About a year ago, my wife purchased two relatively expensive, high-quality, cheese graters from Microplane…a manufacturer that sells a wide variety of kitchen tools. Shortly after purchase, the box grater broke. More recently, the hand grater broke, much to her dismay.
Understandably so, my wife was a little bit upset. Given the cost of the product, she expected it to last much longer than a year or so. After licking her wounds, she went onto the company website and reached out to them via email.
Her email simply asked if there was anything that could be done about her broken cheese grater, and despite sending the message right around the holidays, she was surprised when they responded almost immediately. The employee indicated that they were out of the office for the holidays, but wanted to get back to her quickly. The employee asked if my wife could send a photo of the broken items so that she makes sure she is replacing the correct product, and that she would take care of it upon her return from vacation.
By the end of the first week in January, my wife had replacements for both graters. Not only, did they send brand new replacements, but the box grater was upgraded to their newest model!
Based on this experience, it is clear that Microplane stands behind its products. They truly value their customers and provide fast, friendly customer service. Finally, they certainly exceeded my wife’s expectations, both in terms of getting back to her over the holiday season and by sending more than just the replacement product.
If you’re ever in the need of quality kitchenware backed by a great company, consider Microplane and “Make your cheese GRATE again!”
Microplane
956-777-5272
www.microplane.com
With the upcoming Family Day weekend, many people in Ontario are looking for something fun to do on one or more of the days of the long weekend.
Whether you’re in the Toronto area, outside of the GTA, or looking to travel elsewhere, there are a ton of places to go and things to do:
Great Wolf Lodge – Although some find it expensive, I know a lot of people like going to the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls. What better way to spend the weekend than right down at the falls, enjoying the view and making a splash? It’s perfect for people of all ages…after all, who doesn’t enjoy a good waterpark? Alternatively, there’s the Fallsview waterpark in Niagara Falls! Whichever you choose, book early! There is a good chance are that both of these options will be busy on weekends… especially the long weekend.
Rochester, New York – I absolutely love visiting Rochester. They have an amazing outlet mall, and depending on what time of year you go they have a fantastic hockey team or Triple-A baseball team. There’s a great waterpark, lots of restaurants, an amazing children’s museum (Strong Museum of Play) and the George Eastman Museum dedicated to photography and film. I like staying at the Hyatt because there’s an indoor pool, and if it’s a weekend, generally the rate is a bit lower.
Deerhurst Resort – You could always escape to a northern resort like Deerhurst in Muskoka, where they have skating, fat biking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. They also accommodate kids, of course. To truly enjoy the winter wonderland that is northern Ontario, I suggest you and your family head up to Muskoka!
Snow Valley – I’ve written about this place before, after visiting it for an afternoon of snow tubing. While I personally had a great time tubing, you can also try your hand at skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing. There are smaller hills for kids and those who are just starting out, as well as lessons for first-timers. Snow Valley has a small chalet where you can warm yourselves up by the fire and grab something to eat before hitting the slopes.
Skating Rinks – There are many skating rinks across the province…both indoor and outdoor. Here in Toronto, there’s a new outdoor skating trail that runs under the Gardner Expressway around June Callwood Park to the east of the Fort York Visitor’s Centre. Unlike your typical skating rink, this is a trail, where skaters can skate between the pillars that hold up the highway, so it’s a little different than skating in circles. They also have regular entertainment throughout the week, if you want to take a break from the blades.
Indoor Activities – If you don’t want to be outside, there are lots of indoor swimming pools that are heated! In addition, if indoor activities are more your forte, go to an art gallery or museum. Have you tried trampolining? Hit up your nearest SkyZone and watch the kids have a blast, while you get in a great workout! I would also suggest Ripley’s Aquarium, where you can explore the deep sea while staying dry at the same time. That said, be forewarned that there are usually long lines at the aquarium during the weekend or on holidays.
Whatever you choose to do, have a safe and enjoyable Family Day weekend!
As always, the holiday week between Christmas and New Years’ was filled with lots and lots of family activities, eating, going out, and just generally having fun. One activity that I always look forward to is catching up on the long list of movies that I never seem to get around to. This includes older movies that I never managed to see and of course, hitting the theatre and seeing the new releases.
As part of this year’s movie going activities, I checked out a new theatre that I learned about, from of all people…my daughter.
For many years, there’s been a movie theatre at the Promenade mall…known as Rainbow Theatres. The facility has recently been re-branded as Imagine Cinemas, and renovated….for the better!
All the seats are now very wide recliners, lazy boy style, which allow you to lean back, with the front popping up so that you can put your feet up, as well. The seats also have cup holders for your drinks and plenty of space for you to lounge in. All the old seats have been replaced with these new ones, so each theatre now only has about 40 seats. You get way more privacy, space and to top it off, it’s super comfortable to watch a movie.
In addition to the comfy seats, the tickets there are also less expensive than other theatres, with children costing $8.00 and adult tickets costing $11.00. The concession snacks are also a little less expensive than other theatres.
Finally, I found the employees to all be super friendly, polite, and professional. During my visit, they were always cleaning, restocking, and hustling around.
Overall, my first visit was an excellent experience, and the movie (Coco – if you haven’t seen it, run to your nearest Imagine Cinemas!) was great as well.
I highly recommend checking out the theatre for a reasonably priced outing and a comfy movie experience!
Imagine Cinemas
Promenade Mall
905-886-7464
https://imaginecinemas.com
