MAY | JUNE 2018
ORILLIA | SOUTHERN GEORGIAN BAY | MIDLAND | PENETANG | WASAGA
Plan Your Dream Home Healthy Aging & Longevity Grill Buying Guide A Cautionary Tale of Family Law Subscribe To lifestyles magazine.ca & WIN!
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Your Guide To A Healthy, Happy, Balanced Life
contents MAY JUNE 2018
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VOL 7 NO 3
In this Issue 3 Summer Subscribe & Win 4 Healthy Aging & Longevity 5 Making Tropical ‘Nice’ Cream 6 Grill Buying Guide 7 Cautionary Tale Of Family Law 8 Planning Your Dream Home? LSM-lifestylesmagazine.ca is published six times a year by YouLink Inc. Contact us at info@lifestylesmagazine.ca and visit us at www.lifetylesmagazine.ca. All rights reserved. Letters to the editor are invited. Please send letters to info@lifestylesmagazine.ca. Reproductions of any article, photograph or artwork without specific written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. The information contained in lifestylesmagazine.ca may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior wrtten permission. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. The options expressed in lifestylesmagazine.ca are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher or advertisers. YouLink Inc., 3-200 Memorial Avenue, Suite 104, Orillia ON. L3V 5X6
Out & About MAY
12 Sat
JUNE
8 Fri
Special Mother’s Day Devon Tea May 12, 2018 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum 1474 Woodrow Rd., Coldwater Cost: $10 Event website: www.ColdwaterMuseum.com As a special Mothers’ Day treat, we will be providing a Special Devon Tea. $10.00 pp. Enjoy your delicious tea and freshly baked scones in the warm and cozy fireplace room.
Spring Boat, Cottage & Outdoor Show June 8 to 10, all day Port of Orillia Cost: FREE Event website: www.Orillia.com Hours: Fri: Noon – 8 pm | Sat: 10 am – 7 pm Sun: 10 am – 6 pm New & pre-owned boats of all sizes, from inflatables to performance fishing boats & cruisers! A variety of marine, cottage and outdoor products, land vendors and marine safety demonstrations.
Visit our Events Page online to find more great Spring events & entertainment!
Healthy Aging & Longevity
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ooking at the many factors that affect aging and longevity I realize that as a society (in North America) we don’t put enough importance on learning these habits early in life! Our modern day society revolves around working hard, overscheduling family activities, eating on the run (which often means processed convenience foods) and predominantly a sedentary lifestyle. How did we get here? There have been several studies now looking at the habits of Centenarians (those individuals around the world that live to be 100). Here’s a few of the habits that many Centenarians have in common, and what YOU can do to incorporate a piece of that lifestyle into your own life. Positive attitude and sense of humor – Centenarians don’t take life or themselves too seriously. They commonly have a ‘child-like’ demeanor, like to joke around and spend time laughing daily. To bring that into your own life try keeping a gratitude journal - eventually seeing the glass as ‘half-full’ will become easy. Try to find some time daily to enjoy the things you love and that put a smile on your face. Eating locally available food – Although there was not ONE diet that was consistent across all Centenarians, they focused on foods that were local to their regions, and ate them in the most natural, unprocessed form. Vegetables, beans and meat were part of most diets. We can follow many of these same principles – whenever possible don’t buy produce that has been shipped from other countries in the middle of winter. Instead, wait until the summer months and head to a local farm to pick
LifestylesMagazine.ca
healthy, happy, balanced life 5 desk. Take 10 deep breaths before eating to put your body into ‘digestive mode’ and eat without distractions. Some cultures never eat alone – Meals are social and tend to be enjoyed with friends and family. Eating alone would be frowned upon! This philosophy creates a different dynamic around food – it is not something to be rushed, but rather a positive and mindful nourishing experience. Although many of us are rushed and over-scheduled, try creating at least one meal daily that you can enjoy with others. Dinner is often the meal where families are all together, but if after-school activities don’t allow for this, try eating breakfast together. Weekends are a great time to get together with friends or family and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. Staying active – Many centenarians are still active well into their 90’s. They garden, walk to their friends house and often take care of a homestead. Many were used to hard work and physical labor their entire life. In our society desk jobs and computer work are the norm. Try taking regular breaks to get up and move around
berries and vegetables that are both local and in season. These can be frozen and enjoyed later in the year as well. Don’t get ‘stuffed’ – In many cultures the idea of eating until you’re 80 per cent full has been engrained. It’s easier to recognize your ‘satiety’ signals when you are connected with your body and view eating as ‘fueling’ the body rather than as an escape from stress and emotions. Try to establish regular meal times where you get to sit and enjoy your food instead of eating on the run or at your
(ideally every 30 minutes). Wake up early to get a 20 minute workout in, and take walks after work (great time to connect with a friend). Strong social network & sense of community – This is a big one. Having a sense of belonging and feeling valued is a HUGE health benefit. Centenarians are often highly involved in their communities and are respected by their family as having years of experience and knowledge to be shared with the younger generation. In modern society it’s easy to feel alone and secluded. Try connecting with a local church, a group that shares your hobbies or volunteer your time to the countless number of groups that could use your help. These activities will not only get you out of the house but also give you a sense of purpose. Modern day life has many pitfalls and challenges but also has many benefits that we should feel grateful for. Although we can’t recreate the lifestyle from past generations we can certainly learn from it and try to incorporate the habits that we know can help us feel our best!
Tropical ‘Nice’ Cream As the weather warms up it’s nice to indulge in some frosty treats that are still healthy for the whole family. This spin on ice cream is not only simple to make, but includes all the tastes of summer – pineapple, coconut and banana! It also provides a serving of protein and some healthy fats to fuel your day!
Ingredients:
(makes 6 servings) 2 frozen bananas 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks 2 scoops vanilla protein powder 1 can full fat coconut milk (chilled overnight in fridge) Optional: 1 tsp Blue Spirulina powder (this is a superfood that gives this treat it’s beautiful blue colour!) Blend all ingredients in your blender. Enjoy immediately or place in the freezer for one hour if you like it a little more frozen. Alternatively, you can pour the mixture into your ice cream maker to create more of a firmer ice cream. Enjoy!
Dr. Anna Falkowski is a Naturopathic Doctor, Wellness Educator & Clinic Director at Vitality for Life Health Center in Barrie, Ontario with a specialty in Women’s Health, Weightloss and Family Medicine. She is a healthy living advocate passionate about teaching classes and creating online programs for ‘Mom on the Glow’, her wellness blueprint for busy Moms. For more information you can visit www.vitalityforlife.ca or www. MomOnTheGlow.com
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LifestylesMagazine.ca
Grill Buying Guide
1
The Wiggle Test
Step right up, grab the handle or the sides, and give it a good shake. Does it feel solid and firm? It’s a sign of quality. • Look for welds versus screws for added strength. • For stainless steel hoods, look for heavygauge stainless steel.
resistant materials. The lid should feel solid. Grab the lid handle in the middle and twist the lid, does it deflect easily? • What are they made of? Look for porcelainenameled cast iron or stainless steel grates made with heavy gauge wires. Both types of grates will retain heat in cool windy weather and they will make steakhouse sear marks
Lift Grates, Metal • Casters should be up to appliance standards. Bars, Briquettes Will it move easily on your patio? Are there at least two locking casters to prevent the Under the grates you’ll find some type of grill from moving? system to disperse even heat across the cooking grates and to control flare-ups.
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2 Lift The Lid
Judging a grill by the weight of the lid alone is like judging a car by the weight of the hood. • As you lift the lid, check out the handle. Make sure it’s set well away from the hood to ensure it stays cool, and look for weather-
• Inverted V-shaped Metal Bars are the best at channeling food drippings and preventing flare-ups. • Look for a pan that is more than one inch deep that can be accessed easily from the front of the grill.
4 Consider the Brand • Think about who made the grill. Do you know the company name on the lid? Will they support you down the road? Will the company be around when you need grilling advice, assistance, or spare parts next year? Ten years from now? • Read closely to understand what is and what isn’t covered. The best warranties are uncomplicated and are light on fine print. • Look for a grill company with a hotline that lets you talk to a real person—not a machine. Find more great BBQ tips at www.BarberAndHaskill.com 900 King St., Midland
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Matrimonial Confidential: A Cautionary Tale of Family Law Barney and Mandi sort out support
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andi took a deep sip of her Pino Grigio. It was light as air and her mood lifted with it. All the same thoughts floating about, but bearable now. She held the oversized glass up and out, straight-armed. “Barney, top me up, will you?” “Sweetie,” Barney replied, spilling a bit in the glass and a bit on the leathered granite counter, “remember it’s Tuesday! Still have to get the Munchkins off to school tomorrow.” Mandy waved him off. “Not tomorrow, they are with He-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named. It’s his mid-week overnight visit. He’s probably ignoring my little guys right now, to canoodle with The Swede.” Barney settled himself on the high kitchen stool, plucking a couple of Cheerios out of the crack between the back and the seat and flicking them into the sink with “that” look on his face. It occurred to Mandi he spent a little too long washing his hands after. “They’re Cheerios for F-sake! You try to keep up with a five and a seven year old and hold down a full time job!” Mandi felt better when he patted her silky hair and splashed just a little bit more into her glass. “Catch me up, Kitten!” Barney did his best to pay full attention, but couldn’t help but feel his kitchen stool might be hiding more than just Cheerios in the gap. “Well,” Mandi replied, “I met with my lawyer today and he set it all out for me. We had a 10-year marriage and lived together for four years before that. Did you know that counts? Remember that crappy job I took serving tables at Jack Master’s so we could pay the rent while He-Who went back to York to complete his MBA? That counts too! Remember how we agreed I would stay home
with the Munchkins until they went to school? Then, I couldn’t get a managerial position in the restaurant biz and had to go back to serving?” Mandi’s voice quickened as her emotions rose to the surface. “It all counts!” Barney’s drama antennae pricked up. Rolling with it now, he jumped in, “Yeah, and then he had that affair with The Swede while you were still together! Argh!” Mandi’s lovely green eyes pooled, “Nah, Barney, that didn’t count.” “Ah, Sweetie, you’ll be alright. What does it all count toward?” “Spousal support, my Barn. Maybe I won’t have to leave my gorgeous waterfront home! I am meeting with my lawyer again next week with the financials and he’ll give me a better sense of all this, going forward. Just one thing though. He asked me to bring in that pesky marriage contract that He-Who’s parents made us sign. You remember? Right before the wedding? What could that have to do with anything?” “Oh, Kitten, don’t think of it tonight. It will all work out! Let’s finish this plonk and get out of the kitchen. CNN is re-running the latest Kennedy episode!” Meanwhile, back at the Shop, Lawyer Gregor pecks out a Memo to File: New Client Matter: Mandi K. Couple recently separated. 14-year combined marriage and cohabitation. Husband has moved from the matrimonial home and re-partnered. He continues for the time being, to pay most of the household bills including the mortgage and taxes. Two children. Healthy boys, ages seven and five. Both in school full-time. Temporary parenting arrangements are amicable. Primary residence is with wife, husband having children for mid-week overnight access, and two of three weekends to accommodate Wife’s work schedule. Husband seeks fully shared
residency of children. Wife considering this. Client has a claim to spousal support based on need and compensatory principles. Husband has an income in the mid-six figures. Wife’s base salary $28,000. Wife works shifts in service industry. Almost full-time hours. She will have to account for tips in calculation of her income for support purposes. Wife suffered career disruption by reason of sacrifices made to increase husband’s career prospects and to be caregiver to children during their infancy and pre-school.
Issues to flag • What is wife’s ability to increase her income to meet her obligation under the Divorce Act to contribute to her own support and that of the children? • Wife wishes to retain the matrimonial home, but may need significant financial support from husband. • Does either party owe a property settlement to the other? Financial disclosure has yet to be produced. • Will the support needs of the parties influence the negotiation over residency of the children? • Wife discloses existence of marriage contract. Contents of contract could dramatically affect the outcome. Discuss with client at next meeting. L.G. For the next issue of Matrimonial Confidential, watch for or subscribe to lifestylesmagazine.ca today.
Donna Macfarlane Partner in HGR Graham Partners, Family Law, Wills and Estates. hgrgp.ca
Planning Your Dream Home? What You Need To Know
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hen it comes to building your dream successful completion. home it is important to make sure that A number of skills are required in this project, your dream is guaranteed to become coordination, planning, negotiating, scheduling a reality. and supervision. The most important skill however Most people complete their building projects is communication. The other major part of this successfully while others don’t. There are many project will be the paperwork, lots and lots of reasons why their project took the route it did, paperwork. Yes, the paper chase is the biggest not the least of which was their preplanning and part of building a house. preparation skills. Success in home building is quite simple, “On Time and Within Budget”. It’s an often-used term in the building industry, but one that is seldom respected. So, why do people want to build their own homes and get involved in a complicated time consuming, all encompassing process that can have dire financial consequences and produce mental and physical anguish to which they would not, under any circumstances subject themselves to? The desire to build one’s own home is personal and as individual as the styles and designs of the endless variety of homes themselves. Some get physically involved to provide a level of selfsatisfaction from being able to stand back and say, “I did it myself”. For others it’s because they’re not convinced that the level of quality in the current mass-produced track housing meets their standards. Many do it to save money, or at least try, while a good number just believe that it’s the only way to get what they really want. For most, it’s a little of each.
Consider a General Contractor What Are You Trying To Achieve?
It is important to understand what you are trying to achieve in building a new home. What is your present lifestyle, your future plans, and how will your home meet those needs? If you are retiring, you probably figure on staying in the house for the rest of your life. A young and growing family may focus more on affordability rather that create comforts. A middle-aged couple with teenagers and two careers will need lots of room and convenience while physically challenged people have special design needs to fit their lifestyles as well. Understanding yourself and your needs are as important as any of the skills that are needed to see this project through to a
Usually the paper chase is conducted by the general contractor, for which you would pay him/her a percentage of the total cost of the project that can easily range up to 20 per cent or more of the project cost. A good general contractor or project coordinator is a valuable asset and worth every dollar. Taking on this part of the project yourself has the potential of some significant savings. It also carries the risk of some serious cost overruns if you are not prepared to put in the required hours and keep the project on track. To be a general contractor or project manager takes no more that a pencil, a calculator and a phone. It does not require tools or a truck It does not require an architect’s degree. What it does require is an ability to handle the paperwork and communicate with other people, the two skills that can determine success in building a home or cottage, Most general contractors do get involved
with some or all of the physical construction while project coordinators seem to stay more with the management side of the business. There are many different approaches to building a house and one of your biggest decisions will be how to get involved in your own project. Your choices will vary, from hiring a general contractor that will build you a turnkey house, complete with your new home warranty, to physically building it yourself. Some will have contractor put up a shell which they will complete themselves. You may prefer to hire the skilled work out to professionals, but handle all the paperwork, acting as your own general contractor. The approach that you take will depend on the time and skill that you can bring to your project. The other issue here is the amount of money that you may be trying to save. That could take precedence over time and skill. The money factor, usually the most integral part
of the decision process, is the most perplexing. An often-asked question is, “how much money can I save by building my own home”? This will spawn a number of different responses depending on the recipient of the question. My answer is nothing, because most people will spend all the money they have saved and all the money they can borrow to build their home. Add to that the fact that they will spend that amount of money weather they are they are building the home themselves or having it built for them as a turnkey. The difference you see is in the size and quality of the home they get for their money. Yes that sweat equity will translate into a larger home or one of higher quality, bust most will spend it all. That’s why you shouldn’t focus on how to save money, but rather how to build your home on time and stay within the budget that is set out to complete your project. You will be a lot happier! Philip R Wood phil.wood@midlandhhbc.com