Girls' Getaway in Toronto!

To celebrate my recent birthday, my husband's three sisters and I headed to the big city for some bonding time. Tomorrow I will bring you the main event: The Marilyn Denis Show, and my post-show interview with Marilyn.
For today, here are the rest of our trip highlights:
Accommodations
We stayed at the fantastic Marriott Toronto Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel. The room was excellent, the service incredible, and the selling feature: a not-so-secret passageway directly into the Eaton Centre. We also used their valet parking service, which was a reasonable $30 considering the cost of parking in Toronto for two days. This way we didn't have to worry about finding a spot, and we just called ahead to have the car (okay, minivan, whatever) brought to the door when we were ready to head out again. (It's also a great place to stay with kids - ours loved the pool when we stayed there last on the March Break.)

Dining
We took advantage of our proximity to the mall to dine at one of the Eaton Centre landmarks: Mr. Greenjeans. All four of us enjoyed our meal (though to be honest, three of us ordered the same thing!) and the desserts were both monstrous and tasty. I'd strongly recommend the Caramel Chocolate Cake!

Entertainment
Yes, we went all the way to Toronto just to go to the movies...but was it ever worth it. We saw "Horrible Bosses": definitely the funniest movie I've seen this year (I laughed even more than I did at "Bridesmaids") if not the last few years. I particularly loved Jennifer Aniston in a role that is a total departure from the Rachel-type that she seems pinned to. One warning about this one: it's definitely for grown-ups only!

Shopping
After we saw Marilyn on Day 2 (more on that tomorrow!) we headed to the mall to make our trip complete.
I wanted to bring back something for Frannie and Maggie, but after all the work we've done to organize their crap belongings, there was no way I was buying anything toy-like whatsoever. Instead, I went with summer nightgowns and water bottles from The Disney Store, which were a huge hit when I got home.
My travel companions had all given me cash for my birthday so I could spend it as I wished...so I went straight to the jewelry store and picked up a new Pandora bead (the apple...you know, 'cause I'm a teacher).
I also loved walking past the Coach store without any of the usual longing or wistfulness...since I had my own gorgeous bag slung over my shoulder!
Thanks, ladies, for a fantastic getaway...and I'll be back tomorrow with all the behind-the-scenes scoop from The Marilyn Denis Show!