As COVID-19-related shutdowns forced many businesses to close for the past five months, there’s never been a more crucial time to support local small businesses than right now. This weekend marks the start of the Canada United initiative, a local movement designed to “show local businesses some love.” Below, we’re sharing a list of 44 small businesses that you can support this weekend – and beyond.
Photograph courtesy of Selfish Swimwear
Photograph courtesy of BIKO
Photograph courtesy of By The Namesake
Photograph courtesy of Soft Focus
Photograph courtesy of Viens Avec Moi
Photograph courtesy of Gaspard
Photograph courtesy of Trés Chic
Photograph courtesy of GravityPope
Photograph courtesy of Rose City Goods
Photograph courtesy of Mijanéaux
Photograph courtesy of Cuchara
Photograph courtesy of Wardrobe Apparel
Photograph courtesy of Old Faithful Shop
Photograph courtesy of Ease
Photograph courtesy of Nouveau Riche Vintage
Photograph courtesy of Leah Alexandra
Photograph courtesy of Secret Location
Photograph courtesy of John Fluevog
Photograph courtesy of Penny Arcade
Photograph courtesy of Province Apothecary
Photograph courtesy of Love & Nudes
Photograph courtesy of Comrags
Photograph courtesy of Blu Hummingbird Beadwork
Photograph courtesy of Mary Young
Photograph courtesy of Mejuri
Photograph courtesy of Instagram/Band of Sisters
Photograph courtesy of Laughbylafaille
Photograph courtesy of Essentials by Temi
Photograph courtesy of VSP Consignment
Photograph courtesy of Krane
Photograph courtesy of Ela Handbags
Photograph courtesy of Jenny Bird
Photograph courtesy of Fortnight
Photograph courtesy of Kotn
Photograph courtesy of Merchant of York
Photograph courtesy of BLUBOHO
Photograph courtesy of Detour Coffee Roasters
Photograph courtesy of Smash + Tess
Photograph courtesy of Knix
Photograph courtesy of Suetables
Photograph courtesy of The Detox Market
Photograph courtesy of Ellie Mae
Photograph courtesy of Brunette The Label
Photograph courtesy of Monos
1/44
SELFISH Swimwear
Montreal-based designer Naomi Caron specializes in creating standout swimwear made from sustainable materials. Her suits are good for you, and the environment.
2/44
BIKO
Founded by Corrine Anestopoulos in 2005, BIKO pieces are handcrafted in Toronto and merge vintage inspirations with modern design elements. These new bouquet drops are a video-call worthy accessory if ever we’ve seen one.
3/44
By The Namesake
Made-to-order leather jacket brand By The Namesake is offering digital consultations, online chats and try at home kits right now to help you find your perfect fit.
4/44
Soft Focus
With its selection of chic loungewear, Soft Focus is perfect for padding out your WFH wardrobe.
5/44
Viens Avec Moi
This Ottawa-based retailer offers up a variety of on-trend pieces, as well as items from local designers.
6/44
Gaspard
Brimming with luxe separates and accessories, Gaspard has no shortage of elevated WFH essentials.
7/44
Trés Chic
Now that we’re all going outside a little more frequently, this Montreal-based store has all your sartorial needs covered.
8/44
GravityPope
If social distancing has taught us anything, it’s that good quality basics are key. GravityPope sells cool streetwear separates and footwear for men, women and children that you’ll wear for years to come.
9/44
Rose City Goods
After months of social distancing, why not indulge in a little at-home beauty treatment to treat yourself? Rose City Goods offers an array of luxe beauty products as well as other cool household necessities.
10/44
Mijanéaux
This Woodbridge-based store has been offering easy, wear-everywhere wardrobe staples for 28 years.
11/44
CUCHARA
CUCHARA designer Edilou Canedo describes her designs as mixing “island bohemian chic and grimey city edginess.” Many of her pieces have vintage appeal, too, like these mini zodiac charms.
12/44
Wardrobe Apparel
Vancouver-based Wardrobe Apparel celebrates both local and international designers who create standout pieces to cherish forever – like this David Rose-approved sweater.
13/44
Old Faithful Shop
Has there even been a better/more appropriate time to invest in a fancy soap dish? Vancouver’s Old Faithful Shop offers an array of stylish home decor pieces.
14/44
Ease
Ease offers customers pieces that are, as its name suggests, super easy to wear. From dresses to separates and just about everything in between, you’re sure to find a summer-ready piece to treasure here.
15/44
Nouveau Riche Vintage
You can shop Nouveau Riche Vintage’s prime selection of vintage finds in-store and online – so you can get your vintage fix whichever way suits you best.
16/44
Leah Alexandra
Based out of Vancouver, Leah Alexandra Jewellery uses gemstones to create timelessly pretty pieces that will have people asking where you got them.
17/44
Secret Location
Offering men’s, women’s, home and beauty items, Secret Location has got something cool for everyone.
18/44
John Fluevog
Now that we’re back out in the real world, put your best foot forward in a pair of John Fluevog’s standout pieces that are guaranteed to turn heads.
19/44
Penny Arcade
Keen to support vintage store Penny Arcade but don’t need anything new right now? The store is offering gift cards starting from as little as $10 through its online shop.
20/44
Province Apothecary
Given all of our extra free time right now, there’s no better time to indulge in a little at-home beauty therapy – and Province Apothecary has everything you’ll need to do just that.
21/44
Love & Nudes
This body-positive intimates brand specializes in skin-tone garments for POC – and celebrating all bodies.
22/44
Comrags
Canadian store + Canadian designer collab = win, win. Treat yourself to a bag from the Opelle/Warren Steven Scott collab, or purchase a gift card from the brand’s online store to use later.
23/44
Blu Hummingbird Beadwork
There’s never been a more important time to support local Indigenous businesses, and Blu Hummingbird Beadwork’s pieces will keep you smiling for seasons to come.
24/44
Mary Young
Looking to switch out your sweatpants? Why not try these bike shorts from Mary Young. Made from bamboo rayon, they’re super soft and will see you from your desk to the couch in style. The brand also offers a selection of chic loungewear and lingerie, too.
25/44
Mejuri
Cool girl go-to Mejuri is your one-stop shop for ‘gram-worthy jewels.
26/44
Band of Sisters
Vancouver-based Band of Sisters will make all of your Blair Waldorf headband dreams come true. The handmade pieces are available to order via the brand’s Instagram page – and what better way to add a little polish to your next video call?
27/44
Laughbylafaille
This Montreal-based store sells upcycled clothing crafted from reconstructed fabric meaning your purchase will truly be one of a kind.
28/44
Essentials by Temi
Founded by Temi Shobowale, this Toronto-based beauty brand specializes in face and body scrubs, mists, oils and butters.
29/44
VSP Consignment
Home to luxury brands like Chanel, Celine and Givenchy, VSP Consignment has an incredible offering of luxury and contemporary items available for purchase. The store recently introduced menswear, too.
30/44
Krane
Krane focuses on delivering cool menswear and quality leather accessories, like this briefcase/backpack hybrid. Perfect for when you’re back on the TTC.
31/44
Ela Handbags
Crafted using vegan materials, Ela Handbags are as good for your wardrobe as they are for the environment. You can support the sustainable brand by shopping its e-commerce site.
32/44
Jenny Bird
Loved by celebrities and editors alike, Canadian jewellery label Jenny Bird serves up timeless pieces you’ll reach for again and again.
33/44
Fortnight
Made in Canada, Fortnight delivers beautiful lingerie to help women feel comfortable and confident. Inject your WFH wardrobe with a little luxury with their standout pieces.
34/44
Kotn
Serving up a selection of unisex loungewear made from ethically-sourced materials, Kotn will kit out your WFH wardrobe in style.
35/44
Merchant of York
Deck out your home with travel-inspired pieces to inspire your post-lockdown adventures. Merchant of York has a variety of prints, as well as bags, house plants and homewares, and offers same-day delivery in Toronto.
36/44
bluboho
bluboho is known for its beautifully hand-crafted pieces, made using conflict-free diamonds. You can shop their entire collection via the brand’s online store while you’re at home.
37/44
Detour Coffe Roasters
Detour Coffee Roasters is one of Canada’s original specialty coffee roasters, delivering customers cafe-quality (or better!) coffee at home.
38/44
Smash + Tess
Inject a little fun into your loungewear, courtesy of Smash + Tess. Offering pieces across a range of sizes made using sustainable materials, the Vancouver-designed brand specializes in making sleepwear, stylish.
39/44
Knix
For the days when you’re over wearing pants, pull on these shorts (or any other item) from Knix and you’ll be thanking yourself all day long.
40/44
Suetables
If you’ve been looking to purchase a Meghan Markle-approved piece of jewellery, there’s no better time than now to get your hands on this piece from Canadian jewellery brand Suetables.
41/44
The Detox Market
If you’ve been contemplating switching up your cosmetic and skincare stash to more natural alternatives, The Detox Market has you sorted.
42/44
Ellie Mae
With a focus on craftsmanship and quality materials, Toronto-based Ellie Mae serves up pretty pieces you’ll wear all season long.
43/44
Brunette The Label
Based in Vancouver, Brunette the Label’s mission is to empower women. Known for its slogan sweaters, this one is pretty perfect for right now.
44/44
Monos
Prepare for your post-lockdown travels with Vancouver-based luggage brand Monos. It has a variety of chic pieces on offer, and has long promoted the idea of mindful travel. Right now, it’s offering 35% off for everyone.
This Mongolian beef slow cooks to tender, melt in your mouth perfection. This takes minutes to throw into the crock-pot and has such amazing flavor! One of the best things that you will make in your slow cooker!
If you love restaurant Mongolian Beef, this super easy make at home rendition will make take-out obsolete. For a perfect meal serve over rice with these Egg Rolls and Better Than Take Out Ham Fried Rice.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
Garlic, soy-sauce and brown sugar come together to create a caramelized sauce that coats tender juicy pieces of steak for uncompromising flavor. Slow cooking the beef ensures that it’ll be delicate and succulent. Mongolian Beef is known to be sweet and savory in every bite!
This is hands down one of the BEST things that I have ever made in my slow cooker. EVER. I love having such an easy meal that I can throw in the crock pot in the morning and have a restaurant worthy meal for the family in the evening. This slow cooker Mongolian Beef is one of my go-to recipes.
Mongolian Beef Ingredients:
First of all this is SO easy to make with minimal ingredients. It is simple yet full of so much flavor! It took me less than 5 minutes to throw it in the slow cooker.
Flank Steak: Sirloin can be substituted here but stay away from stew meat.
Corn Starch: This acts as a natural tenderizer for the beef.
Olive Oil: Canola can be used here as well.
Garlic: Minced or chopped will give the most flavor.
Soy Sauce: Low sodium soy sauce can be used here with no compromise to flavor.
Water: This will help make it saucy.
Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar are both great in the sauce.
Carrots: Grate the carrots making sure not to make them too small or they turn to mush.
Green Onions: Optional garnish, but make a stunning topping.
How to Make Mongolian Beef in a Slow Cooker:
The beef literally just melts in your mouth! It cooks so tender in the slow cooker. And then the sauce is incredible. As I was eating this I kept thinking… there is no way that you could make this and not fall in love!
Cut and Coat: Cut the flank steak thinly and across the grain to ensure a tender bite. Place in a ziplock bag with the cornstarch and shake, making sure to coat the beef evenly.
Add ingredients to the Slow Cooker: Mix the oil, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and carrots in the slow cooker.
Coat the Beef: Stir the beef into the slow cooker making sure it’s well coated
Cook: Set on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
Tips and Variations:
Everything about this Mongolian recipe is perfect and I know that it will become a family favorite at your house just like it did at ours!
Chicken or Pork: This recipe is very flexible. You can use Chicken Breasts or Pork Tenderloin. Again cut evenly and thinly.
Veggies: Roast broccoli, green beans or asparagus then stir in at the end before serving over rice to add texture and nutrition.
Instant Pot: This is easily converts to a quick Instant Pot recipe. Saute the steak on high before adding the sauce ingredients and cooking on manual for 10 min. Quick release pressure and enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers:
If you have any leftovers, you can have this 5 star restaurant dish at your table now and again later.
Fridge: Sealed container for up to four days
Freezer: Put leftovers in an air-tight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to 4 months.
Lunch: Break into single servings for a quick warm up in the microwave for lunch.
Beef that slow cooks to tender melt in your mouth perfection. This takes minutes to throw into the crockpot and has such amazing flavor! One of the best things that you will make in your slow cooker!
Cut flank steak into thin strips. In a ziplock bag add flank steak pieces and cornstarch. Shake to coat.
Add olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and carrots to slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir again until coated in the sauce.
Cook in a slow cooker for high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours until cooked throughout and tender. Can serve over rice and garnish with green onions.
Notes
Updated on August 27, 2020Originally Posted on August 17, 2015
Sarah and Katie are regaled by tales from three women runners who participated in races—a 70.3 triathlon, a marathon, and a 10K—this summer during the pandemic. Learn:
-what it feels like to, once again (finally!), push in pursuit of a finish line;
-that “tee times” aren’t just for golf anymore;
-why you might want to practice your bottle-opening skills on training runs;
-what precautions race organizers are (and aren’t) taking to keep participants safe; and,
-the spirit-lifting, optimism-affirming rush of a race.
The host-duo talks school schedules—and the surprising joy of chauffering kids—in the intro. The first guest (Coach Jen Harrison) hops on 12:31.
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From podcast: https://ift.tt/2D3nYYR [00:00:00] Introduction [00:01:34] Podcast Sponsors [00:04:07] Guest Introduction [00:08:13] Interest In Sleep And Neuroscience [00:13:36] What Exactly
We’ve got a lot of time on our hands right now. Here are all the movies and television shows we can’t wait to watch on streaming services in September 2020.
Crave
Coastal Elites
This socially distanced comedic satire features five characters—based either in New York or Los Angeles—as they grapple with the current state of politics and culture in the midst of the pandemic. The film stars Bette Midler, Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson and Issa Rae, each telling a distinct story of their life in lockdown. Available September 12
Unpregnant
Adapted from a young adult novel, this film follows a college-bound 17-year-old who goes on a 1000-mile road trip with her ex-best friend in pursuit of an abortion that she can’t get in her home state without her parents’ permission. The film stars Haley Lu Richardson, Barbie Ferreira, Giancarlo Esposito, Sugar Lyn Beard and Betty Who. Available September 10
The Third Day
This HBO limited series is divided into two parts: “Summer,” starring Jude Law and “Winter,” starring Naomie Harris. Both parts see the lead characters visiting a mysterious island off the British coast where the inhabitants are intent on preserving their home at any cost. Available September 14
We Are Who We Are
Created and directed by Luca Guadagnino, this drama series follows two American teenagers who live on an American military base with their parents in Italy. The 8-episode limited series explores themes like friendship, love and identity, and stars Jack Dylan Grazer, Jordan Kristine Seamón, Chloë Sevigny, Alice Braga and Kid Cudi. Available September 14
The Comey Rule
Based on former FBI Director James Comey’s best-selling book, A Higher Loyalty, this Showtime series offers a behind-the-headlines account of the events surrounding the 2016 presidential election. The miniseries features Jeff Daniels as Comey, Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump, Michael Kelly as Andrew McCabe, Holly Hunter as Sally Yates and Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama. Available September 27
Blood Quantum
Selected as the opening night film of Midnight Madness at TIFF 2019, this horror film centres around an isolated Mi’gmaq community in Quebec that discovers they are the only humans immune to a zombie plague. The Indigenous Canadian stars of the film include Michael Greyeyes, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Brandon Oakes, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs and Gary Farmer. Available September 11
Netflix Canada
Away
This television series follows astronaut Emma Green, played by Hilary Swank, as she sets off on a dangerous three-year mission to Mars with an international crew, leaving her husband (played by Josh Charles) and teenage daughter behind. Available September 4
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Based on a novel by Canadian author Iain Reid, this psychological thriller takes place over the course of a single night, following a woman conflicted about her new relationship as she embarks on a road trip with her boyfriend to visit his parents at a remote farm in the middle of a snowstorm. The film, directed by Charlie Kaufman, stars Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette and David Thewlis. Available September 4
The Duchess
Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan makes her scripted comedy debut with this London-based series, in which she stars as a single mom debating whether to have a second child with her estranged ex, a troubled former boy bander. Available September 11
Ratched
This psychological thriller serves as the origin story of Mildred Ratched, a character from Ken Kesey’s unsettling novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In the late 1940s, Nurse Ratched arrives at a psychiatric hospital in California, where she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system. Sarah Paulson plays the titular character in this series, with co-stars Sharon Stone, Cynthia Nixon, Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Jon Briones. Available September 18
Sneakerheads
A former sneakerhead turned stay-at-home dad finds himself in debt after falling for one of his friend’s get-rich-quick schemes. Desperate to get his money back, he enlists the help of a motley group of fellow shoe lovers on his hunt for the holy grail of sneakers. Available September 25
🚨 NEW SHOW 🚨
Introducing Sneakerheads, our new @Netflix original comedy that takes you on the journey of Devin and Bobby (@kingbach), two friends who are on a global hunt for the grail of all sneaker grails. Out September 25th.
Long Way Up
Starring and executive produced by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, this travel series reunites the best friends (and bike enthusiasts) for another motorbike adventure around the world. Covering 13 countries over 100 days on prototype electric Harley-Davidsons, the two start from the city of Ushuaia in Argentina and journey through South and Central America in their most challenging expedition yet. Available September 18
image courtesy apple tv+
Tehran
From Fauda writer Moshe Zonder, this espionage thriller tells the story of a Mossad agent who goes deep undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran that places her and everyone around her in jeopardy. Apple TV+’s first non-English series, its stars include Niv Sultan, Shaun Toub, Navid Negahban and Liraz Charhi. Available September 25
Sarah and Katie are regaled by tales from three women runners who participated in races—a 70.3 triathlon, a marathon, and a 10K—this summer during the pandemic. Learn:
