A Gift Guide for the Movie Critics

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Dec 12, 2022 | Activities at Home, Blog, Lifestyle

Are you and your significant other or family member always up to date with the newest movies? Do you have your own personal Rotten Tomatoes movie ranking system? Whether you’re looking for a comfy movie watching outfit, the perfect snack or other gifts for the movie lovers in your life, our newest holiday gift guide is for you!

The Comfy Cozy Combo

At home movie nights call for cottage comfies! Grab the movie lover in your life a matching Classic Hoody & Cottage Comfy Pants combo to make sure they are extra cozy while enjoying their favourite Christmas movie this holiday season!

Flavoured Maple PopCorn from Maple Orchard Farms

You can’t get more Canadian than Maple Popcorn! Located in Bracebridge, Maple Orchard Farms is a great place to stop for snacks like this delicious Maple Popcorn! If your friend or family member is a popcorn connoisseur and tries many fun flavours, they’ll love this Canadian take on this movie snack favourite!

A Gift Certificate and Concession Stand Tickets for Norwood Theatre

Gift an authentic Muskoka cinema experience to the movie lover in your life with a Gift Certificate to see a movie at the Norwood Theatre in Bracebridge, Ontario! Since 1949, this theatre has been family-operated and it has become a staple traditional movie watching experience here in town!

A Gift Guide for Readers

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Dec 7, 2022 | Blog, Lifestyle

As a company that focuses on comfort, we are not strangers to cozy activities at home like reading! We’ve browsed around Muskoka to find some fun gift ideas for the readers in your life this holiday season so without further adieu, lets get into it!

A Curated Selection of Second-Hand Unique Books from The Owl Pen Book Shop

Located right in the heart of Downtown Bracebridge, The Owl Pen Shop is a family owned and operated business with a wide variety of books to choose from! Not sure what author your reader friends like? Purchase a gift certificate in-store!

A Cabin Comfy Combo

Snuggling up with a good book is best done with comfy apparel! We recommend our new Cabin Comfy Pants paired with a pair of cozy Canadian-Made socks!

A Throw from The Cutter’s Edge

With a location in Huntsville and an online shop, find the perfect cottage throw blanket from Cutter’s Edge for your reader friends to snuggle under as they start a new novel! We love their Muskoka Names Throw blanket (perfect for fellow Muskoka locals) and selection of Cotton Throws!

Gift Guides for the Hostess with the Mostest

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Dec 3, 2022 | Blog, Lifestyle

The holiday season is full of festive get-togethers, re-unions and holiday parties! We all know that one friend or family member that always knows how to throw the perfect celebration and this holiday gift guide is all about finding a local Muskoka favourite to gift the hostess with the mostest!

A Quality Canadian Made Candle from Rich Hill Candles

Bring the magic of the holidays with you to your next dinner party and give the gift of winter scents with Rich Hill Candles! These hand-poured candles come in a a variety of scents – we recommend trying their Cranberry & Evergreen Candle, a new perfect blend of two of their best selling scents!

Cranberry Wine from Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery

Gift local with your wine shopping this season by shopping local unique favourites like this Cranberry Wine from Muskoka Lakes! Made entirely from Muskoka grown cranberries and is a tart and sweet paring with dessert!

Lavender Dish Soap from neob Lavender

Nothing says calm like the soothing scent of Lavender! After a big event, this calming scent is the perfect gift for someone who may have a bit of tidying ahead of them after a party! We recommend pairing this Massuet Lavender Dish Soap gift with the offer of assisting to help clean post get-together!

11.24.2022 - MBW at Summerset for the Holidays-82

After a busy evening of holiday carols, dinner and catching-up, it’s always best to unwind before falling asleep! What better way to do that than cuddling up on the couch in Canadian Made Comfies from Muskoka Bear Wear! Give the gift of comfort to the host or hostess with the mostest with one of our signature Ladies Classic Hoodies or Men’s Camo Hoodies this season!

MBW Pumpkin Stencil

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Oct 27, 2022 | Blog

Clean out the pumpkin, scraping the flesh thinnest in the region in which you’ll carve the design. Use a photocopier to enlarge or reduce the pattern to fit the pumpkin.
Attached the pattern to the pumpkin with tape.
Use a pin to make closely spaced pin pricks along the stencil lines, piercing the paper.
Use thin crafts, linoleum, or wood-cutting knives to carve the pattern. Cut completely through solid lines. Simply peel away skin within dotted line (known as “etching”) to enhance features. You may want to etch before you carve to avoid breakage.
Take a picture of the final results and tag us in your photo and use the hashtag #muskokabearwear

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Top 5 Movies this Summer

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Aug 9, 2022 | Activities at Home, Blog

And just like that it became August! As we move into the second part of cottage season, rainy days start making an appearance. Our favourite way to spend a rainy day at the cottage? Movie nights of course! We asked our Muskoka Bear Wear community what their top 5 movies were this summer whether that be new releases or tried-and-true family favourites! Here’s what they said:

Top Gun: Maverick

This legacy sequel to the 1986 fan favourite Top Gun came out as the number 1 movie to watch this summer from our MBW community! If you’re looking for an action and adventure movie to catch in theatres, Top Gun: Maverick is our community’s top pick!

The Great Outdoors

Coming in at number 2 on the top movies for this summer, our community brought back a cottage camping favourite with The Great Outdoors! This 1988 comedy showcases two very different families spending a vacation together and all the trouble they get up to! Check out this old-school favourite on Amazon Prime.

Sing!

What is a summer movie list without an animated family movie (complete with music and singing animals!). With the threat of the foreclosure of Buster’s theatre, a singing competition seems like the best way for Buster to save it! If you’re looking for a movie that will keep the family smiling, Sing is the way to go!

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Theatre visits are a great way to spend a rainy day, especially when you have the giggles of the minions to keep you laughing! Learn more about Gru’s beginnings as he plans to become a supervillian with the help of all his minions!

Sweet Home Alabama

Because every summer movie list needs a summer romance movie, Sweet Home Alabama takes the 5th spot on our summer movie list suggested by our MBW community! This 2002 classic is a comedic romance rollercoaster where the main character is torn between an old flame and new! Check out this romcom on Disney+!

Muskoka Summer Playlist

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Jul 14, 2022 | Blog

Discover what our MBW Team is listening to this summer! This playlist if perfect for your next road trip to Muskoka or while you’re at the Cottage.

A Muskoka Father’s Day Gift Guide

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Jun 9, 2022 | Blog, Events

Father’s Day is right around the corner and we can’t wait to celebrate the awesome dads in our community this year! To help thank the dad’s in your life, we’ve come up with a Muskoka Father’s Day Gift Guide to make shopping (or planning) this year, easy!

Graphic with a navy Muskoka Bear Wear Quarter zip, MBW glass and the text BBQ Time

For the Dad Who Loves Barbecues

Get dad BBQ ready this summer and stop by one of our stores to pick-up our brand new Men’s Quarter Zip in Navy for maximum comfort while at the grill! Pair this comfy Canadian Made Quarter Zip with one of our signature glasses available (in-store only)!

For the Coffee Loving Dad

Give the gift of comfy coffee mornings with our signature MBW Men’s Pants and some fresh ground coffee from your favourite Muskoka coffee shop (we love Oliver’s Coffee Co!).

Graphic with text that reads Campfire nights. This is surrounded by graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows and a navy Muskoka Bear Wear hoody

For the Campfire Kings

If your dad is the first to suggest a s’mores & a campfire, show him how much you love the family time by planning a campfire night with the whole family! Of course you can’t forget to keep him cozy with a comfy Men’s Camp Hoody!

For the Film Critic

Nothing says “thanks for being great Dad!” like the gift of relaxation, good food and comfort! Grab some popcorn (or try one of our saved recipes on our Pinterest), a cozy pair of Camo Comfy Pants and a pair of Men’s Oxford Socks for the perfect movie night!

Graphic with camo pj pants, grey and black socks, a red and white striped container of popcorn and the text Movie Night

Happy International Women’s Day!

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Mar 7, 2022 | Blog, Community

Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate, learn together and #BreakTheBias! We are fortunate to have such a wonderful community of inspiring and empowered women in our Muskoka Bear Wear community and we wanted to shout some of them out! Want to shout out a woman in your life that has inspired you? Send us a DM on Facebook & Instagram!

“My mom is my inspiration as she’s been such an incredible support to me throughout my life. She’s my best friend. I’ve always looked up to her as she’s such a hard worker, family orientated and such an amazing mom, nana & friend.”

- Melissa who nominated her Mom

“I don’t know what I’d do without my sister Kresson, she’s always been by number one supporter and best friend. She is the strongest, smartest most creative woman I know and wether she realizes it or not I feel like I can do anything with her by my side. I’ve always looked up to her and always will. Love you Kress.”

- Dawson who nominated his sister Kresson

“My biggest inspiration is my mom! Aside from being my mother, she has always been my biggest supporter, role model & best friend. She has taught me life lessons that I will forever be thankful for and we have made memories together that will last a lifetime!”

- Emily who nominated her Mom

“Toritse is one of those people who inspire by leading. She seeks out challenges to grow, she’s always pushing forward to try new things whether that be launching her business, pursuing an international Master’s program, travelling the world, and meeting new people. She really becomes a sister and friend to every one she meets because of how caring and kind she is. She’s forever changed my life and taught me what it means to be there for someone and support them unconditionally”.

- Em who nominated Toritse

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them, may we raise them. May we be them.”

@melrud69
#pinoyeh🇨🇦 #momsheila221 #muskokabearwear
♬ Colors - Stella Jang

Womans tanding in forest wearing blue sweater with Diva Dey Instagram username

A mom is holding her daughter wearing MBW

Woman standing in cottage wearing orange MBW hoody and grey MBW sweatpants

Exploring Muskoka in the Winter with Kresson

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Mar 3, 2022 | Blog, Influencers, Lifestyle, Visiting Muskoka

With that winter chill setting in and the days getting shorter, it’s hard to get motivated to get outside. Need some inspo on what to do to beat the winter blues? Look no further! I’m your girl! In this post, I’ll be covering some of the best activities to do in and around Muskoka during the cold months. There is no shortage of outdoorsy activities to keep you warm and keep your mind happy. I haven’t done all of them YET. They’re all on my list for this season! So, consider this my winter bucket list. It’s so important to keep your mental health a priority during the winter months, and being outside has been proven to help keep you happy and healthy (no, seriously, I did a whole project on it, it’s science!). I hope you get some inspo to keep you happy, healthy in this post!

Hiking!

There is no shortage of beautiful hiking in the area, and the trails seemingly come alive in the winter! To say Muskoka is a winter wonderland would be an understatement! Here are a few trails to definitely check out in the winter!

High Falls

High Falls is one of my favourite places to go for a casual hike in Muskoka. It’s stunning all year round and turns into a winter wonderland come December! If you’re looking for a relatively easy hike with optimal views, this is the place for you! This location features several waterfalls, a beach with PNW vibes, and a forest that really feels like fairies could live there.

Limberlost

If you’re a more experienced hiker and you want a little bit of a more challenging hike, then Limberlost forest is up your alley! This conservation area has multiple day hikes ranging anywhere from 5-13km in length. There are stunning lookouts, calm lakes, and other surprises along each trail. The trails are stunning in the winter and are ideal for a day trip adventure!

Huckleberry

Huckleberry comes alive in the winter! With stunning views and fresh snow, you’ll be in awe of what this short trail has to offer. Catch a sunset here and see how the snow turns golden. During the winter months, the lookout is less crowded, making it a great place for some pictures and some relaxation.

Experiences!

Arrowhead Provincial Park:

There are several places to skate in the area, but the best known in the area is, of course, the Arrowhead Provincial Park skating trail. This trail winds through snow-covered pines, offering a truly magical experience. Arrowhead also offers camping and hiking year-round making this an amazing spot for a weekend getaway! They book up quickly in the winter, so make sure to save your spot in advance! The trails here are lovely in the winter. My favourite is Stubb’s Falls – a quick hike that features a lovely waterfall, and the opportunity to feed birds! Make sure to also check out Big Bend Lookout – the iconic view at Arrowhead.

Muskoka Lakes Winery:

This winery features a skating trail and pond hockey in the winter! Stay for a wine tour, sip hot mulled wine or cider and hike some of the trails on site. This winery is located in Bala and has something for everyone! It is open year-round, and their Bog to Bottle wine tasting is a Canadian Signature Experience! There is a cute cafe to warm up in after skating and a gift shop to browse for your favourite wine you tried while there!

Liv Outside Adventures:

Currently top of my list of things I HAVE to try out is an ice climbing experience with a local outdoors shop in Bracebridge. They offer multiple guided tours in the summer and winter. In the winter, they offer snowshoe rentals and guided hikes. They also offer an ice climbing adventure, and I am dying to give it a shot! It’s a little bit more on the pricey side so take that into consideration. They offer different prices per group size. You can find more on their website (linked below). I can’t wait to give this a try, and I’ll let you know how it goes!

The Beer Spa:

Looking for a winter vacay that is true to cottage country? Look no further than the Beer Spa in Torrance. They have cabins to rent out, and you can get a keg of locally crafted beer set up right in your room! The cabins are cosy and set up with classic VHS tapes and a fireplace to keep you warm. When we went there, they weren’t offering in house spa treatments because of COVID, but they did provide the info for several companies that would do house calls. In the winter there is a skating rink set up as well as a restaurant to enjoy! There are multiple hiking trails nearby, my favourite being Hardy Lake loop. The spa is also located right by the dark sky preserve, so make sure to step outside and enjoy some of the most breathtaking night sky views Muskoka has to offer.

My Muskoka Story – Ashley

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Feb 23, 2022 | Blog, My Muskoka Story

Hi, I’m Ashley

My name is Ashley Hughes-Hailstone. My husband Evan and I have 3 children; Emerson, Laughlin and Alaina!

“We were first introduced to MBW while visiting my best friends’ cottage in Bracebridge Ontario. Her and her children all had the most adorable sweaters, and we were soon hooked as well”!

Muskoka Bear Wear coffee cup beside the fire

Toddler wearing a Muskoka Bear Wear hoody and some sunglasses while driving a play car

Toddler sitting in a wagon with two bowls of strawberries wearing a red Muskoka Bear Wear cap

What are you and your family’s favourite things to do outdoors?

My family has a seasonal trailer in Marmora, ON. We love to spend our days at the beach, and our nights around the campfire cozy in our Muskoka Bear Wear gear.

Photo of a dad and son walking in the winter forest. Dad is wearing a black muskoka bear wear hoodie

Where are some of your favourite spots to visit up north?

The kids and I love to visit my friend’s family cottage in Bracebridge, and now in Gravenhurst. The kids especially enjoy going to Santa’s Village!

What is your favourite Muskoka Bear wear item?

It is so hard to pick our favourite item, but it has to be the cozy hoodies, as everyone in the family has 3 or more, including my husband. The boys love their Cottage Comfy Pants, and Alaina loves her Paw Shorts as well.

What is your favourite photo of you or your famjam in Muskoka Bear Wear?

My favourite photo of my family in MBW is the one where we all ended up in sweaters at school one day, not even planned!

A MBW Men’s Gift Guide

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Nov 24, 2021 | Blog

The countdown is on to the holidays! It can be hard to find the perfect gift for the men in your life but we’re making it much easier this holiday season with comfy Canadian Made Muskoka Bear Wear! This season we’ve got a couple ideas up our sleeve:

A Men’s Longsleeve & Toque Combo

Super soft, great for layering and a gift that says “I love you!” – our new Men’s Longsleeve available in two different colours! Pair this longsleeve in a holiday box with a Men’s Toque on top and you have a perfect gift for that special someone that is tough to shop for! (New toque styles coming soon!)

The Perfect Lounge Outfit

Not sure about giving a toque this holiday season? Pair the Men’s Longsleeve Shirt with one of our Men’s Cottage Comfy Pants (which are on sale all November and December long!) Each of our Men’s Cottage Comfy Pants has black in the plaid pattern so pairing these pants with our Black Men’s Longsleeve Shirt means you have a great matching outfit to wrap for the holidays!

A Warm Hoody for Outdoor Adventures

Keep your loved ones toasty warm during the Canadian winters with the Men’s Camp Hoody! Available in 5 different colours, these hoodies are designed with warmth in mind and complete with a Micro-Fleece Sherpa lined hood! You could even get a matching his & hers set with many of our fall colours!

Check us out on CTV Ottawa Morning Live with Rosey Edehfor there Holiday Traditions Segments! Thank you to Mom Hint for showcasing some great MBW Holiday Gift Ideas this season!

An MBW Ladies Gift Guide

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Nov 18, 2021 | Blog, Product Launches

The holidays are just around the corner and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes packing orders and getting your gifts prepped and shipped for the holidays! Haven’t figured out presents for the ladies in your family yet? We’ve got a MBW Gift Guide ready for you!

A Matching Ultra Warm Set

It’s no secret that we released our ladies fall collection last month and we are loving the new colours! Gift a matching warm top and pants combo and give the gift of warmth and comfort to the women in your family! Some of our favourite outfits include:

A Cozy Lounge Outfit

We recently launched our new Ladies Longsleeve Shirts in three colours and paired with our Circle Paw Cozy Pants, they are perfect for lounging around the house! Our favourite combo? The Ladies Longsleeve Shirt in Black with the Circle Paw Cozy Pants in Cream with Black!

An MBW Canvas Bag

Do you have a reader in your family who is always swapping out reusable cloth totes on their trips to the library? Give them a durable book bag repping their favourite Muskoka brand by gifting our new MBW Canvas Bags!

Warm From Their Head to Their Toes!

Looking for something to add to a gift for your loved one? Keep their head and toes warm this winter season with one of our signature Toques and Ladies Socks! All November and December our Canadian Made socks are $12 each and come in a variety of colours + we just launched new toque styles with more to come very soon!