Home, Furniture & Kitchen

Once in a while a piece of technology comes along that blows your mind. For me, a gadget which takes the drain out of a task I dread and makes it simple, easy, and gets me through it fast will score 5 stars in my book, and there is no task I dread more than doing my taxes every year.   That’s why the Neat Receipt mobile scanner is my new best friend, and it’s one of the few I’ve immediately texted about to friends and family for two reasons – one, they know the sad story of my mountain of receipts and my yearly struggle to tame them, and two, I had the joy of telling them I’m actually finished with my taxes a month before the deadline and I’m also caught up on sorting my receipts for next year. Thank you so much Neat Receipt mobile scanner.  

February is a month of interesting, imporant, fun and quirky celebrations. Yes, there is romantic Valentine’s Day but this holiday too often eclipses the other things we celebrate in February.   Check out this February holiday calendar. There is something for everyone  – even for those allergic to cupid!      

Baby, it’s cold outside! Whether you’re on the East Coast, West Coast, or somewhere in the middle, the temperatures are dipping into the polar zone and thoughts are turning to warm fires, hot chocolate, and bundling up.   But there’s one thing that can take the edge off the chill outside, and that’s comfort food! What is comfort food exactly? I think it means something different to whoever is eating it. For some a certain dish brings back sentimental feelings or a sense of nostalgia, for others comfort food is a go-to dish they make when they’re feeling under the weather, have had a bad day, or want a pick-me-up in the middle of a busy winter week.

In its short 300 year history, the stroller has come a long way. In fact, prior to the 1700’s, the go-to mode of transportation for a baby was a hip. That all changed in 1733 when the Duke of Devonshire asked a well-known garden architect, William Kent, to build a means of transportation that would amuse his children. In response, Kent designed a shell shaped basket on wheels in which the children could sit. Equipped with a harness so it could be pulled by a goat or small pony, and springs, so the Duke’s children could ride in comfort, the first “baby carriage” was born.

It’s no surprise people can’t seem to squeeze in their recommended daily fruit & vegetable intakes – busy lives mean dinner on the go, and dinner on the go doesn’t often include one vegetable let alone three. And no, in most circles, french fries are not considered a serving of vegetables.

So, you’ve just invested in one of the most popular streaming media players on the market – a Roku. You’ve followed the instructions and your shiny new black box is working like a charm. Great! But how about taking its capabilities up a notch? You’re in luck! Here are five handy tips and tricks to turbocharge your Roku entertainment experience. 

I watched ‘Fat, sick, and Nearly Dead’ the other day. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from it. I really thought it was something similar to the ‘SuperSize Me’ documentary that had everyone running away from McDonalds.   Turns out, I couldn’t have watched a more timely documentary. This month on Shelly’s Friday Favourites I’ve been talking about smoothies and juicing, and I don’t think you could find more information about the health benefits of juicing anywhere else. I’ve been researching the topic and looking at recipes all month, but that documentary really demonstrated how you could turn your life around with juicing.

As you are no doubt well aware, these days the vast majority of us store our music libraries digitally. True, some of us still have dozens of CD’s that do little more than take up room and collect dust on our shelves – I mean, c’mon, when am I ever going to listen to Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” ever again? But when it comes to cranking the tunes, we turn to our smartphones, tablets, and computers. Streaming music through these devices is commonplace, and as such, has opened the market doors for a plethora of wireless speakers.   Unfortunately, devices that use Sonos or Airplay can be quite expensive; however, those that use Bluetooth, which comes integrated into virtually every modern tablet, phone, and computer, are much more affordable, and even better, aren’t platform-specific. I recently had an opportunity to test the Rocketfish Bluetooth Indoor/Outdoor Speaker, and have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. 

I think the saddest part of the Holidays being over isn’t packing up the Christmas tree and decorations – it’s the packing up of the cookies, candy, and all of the fattening goodies to make way for healthier food on our shelves. December is definitely one of those times when people overindulge, and when January comes flying in fast and furious, it’s time to get serious about leading a healthy lifestyle again. If you’re looking for a great way to give you a kick-start, look no further than juicing.