours in advance, with a cutoff a couple of hours before boarding time. So make sure you’ve checked in well before you’re set to head to the airport. Have your boarding pass, paper or digital version, within easy reach, along with your ID, to save time as you approach the security checkpoint.

Keep valid identification at hand. Children under 18 are not required to provide identification when traveling with a companion, but passengers age 18 and older must show valid ID at the airport security checkpoint. Since most ID, like a driver’s license, has an expiration date, double-check that your ID will not expire before your return trip home.

I usually use my passport on the day(s) we travel then I tuck it away while we’re in Iowa and just use my driver’s license as ID. People not from BC will always struggle to find your birthday on your license but it’s generally a nice surprise when they realize they get to welcome a Canadian to their establishment.

Double check your baggage. Overhead space will be at a premium during the holiday travel season, especially as people bring gifts for friends and family or return home with gifts they’ve received. So when preparing to pack your bags, it’s crucial to check in advance whether your luggage meets the airline’s size and weight restrictions for checked baggage and carry-ons.

We usually try our very best to online travel with carry-on items (since you know they’ll make your connections with you) but when we’re going away in negative temperatures for two weeks, we need space for coats and boots. I’d say 6 times out of 10 our bags don’t make it to Iowa on the same day we do but we follow up with the airlines ASAP and always get them delivered to our door within 24 hours.

Save gift wrapping for later. TSA doesn’t care about your lovely wrapping job, your gifts and all contents of your bags can and may be screened like any other item. Pack your gifts unwrapped and just bring wrapping paper with you to finish the decorating once you’ve reached your destination. We just put ours together in a plastic bag in our luggage so that it’s accessible but still separated. You can also just mail your gifts in parcels to your destination in advance.

Keep 3-1-1 in mind. The TSA and/or CATSA allow each passenger one quart-size bag of liquids and gels, including toothpaste, gel deodorant, and lotions. Each item must be 3.4 ounces or less. Medication, infant formula and juices for infants or toddlers are exempt from the rule, but keep them separate from the items in your one-quart bag.

We have clear zipper pouches with approved sizes of toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, and conditioner that we take in a carry on and bring out at security. We like bringing that with us and not putting all our liquids in the checked bag in case we are stuck at an airport overnight, at least our teeth will be clean. We put a little bottle of hand sanitizer in there as well, for our germ-y airplane hands.

Be prepared to take laptops out and shoes off. Laptop computers must be removed from their carrying cases and submitted separately for screening. (Small and portable items, including smartphones, tablets and portable games, don’t need to be removed from their cases). At many airports, you’ll have to place your shoes and belt in the plastic bin that goes through the X-ray screening. The only exceptions are for passengers who are 75 and older, children 12 and under, and travellers approved for Global Entry or TSA Precheck.

Leave early. From traffic that may be heavier than usual and hard-to-find parking spots, to longer lines for security screenings, you’ll ease your stress if you give yourself extra wiggle room in your schedule, whether traveling by train, plane or automobile. Arrive at the airport 75 minutes prior to departure for domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

Know your emergency contacts. In addition to contact information for next of kin or a close friend when traveling internationally, bring the contact information for the nearest Embassy or Consulate at your overseas destination.

When you check-in online for a US destination generally the airline will also ask for an emergency contact and for that I either put my mom or John’s mom into the system.

Put your travel agent on speed dial. Bring the email and cell phone number of your travel agent with you, and provide your travel agent with your personal contact information, as well as pertinent health and travel insurance information. Your travel agent can rearrange your itinerary should you decide to extend your trip, or if there’s an emergency.

If you booked online (Expedia, Travelocity) have their contact info handy too. I book all of our holiday travel in person at Flight Centre so I have my agent’s card with me at all times.

Finally, my biggest tip would be to try (with all your might) to have an easy-going attitude. Leave room in your schedule so that if the unforeseen happens, you can easily roll with the schedule adjustment and go with the flow. Remember that airline and airport staff are doing their best at a very busy time and they deserve the same respect as you. Be calm, rational, and try to have a very happy holiday season. Happy travels!

The blue and yellow big top has been in town for a few weeks now but Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA will be ringing in the holiday season with a special event on November 25th. The KOOZA Holiday Village will open up at 5:00pm that day, free of charge*, and will offer complimentary hot chocolate, treats, and family-fun activities including photos with Santa, tree decoration and holiday classics sung live by the Vancouver Children’s Choir and the KOOZA band.

In addition to the activities, animation by the Vancouver Circus School and a special ugly sweater competition led by KOOZA’s featured clowns will entertain the guests. To complete the Big Top’s transformation into a winter wonderland, one lucky child from the community will be selected to light up the KOOZA Holiday Village.

*Admission is free but space is limited so RSVP is required. Attendees will receive a 25 per cent discount on select KOOZA shows for a limited time. Activities will conclude at 7:00pm on November 25th, with show tickets available for purchase on-site at the box office.

Win Tickets to Cirque du Soleil Kooza

Experience the magic of the holidays AND the magic of KOOZA! I have a pair of reserved spots available for the KOOZA Holiday Village and big top lighting event on November 25th PLUS tickets to that’s night’s performance! Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

Tickets will be for the performance on the night of November 25, 2015 only and cannot be exchanged. Follow KOOZA on Facebook for more information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Saturday, November 21, 2015.

UPDATE! The KOOZA Holiday Village is now completely sold out. If you If you weren’t able to get passes, fear not – the Holiday Village will be setup until KOOZA’s final show on December 27, so there will be plenty of time to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Update The winner is Robyn!

Brix is one of those restaurants that creates lasting memories, and not only because of its dreamy cobblestone courtyard, with draping ivy, chandeliers and candles that ooze romance. The first time I was at the restaurant was for a work Christmas dinner 14 years ago, the type of event that Brix is well-known for hosting along with wedding suppers. Our small Vancouver startup had just been purchased and the owners, who usually gifted branded company fleece sweaters or logo-adorned mugs, handed us each an envelope and asked us to open them at the same time. Inside was a ticket to Las Vegas — we were all going to celebrate!

The next time I was at George, the cocktail lounge downstairs, was for the Mixlympics — a cocktail competition that pitted local mixologists against visiting barkeeps from around the world during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. It was my first exposure to a cocktail competition (I now judge one annually) and to local mixology legends, many of whom have gone on to run businesses of their own.

Ready to create new memories, Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar in Yaletown has renovated the George space and come together as the new dining concept, Brix & Mortar.

Photo credit John Bello

Accessible from both 1138 Homer St. and 1137 Hamilton St., Brix & Mortar occupies 5,200 square feet with 228 seats, including 80 seats across two outdoor patios. The vibrant room and patio once home to George has been redesigned to breathe new life into the space, creating a fine-dining room to suit any occasion or appetite.

John and I were invited in earlier this month to try Executive Chef Chris Bisaro’s new Canadian menu which has subtle French, Italian and Asian influences with locally sourced ingredients. We were tempted to order the 3 course Table d’Hote menu for $42 but we decided to pick some a la carte options for our first dinner there together.

Although the friendly and attentive restaurant manager Graham (who spent quality time with each guest, not just us media folk), informed us that they have 50 wines available by the glass, we opted for cocktails, recalling our last experience in the space when it was George and wanting to try Bar Manager Chris Mosey’s latest creations.

I chose the “Thyme Gentlemen Please” with scotch, plum wine, thyme, and dark chocolate bitters. It was the first of many new memories made that night. The second was the Lamb Bacon Salad.

Picture crisp radishes, pears, greens and endives deliciously drizzled with bourbon vinaigrette and topped with gouda and smokey, candied, tender lamb bacon spears. My jaw would have hit the table in awe if it wasn’t so busy trying to help me savour every bite.

For the main course, I chose the sablefish. I was craving fish, but in hindsight I would have gone with the crusted pork chop with purple cabbage that John had. However, the sablefish was divine, really. Served bone-in (thanks to our server for the heads up), the soft and supple white fish it melted on my tongue. The only issue I had with this dish was the kimchi. It did work, but there was just a lot of it and it really overpowered the sablefish on my plate, and palate.

Photo credit John Bello

A large group enjoyed formal dinner at the table behind us, and co-workers slid into booths beside us for after work refreshments. Everyone fit in and looked to be having a great time no matter their scenario or whether they ordered shared plates or multi-course meals.

Talking with owner Patrick Mercer, he said that this side of Brix & Mortar is meant to be more approachable but still have the quality you look for in a their iconic Yaletown restaurant. Yaletowners have grown up, going from 20-somethings at startups to 30 and 40-somethings owning their own businesses and raising families in the area.

Mortar is for them (and everyone else is welcome of course) so that they can have that nice, affordable dinner out and enjoy thoughtfully prepared bites and delicious cocktails in their classic neighbourhood. You can still absolutely book your wedding dinner or work holiday party at Brix but Mortar seems like a place I’ll visit more often – and that cocktail and lamb bacon salad alone are definitely calling me back.

Follow Brix & Mortar on Twitter and Facebook for more information.