Hardcore Circuit Classes Are The Bomb

/5 Comments/in , , , , /by
Top level circuit classes are a solid alternative to personal training.

Running ShoesFIT FOR LESS | Anyone addicted to personal training can rattle off the benefits: great personal trainers keep you motivated and driving hard toward a level of fitness that always feels just out of reach; PTs teach proper strength training techniques, then push you like you would never push yourself to perform exercises correctly and with intent; ongoing work with a trainer means your abs will ripple but your tush will not (or not much anyway), that whatever health conditions, body image issues or training goals brought you there in the first place will be studiously addressed. So personal training is a good thing, and if you have been doing it, you probably don’t want to stop even when it starts to feel like the black dog of recession is nipping at your wallet. Read more

Fashionistas & Stylistas Will Want To Act Quick

/0 Comments/in /by

THE TURN ON : Frugalbits readers already know we feel the love for JNBY, the Chinese clothing label we wrote about here last Monday. We love the originality of their designs and the fact British Columbia was the first JNBY location in North America, and that we have the only JNBY stores in Canada.

WHAT’S THE DEAL: When we dropped by JNBY late last week we were excited to learn that all regularly priced merchandise (basically their summer collection) is 25 percent off, and select items are 50 to 70 percent off. This includes some interesting shoes, handbags and straps (their word for belts).

WHY WE’RE EXCITED: What can we say, it’s JNBY, good value for the quality any time. The sale is just a bonus.

HOW LONG WILL THE PLEASURE LAST: This sale lasts through the end of the month, July 31.

WHERE’S THE F SPOT: All three JNBY locations: 2201 West 4th Avenue, 2623 South Granville Street and Metropolis at Metrotown. To view the summer collection, visit www.jnbynyc.com
–

Robert Fung’s Fave Gastown Haunts

/0 Comments/in , /by
With his eye for design and authenticity, heritage developer Robert Fung is our man on the ground in Gastown.

Robert FungDubbed “the poster child of heritage” by Heritage Vancouver president Donald Luxton, Vancouver developer Robert Fung is dedicated to revitalizing not only the buildings of Gastown but also the neighbourhood itself. Design-conscious but not snobby, Robert believes that historic environments and modernism are not mutually exclusive concepts. His company, The Salient Group, has won numerous heritage awards and recently received a prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s medal for architecture for the refurbished Garage, Terminus and Alhambra buildings, eliciting comments like “This is what architecture is meant to be.” Robert knows Gastown inside out and is actively involved in the daily life of the community. With his eye for design and authenticity, he’s our man on the ground in Gastown.

7 free, cheap or worth it things to see, do or buy in Gastown

Read more

Half Price—And More Than Worth It!

/0 Comments/in /by

THE TURN ON: High-style solid rosewood furniture for wholesale prices.

WHAT’S THE DEAL: The sign says Closing Out Sale but this is really a pop-up store, where the merchant keeps overhead low by taking a space on a short-term lease. Once the lease ends, the sale really will be over—at least in this location.

WHY WE ARE EXCITED: Simple, clean-lined rosewood pieces ranging from coffee tables and consoles to beds and buffets would shine in any décor; traditional Indian styles are also available. All are made in Rajasthan of Indian rosewood, aka sheesham, harvested from a plantation in the Punjab. A 39-inch-square Parsons-style coffee table is $495, a Shaker-style buffet $950.

HOW LONG WILL THE PLEASURE LAST: As long as there’s stock up to the end of August.

WHERE’S THE F SPOT: In a former car dealership at 1177 Marine Drive (between Pemberton and Lloyd) in North Vancouver. Open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. To check out the furniture or keep an eye out for future sales, visit www.exoticrosewood.com.

—Submitted by Rosa Woods

Brighten Up: Our Fave Under-Eye Concealers

/2 Comments/in , , , , , , /by
“Help! What can I use to hide these dark circles under my eyes?”

Smashbox faceThis is by far the most frequently asked question I have encountered in my career in cosmetics. Dark under-eye circles can surface for a number of reasons —lack of sleep, stress, poor diet/nutrition—and for some of us they are hereditary. There are many treatments we can use to keep the darkness at bay such as eye creams and serums, as well as facial massage and even the classic cool cucumber slices.

Lucky for us, there are some excellent concealing products on the market, so regardless of our budget, we can look fresh and ready for whatever life brings. For best results, I highly recommend using eye treatments in conjunction with make-up solutions. Bright, well-rested eyes are always in style. Read more

Bagging Fashion Trophies in Portland, Oregon

/4 Comments/in /by
Bagging some serious fashion trophies at a Portland, Oregon, thrift shop.

Tod's loafers C. PhaisalakaniSAVE ON CHIC | Stuff like this never happens to me, so when it finally did I was gobsmacked—though I shouldn’t have been, because my former sister-in-law Ruth, a Portland attorney with a sharp mind and a gimlet eye for bargains, had been telling me for years that Portland’s Goodwill thrift stores were awesome places to find top brand apparel. Read more

Hey Urban Farmers, Here’s Something To Speed Your Plow

/0 Comments/in /by

THE TURN ON: With raising your own food the latest rage, community gardens are a growing craze. Vancouver’s first-ever community garden was started in Strathcona in 1985—and tomorrow Strathcona Community Garden will be open to the public along with Cottonwood Community Garden across the park.

WHAT’S THE DEAL: Free gardening workshops all day for adults and kids as well as a legendary plant sale with hundreds of annuals and perennials that the gardens are almost giving away they are so cheap.

WHY WE ARE EXCITED: Professionals and local experts will be running the FREE workshops including Keeping Backyard Chickens, Winter Gardening, Bee-Keeping, Mushroom Growing, Composting and more! Besides being interesting and informative, there will also be activities for kids that run at the same time so everyone wins on this fun and free family outing.

HOW LONG WILL THE PLEASURE LAST: One day only, tomorrow, Sunday July 11th between 10am and 2pm, but show-up early if you want to get your hands on hundreds of unique plants at bargain basement prices. The plant sale is one of this event’s main acts.

WHERE’S THE F SPOT: Both Strathcona and Cottonwood community gardens border Strathcona Park, on Prior between Raymur and Hawks Ave. For workshop schedules visit the gardens’ websites: cottonwoodcommunitygardens.ca and strathconagardens.ca

—Submitted by N. Irvine

Eat, Read, Swim—Ms. McIntosh Does YVR

/0 Comments/in , /by
Culinary personality Barbara-jo McIntosh shares her favourite “free, cheap or worth it” things to see, do or buy in Vancouver.

Barbara-jo McIntoshThe owner of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, Barbara-jo McIntosh has served on the prestigious James Beard Awards cookbook selection committee and received a Vancouver magazine lifetime achievement award for her many contributions to the local culinary scene.  McIntosh reveals a softer side in her recently published third book, Cooking for Me and Sometimes You: A Parisienne Romance with Recipes. It’s a tale of  “cooking with tenderness in Paris,” says fellow food writer Mia Stainsby in The Vancouver Sun, who thinks its sweet words and delightful recipes will inspire readers to cook more mindfully—and with love. Read more

Where Loyalties Lie: Plastic That Pays You

/1 Comment/in /by
Some frequent-shopper cards really do make good sense to collect.

Loyalty cardsFREE IS GOOD | While instant gratification is awesome, loyalty cards reward you for sticking it out. Some just make you wait longer than others. And now Shopper’s Drug Mart is making Shopper’s Drug Mart Optimum members wait even longer. As of July 1st, it takes more points—and more purchasing—to get free stuff. Optimum members have been up in arms, and initially I was indignant too since I had just hit the highest level of 75,000 points. Read more

Shell Busey’s Got Home Maintenance Solutions

/1 Comment/in , /by
Want to conserve water, obliterate ants and pesky weeds? Vancouver’s home improvement expert Shell Busey explores maintenance on the cheap side.

Shell BuseyShell Busey, host of the Home Discovery Radio Program broadcast on the Corus Radio Network throughout Western Canada, is one of Canada’s best known experts on home improvement. Shell also leads the HouseSmart Home Services Referral Network, a free service he created to help homeowners find qualified and reliable tradespeople, suppliers and products for their home improvement projects. For more information visit thehousesmart.com. Read more