My Favourite Blogger Events in the Past 9 Years

I have been blogging for nine years! Being a lifestyle blogger in Toronto has resulted in some exciting experiences. Before blogging, I worked as a writer for the government. Although the writing is the common thread linking both jobs, being a lifestyle blogger has resulted in a wide variety of opportunities. Due to the pandemic, all of my blogger events have been cancelled for the next few months. As a result, I thought I would review some of my favourite blogger events over the years:

Lunch at 360 Restaurant at CN Tower

I was invited for lunch at the revolving 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower in June 2019. I was allowed to bring a guest so I brought my mom. We both had not been up the CN Tower in years. It was such a thrill to ascend the tower in the glass floor paneled elevator and then enjoy a delicious lunch while the restaurant rotated 360 degrees. From appetizers to dessert, we enjoyed an unparalleled and spectacular view of the sparkling water of Lake Ontario, as well as the downtown Toronto core. In fact, the pod rotated two full times while we were there. Not only do you have the million-dollar view, but the food is first class. I can’t recommend this experience enough to both Torontonians and visitors to the city.

Bird Hike at Tommy Thompson Park

Tommy Thompson Park sits on Toronto’s waterfront and is a popular site for bird migration. In May 2014, I was invited to go on a hike led by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority to see a wide variety of bird species migrating at the park. Our hike also involved a stop at the banding station where birds are banded in order to track their migration. I was a bit reluctant to accept this invitation since I wasn’t in the best of shape and the event included a two-hour hike. Because I was really interested in seeing the different bird species, I decided to attend. I am so glad I did because we saw several different birds including the Northern Flicker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Red-Winged Blackbird, White-throated Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Palm Warbler, and Northern Cardinal. As a result of the bird hike, I am now able to recognize several different bird species that visit the birdbath in our backyard and that’s why this is one of my favourite blogger events!

Murale Preview

For the past two years, I have been invited to attend the Murale preview of new beauty products. Murale is owned by Shoppers Drug Mart and features premium skincare and cosmetics brands. The preview offered a great opportunity to learn about new luxury beauty brands, sample the products, as well as speak to the brand representatives. We also received many full-size beauty product samples to take home and review on our blogs. I have enjoyed using these premium skincare products and now have a much better daily skincare regime as a result of attending this beauty products event.

Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate Tour

I love gardening so when I was invited to attend the Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate media preview, I jumped at the chance. The ticketed event offers the public a chance to tour the lush, private gardens of home-owners in a designated area of the city. That year, the area included my childhood home so I was eager to see how the neighbourhood landscape had changed. After enjoying a patio lunch at Toronto Botanical Garden, the media were shuttled in an air-conditioned bus to the various homes on the tour. Several of the attendees were master gardeners so I was able to ask them my gardening questions. It was also convenient that they could identify species of plants and flowers on the spot! I had such a lovely and relaxing afternoon roaming through the well-tended gardens of the homes in Banbury/Windfields. I highly recommend the annual Mark’s Choice Through The Garden Gate tour for experienced or budding gardeners!

Getting Glam for TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a huge deal in our city. As a result, there are many blogging events taking place during TIFF to promote the festival. One of my favourite was the Shoppers Drug Mart / beautyBOUTIQUE event where invited bloggers and influencers received a complimentary Silk’n skincare treatment, a hairstyle and makeup application, as well as a catered lunch. This event made me feel like a celebrity! We also got to take home a bag of makeup products by Stila and Urban Decay, including the Born To Run eye shadow palette which I use all the time.

Cabana Pool Bar Media Preview

Cabana Pool Bar opened in June 2013 and would become the playground of Justin Bieber, LeBron James and Deadmau5 among others. When I received an invitation to the exclusive media preview, I grabbed my niece to come with me. We enjoyed an afternoon tasting summer-themed appetizers and drinking slushy cocktails while lounging by the gorgeous pool with the Toronto skyline providing a dramatic background. I was relatively new to blogging and not used to the glamorous life which is why this event made such a lasting impression on me. We also received some cool swag including Cabana Pool Bar t-shirts, beach towels and beach bags. My niece and I did not want to leave, but when we finally returned home, we saw a clip of us on the news that night!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my favourite blogger events. I’m crossing my fingers that it won’t be too long before I have new blogger events to share with you. In the meantime, stay safe everyone!

You might be interested in reading, “What Movies, Books, TV Shows To Enjoy While Stuck at Home“.