Home, Furniture & Kitchen

Over the past few weeks we’ve been compiling a list of the best appliances to take along to your dorm room and a few recipes you can whip up with each of them. We’ve looked at rice cookers, slow cookers, and microwaves, and this week we’re going to head into toaster territory and explore why you should bring a toaster oven with you when you go back to school.

Once the kids head back to school, bring on the homework! Sure, you can help them out as they get lots of it done while sitting at the kitchen table. But to encourage great scholastic excellence, a good idea is to give them some private working quarters in their bedroom.

Just because you’re parents of a toddler doesn’t mean you can’t have a space just for yourself. Chances are the living room, playroom, backyard, even kitchen, is dominated by kid stuff. But once your little one is old enough, it’s time to claim back the space that is rightfully all yours: your bedroom.

The phrase “starving student” doesn’t just refer to not having the money to eat, although that’s not a stretch when you consider the high cost of tuition, books, and living accommodations when you’re going away to school. Some students go hungry just because they aren’t quite sure how to quickly whip up a meal in their dorm room or first apartment. 

A bedroom is a sanctuary, somewhere you can go in your house, close the door, and just breath a sigh of relief. That’s why bedrooms hit the top of my list for when choosing rooms that need a face lift. Although it’s fun to redecorate, you want to make sure you go through all the steps to ensure your bedroom makeover is right for you.   

For the past few weeks Shelly’s Friday Favourites has focused on foodie trends, and we’ve covered gourmet popcorn (with bacon), berry creations, and even artisan homemade ketchup. This week we’re branching out a bit and heading into wedding territory to explore another food trend—cake pops.

If you’re tired of the same old, same old popcorn, you’re in for a treat. Popcorn has exploded (pun intended) onto the food scene this year and changed up the way people are making popcorn. Try a few of these recipes, and you’ll never look at your buttered bowl of popcorn the same way again.

Everyone who has children wants to inundate you with their list of must-have gear. Here are 3 essential tech items that are must-haves for any parent, plus a few honourable mentions.

Summer is in full swing and it’s time to enjoy the beautiful weather and all the fun activities summer has to offer. With the nice weather comes extra safety precautions to be had. Read on for my must have summer survival tips for the outdoors.

It’s berry season on the west coast again—a time I look forward to every year! Although most people think of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries as their go-to berries for baking, freezing, or just eating off the vine, I’ve been lucky enough to get out there in the bushes and discover a few berries that don’t seem to get the same love as our popular friend the strawberry.