Lifestyle | Muskoka Bear Wear

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!

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+!

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.

Back to School with MBW

by Muskoka Bear Wear | Aug 26, 2021 | Blog, Lifestyle

Back to school season is here and we are getting ready with Muskoka Bear Wear! Getting ready for the school day, classes, and study sessions doesn’t have to be stressful! We’ve got comfy, Canadian made staples to wear out and about at school or to cozy up at home with. From Quarter Zips that go well with jeans, to hoodies to keep you warm in the fall, to Cottage Comfy Pants perfect for late night studying – we’ve got you covered this September.