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Cocktail Deeva

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Deflate the Elephant and the Cocktail Deeva present the 9th Hole Mocktail just in time for summer long weekend entertaining!

Summer isn’t complete without outdoor entertaining, barbeques, boating and having guests over to our backyards and cottages. But, being a “host with the most” is more than throwing a great party.  It’s also about making sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.

Deflate the Elephant, LCBO’s social responsibility campaign, urges Ontarians to speak up to help prevent someone from drinking and driving.

“We encourage everyone to have a safe summer season by drinking responsibly and to never drink and drive or boat,” says LCBO President and CEO Bob Peter.

“We can help hosts plan ahead and entertain safely by offering responsible hosting advice through our store staff and online tools.”

Visit the Deflate the Elephant website to download responsible hosting tips, entertaining checklists and other Mocktail recipes and like them on Facebook!

Here’s a delicious, alcohol-free Mocktail for Victoria Day celebrations in a short video featuring none other than Cocktail Deeva Dee Brun.

9th Hole Recipe

Fill Tall glass with ice and add

1 ½ ounce acai juice

4 oz lemonade

Stir to mix and garnish with a cherry.

Cheers!

 

Photos: DeflateTheElephant.com

2011 National Home Show

Restore, Refresh, and Renew your home at Canada’s largest home show, the 2011 National Home Show presented by RE/MAX. Get help from top celebrity and industry experts, shop the latest products with over 700 retailers, and take home new ideas and solutions for your home at our new Boulevard of Dreams! 

Prepare to become inspired, enlightened, informed and energized with helpful advice, home solutions and the coolest new products for in and around your home. Dee Brun aka the Cocktail Deeva

Our friend and amotherworld contributor Dee Brun aka the Cocktail Deeva presented by Hpnotiq will be mixing it up on stage during the show!   The official cocktail for girls night out…so you know it’s always a good time! 

The show runs February 18 -27, 2011 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. 

The Cocktail Deeva presented by Hpnotiq Appearances: 

Feb 19th:  1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm  and

 Feb 26th: 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm  

Win 1 of 4 family packs of tickets to the show!  

Contest ends February 7, 2011. 

A family pack is 4 tickets.

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNERS!  Laura Reid, Helen Cerveira, Angie Valenzano  and Ida McLaughlin

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by Dee Brun

The holidays are all about the joy of giving, being kind and doing onto others.  But there is something to be said about the joy of “getting”.

We never talk about how nice it is to receive, because that sounds selfish and rude. But we all enjoy getting a nice gift from that special someone who took the time and cared enough to brave the crazy Christmas mall crowds. Someone who knows us so well and wants nothing more than to see the love, joy and surprise on our face when we open our treasured gift…and hear us express our deepest gratitude for the lovely, SHOWER RADIO.

Seriously…I want to know what marketing genius is filling mens’ head with the idea that a CAR EMERGENCY KIT makes a great gift for your special lady. Yes, they are handy, practical and necessary. Yes, it shows you care for my safety, but so does MACE.

I also donʼt recall ever mentioning that I wanted the DVD collectors edition of THE FIRST FIVE SEASONS OF AMERICAN IDOL – how thoughtful!

Unfortunately it only gets worse before it gets better. All bets are off when you become a mother, because then Dust Busterthe gifts become about MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER…now doesnʼt that sound romantic.

Nothing screams I WANT YOU NOW like a new floor steamer, or how hot and steamy would you get after opening your new dust buster?

My worst gift ever was a four piece, blue quilted, Winnie The Pooh diaper bag set…I was speechless.

I know itʼs supposed to be all about the thought that counts, but seriously!  Cut the crap and buy “ME” a gift.

Not the house, or the car but “ME”, the “ME” that you couldnʼt keep your hands off of for more than a few hours not that long ago. The “ME” that you tried to talk into doing “it” in the back of the cab in New Your City. The “ME” that did that thing to you, that one time…with the thing…remember…YA…that “ME”!

So my solution to this dilemma, go out and treat yourself. We know we donʼt need big fancy things, just something a little personal. So get your hair done, or your nails all polished up and be sure to let “him” know he is picking up the tab. Just think how happy you will make him when he no longer has to go to the mall. That alone is worth a spa day!

All I Want for Christmas Collins“All I want for Christmas” Collins…with a wedge of, HOPE… itʼs not another waffle iron….

2 ounces Gin
2 ounces White Cranberry or White grape/Peach Juice
1 ounce soda water
1 stem cilantro
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

Muddle the cilantro with the lemon juice and add to a shaker full of ice with juice and vodka. Shake well and strain into martini glass, then top with soda. Garnish with some fresh berries.

CHEERS!

 

 

 

Dee Brun aka CocktailDeeva is the author Libations of Life, A Girls Guide to Life One Cocktail at a Time, resident Cocktail’ista on CBC’s The Steven and Chris Show; home entertaining columnist at Toronto Star Yourhome.ca; Home Entertaining Guru, writer, humorist, wife, mother of 4, TV Junkie, shoe-aholic and borderline George Clooney stalker.

by Dee Brun aka CocktailDeeva

“Let the Games Begin!”  “Letʼs get ready to RUMBLE!!!” or maybe “and in this corner…”  I don’t know! And it’s killing me!

No, I am not talking about some huge sporting event, but in my life this is a HUGE event and it has me worried and a wee bit scared. Have not felt this way since my eldest daughter’s first day of school, and here I am 10 years later having to go through it all again.

Only this time I donʼt have the control…and I NEED the control! Donʼt we all? Is this not why we become parents, to have ULTIMATE CONTROL and POWER?  Ok…I am exaggerating but really just a little.

My fabulous 14 year old daughter is starting HIGH SCHOOL in mere weeks and I am losing my shit…literally!

It has me a weee bit stressed out. All the logistics aside, bus pass, student I.D. card, uniform…and who knows what else. What about the fact that she has to take the city bus every day? Itʼs a CITY BUS! With strangers on it, and weirdos, kidnappers and sex offenders OH MY!

See this is where my mind goes, I canʼt help it. I have tried! I am not a helicopter parent, I let her have some freedoms, but my brain just pictures the absolute worst when she sets off on a new adventure. I donʼt know how to shut it off… Then after she survives all the “evil” goings on on the bus…she actually makes it to HIGH SCHOOL! Where lurking in the halls are sex starved pre-pubes-ant boys, alcohol, drugs, sex-ting, rainbow parties, pill parties.  OH MY! This is right about the time my head physically explodes off my shoulders.

How in the hell do I protect her from all of this? To all those people who say “You canʼt raise your kids in a Bubble!”, right about now is when I start searching eBay for said Bubble! I am really at a loss on this one. I am putting on the brave “She will be fine” face, but deep down , in places you donʼt talk about at parties…I AM FREAKING OUT! Itʼs not that I donʼt trust my daughter I do, I truly feel she will make good choices. I just donʼt trust everyone else. I know this is all me and that I have to let go and calm down and just stop being so CRAZY…I know all these things and tell myself this everyday, but it does nothing.

So to sum up a whole lot of, well nothing…I am just going to have to tackle this new adventure one day at a time, like a crazed control freak addict in re-hab. I am so not good with the whole not knowing what will happen thing, but will go with the flow so my daughter can suck every last ounce of enjoyment (and education) out of her High School experience. If any of you have been through this I would love your insight…and stay tuned for THE ADVENTURES OF A MOM WITH A DAUGHTER IN HIGH SCHOOL! Hmmm that is a really lame title…will have to work on that one.

Dee Brun aka Cocktail Deeva is the author of the stirring book Libations of Life, A Girls Guide to Life One Cocktail at a Time. She has combined imaginative cocktails with witty accounts of dating, carousing, dieting and simply put, the ups and downs of Life. Visit her website: www.cocktaildeeva.com

by Maria Lianos

On Thursday night, I (amotherworld) hosted a #NotGoingToBlogHer party on Twitter for those of us who could not attend BlogHer 2010 in New York City.  The response was overwhelming!  So overwhelming in fact that we trended in Canada!  

The questions received so many responses!  The most replies to the question was 75,  which didn’t include all the comments and RTs!  Originally planned to last an hour between 9pm and 10pm, the party went on for 2 hours!

The mutual vote was… “What happens at #NotGoingToBlogHer STAYS at #NotGoingToBlogHer!!!”

Many interesting (and I mean, shocking!) responses… it was truly AMAZING to see so many women come together and let loose!

Thanks to TweetChat, I was able to sort of keep up but not enough to give prizes that night.  Winners were announced throughout the day on Friday, August 6th.  Bonus prize winners were announced on Saturday, August 8th.

Here are the questions and winners for the various prizes: 

Q1:  What is something people don’t know about you? 

Prize:  Digital CDs or apps for kids courtesy of @Kiboomu  Kiboomu.com 

Kiboomu

Winners:  @miacupcake  @ElaineOrrMorgan  and @SomewhatCrunchy 

Q2: Which 3 celebrities would you most like to have sex with? 

Prize:  “Libations of Life: a girl’s guide to life one cocktail at a time” written by Dee Brun aka @CocktailDeeva 

CocktailDeeva

Winner:  @moeturner 

Q3:  What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done? 

Prize: Mabel’s Labels offered an Ultimate Back-to-School Combo

Mabel's Labels

Winner:  @amy_boughner 

Q4: What is the worst piece of advice you have ever received? 

Prize: $50 credit to use on www.clippo.ca thanks to @Clippopotamus 

Clippopotamus

Winner:  @nugglemama 

Q5:   One thing you would change about yourself? 

Prize:  A pair of dichroic glass earrings with sterling silver posts courtesy of @AnnBac9  and Teenzillas 

c/o Teenzillas

Winner:  @smilenwaven 

Q6:  One thing you love about yourself? 

Prize:  A package of 30 4″x6″ Photo Cards (perfect for the holidays) and a set of 140 return address labels courtesy of Grace Announcements @graceannounce  

Grace Announcements

Winner:  @ottawamom 

BONUS PRIZES 

Prize 1: Starbucks gift  – Winner: @kellidaisy  

Prize 2: Avon products – Winner: @pattysullivan 

Prize 3: Copy of Kathy Buckworth’s “Shut Up and Eat: a Tale of Chicken, Children and Chardonnay” 

Winner: @InfoSara 

THANK YOU for participating in my first Twitter party! and

THANK YOU to Grace Announcements, Mabel’s Labels, Clippopotamus, Dee Brun, Kiboomu, Kathy Buckworth and Teenzillas for the fabulous prizes!