Shelly Wutke

Apps are amazing on so many different levels. They keep you organized when you’re frantically sprinting through your day, they entertain you when you need some downtime, and they will even be your personal trainer when you want to get healthy or lose weight.   Personal fitness apps are where Garmin comes in, and although you may have only heard of Garmin for their GPS products, they’ve recently hit the sports market with a variety of fitness bands that track your exercise data via the Garmin Connect Mobile app.

It’s Easter weekend, and although it might not really feel like spring in Canada the spring activities are kicking into high gear all over the country. Softball, soccer, and other sports are all starting up again after a long winter, and between work, commuting, and all of the household fun that goes into weeknight life you’ll have less time than ever to put together dinner.   That’s why you need easy dinner recipes, and it makes it even easier if those dinner recipes come packaged with an appetizer, main course, and desert. After all, just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat like you have all the time in the world.

In the past year the wearable tech market has really exploded. From Bluetooth rings to Smart Eyelashes we’ve seen them all, but there’s nowhere it’s been more dominant than in the fitness category. To improve your heath and keep yourself accountable, you just can’t go wrong with a fitness band, and the latest band out of Garmin will track to improve your sleep and monitor your heart during fitness activities too.   Garmin has entered the fitness ring with the Garmin vivofit, available now at Best Buy.

Busy weeknights and casual weekends – these are the times when pasta recipes really come in handy. Even if you’re watching what you eat, pasta is a great go-to dish for anyone because it’s versatile, easy to prepare, and almost everyone loves it.

After a long, grey winter, I’d say it’s high time we started seeing some color again. You can liven up your house by adding a bunch of tulips or daffodils, change up your throw pillows, or swap out your duvet for something more ‘spring-ish,’ but the single best way to breath life back into a house that’s been asleep for the winter is to update your kitchen colors.

Pasta salad – it’s just one of those things that fits in with everything. Summer BBQ in the backyard? Pasta salad goes great with steak, chicken, or veggie burgers. Having a formal dinner for friends? Pasta salad can fit right in with some of the main courses you toil for hours over.  At my house it’s practically expected that I make a side pasta salad for a roast chicken, and I always whip it out for the official Canadian kick off for summer on July 1st.

There are two things you need to know about Fat Tire Electric Bikes – one, they’re unlike any bike you’ve ever ridden before and two, they’re so fun they’ll make you forget about every other bike you’ve got in your garage. I’d go as far as saying you’ll be hooked on Fat Bikes with just one ride – at least that’s what I discovered when I toured the Surface 604 factory and rolled away on a Surface 604 Element Electric Bike myself.

For many of us, salad is what’s for dinner. It’s not a side dish that goes with something heavier, it’s the actual meal itself. Just start with your basic green leaf, add some protein, toss with dressing and you have an instant, filling dinner.   Thankfully having a salad for dinner is not something you can easily get bored of, and that’s because there are so many different types of salads, salad recipes, and salad dressing recipes to try.    

Maybe you’ve seen people commuting in the bike lane on them, or you’ve watched someone effortlessly cruise up a crazy hill and you wondered exactly what they were riding – for most people, one chance encounter of watching someone cruise on an e-bike is enough to get them to put it on their ‘to-do’ list, and one ride is all it takes to hook you forever.

  If you’re thinking spring you’re probably also thinking about eating lighter. Maybe the weather hasn’t got the memo yet, but it’s high time to usher out the hot chocolate and warm cookies for light dishes like Greek salad.