Bitch Fest

The Real, Unfiltered Side of Modern Parenting Let’s be real: parenting today isn’t a picture-perfect scene from a magazine or a carefully curated Instagram reel. More often than not, it feels like a messy, unpredictable adventure filled with equal parts chaos and love. Some days you’re winning with bedtime routines that go smoothly, and other days you’re just trying to survive the morning school rush without losing your mind. This is the space where we drop the filters, tell the truth, and laugh at the absurdity of it all. Parenting has always been a challenge, but modern parenting comes with its own unique set of trials. The endless advice columns, conflicting parenting books, and pressure to keep up appearances can leave parents feeling like they’re falling short. Here, we say enough is enough. Perfection is overrated, and honesty is everything. This section is a safe place for rants, funny stories, and unfiltered conversations about the rollercoaster that is family life. We’ve all experienced those days that feel like a comedy of errors. Maybe your toddler decided to stage a full-blown meltdown in the middle of the grocery store. Maybe your teenager rolled their eyes so hard you thought they might get stuck. Or maybe you just stepped on yet another Lego while carrying a laundry basket. These moments, as frustrating as they are in the moment, often become the stories we tell later with laughter. They’re the raw material of parenting—the bloopers that don’t make it onto social media but define the real experience. This is where parenting rants become a kind of therapy. From endless battles over bedtime to the stress of helping with homework you barely understand yourself, every parent has stories that deserve to be shared. Venting doesn’t mean you don’t love your kids. It means you’re human. Sharing these rants gives us perspective and reminds us that nobody has it all together, no matter how perfect their family looks online. Of course, it’s not just about venting. This is also a place for funny, relatable stories that bring a smile to your face even on the hardest days. Kids have a way of surprising us with their unfiltered honesty and wild imaginations. One minute they’re driving us up the wall, and the next they’re saying something so hilarious or sweet that we forget the frustration. These moments are the balance—the little reminders that parenting is as rewarding as it is exhausting. Behind all the chaos, there’s also the emotional side of being a parent. We talk about the anger, the guilt, and the exhaustion that come with the role. We talk about mom rage when the day has been too long and the patience has run too thin. We talk about the guilt of snapping at your kids when all you wanted was five minutes of peace. These are the realities that many parents keep bottled up, but sharing them helps lift the weight. The beauty of this space is that it builds solidarity. When one parent shares their rant, another nods in recognition and says, “Me too.” That shared understanding creates community. Parenting isn’t meant to be a solo journey, and knowing others are living through the same chaos makes it all a little easier to handle. Here, you’ll also find unfiltered advice that’s rooted in reality. Forget the complicated ten-step plans for perfect parenting. Instead, we talk about what actually works in the messy, unpredictable world of raising kids. It’s about survival tips, small victories, and finding joy in unexpected places. The best wisdom often comes from parents who are still figuring it out themselves, because let’s be honest—none of us ever really have it mastered. So, whether you’re having a rough day or just need to laugh at the absurdity of family life, you’re in the right place. This is the parenting section that celebrates imperfection, embraces honesty, and finds humor in the chaos. It’s a reminder that everyone is just trying to hold it together, and that’s perfectly okay. Parenting may be the hardest job in the world, but it’s also the one filled with the most laughter, love, and unforgettable stories. Together, let’s vent, laugh, and support one another through the glorious mess that is modern parenting.

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For when your husband’s version of “helping” involves applause.Q: “Joseph, how do you handle a husband who thinks he deserves a standing ovation for doing one chore? Like, he empties the dishwasher once and suddenly he's the Patron Saint of Domestic Labor. I do a thousand things a day, no applause. Am I being petty?”— Exhausted in EtobicokeA: Oh darling… you're not being petty. You're being observant. And possibly under-applauded.This phenomenon is well-documented in parenting circles. It’s called Weaponized Incompetence meets Gold Star Syndrome, and it’s more common than socks in the couch cushions. It’s when a grown man completes a single, bare-minimum task and expects a parade. Bonus points if he announces it like a royal decree:“I took the garbage out.”Wow. Brave. Heroic. Should I call the mayor?Here’s the thing: we love our husbands. Truly. Deeply. In sickness and in “I loaded the dishwasher but didn’t press start.” But sometimes… sometimes they need a gentle, sarcastic reality check.So next time he goes full Beyoncé over folding one basket of laundry, try this:“Oh babe, amazing. I also wiped tiny human butts, made five meals no one ate, answered 36 quevstions about ants, and negotiated a treaty over who gets the pink fork. But yes—your laundry folding was vital to our survival.”Or… just slow clap silently while staring into his soul. Your call.The truth? You’re not asking for applause. You’re asking for partnership. For the mental load to be shared, not gifted. For recognition, not a résumé update.And honestly? He might not even realize it. So if the mood strikes, hit him with some humor and honesty.And if not? Come here, vent it out, and know that yes—you’re seen.Even if no one’s clapping when you change the toilet paper roll.Got something to bitch about? We’re all ears. If you’ve got a story, a rant, or just need to scream into the digital void—we’ve got room for it right here.Email us at info@jeopublishing.com, and maybe your chaos will end up in the next issue of Bitch Fest.

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I'm sitting across from Lilly Vona at Bar Locale just days before opening, and even in this final preparation stage, you can feel the energy she and partner Frank Facciponte have built into this space. The music system is being tested, the bar is being stocked, and small plates are being perfected in the kitchen. It's exactly the sophisticated yet genuinely fun atmosphere they envisioned when they first laid eyes on this landmark location.Between the Covers: So you're about to open. How does it feel to see your vision finally coming to life?Lilly: It's incredible. This has been something I've always wanted to do. Through my travels, all through my young life, at home when my parents were big entertainers—this is what I've always enjoyed. Sharing plates, small plates, it's collaborative. It invites social connection. Food is so many things to so many people, but at the end of the day, it's family, it's love, it's culture.BTC: So what made Newmarket the right fit for this concept?Lilly: Actually, Newmarket wasn't even on our radar initially. We were actively looking at locations in midtown Toronto when we got approached to look at this property. It's a town-owned landmark location, and we only had one hour to view the space before deciding if we wanted to go through the whole RFP process—business plan, presentation, financials, the works. But honestly, the moment we saw it, we knew. And then when we learned about Main Street's accolades and what this community has built, we got really excited about being part of both the community and the business community here. It's such a unique opportunity to be in a landmark location that has this incredible heritage and significance to the town.BTC: You and Frank are business partners AND life partners. How do you not kill each other when the restaurant is having a shit day?Lilly: laughs We're both Geminis, so we're like the nicest four people you'll ever meet! But Geminis make exciting lovers, exciting partners. Exciting doesn't always mean easy—it's intense sometimes. We play hard, we work hard, we love hard. It's just who we are. And somehow through this crazy life we live, we raised three of the most amazing, well-balanced young men. That's my proudest achievement.BTC: What's been the biggest learning curve in expanding to three locations?Lilly: Learning to step back and trust our team. It took years—me and Frank worked on site 24/7 for years—for us to be able to oversee operations without micromanaging. Now we can go to our own restaurants and enjoy them as guests. Well, mostly. I still notice dust and fingerprints on the walls—you can't help it!BTC: Let's talk about that renovation. You literally stripped this place to the bare bones.Lilly: We did! It was a massive undertaking, but we had this vision of a space that could effortlessly transition from relaxed daytime lunch and brunch to a vibrant nighttime hotspot. That required completely rebuilding and redesigning everything. Every detail matters when you're trying to create an experience that lets people fully immerse themselves from the moment they walk in.BTC: How are you planning to balance creating that vibrant energy while still making it a place people can actually connect?Lilly: The music's going to be loud. When people come from our other Locale locations and say "the music's too loud," we're gonna be like "Crank it!" People should know that before coming in. But trust me, it will work. I'm 60, and I want to go to a place with loud music and crafted cocktails on date night. Sometimes you don't want to talk so much to your partner—you listen to the music together. It's gonna be vibrant, it's gonna give you energy.BTC: Your team seems ready to launch.Lilly: I could not do this without my core team. Steve Oletic will be our restaurant manager here—what he's achieved to make sure Aurora's in good hands while dedicating himself 24/7 to getting this place ready is incredible. Chef Michael Dadd is our head chef, and Eli Rosch is our bar manager. We've collaborated on everything together, and I can't wait for people to experience what we've built.The relationship between restaurant owner and chef is like a very complex dance. When you find that balance with somebody, you fucking go with it. Michael had so much potential beyond what he was doing—small plates, ingredient-driven cooking—this is his niche. And when I let him go, this is what we got.BTC: Chef Michael, tell us about your approach to the menu.Chef Michael Dadd: It's all about Mediterranean inspiration using local ingredients. We're doing everything from scratch—sardines we'll be cleaning and marinating in-house, 40 pounds a week. The patatas bravas, which we introduced at Beer Fest, went over really well. And the croquettas—very Spanish traditional but with a Scotch egg element, so there's a beautiful soft poached egg in the middle.I grew up 15 minutes north of here, so using local produce from the Holland Marsh has always been engrained in everything I do. I can't wait for guests to discover these flavor combinations.BTC: What's the hardest part about getting ready to open this concept?Lilly: Honestly? The hardest part has been navigating the delays and supply chain issues. Post-COVID, everything is more expensive—30 to 35% more—and nothing arrives on time. A simple barstool turns into a six-week delay. But we push through because growth isn’t just about opening another space—it’s about creating opportunity. For our team, our community, and the vision we believe in.I can't wait for our regular customers from King and Aurora to discover this different side of what we do, and to welcome new faces to the family."Food is so many things to so many people, but at the end of the day, it's family, it's love, it's culture."BTC: The design here is stunning. Tell me about those details.Lilly: Every single detail has been thought of, from the bathrooms to the little fringe on the barstools. The glass chandeliers are hand-blown from England. The moth wallpaper—I wanted something edgy. But here's the crazy part: when we first got in this place during construction, I went into that dusty, ugly washroom, and a moth landed on the wall. I was thinking about a logo representing transformation—of Locale, of this space, of myself. Moths are attracted to night and light, and this is the night. Everything just clicked.BTC: What's next for the Locale empire?Lilly: We're going to go RV for a month, because that's what we do. Montreal's been calling, so... I don't know. Let's end it with that.As our conversation winds down and the final preparations continue around us, it's clear that Lilly is about to achieve exactly what she set out to—a place where food is love, where collaboration happens naturally, and where every detail serves the bigger vision of bringing people together. Bar Locale is ready to open, and Newmarket is about to discover something special.

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