MILESTONES: Part III Leaving the “Nest”
Moving out of your parent’s home for the first time is a HUGE milestone for everyone. You flew the nest! Buying your first home is even more significant in my opinion. All those years of hard work, and little wins have finally materialized into a massive milestone. A place you can really call your own. There are no rental agreements or damage deposits. You can renovate and decorate however you want. You can bring home a dog, or as...
Tried & True: The Timeless Craft of Furniture Making
Choosing the right piece of furniture for your home is hard. Not only do you want a visually appealing piece that suits your existing decor, but you also want something that is well-made and durable so it’ll withstand all that life brings, especially if you have children. I may or may not have known a child that used the arm of a recliner as a “diving board” – repeatedly. That child may or may not have been me. Implications of my past...
![LAYERS [Lairs] IN TIME: Going to the Poor House – Wellington County Museum](https://greatlivingspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Wellington-County-Museum-feature-image.jpg)
LAYERS [Lairs] IN TIME: Going to the Poor House – Wellington County Museum
“You’re driving me to the poor house”! How many times have we, as parents, said this to our kids when yet another demand is made? Now you really can! In this case, you will be driving them to the Wellington County Museum in Fergus! Now a designated National Historic Site, the building became the Museum and Archives in 1974 and was presented the 2013 Business Beautification Award by the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce for its...
The Perfect Fit…Epoxy Resin Tables & You!
We all have those family stories. That one thing that happened once upon a time, that some member of your family just will not let go of – in my house, it’s the legend of the table, handmade by my father and then sold by my mother in a garage sale. As all of this went down before my birth, I cannot say for certain what the quality of the table actually was, but if it had been anything like the series of coffee and end tables being...
Happy Motoring This Winter
We instinctively transform ourselves when summer turns into winter. We trade in our t-shirts and Bermuda shorts for parkas and heavy jeans and we might switch from a diet of fruit salad to that of beef stew. It makes sense that your automobile be given the same consideration. It is wise to have an expert check out and troubleshoot your vehicle prior to the onslaught of winter. Not only are experienced, reputable auto specialists able...
Abbeyfield Caledon – for Community Living
Almost twenty years ago, a group of Caledon residents watched as elders in their community left to spend their life elsewhere as no support systems were available to assist them with the increasing limitations of growing older. Especially troubling was the departure of a couple in their nineties who remained very involved in the Caledon East community, who moved to Ottawa because their home was too difficult for them to cope with. In...
Maintaining the Quality of Our Precious Water
As Canadians, some of us might not take our water resources as seriously as we should. After all, water seems to be everywhere in the great white north, (there are over 250,000 lakes in Ontario, alone). We have learned, however, that accessible water fit for consumption is a precious commodity and maintaining proper residential and commercial water quality as our population grows is critical. Fortunately, water quality technology is...
ASK THE EXPERT: Landscape Architect
Phased Landscape Construction – Planning Your Backyard Oasis The single biggest mistake people make when planning their outdoor space is NOT HAVING A PLAN! Even if you are unable to afford to complete the entire project right away, having a plan for phased landscape construction will ensure that, in the end, you have a cohesive backyard retreat that checks all the boxes for a desirable outdoor living space. A three-year plan is...
ASK THE EXPERT: Health
Nattokinase Nattokinase is an enzyme extracted and purified from a Japanese food called Natto. It is made by fermentation, using the bacteria Bacillus natto which is added to boiled soybeans. The bacteria produce the enzyme nattokinase to digest the substrate (soybeans), which is specific to this bacterial species. Cultures of Bacillus subtilis (the Japanese name for natto) were popular long before the introduction of antibiotics and...
ASK THE EXPERT: Beauty
Get Your Beauty On! Let’s have a conversation about beauty. I am happy for the opportunity to give my opinion on this subjective topic and for those who know me, you know that I do love to give my opinion (I am grinning while writing this). The reality is that I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t have a personal and professional view on what beauty is. After all, I am in the industry of making clients feel beautiful. Here is what I...
Create a Unique Personality for Your Home’s Entrance
First impressions matter – especially your home’s entrance. No wonder we invest such love and planning into our garage doors. Fortunately, when garage doors are a local family business, like All Mont Garage Doors in Orangeville, you can count on a long-standing commitment to workmanship and taste. Leading a 36-year tradition, All Mont Garage Doors, owned by Frank Eichhorn, Marco Eichhorn and Brenda Holmes, is known for diverse...
FEATURE HOME: Aqorpions Villa
Situated in Dorcas Bay, near Tobermory Ontario, where crystal blue waters meet the rugged Lake Huron shoreline, is a vacation home unlike anything else in the area. The Aqorpions Villa is a luxury retreat and vacation home with unforgettable views of the Lake, and interior finishes that could compare to any of the finest residences in Muskoka. The name “Aqorpions” itself, is a true reflection of the unique nature of this property. It...
RESTAURANT FEATURE: The Edge Restaurant + Bar
The Edge Restaurant. located above the Headwaters Fitness and Racquet Club, is a refreshing departure from the ordinary restaurant fare in Orangeville’s growing West End. The vibe is Intimate and friendly, with a fresh, modern flare, and the atmosphere is relaxed and inviting. But, perhaps the most striking point of differentiation is the enthusiasm of the owners/staff who are working hard to successfully establish the EDGE as a...
Designing the Perfect Kitchen for You!
They say home is where the heart is, but we say the heart of any home is in the kitchen. This is where you create memories with loved ones that last a lifetime. Prepping Christmas dinner, baking cookies for a bake sale and passing down family recipes are easier when it’s in a kitchen you love. It’s a gathering place for family and friends but can’t happen if you don’t have a kitchen personalized to your taste. The Orangeville Home...
ARTIST FEATURE: Ralph Scheiwiller – Inspired Iron
We all have that artistic spark; you know the one that makes us delve into the worlds of music, dance, art and so many other mediums. We all have the capability to create something wonderful, intricate and uniquely ours so long as we allow ourselves to foster that spark. Often that spark gets buried under the white noise of the everyday rat race. However there are some fortunate individuals who break free of the normal work-a-day life...
Sweet Potato Bites with Avocado and Bacon
INGREDIENTS: 4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 3ozs) 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean, peels on 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt ¾ tsp black pepper 2 med. avocados,peeled, pitted, and diced 1 tbsp fresh lime juice DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400°F and cook bacon, place on a paper towel lined plate and pat dry. Once cool enough to handle, dice and set aside. Move oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven....
Curry Bowl
Recipe courtesy of: Healthy Cravings Holistic Kitchen INGREDIENTS: 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil yellow onion, diced celery chopped fined 2-3 med carrots 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp ground cumin 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 4 tsp curry powder 4 tsp garam masala (optional) 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained 4 cups veggie broth 1 cup frozen peas 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk...
Rhubarb Spice Cake
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sugar 2 cups rhubarb, chopped 175 g butter, melted egg, whisked 1 ½ cups plain flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg, grated ½ tsp all spice 1 cup raisins ¾ cup walnuts, chopped Icing sugar DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line baking tin with parchment paper. Put the rhubarb and sugar in a large bowl, then stir well. Add the butter and egg and mix well. Fold in the sifted dry...
“Skinny” Mozzarella Sticks
Serves: 8 INGREDIENTS: large egg 4 string cheese, halved 8 wonton wrappers ½ cup marinara sauce (for dipping!) 1 tsp olive oil DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Working one at a time, brush wonton wrapper with egg mixture. Place string cheese in the center of each wrapper. Bring bottom edge of the wrap tightly over the cheese, rolling from bottom to top until the top of the sheet is reached (be...
Chili
INGREDIENTS: 1 ¼ pounds ground beef 1 can red kidney beans 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained 14.5oz can beef broth 12oz bottle lager beer or 1 ½ cup beef broth 1 tbsp yellow mustard 1 cup chopped onion cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp ground pasilla or ancho chili pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp salt DIRECTIONS: In a Dutch oven cook ground beef,...
