Montreal Alert

GO NATURAL After years of peddling her handcrafted, organic wares at eco-conscious shops across the city, Angela MacKenzie has finally opened a Honey Flower headquarters. The atelier-boutique has loads of all-natural goodies like a mouth-watering Chocolate Truffle Lip Balm and gentle Flower Candy Facial Cleanser, and you can even sign up for monthly workshops like “Green Cleaning” on detoxifying your home. Cleaning up your act has never looked—or smelled—so good.

GET DOLLED UP Times are tough and you want to cope with some good ol’ retail therapy. No judgments here, so long as you’re spending your hard-earned dough on necessary extravagances like Les Poupées Russes, a new line of posh yet practical carryalls handmade here in Montreal. Like their babushka-doll namesake, the handy totes feature side pockets fit with reusable polyester bags. Plus they’re offered in a limited run of 25 per colour every season, adding a little exclusivity to your everyday ensembles.

BE MORE FLEXIBLE Trekking across the snow-covered ice on your way to yoga class, you realize you forgot a change of clothes. Praise Buddha for Second’s Yoga Jean! Made entirely in La Belle Province from cotton and elastane, they’re flexible enough to go from work mode to warrior pose and keep their shape while you maintain a Zen-like state of mind. At Boutique Rocco, 4321 rue St-Denis.

GET CULTURED Ever since Nico nabbed first place on So You Think You Can Dance Canada you’ve been jonesing for a new dancing fix. Get it at the North American premiere of In-I, a contemporary-dance collaboration starring Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche and acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan. Does their tale of desire deserve a ticket on the Hot Tamale Train? You be the judge. January 6-17 at Centre Pierre-Péladeau de l’UQAM, 300 boul. de Maisonneuve E.

MIX IT UP Admit it: your tipple-making skills are about as exciting as a vodka-soda. At Lab Cocktail Bar, you’ll be treated to a bottle-spinning, cocktail-shaking show courtesy of the masterful mixologists tending the bar. You can also take your learning to the next level by enrolling in their monthly seminar ($75), then impress your friends with homemade versions of Lab’s creative cocktails, like the deliciously warming Flambé Berry, featuring a toasted mix of wild berries, dark rum and sugarcane.

JUNOS CONTEST You and a guest could be off to Vancouver to attend the 2009 JUNO Awards! And, the fun doesn’t stop there. You could then be heading to the mountains of Whistler for some skiing! Enter at . Contest closes February 9, 2009.

FLARE VOLUNTEER AWARDS Each year FLARE honours six of Canada’s most outstanding volunteers, and this year – our 13th annual awards – we are also looking for Canada’s best teenage volunteer. Help the volunteer in your life receive the recognition she deserves and nominate her today. For an official nomination form visit: flare.com/volunteer