Simplify to better your life Simplify to better your life: As flowers begin to bloom and leaves slowly appear on trees, our thoughts tend to migrate to favourite springtime activities.

A gardener's guide to beneficial insects A gardener’s guide to beneficial insects: Did you know that certain insects can actually help your lawn and garden blossom into an oasis? Though many gardeners are used to seeking out trouble-making insects, there are actually many insects living in and around your lawn that can prove beneficial.

Radiant heat is the next step to greening your home Radiant heat is the next step to greening your home: From coast to coast, communities have embraced the call to reduce their carbon footprint. Pro-active steps such as recycling, re-using, reducing, and composting, are now the norm in many cities and towns across Canada.

Tips for low maintenance gardening from gardening expert Mark Cullen Tips for low maintenance gardening: Gardening ranks as one of the most popular leisure-time activities in Canada. Even so, most of us have busy schedules and can’t spend the time beautifying our properties that we would like to. This is why low maintenance gardening is catching on in a big way.

Today's boomers downsize homes, but upsize the amenities Today’s boomers downsize homes, but upsize the amenities: Say goodbye to the McMansion. According to a leading real estate website, Trulia.com, 2010 was officially the year that homes more than 3,200 square feet ended their dominance and appeal. But don’t think that downsizing means downgrading.

Jane Fonda: Life's Third ActJane Fonda: Life’s Third Act (Video): Within this generation, an extra 30 years have been added to our life expectancy — and these years aren’t just a footnote or a pathology. At TEDxWomen, Jane Fonda asks how we can think about this new phase of our lives.

Jane Fonda has had three extraordinary careers (so far): an Oscar-winning actor, a prominent activist and a best-selling fitness guru

An Exceedingly Simple Guide to Keeping a Journal An Exceedingly Simple Guide to Keeping a Journal: It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do regularly, and over the years I’ve started journals in many different forms. I have bits of journals in several notebooks and in several computer files, but while they’re interesting, they’re more a testament to my failure to keep a journal going for very long.

Appointing a Power of Attorney is a serious decision Appointing a Power of Attorney is a serious decision: A Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives someone else the power to act on your behalf. This person is called your “attorney,” though he or she is not usually a lawyer.

Colon testing is easier now Colon testing is easier now: The uptake of colon cancer screening is improving due to better tests that are more convenient and don’t interfere with lifestyle. With just one sample required now – versus multiple samples required in the past – healthcare providers say this test is far easier and convenient for everyone to comply.

Five tips for buying a new condo Five tips for buying a new condo: It’s no secret that there’s an ongoing condo boom in Ontario—just look around you. Our cities are going up vertically, and that means more and more people are enjoying high rise living. So if you are joining the crowd and thinking of buying a condo, here are some tips to make your purchase a smooth one…

The ugly truth about car scratches The ugly truth about car scratches: It’s spring and time to finally wash your car to get the winter’s accumulated salt and debris off your ride. Brace yourself. Your clean car may not look as good as you thought it would.

Debt reduction tips for Boomers Debt reduction tips for Boomers: As Boomers get closer to retirement age, many are still loaded down by debt. This is an issue because their income will be greatly reduced during retirement and paying down debt will be increasingly more difficult.

How to have the talk with aging parents How to have the talk with aging parents: No one likes to see their parents’ health deteriorate, especially when they begin to require assistance in their day-to-day lives. It’s a profoundly sensitive situation that is often not easy to broach.

2012 Federal Budge2012 Federal Budget – Some Highlights: As you know, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivered his federal budget on March 29 in Ottawa.

This budget has several items that could affect your financial plan or present additional opportunities. In case you haven’t had a chance to review the media coverage, I thought you would appreciate a quick overview of the federal budget.