The Greens are Calling
The sun shines down upon you, and the freshly manicured greens – slightly dampened from the morning dew – squish beneath your feet as you step up towards the first tee to level up your shot. Your driver, slightly dusty from several long months in storage, is firm and familiar in your hands; still your old friend, even after the separation. You can feel the anticipation of the game in the air, and of course for the season...
Blooming into Spring
What Your Garden Needs to Thrive A Garden is a wonderful thing, something that allows us to show our creativity and is constantly changing to adapt not just to the climate or space available but also to our own taste and style. While most gardens contain our favourites from year to year, there is always something we can add or change. Forget “New Year, New You” – I think it’s time to get “New Spring, New Garden” trending. While a...
Good Things Come in Small Packages!
Making Your Small Bathroom Renovation a BIG Success! With real estate costs on the rise, and mortgage rules becoming more stringent, many people are having to purchase smaller, older homes or to simply stay where they are and renovate. As a result, quality contractors are busy, and bathroom renovations are particularly in demand. Older homes tend to have less functional bathrooms and are often limited by the original design of the...
Lessons from the Reading Room with Hazel McGuiness
Communication Series – PART II: Dementia/Alzheimers: Understanding and Communicating There are over 564,000 Canadians living with Dementia/ Alzheimers today and more than 1.1 million are affected either directly or indirectly by this disease. By the year 2031 this number is expected to increase by over 66% to approximately 937,000 people. Yet less than 5% of our health research budget is allocated to fund research and development for...
Spring Tune-Up Time
For those of us that can remember, the arrival of spring came with two key events. Mom opened as many windows as possible and was busy mopping and sweeping away the mustiness compiled over the winter. Dad, meanwhile, was outside on the driveway. Armed to the teeth with oil and grease cans, he vigorously put his Ford, Chevy or Oldsmobile through the ritual spring tune-up. He changed the oil, greased the rods and ball joints and...
Mongolia … vicariously!
Since my Grade 8 speech on my life’s ambitions, I have always wanted to go to Outer Mongolia. Well, last year my husband, David Dorward, did get to go as a volunteer with a Canadian government agency, so I at least got the benefit of vicarious enjoyment! It is everything you do and do not expect, and a country that will surprise you, he says. SOME BACKGROUND We think of Mongolia as the land of wide-open spaces and few people. It is...
![Layers [Lairs] in Time](https://greatlivingspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IODE-feature-image-badge-crest.jpg){kind=icon}
Layers [Lairs] in Time
IODE: Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire The IODE, a uniquely Canadian institution, dates to the beginning of the previous century. In 1900 it was the brainchild of Montreal’s Margaret Polson Murray to form a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. Fredericton, New Brunswick, was the location of the first chapter in January of that year (then the Federation of the Daughters of the Empire); other...
Assisting from Any Stage of Your Decorating Idea
Kamelyan Your Home Decor originally opened in 1978 in the Orangeville Mall as St. Clair Paint & Wallpaper. In the early nineties though, the St. Clair brand merged with Color Your World and forced a unique name change for the family owned and run home decor company. Christine Eisses, who continues to run Kamelyan, says that the name selection process could also be considered a family affair, in part thanks to her mother. “My...
Unique, Forward Thinking
And with their mantra “SHOP LOCAL”, so much to offer! The Great Canadian Solid Wood Furniture Company has a long history of producing quality, Canadian made furniture. Specializing in made-to-order furniture and built-ins made from 100% Canadian wood, they are a client-focused and service-oriented business that strives to provide top quality, custom made products at reasonable prices. With a prime store front location and...
Locally Grown
The world is moving quickly these days. With the expansion of cities and the increase of a culture that favours the quick, the easy and the accessible, it seems that certain things have often gone by the wayside in the name of modernity. To some people, quality might be on this list. Yet, we’re starting to realize that “easier” isn’t always “better”. The problem, however, comes with where can we go to find the quality we crave? When...
Ask the Expert: Beauty
Are You Skin Treatment Confused? In our modern lives we tend to expect instant gratification & instant “fixes”. This may even extend to our idea of what beauty or rejuvenation looks like. With images of longer lashes, larger lips and puffier cheeks bombarding us from TV and magazine covers, we can be made to think that this is what we need to do to feel confident in our own beauty. In our impatience and haste we tend to forget the...
Ask the Expert: Health
Wild Tree Resin A bottle of essential oil with fresh spruce branches and resin We usually do not think of trees as a source of medicine, as we normally turn to herbs and flowers as natural remedies, but a wealth of medicinal potential surrounds us in our coniferous and deciduous forests. Tree resins have long been known and relied upon as medicines since early times and have been used by every ancient culture on earth for thousands of...
Ash the Expert: Landscape Architecture
Urban Retreats: The Next Trend In Health & Wellness My husband and I recently travelled to Italy. We both fell in love with the people, and the natural beauty of the landscape. When we got home, we wanted to apply some key “life changes”, inspired while interacting with Italian culture. Specifically, we would slow down, relax, and enjoy life in “the moment”. And with this in mind, I knew right away that when Paul Brydges suggested...
The Pride & Joy of Classic Cars
Who doesn’t like the chance to go and admire beautiful gleaming cars of all makes, models and ages? One great place is Orangeville’s “Blues Cruise” at their annual Blues and Jazz Festival. The whole of Broadway is closed off on a Friday night to make the space to display and admire those classic cars, to start the weekend off with the lively music scene! The Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival is held in historic downtown...
Simply. Beautiful.
What could be better than being able to live, and entertain, creating beautiful memories in a custom- designed home? Well, how about adding a custom- designed backyard to add to those beautiful memories! Our clever couple had the foresight to contract the services of a talented landscape designer, who in turn was just as clever to have Dave Cadieux and his team from D&D Pools execute on a stunning centrepiece of a complete...
5 Tips to Refresh Your Home in the New Year
(Family Features) Each new year gives you the chance to reset and start new routines. When you’re considering new approaches to healthy living – whether eliminating or adding habits to improve your daily life – beginning with your home is an optimal choice. Your living environment has a strong influence on your life, and it’s worth evaluating how you can make updates that create a positive space for you and all that the new year will...
FEATURED HOME: A Forever Home
Moving from your home is one of life’s most significant events, and it can prove to be a stressful and emotional undertaking. Embarking on a new adventure in a new home can be exciting and scary all at once. It can spark inspiration for new possibilities, while at the same time make us wistful and sentimental as we say goodbye to the place where many fond memories were created. When John and Judy Rietkerk began their latest new home...
TRAVEL FEATURE: The Daintree Rainforest, Australia
Paradise & Peril In Australia’s Ancient Daintree Rainforest In my quest to discover unique wilderness habitats, upon visiting Australia’s biologically alluring Daintree rainforest I am fascinated with its unusual foliage and terrifying creatures. Located in Queensland, north of Cairns, this narrow belt of land, about 1200 km in size, is mostly inaccessible as it’s hemmed in by the steep Great Dividing Ridge to the west and blue...
FEATURED ARTIST: Karen Dodds Rodd
Walking Art What does one always look for when it comes to our clothes, accessories, hairstyles, and everything else we have or convey in our every day lives? We search for uniqueness and individuality. We crave something colourful, bright, exciting, something which is inviting and creates a vibe that is ours, and ours alone. Sure, we can pop into a big box store and come out with something nice but it doesn’t compare to the...
FEATURED RESTAURANT: Top Hat Tea Room
A Place in Time It’s not often I get to spend time with a lovely family, one who’s roots tie-in closely with my own. Having said that, spend just a short time with this mother, daughter, and son business-owner trio, and you’ll feel like an old friend, and you’ll definitely be treated like family. The Top Hat Tea Room, located in beautiful downtown Orangeville, is like walking into a space where time stands still. Comfort food is...
OUR CURRENT ISSUE
DO YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT?
