Whether you are taking an exotic vacation or staying closer to home, sharing some quality time together as a family is a great way to spend spring break.

Contact Shane at Envoy Travel or your travel agent for some last minute spring travel deals, or start planning ahead for summer travel.

Having a well kept yard will help you enjoy your home that much more. Kick back with a tall drink, relax in a lounge chair, and enjoy the view.

More outdoors living:
Alaska Inside Passage Adventure
The Man’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing, and Life

Are you on the lookout for the latest mp3 player or a new laptop? Want to save some money? Budget shopper Kim Chen shares some tips on how to save a few dollars when buying your next electronic gadget.

Being a well-informed shopper can help you save a lot of money. Here are some helpful websites to check out for more information:
Gizmodo – the gadget blog
Consumer Reports and Epinions.com for product reviews
Redflagdeals.com for bargains and coupons

Want More?
Save money and the environment
Clear the clutter in your life
Take a Life Lesson: What defines you?

In “Healthy Heart Foods”, Registered Dietitian Vivienne Soo will show you which fruits, vegetables and whole grain products are better for your heart.  Cardiovascular disease is one of the deadliest diseases in North America, but many of the risk factors — such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and obesity — can be reduced through making better food choices.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins. In particular, Vitamin C and beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A) are antioxidants that help prevent the buildup of plaque in your arteries from cholesterol. The more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins it contains.

Whole grains provide a great source of fiber. Fiber can help reduce blood cholesterol and control blood sugar. There are many different kinds of whole grain products available, so experiment to find ones to suite your taste.

To help keep the pounds off, most fruits, vegetables and whole grains are not only low in calories, they make you feel fuller so you eat less.

Coming up in part 2 of “Healthy Heart Foods”, learn how to avoid bad fats and find some great alternatives to eating meat.

Click on these links for more information about heart health:
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
American Heart Association
Dial-a-Dietitian

Struggling through life with an illness like heart disease? You’re not alone, talk to a mentor.

In Healthy Heart Foods Part 2, registered dietitian Vivienne Soo talks about which fats are better for our hearts. We all need some fat in our diet, but too much of the bad fats can lead to high cholesterol levels, which in turn can increase your risk of developing heart disease.

Mono and poly-unsaturated fats are the healthy fats. These types of fat can help lower bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and help the blood flow more easily. Recommended intake is 2 to 3 tablespoons per day.

Bad fats like saturated and trans fat should be avoided as much as possible because they raise the bad LDL cholesterol levels. Saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature, and are found mostly in animal products. Trans fats are found in many prepackaged foods and fast food.

Even though some fats are healthy and needed, they should still be consumed in moderation because they are high in calories and may contribute to weight gain. Try switching condiments and meats that are high in saturated fat with lower fat versions and meat alternatives. Controlling portion size is also a good way to watch your fat intake. Experiment in the kitchen and try cooking methods which do not require oil, such as baking, roasting, broiling, poaching or steaming.

Watch Healthy Heart Foods part 1 to learn how fruits, vegetables and whole grain products can help reduce your heart disease risk.

For more information about heart health:
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
American Heart Association
Dial-a-Dietitian

To many, spring cleaning is a chance to de-clutter and give your homes a good thorough scrubbing. This year, why not consider changing some light fixtures to show off all that hard work? Interior designer Terry Law sheds some light on how to choose the perfect lamps for your home.

Lighting is an often overlooked aspect of interior design, yet good lighting can transform a dismal room into an attractive space. Rather than picking up that paint brush or buying new furniture, try changing a few lighting fixtures for an inexpensive and easy way to breathe new life into your home.

“Stuff”: Clear the clutter
Spring clean your life
Spring & summer color trends

Perhaps there is something innate within humans that gravitates toward the unknown; a quest to find an explanation for things that don’t seem to make sense. What do you think fuels the fascination for the paranormal? Do you believe in phenomena beyond logical explanation?

More on spiritual things:
Stars, signs and the supernatural
Is there more to life than this?

Taekwon Do is a great way to build up muscle tone, flexibility, and lose a few pounds. Practicing martial arts can help develop discipline, reduce stress, and can even help you feel safer by learning self defense moves. It’s an activity that the whole family can enjoy together – students range in age from 5 to 60 or even 70 years old.

Taekwon Do is an internationally recognized sport with competitions held around the world. Based in Vienna, the International Taekwon Do Federation is the oldest Taekwon Do association in the world.

Rod Johnson is a full time martial arts instructor with 27 years martial arts experience and a former Western Canadian champion. His teaching style is positive, inclusive, organized and humorous. He encourages students to excel in all areas of their lives through developing focus and commitment to their martial arts training. Rod believes that the key to a student’s success in martial arts is to create a comfortable learning environment where each student feels welcome and appreciated.

Ready For More?
On the blog: Make a run for it
Work out your stress

How would you describe your father? And what influence has your father had in your life?

Father’s day reading:
Why “Father” God? What adjectives come to mind when you hear God referred to as “Father”?
A Dad Shaped Hole When dad isn’t around …

Dick’s love for his son inspired him to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure Rick lived a full life. What sacrifices have your father made for you? What about our Heavenly Father, how has He shown His love for you? This Father’s Day, let’s take time to thank and acknowledge what our fathers have done for us.

Father’s day reading:
Princesses and the Power of Woo – The role of father is vitally important to the emotional and spiritual well-being of a daughter.
The Unforgettable Father’s Day – She never forgot the lesson she learned.

Photo credit: Ellery Chen. Used with permission under a Creative Commons 2.0 License.