Whether you are heading to the beach or just heading to the local market you can't leave without a stylish straw market bag! These totes are so popular and versatile, made of natural materials and created in various shapes & colours. I picked out three that have longer handles so you can wear the bag over your shoulder wherever you are headed. Each tote falls under a high, mid or low price range to suit everyone's budget. The "high" bag is $130 from ShopBop; the "mid" bag is $59.50 and comes in a variety of styles from J.Crew; and the "low" bag is $30 and comes in two different styles from Old Navy. The ShopBop "Bop Basics" bag has 3 interior pockets and is fully lined, which will help the bag last much longer. The J.Crew bag has the thicker leather handles that are well enforced and a great interior pocket for your cell phone or keys. The Old Navy bag is one of my favourites because of it's great affordability and wide style (there is always a sale at Old Navy and at that price you can afford to buy a new tote every year!). You can load these totes up with fresh market food & flowers or your beach essentials all summer long and look very stylish at the same time!
SHOP MARKET BAGS
Speaking of markets, I want to let you in on one of my favourite spring/summer activities in Toronto. When the warm weather rolls around there is nothing better than heading to an outdoor farmers' market and wandering around the various booths in the sunshine. And when the fresh air markets open in late spring you will find me at the Leslieville Farmers' Market. It is located in the east end of the city on a small grassy park with lots of free parking around. They offer a lovely selection of fresh local and organic goods at very reasonable prices. I really love this particular market because it has such a happy, family friendly atmosphere and it is a hop, skip and a jump from Woodbine Beach by Lake Ontario.
Thankfully when the summer ends we still have access to the St Lawrence Market, which is a fantastic all year, indoor food market located in downtown Toronto. Their main food market (in the South building) is open Tuesday to Sunday and their farmers' market (in the North building) is open on Saturdays. This multi building market offers everything a foodie's heart could desire, from fresh meats, seafood, and produce to coffee, baked goods and cheese. The St Lawrence Market was named the number one food market in the world by National Geographic! That is quite an honour and so well deserved. Heading to this market on a weeknight or a Saturday morning is one of my very favourite things to do. I am constantly inspired by their fresh selection of local and organic food, and of course I bring my straw tote along to carry all my market finds!
Here is a brief list of farmers' markets in Toronto. For a full list of markets in the city click here.
All Year Markets
Seasonal Markets
- Leslieville Farmers' Market
- MyMarket Liberty Village
- Montgomery's Inn Farmers' Market
- Junction Farmers' Market
Thanks for reading!
Deanna
