A couple of years ago I had come across a restaurant called Copacabana Brazilian Steakhouse.

The restaurant is located on Eglinton Avenue East in Toronto, and since that time they have opened up in Niagara Falls, and earlier this year on Adelaide Street East near John Street.

Whether you are a vegetarian or the ultimate meat lover, this all-you-can-eat restaurant cooks up something for everybody. How does it work? The servers frequently come to your table carrying large meat trays and if you want a piece, they will cut thin tasteful slices off for you. There are over 20 meats to chose from including parmesan prime rib, garlic sirloin steak, rack of lamb, salmon, and BBQ chicken. In addition to this, the buffet menu options include salads, breads, pastas, mussels, deli meats, cheeses, and various vegetables. Finally, for dessert there is grilled pineapple and deep fried bananas, both of which are very tasty and the perfect end to a great meal.

The moment you step in you will notice the upbeat atmosphere. The live Latin-themed music will get your groove on while you set your eyes on some talented Brazilian dancers. You can expect an energetic 10-15 minutes show of magnificent dance routines and outstanding costumes during each dinner sitting, followed by the opportunity to take some photos.

The staff are very attentive to your requests and while I was initially concerned whether it is truly a family friendly place, they are extremely good with children.

Adults pay $45.00 each and the price for children varies depending on their age. I personally recommend making a reservation well in advance, but they also have first come first service tables.

The all you can eat meal, live entertainment, and excellent service is a perfect combination. Just don’t forget to come with your appetite!

Recently, I had a great experience with Microsoft, which I wanted to share with everyone.

Presently, I am working on a project which involves another company, another website, and Microsoft Outlook managed email. This not an email address that I use very often, so sure enough I had an issue where I forgot the password. The way Microsoft works when attempting to retrieve your password is all processed automatically, so I had to reply to an email with answers to their questions, in order to verify that the account belonged to me.  At some point, a representative would look at the information I provide, and decide whether this account had belonged to me, or whether it is just a spam.

Since I didn’t use the email too often, I didn’t have the information the automatic emails were requesting, and started to worry about gaining access to the accounts.  In a last ditch attempt to get the work back on track, I decided to call Microsoft Canada, directly, to see if they could assist me over the phone.  Surprisingly, I managed to connect to a real, live voice at the head office switchboard.  The fellow who answered the phone was pleasant to deal with, and after I explained my challenge, he connected me to someone else, who he felt could assist me.  Since this was not successful, I returned to the switchboard, at which time, he took some details about my situation, and indicated that he would have someone contact me as soon as possible.  Within a day, someone had emailed me back, asked me a few questions about my account, and a day later I was back, up and running, with access to my email.  The very next day this same employee managed to get me access to a second email address.

For a large company, that is technology focused, Microsoft was a pleasure to work with.  Unlike many other websites, and tech companies, that only seem communicate with their customers, online, it was nice to receive that one on one customer interaction, over the phone, rather than dealing with a crisis situation through an automated voice recording  or email.  They provided great customer service and delivered results quickly and effectively during a stressful time.  It is truly reassuring to know that a large company, such as Microsoft, is available, accessible and truly willing to help out when a customer is in need.

Even before SQM was founded, 21 years ago, both co-founders, David Lipton, and Craig Henry, were actively involved in supporting a variety of charities and charitable causes.

One of their long standing charitable initiatives dates back, over 15 years, when they moved their office into the Don Mills and York Mills area in Toronto.  At that time, both co-founders and the SQM staff, teamed up to start a holiday toy drive, by collecting items from neighbouring offices, and distributing them to various organizations.

After six years of donating toys to children, they realized there was a need to help a local teen and women’s shelter, so they began collecting other items, including movie tickets, board games, beauty supplies, and hair products.

In more recent times, SQM has become involved with an organization called Ve’ahavta. They are a Canadian Humanitarian and Relief Organization that is on a mission to reduce the negative impact of poverty on health and to make a difference in local communities.  One of Ve’ahavta’s initiatives is the van outreach program called The Mobile Jewish Response to the Homeless (MJRH), where they deliver food as well as thousands of new T-shirts, jackets, socks and TTC tokens to the homeless.  In addition to collecting food and clothing, staff from SQM, and other local groups volunteer to spend an evening on the van, assisting in distributing items and supporting the homeless in a variety of ways.  As David Lipton, said, “this is an eye-opening experience, and you see the city in a different light”.

As a result of their involvement with Ve’ahavta, David learned that one item which is always in need, but often overlooked, is socks.  Socks are a valuable and precious part of our every day wardrobe, but supporters often focus their attention on donating warm weather clothes, such as toques, gloves, and coats.

To assist Ve’ahavta in their efforts, like last year, SQM is holding a Holiday Sock Drive.

For those that would like to participate, we ask that you:

1.  Send new and unwrapped pairs of socks, to our office
or
2.  Send us retail gift cards, which we will use to purchase new pairs of socks

SQM staff will take care of the rest of the work, packing and shipping the items off to a fantastic and hard working charity.

Socks and gift cards can be sent to:

Sensors Quality Management Inc. (SQM)
156 Duncan Mill Road, Unit 19
Toronto, ON  M3B 3N2

If you have any questions, or require additional information, please feel free to call us at 416-444-4491.

Together we can make a difference in our community!

As you all know, I’m a bit of a foodie. While I often lead you to my favorite places to eat, I wanted to take a different approach today and send you to a little bakery- not to support my addiction to sweets, but to support One Tough Cookie Fund, and one brave little girl.

A very dear friend of one of our SQMer’s is currently fighting a battle. Their 9 year old daughter, Jessica, has a brain tumor and she is courageously fighting her battle every day. I have a 9 year old daughter myself, and I cannot imagine what this little girl, or her family, are going through. Despite this unfortunate situation, Jessica remains brave and her doctors have called her a “tough cookie”, which paved the way to the name of her fund that is supporting Brain Tumor Research.

The One Tough Cookie Fund in support of Brain Tumor Research is currently being fueled by the Petal Dust Bakery on Bathurst. Laurie Waldman, the owner of the Petal Dust Bakery, has been gracious enough to sell cookies all through the month of November. They’re beautifully decorated, and absolutely delicious! Trust me, I’ve tried a few of them. These delectable cookies are only $3 and 50% of each sale is donated to the One Tough Cookie Fund! I feel a little less guilty for scarfing down a few cookies knowing that they were going towards a great cause!

If you would like to contribute to Jessica’s One Tough Cookie Fund in support of Brain Tumor Research, visit the Petal Dust Bakery on 9301 Bathurst Street in Richmond Hill. But wait! Before you make the trip to RIchmond Hill, Laurie Waldman advises that you call ahead of time to see if they have the cookies in stock since they are selling out fast!

So what are you waiting for?! Head to the Petal Dust Bakery to get One Tough Cookie… or maybe a few 🙂 Support the cause and let’s help Jessica in her fight against brain tumors!

Petal Dust Bakery

9301 Bathurst Street

Richmond Hill, Ontario

L4C 9S2

905-237-6233

info@petaldustbakeshop.com