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Getting Fit And Other Cool Stuff

I’ve been meaning to write about Alisha Austin Fitness for – oh about six months now.  I’ve been procrastinating about it.  You  ever do that?  Procrastinate?  Perhaps you procrastinate about getting fit?  If you’ve been coming up with 101 reasons for not going to the gym or going for a jog or doing whatever DVD you have in your basement, you should get to know Alisha.  You might already know her.  If your kid has ever had their face magically transformed with face paint at the East Lynn Market, you’ve probably met the wonderful, talented, totally down-to-earth, Alisha Austin.

Aside from being a fabulous DECA volunteer, Alisha is also a personal trainer – but she’s no uber-pumped, intimidating iron-woman.  She’s a mom who knows what an unused gym membership looks like.  She’s not all judgmental about it.  But she can get your butt into gear.  If you’ve ever thought about a private personal trainer – you won’t find a better price than this.  And nothing will get you started like a few private sessions.  If that’s not your thing, there are other boot camp options to choose from.  The least you can do is check out the website.

Anyway – I stopped procrastinating and you can too.

Yoga

If that’s not your thing, you might try a little yoga with another DECA member,  Amanda, on Monday evenings or Friday mornings (before work) in a home-based studio on King Edward (one block east of Woodbine.)  For more contact her at simplybyamanda77@gmail.com

Honest Earl’s Bargain Basement Sale

This sale at Earl Beatty School (55 Woodington Ave – one block east of Coxwell, two blocks north of Danforth) offers gently used clothing for children and infants.  There is outerwear, sportswear and everydaywear.  The sale supports the schools eco team.  There will also be a 50/50 draw and delectable baked goods along with coffee and tea. Saturday, April 17th – 9 – 1 p.m.

Bike Sauce Fundrasier

I told you about Bike Sauce a few weeks ago.  Now they’re having a grand opening and fundraiser to get the wheels rolling.  Bike Sauce will officially open on April 17th at 717 Queen Street East (at Broadview) and they’re having a fundraiser on April 9th at Blue Moon at 725 Queen St. East.  Check out the website for more info.

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Danforth Gem – Celena’s Bakery

By Gillian Grace

So fresh-pastry-starved was Danforth East, that I suspect we would have been grateful for any bakery. But Celena’s, which is having its grand opening this weekend, is not just any bakery — it’s a really good one. A worthy croissant can be hard to find in Toronto, but theirs is rich and buttery; the chocolate croissant (available only on weekends) is the decadent, Parisian ideal.

As any specs-wearing customer can attest, everything is made fresh daily, in house (to arrive on a Saturday morning is to experience temporary, albeit fragrant, blindness as your glasses fog up from the baking). An open plan kitchen lets you see the fresh loafs as they’re brought out from the oven. The interior is laid out for perfect sunny morning lolling, with lots of space for strollers and a wheelchair-accessible washroom.

It’s run by husband-and-wife team Celena and Richard, who met at the culinary management program at George Brown. Running a bakery of her own has been Celena’s dream since she was 16, and, when the couple started to get serious about their business plan, friends urged them to open in the neighbourhood. The two spent four months gut-renovating a former framing store, and soft-opened February 6th. Most mornings, they’re in the store kneading and mixing by 4:45 a.m.

So far, the whole wheat bread (baked in a tin to lend it the shape and height of a traditional sandwich loaf) is one of their more popular items, as is a roasted garlic sourdough (try it for an extra-tangy grilled cheese). Celena and Richard make all their own preserves, which they use to make the filling for their Danishes. Also much adored are their scones, which come in three kinds, blueberry-chocolate, strawberry and cheese. Place a special order for birthday cakes and larger numbers of cupcakes; individual cupcakes and smaller gâteaux are up for grabs in the fridge.

Up next? Celena’s is hoping to introduce meat and chicken pot pies, joining other savoury offerings such as a daily soup and pizza, as well as espresso, lattes and cappuccinos.

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M Cubed and Sam

If you read this blog regularly, you know at least a little bit about Mary Margaret McMahon. She’s a tireless advocate for our neighbourhood and our planet.  And today she’s on the front page of the Toronto Star. Speaking of the Star; Joe Fiorito wrote this little piece about the demise of the post office at Coxwell and Danforth this week.

Danforth Gem – Sam’s Hairstyling

Diana, one of our Farmers’ Market team sent along this recommendation for local kid hair cuts.

“There are actually 3 “Sam’s” between Monarch Park and Woodbine, but the one I go to is located beside Quattro Regazze.  Sam is a Sicilian barber, and he even has a little seat for kids to get their haircut.  My son’s haircuts are amazing.  Sam is fast (under 10 mins), precise, and has enough skill to do the job without using the scary buzzer.  My advice is to not go on a Saturday morning as the place is hopping with locals waiting to get a trim.  Daddy gets his do done there too–it’s usuaslly a dad and son morning out followeded by spaghetti at Quattro Regazze.”

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Danforth Gems

Many thanks to Ciara for these short and sweet Danforth Gems…

Dr. David Jeong (Family Dentist) has moved to 2107 Danforth Road on the south side of Danforth (416-696-1800). The team led by Adele at reception is very welcoming. The decorated office is warm, inviting with wonderful tones of mauve and soft green. Both my children and I have been going to Dr. Jeong for the past year and are thrilled our dentist has stayed in our neighbourhood.

Pavilion Pastries (Main Street just north of Danforth beside Main subway station) is a delight. There is a spectacular interior and exposed brick (which I envy) and a very pleasant environment.  There are homemade soups, great coffee and lukamattis (honey balls) just to name a few of the delicious offerings. The welcome from the staff is superb and the menu is excellent value.

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Danforth Gem – The Wool Mill

If you’re new to DECA Diaries, Danforth Gems are the great shops on our stretch of the Danforth that you may not have yet uncovered.  Thanks so much to Gillian Grace for this installment about the The Wool Mill, east of Woodbine on Danforth.

Forget the Leafs—if Toronto wants a pastime at which it can really shine, try knitting. The city is known for its way with wool, even earning a special shout-out from Vogue Knitting for T.O.’s “unusual number of excellent yarn stores.” Danforth East is lucky enough to have one of those shops within walking distance. The oldest wool store in Toronto, the Wool Mill has been on Danforth just east of Woodbine for the past 17 years (current owner Wendy Mortimer used to buy yarn there as a child).

The Wool Mill stocks everything from the classics—Canadian-processed merinos from Mission Falls—and summery cottons to bamboo mixes and super-soft balls made from a mix of possum yarn and wool. As with food, Mortimer says, people are becoming more conscious of how the wool they use is produced; organic yarns with low-impact dyes are increasingly popular, as is fair trade. Buy a skein of Mirasol yarn, and you’ll be helping fund the construction of a centre for the children of alpaca shepherds in the Peruvian Andes.

Mortimer, an expert knitter, can advise on everything from the history of the craft to the best knitting podcasts. Her needlework has appeared in more than 100 movies, including a recreation of Martha Stewart’s get-out-of-jail poncho for Cybill Shepherd; the coat, booties and hat for Nicole Kidman’s dog in To Die For; and Hilary Swank’s high-flying knitwear in Amelia. Her toughest project was a sweater for Simon Birch, which was supposed to look “really bad;” it kept getting returned with instructions to “make it look worse.”

Mortimer—who started knitting for a Brownies badge, and says she’s knit “pretty much everything you can possibly think of” and made “every mistake in the book”—is also a (very) patient teacher. She can quickly decipher patterns that look more like a WWII-era code than a template for a sweater and get even the most tangled, dropped-stitch-laden projects back on track. A beginner’s class, starting in January, will have newbies knitting and purling a hat or an outfit for a baby; other regular week-night classes cater to more experienced knitters.

Most popular, especially around the holidays, are small, quickly completed projects such as socks, mittens, hats and wristers. But it’s not just a way to make impressive gifts—there’s something incredibly soothing about the act of wrapping the yarn, pulling it through, and repeating. “Knitting,” says Mortimer, “is like a meditation. It allows the body to keep itself busy so the mind can become more still.”

The Wool Mill – 2170 Danforth Ave. 416-696-2670

Hours: Mon – Fri 10:30 – 6, Sat 10:30 – 5

Gillian Grace is a freelance writer and editor.