Fall trees in Montreal

T Riman

Things to do in Montréal in Winter

Christmas treePhoto by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Disclaimer: Always Stay Safe. And if you are in the red zones, always stay at home and follow the federal and provincial regulation.

Montreal Winter Activities for 2021

Things to do in Montréal in winter 2021

Winter can be tough for some of us but we are here to try and make it a little better! Under normal circumstances, we would recommend a plethora of different activities and festivals to visit and participate in but with covid, there is just so much uncertainty and we will work with what is available this year. However, we have compiled a shortlist for you to make this holiday season an even more special and memorable one! 

This is MontrealTips’ Top 5 Winter Attractions 2020/2021:

  1. Our first option on the list is to visit Mount Royal Park during a nice snowfall. We can at least guarantee this to be available during the wintertime so it is a great place to start. Try and pick a day where it isn’t too cold and really take in the simplicity of it all. Visiting Mount Royal Park easily embodies Montreal’s winter scenery at its finest. It is a great time to spend with family and friends and a great area to bring your dogs for an adventure! The park also has regular walking trails as well as snowshoe trails and of course ice skating for all those interested
  1. Something I was truly worried about is returning this year and that’s Montreal’s, Christmas Market! Located just on the outskirts of Atwater Market, the Christmas market is open every weekend from November 26th to December 20th. It is currently the 5th year they do this and have always had a great time. As the name would suggest, the market offers visitors a chance to discover talented local artisans and their products all bundle up in a very Christmasy experience. It is a great way to help encourage local talent and to make new friends! Visiting the market is also free but like with a lot of things there are efforts to respect covid rules and that includes a capacity limit so make sure you get there early!
  1. For the first time ever, Montreal will actually be host to not one but two Christmas markets! This time the new one will be held at the Jean-Talon Market and available from December 4th to December 23rd. The market offers visitors “to make gastronomic discoveries and enjoy local crafts”. One of the aisles will also be occupied by small wooden cottages that offer warm-up spots and other comforting products like hot chocolate and churros. Like the Atwater Christmas market, it is a relaxing way to spend a weekend with friends and family during this holiday season.
  2. A classic amongst most Montrealers and tourists is visiting the Old Port during the holiday season. It’s equally as magical of a place as the Christmas villages but really shows off Montreal to its core. The decorations, the sights, the smells are all a part of the experience. While restaurants and bars won’t be able to fill that void this season, it is still worthwhile to take a stroll around the Old Port for a relaxing time and an extra excuse to get in those extra steps to walk off that extra covid weight! 
  1. With the Christmas villages up and running, their cousin, Montreal’s Winter Gardens is also alive and well this year. At Place des Arts,  after spending time shopping, take a trip down to The Winter Gardens and take in the sights and sounds of the holidays. The gardens promise an enchanting evening which will make your next winter memories a memorable one. Walk around and take in the sights and really bask in the holiday spirit by visiting the Winter Gardens this year! Starting from December 5th until January 3rd, 2021 and considered “a little treasure hidden in the heart of the Quartier des spectacles”, which really brings out the Christmas spirit in all of us. 

And there you have it. MontrealTips’ Top 5 Winter Attractions, we hope you have the chance to support the local talent and have a great time visiting them and want to wish everybody happy holidays!

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T Riman
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Best Home Office Coffee Machines

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Looking for a good coffee maker for your home office?

What are the Best Coffee Machines for your home office?

– The Illy X7.1
– Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee Machine
– SharkNinja Hot and Cold Brew System
– KRUPS Grind
– Classic Bialetti Moka Pot

With coffee being the lifeblood of so many offices it has come to our attention that quite a few of us are now missing that great machine that some of our offices used to have. With most of us working from home now, we understand how this has put a damper on all of our coffee dreams. Fear not, as with all things lately we must be prepared to adapt to change and bringing the office home is no exception. We understand that different people enjoy different types of coffee but we did our best to get you something that works for you. We have committed time and effort to our research and personal experiences to come up with a list of great coffee machines that would complete your home office situation and have you starting your day off right.

1. The Illy X7.1

The Illy X7.1: The Illy X7.1 is one of the sharpest looking machines on our list while still delivering a full bodied espresso with every cup. The machine is compact with easy to use features and a Pannarello steam wand that easily froths milk for cappuccinos and lattes. No matter how you like to start your days the Illy X7.1 is a safe bet for a consistently great coffee. (~$325 CAD)

The Illy X7.1 coffee machine for the home office

(Source: Amazon.ca)

2. Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee Machine

For all of you who love the capsule/pod machines we’ve got you covered. There are a lot to choose from but the Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee Machine really fits the bill in terms of having a home office friendly machine. It is small and compact which makes it a fantastic space saver to easily fit where you need it. It also requires almost zero effort to make and it will consistently make a coffee you are familiar with. Better yet, with the pods, you can mix things up depending on what you feel for on a daily basis. (~ $179 CAD)

Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee Machine coffee machine for the home office

(Source: Amazon.ca)

3. SharkNinja Hot and Cold Brew System

Easily the most versatile coffee maker on our list the SharkNinja Hot and Cold Brew System really offers a wide array of coffee and tea options. It has 6 different brew sizes and as the name suggests it can do excellent hot or cold brewed coffee and tea. The machine has separate baskets for tea and coffee, a frother and has the ability to make specialty drinks making it incredibly versatile and able to cure any of your different cravings.(~ $257 CAD)

SharkNinja Hot and Cold Brew System

(Source: Amazon.ca)

4. KRUPS Grind

If you’re looking for something with a coffee grinder built-in, then the KRUPS Grind and Brew Coffee Maker is your best bet. This machine makes freshly ground coffee that really gets you the freshest tasting coffee possible. Filtered coffee has that tendency of being just right but imagine having even more flavour come through because of the ground beans. It also has a 10 cup capacity and comes with a brew strength selector for those who like to customize their coffee. It also has easy maintenance and a great filter that’s easy to clean making this a very good all-around coffee maker. (~$244 CAD)

KRUPS Grind coffee machine

(Source: Amazon.ca)

5. Classic Bialetti Moka Pot

Nothing reminds me more of Sunday mornings at my nonnas than the classic Bialetti Moka Pot. A Italian household staple, this little handy machine is a personal favorite of mine. It is designed to make espresso as the name would suggest but is actually very easy to use and will produce a good coffee every time. It is meant to be used on stove tops but will work on electric stoves just fine. Its ease of use yet still provides a robust flavor with every cup. Pro tip: If you have extra, pour the leftovers in a glass bottle and seal it in the fridge for some iced espresso the following days. (Dont let it sit for too long however!) (~$40 CAD)

Classic Bialetti Moka Pot

(Source Amazon.ca)

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Disclaimer: The article include amazon affiliate links, linking to amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Articles is based on personal research and experiences.

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T Riman

Reclaiming Access To Your Car’s Data With Vehicle Mind | Startup Feature

VEHICLE MIND: ACCESSING YOUR CAR’S DATA

Montreal Tips is proud to present this week’s new feature, Vehicle Mind!

 

We love promoting Montreal-based businesses and Vehicle Mind is exactly that and more. Have you ever wondered if it was possible to see your car’s stats as you would in a video game or like in a James Bond movie? Well, the technology allowing you to do that not only exists but it was developed in our own backyard, so to speak. Based in Montreal and co-founded by local entrepreneur Abhay Ghatpande, Vehicle Mind aims to forever transform how you maintain your car.

VEHICLE MIND APP on mobile

https://vehiclemind.com/



Vehicle Mind has developed a connected device which plugs into your car’s OBD port (the car’s “computer”) and unlocks key information about your vehicle’s health through an app, effectively bridging the current data gap between car owners and their car. 

At its core, Vehicle Mind offers drivers access to their car’s data—information only dealerships and mechanics have been privy to until now—empowering them with the ability to increase their car’s lifespan and be in better control of its safety and maintenance.

 

Here are some of the innovative features being offered by Vehicle Mind:

  • A dashboard view of your car’s “health” and status
  • Insights on fuel consumption and driving habits
  • Check engine lights explained through the app 
  • Real-time GPS tech so you can locate your car at all times
  • Regular maintenance reminders
  • Round-the-clock safety alerts (battery, engine, low-fuel)  

VEHICLE MIND APP on mobile

https://vehiclemind.com/

Montreal fun facts: 

  • Vehicle Mind also detects the amount of potholes your car hits, which is a neat feature all of us Montrealers will hold dear to our hearts! 
  • As if that wasn’t impressive enough, it also comes equipped with alerts for towing—which is another occurrence many may be all too familiar with during winter seasons.

Have your driving habits changed because of COVID-19? Turns out Vehicle Mind’s features and benefits equally apply to challenges drivers are now facing because of the pandemic. For example, your car sitting idle for long periods of time because you’re now working remotely can have a greatly negative impact on your car’s battery. Car theft, up an astounding 63% in certain North American cities, is another unfortunate side effect of lockdown measures and a decrease in commutes to work. With these facts in mind, being able to keep tabs on your car from your smartphone can truly be a gamechanger.

 

Vehicle Mind is a startup we Montrealers can truly be proud of and we cannot wait to see what the future has in store for them.

To support a Montreal business and a local entrepreneur, give Vehicle Mind a visit here: https://vehiclemind.com/ 

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T Riman
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A Beginners Guide to Paid Search Marketing | New Book by Tarek Riman

Exciting news as Tarek Riman releases his new book “A Beginners Guide to Paid Search Marketing: Search Engine Marketing for Beginners” making this his 4th book in his career.

As a professional digital marketer, Tarek believes in sharing his passion with the world. He also explains how it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it sounds. A Beginners Guide to Paid Search Marketing takes you on a journey of explaining the ins and outs of the SEM world in a beginner-friendly manner. With digital marketing being one of the fastest-growing fields in the industry the book is aimed to not only be accessible to newcomers as the name would suggest, but is actually quite profound, detailed and cutting edge for even veterans of the industry to enjoy and learn something new. As mentioned in the book, the digital world is always moving and it is our job as marketers to adapt to these changes. 

Tarek helps you stay current as everything he teaches in the book is all relevant to the field and will help keep you ahead of the curve. Tarek provides you with everything you would need to know such as how to properly plan, set up and launch successful SEM campaigns, the best optimizations, how to make effective ads and much more.

 

 His human touch helps keep the book feel real and alive without it sounding like you are in a boring lecture. The author makes you feel comfortable and at ease with SEM and you can easily grasp examples that he provides which are industry standard to help better prepare you for real-life scenarios. Tarek’s goal in all of this is to help people, the book was written for your average students, entrepreneurs, markets and business owners in mind and if you fall into one of these categories the book is a must-add to your collection. 

 

And remember,

 “Always be human. Especially in Marketing” – Tarek Riman

To see more of Tarek’s work, check out amazon. 

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T Riman

Montreal Tips Feature: Ray Sabbagh | Montreal Photographer

Ray Sabbagh Montreal Based Photographer

Based in Montreal, Ray Sabbagh takes his photography skills to new heights as he is always looking for different ways to capture the moment in the best way possible. While most of his pictures are based in and around the Montreal area, there is something very wholesome and astutely Canadian about his work. It is especially evident when looking at his nature work on his profile as he is able to truly capture the beauty of Montreal during the peaks of its seasons.

Ray uses a unique combination of classic photography, lens-ball, and drone photography to best capture different images and aspects as he is growing and defining his own personality and style as a modern photographer. He also uses his drones to capture 4k videos around Montreal and can really capture the essence of Montreal from a unique perspective.

His modern and unique approach to his photography really enables him to take incredible bird-eye view pictures that you wouldn’t be able to normally see otherwise; in other words, we can experience Montreal in new and different ways through his work.

He is also currently available for personal photoshoots so take advantage if you’ve always thought about doing one! With everything going on it is important we support our local artists, check out his site at https://raysabbagh.com/ or follow his Insta @ray__sabbagh

 

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