Home, Furniture & Kitchen

  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.

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.

Every once in awhile I see something that brings the kid out in me – poprocks and gold rush candy, plush stuffies, and Lego are just a few of my favourite things, but nothing makes me want to gear up and get outside to play more than a power toy.   The good news is that Gio has an amazing lineup of electric scooters and electric bikes that are fun, fun, fun, for both you and your kids, and they’re now available on Bestbuy.ca. Just in time too, because spring and summer are right around the corner.

Where I grew up, we didn’t have ‘food trends.’ Everything we ate was simple, basic, and comfortable – from roast beef and mashed potatoes to chili and mashed potatoes. If we were going to spice things up, maybe we’d have spaghetti or pizza.   So imagine my surprise when the person who did all of the cooking during my formative years, the woman who actually served me lasagna and mashed potatoes (I’m not joking), called me up and started talking to me about quinoa. And she wasn’t just calling for a definition of what quinoa is either – she was talking about her long list of personal quinoa salad recipes. I almost dropped the phone in shock. After all, quinoa doesn’t include ground beef or mashed potatoes in the ingredient list, so this was quite a detour.

I’m one of those people that like to pack the most amount of living into the least amount of space. By that I mean that I like to have all of the areas I need – corner library, play area, and even my home office, all set up on my main floor so everything is accessible.   Not every home office has to be a full room full of furniture, shelves, and filing cabinets. Some of the best home offices are simple, stylish, and compact. Here are some solutions for creating a great home office without taking up a ton of space.  

Over the past thirty years, the concept of “work” has changed dramatically. With the advent of email, the Internet, cell phones, texting, and teleconferencing, the need to get up at the crack of dawn, throw on a suit, and commute an hour to spend the day behind a desk in an office building is slowly giving way to flex time and telecommuting. In fact, the majority of those in the professional services spend at least some of their time working from home.   Throw in those among us who are self-employed, consult or freelance on the side, or who are writing the next best selling novel, and the need for a home office environment that is conducive to productivity is greater than ever.   But what makes a suitable and functional home office? Take away the bells and whistles like files, label makers, and fancy desktop accessories, and an efficient home office can be broken down into five key essentials. 

Daylight savings starts this Sunday, March 9. It means jumping ahead one hour to enjoy longer days of summer and signals the end of rising to work in the dark.   Why not celebrate this new time frame with a new clock? Today’s clocks have self adjusting features so you don’t have to worry about setting the right time.They are also a great way to add a personal touch of style.

The switch to Daylight Savings time is upon us again, and as of 2 am Sunday, March 9th, we’ll be springing forward by 60 minutes. Not all of Canada participates in the Daylight Savings ritual, with Saskatchewan being the main exception as they observe Central Standard Time all year round.   Some people don’t notice the switch all that much, others will flat out tell you ‘It sucks.’ It doesn’t matter which camp you’re in, because it’s coming whether we like it or not. So how do you survive the transition to Daylight Saving time?

  When it comes to getting a brand spanking new TV for the home, size is always one of top decision-making factors. Naturally, we all want the biggest, best TV money can buy. But you also need to be cognizant of what size will make the most sense for the room. And sometimes, that might mean scaling down your ambitions a bit; or conversely, looking at a TV bigger than what you intended.  

I love to eat in restaurants, and I seem to love to eat in them more in the winter months when the weather is gloomy. There is always tons of cozy, comfort food choices on the menu, and spending a few hours out of the house can really brighten up a chilly day.   But what do you do when you’ve got a craving for something you’ve only had off a menu but don’t have the option of going out?  That’s where copykat recipes come in.