Home & Lifestyle

CES 2017 is over, but the products unveiled there could be impactful as the year goes on when they launch to market. Given the size of the show, this can’t be an exhaustive list, so here are some of the standouts that may pique your interest.

The Tiny Home movement has been building up for a few years now. When I first heard of tiny homes I immediately downloaded the catalog and was in love with the simple, small designs. It might not be do-able if you have 4 kids (and all of their stuff) under your roof, but these cute, quirky homes are perfect for a single person, small family, or seniors who want to live independently.

Juicing has been around for a long time, but people really only started to sit up and take notice of it in the past year or two. With the release of documentaries like “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead” and a recommendation by Dr.Oz, juicing is fast becoming a way of life for everyone from young parents trying to incorporate all food groups into the diets of fussy young eaters, athletes who want an all-natural energy boost, or people who just want to have a balanced diet.

I’ve learnt a lot about how to travel with kids over the years, but the number one thing on my road trip checklist is always road trip snacks. Packing your own snacks saves you time and money while you drive, and because you aren’t always stopping for fast food, you can eat healthier too.

What makes up a well-stocked kitchen? I’d have to say it depends the person cooking in it. Although we all have our favourite must-use kitchen gadgets, some people like to use kitchen tools every day that other people may never have heard of. But out of the plethora of cool kitchen gadgets available, there are a few gadgets I think we can all universally agree are absolutely essential to a happy, well-run kitchen.

With so many two-income families at work each day, home security is important. It can even provide safety for families that are at home. Someone tried to break-in to my home while we were asleep, and fortunately I woke up in time and was able to scare him away. That was before I had a security system! A security system is an excellent deterrent as there are so many unprotected homes burglars generally won’t  risk a protected one. I particularly like camera systems because they not only deter thieves but also vandals who get some sick joy out of destroying property.   I already have a Q-See Surveillance System installed in my house, but recently got a chance to test out a couple of Lorex Wireless Security Surveillance Systems and see how they compare. In fairness, the 2 Lorex packages that I tested out were smaller configurations, but with the same primary function – cameras that can monitor and record activity. All three systems have some significant differences that are worth knowing about.

 Whether you’re new to shaving, or have only ever experienced one method or the other of clearing the facial forest, it may well be the case that you haven’t yet landed on either side of the great shaving debate regarding how to choose between an electric or a manual razor. Either way, today we tackle this—the most manly of topics, in an attempt to learn something new. Read on!

 Did you know that Mother’s Day is on May 8th this year? Check your watch or phone for the date. That’s how many shopping days you still have left. Stuck on gift giving ideas? Check inside for some cool gifts to get mom this year, with some input from my wife (a techie,) my coworker (a non-techie) and a few other moms with different interests.

It’s almost St.Patrick’s Day again, and along with the green beer and shamrocks you’ll also find a bunch of different Irish dishes you can try. Here are a few I make every year

April showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. Besides flowers, May also brings with it a lot of great stuff to the shelves of Best Buy. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s new for May.