If you live in Toronto and were driving around the Hog’s Hollow area today, you may have noticed an increase in yummy mummy traffic. The annual Toronto Toy Tea was hosted in the heart of the hollow today and it was its usual triumphant smash hit! From what I could figure out from my few informal questions to other Starbucks swilling and Dish and Robin’s Cookies munching guests, the Tea originated in Montreal and began in Toronto about 8 years ago. It has recently begun in Oakville and there is Country Toy Tea as well, although I am not sure where that is exactly.
A member of the committee opens her home to the women in the city, community, neighbourhood. Sponsors provide snacks, coffee, water – in this case Fiji water – and yummy baked goods. Here in Toronto, there was a fashion show featuring clothes by Andrew’s, shoes by Capezio and David’s and ski wear, but I didn’t catch where it was from. The Crescent Lower School Choir came to sing after lunch, but I was long gone by then.
The price of admission for this swanky opportunity is a new, non-violent, unwrapped toy, or donation, all of which are donated to women’s shelters around the city.
The Tea is a very successful fundraiser and a great opportunity to run into friends you haven’t seen in ages or meet some new and really interesting women, but the thing I love the best is the people watching. I may be wrong, and I certainly do not mean to offend any of the amazing women who were there, but it seems to me that women put way more effort into dressing for other women than they do for any other events. Either that or all the extremely stylish, beautifully coiffed hot babes with perfect lipstick and mascara that I saw this morning look that awesome all the time…and I just can’t afford to believe that or I’d never be able to leave the house again.
I’m pathetic. I put more effort into dressing this morning than I have most of the fall. I blow dried my hair, and tried to style it – which usually only happens three or four times a year. I also used some mascara, but only because I got that awesome CG volume exact from Jen’s product testing night. I put on the lipstick I had in my pocket. I thought I was dressed in high fashion in a long chocolate brown skirt with boots, a red sweater and my Daniel Espinosa bling, but apparently short and grey or black are de rigeur this season. Fortunately, I have never really hit the fashion mark, so I’m Ok with that.
The most important thing about the tea besides checking out the gorgeous houses and catching up on neighbourhood gossip, is the reminder that Christmas is about others. And even though the tea itself can be excessive, the mountain of toys under the tree that will go to over 1500 children in the GTA who would otherwise get nothing far outweighs the extravagance.
As a first timer to the Toy Tea, I was so impressed with the idea behind the day. The amount of toys in the front room was mind blowing and to hear the lady speak from the shelter was great. I left thinking that my toy would make a little person happy this Christmas!
Are you kidding me? I saw you at the Toy Tea and you definitely hit the mark with your red wrap sweater. I’m thinking, hmmm, I must get a red sweater too, it looks amazing at Christmas, plus you’re ready for Valentine’s day!
Sounds like you looked amazing… forget the black – at least you stood out as the yummy mummy you most definitely are!
The bigger problem is that most of them are also really nice and really smart. Where is there room for the average woman?
I know what you mean about these “ladies who lunch” as my sis in the UK calls them. I get so intimidated in their presence…perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect makeup…things I don’t even know about, like the right kinds of purses, shoes, etc. I can’t aspire to it!