This was my third time participating in Downtown Halifax's Big Day Downtown event, and each time I've done it, there's been a new twist. At this year's launch event at Noble, participating bloggers drew three "experience" cards and were asked to plan a day based on those experiences. We were then given $150 prepaid Visa cards to complete our tasks. The cards I chose were cheerful, authentic, and refreshing.

I can't think of anything more refreshing than a spa visit, and I was badly in need of some TLC, so my first order of business was to book a massage at Spirit Spa. I scheduled my appointment for the end of my last work day before vacation, and what a way to transition into holiday mode! By the end of my hour-long massage I was feeling totally relaxed and refreshed. It was my first visit to Spirit Spa and I will absolutely be back.

When it comes to things that make me cheerful, an afternoon of shopping downtown is high on my list. Even if I'm not buying anything, there's something nice about taking some time to browse through racks of pretty things. I visited J&R Grimsmo for the first time and oohed and aahed over the perfect grey sweater dress before continuing to Biscuit, probably my favourite shop downtown, and discovering that all their summer clothing was on sale - 30-60% off. That only upped my cheer quotient. I ended up choosing two new tops for fall, mostly because I couldn't decide between the 500 dresses I picked out. One of the designers, Against Nudity, is from Montreal so it's nice to be able to support Canadian talent as well.


Downtown Halifax is busting with authentic experiences so I debated my next location pretty carefully. My sweet tooth took over, and I headed for the waterfront, winding up at Sugah! While they may be best known for their hand-paddled ice cream, Sugah! has a fabulous selection of locally-made chocolate bars, which are my weakness. Chocolate with sea salt, chocolate with chili peppers, chocolate with wasabi - eating chocolate with things added to it is probably my number one hobby. I was tempted to try a chocolate bar with seaweed...



...but ended up choosing this guy instead, which I devoured on a bench outside the shop people-watching in the evening.



As far as truly authentic downtown Halifax experiences go, taking in the sights and sounds of the waterfront is right up there, and it was the perfect way to relax and unwind. Sitting on a bench watching boats in the harbour and feeling the warm breeze was an ideal combination of refreshing, cheerful, and authentic! And best of all - FREE!



Thanks, Downtown Halifax for inviting me to take part in this year's Big Day Downtown!