Montessori School House

A child’s mind is like a sponge, constantly absorbing and processing information, determining consequences of actions and understanding how to navigate the world. Dr. Maria Montessori describes this ability as the “absorbent mind.” She desired to create a learning environment that stimulates and caters to this important aspect of childhood development, and as such, the Montessori School House was born.

Using a “structured freedom” approach, the Montessori School’s teachers (“directresses”) foster a setting that cultivates the child’s imagination, allowing them to be creative and think outside the box, but to do so while working alongside others. Each directress keeps a watchful eye on every student, demonstrating discipline, supportively guiding them, and staying constantly aware of the child’s readiness for specific, new material. This right-material-at-the-right Read more

The Midwives Club

Lucy Sanna was pregnant with her second child when her maternal instincts for an alternative care option kicked in. She had mused about midwifery during her first pregnancy, but as other women before and after her, wasn’t so certain about its scope of practice. She wondered about its quality of care, safety and benefits. She wondered if there was a fee. Heeding the referrals of others, she placed a call to a midwifery clinic near her place of work in Etobicoke, Ont. “I was trying to figure out what to do. I have two cousins of mine who went with midwives as well, and they tried to convince me from the beginning with my first [pregnancy] to go, and the second time, I said, ‘that’s it, I’m going to do it,’” recalls the Bolton, Ont. resident. Nine months later, Sanna welcomed a full-term, healthy baby girl she and her husband named Mariah. Read more

L’ORO JEWELLERY: The Insiders on Everything Desirable

Luxury is not only defined by the look of something, it is defined by the way it makes you feel. It is not only apparent in a piece of jewelry, but is visible in a welcoming and unpretentious atmosphere. L’Oro immerses itself into these definitions, carrying premium jewelry while valuing the strong relationships it has built. “Our customer is someone who expects and understands quality because they live this in their daily life,” says storeowner Haigo Derian.

With a progressive approach to traditional business, L’Oro has been placed in a favourable position within the jewelry industry. Among its exclusive brands, Chopard is one of the elite jewelry names partnered with L’Oro. “They are one of the few family owned companies left in the watch industry, and the Chopard family has built an incredible enterprise,” says Derian. Read more

Andre Agassi: BREAK, FAULT, LOVE

At his last Wimbledon appearance in 2006, the same tournament that embraced him with his first Grand Slam win, he stepped onto the sacred grounds of the All England Club wearing a necklace given to him by his son, a choker of block letters spelling ‘Daddy Rocks.’ He certainly did cause seismic effect in his young days, juxtaposing the very essence of tennis refinement by sporting hot lava tights, denim shorts and mullet toupees. During that tumultuous period of his life, however, he was just a boy, tormented by his hate for the lonely sport of tennis; a man-child choked by his unfound identity while finding his volleys and fine-tuning his backhand. Long before his departure from the game, the American athlete did break free from breaking convention with the clothes his enthusiasts often imitated; with John Varvatos and the sentimental accessory that spheres his neck now part of his signature look. He didn’t know then who he was as he took centre court, but the sport and his devotees certainly Read more

Simon Helberg: Funny as Helberg

When told I would be interviewing Simon Helberg, best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz on the hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, I thought it was because our female writers were just too afraid of being seduced by an overly sexual, Jewish aerospace engineer. Not one to be afraid, I stepped up to the dish, only to be delighted by a witty conversation with a humble and humorous actor.

Q. Howard’s the most sexually forward character on the show. What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever used on a girl?

Oh gosh. You know, I never was somebody for pickup lines. I think my flaw was being too honest. I didn’t have the game that Howard has; Howard may have a terrible game, but he has a game. I would walk up to talk to somebody, a girl at a party, and then immediately tell them I loved them, and I think that we could be Read more

In the Moment with Laura Di Battista

When she’s not keeping Torontonians in on the news, Laura Di Battista has her own story to tell, one that involves how she loves her city well. “There’s a few places that you can look at in Toronto where you just see nothing and then the horizon. It’s just so calming,” says the life-long resident of the Beaches area, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

The Toronto-born journalist is most known for making waves as an on-air personality, asking the questions we all want the answers to, without having the courage to ask them ourselves.

It’s mid-morning and Di Battista scans the dailies, sweats out a workout and dives into research before going live at 3 p.m. “The best part of my job is that I leave here every day …  and get to, you know, explore all these great stories in the city.” As host of Read more

Chef’s Challenge: Cooking for a Cure

When six culinary masters enter a kitchen arena – cooking utensils at the ready – leading a team of amateurs into gruelling cooking combat, who will walk out the winner? Why, Mount Sinai Hospital, of course.

That’s because these cuisine-creating warriors won’t be taking up arms against each other, but instead, will be turning their blades towards cancer at the second Chef’s Challenge. Six iconic Food Network celebrity chefs will gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Nov. 26, 2011, to whip up food and funds, all in support of breast and ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai.

“I feel I have the responsibility to get involved in my community,” says David Rocco, host of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita, and one of six celebrity chefs competing in the Chef’s Challenge. Read more

La Closette

Whether you need a wardrobe consultant, image advisor or personal stylist, La Closette is opening doors everywhere. La Closette’s dynamic team is powered by the fashion-conscious duo MT Meikle and Liza Amlani. Not only do they have a keen sense of what’s hot and trendy but a realistic view of wearable style.

“We believe women should love what they wear and feel confident and empowered, as well as looking fashionable. We help our clients be stylish and classy with their look but we also want to help them be smart with their fashion choices and not get caught up in trends that won’t take them from season to season,” says Meikle.

Assessing a client’s look using their own personal style, body type, age and lifestyle while introducing current up-to-date fashion into their wardrobe in an intelligent way is La Closette’s Read more

The Feel of a Fiat 500

Since the turn of the 20th century, one car company has been at the forefront of the Italian automotive industry; a manufacturer at the grassroots of Italian car racing; the enterprise that brought the Lancia name to fame; the brand that tamed Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, and pulled Chrysler from the abyss of bankruptcy. An acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino,” that brand is Fiat, and with the Fiat 500 once again rolling onto North American asphalt, Canadians can finally grip the wheel of this revived iconic ride.

“The car was made to really appeal to the public, and that’s what it did,” says Remo Ferri, president of The Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, regarding the original Fiat 500 that launched in 1957. “And of course, the car made so much history, in movies and so on, that it became part of the Italian style in life … It’s part of the Italian heritage.” Read more

Fall Trends with David Clemmer

Get in on the fashion scene with the latest must-haves.

Colour
The fall season is looking bright – as bright as fall can be. Orange is the colour of the season, along with coffee, cedar, phlox (eggplant for the vegetarians out there), and bamboo. There’s a whole range of colours to complement orange – have fun with it!

The Jean Jacket
The season’s must-have item. Not the boxy kind from back in the day but a more tailored blazer-esque fit to accentuate your silhouette. Opt for a shorter crop to streamline your body and longer tapered sleeves to make this look even sexier. What’s perfect about this look is its versatility – dress it up, dress it down, layer it, wear it Read more

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