The Newsy Neighbour

COMPLIMENTARY

December 2015 ISSUE 98

Natasha Eden

Adventures in Home Buying & Selling

IGHBOU E N R Reader’s Choice in

Z AGA INE M

E NEW H SY T

An Altogether Different Magazine

BUSINESS

Cell: 403-399-0809

Natasha@HouseHuntingAdventures.com

HouseHuntingAdventures.com

Awards

SELLING A HOME?

Let’s work together!

Ask About My 1 Year Warranty

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Call the Cristmas Party Line Today!

This Christmas don’t miss the holiday train Book your staff party today

403-934-0000

Ask for Peter

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E R O e

om M h H ll

T oc A R et

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STa plac

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TM

NoW oPEN!

uPComiNG EVENts! LadiEs boutiquE FashioN shoW Dec. 9, 7:00 - 9:00 • Door prizes, draws & gifts, refreshments

mENs oNLy shoPPiNG NiGht Dec. 16, 5:00-8:00 • Complimentary wrap and tagging.

Shop fabulous home décor, apparel & accessories for every style & season!

a one-of-a-kind

shoPPiNG ExPEriENCE EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY! • Décor that will bring your domestic dreams to life!

• Shop until you’re SANE again!

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Thank you for making our grand opening a success!

Christmas hours: thurs. & Fri. 10-8, sat. 10-5 18 Spruce Park Dr • Strathmore, AB 403-901-5570

>> trENdy toPs & tEEs, sWEatErs jEWELry, LEGGiNGs, CardiGaNs, PoNtE PaNts, boots & morE 4 •

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POSSESSION

Between 2:00- 4:00pm For Christmas Treats And A Free Picture With SANTA CLAUS!!

2 Lakes Estates Circle, Strathmore

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Nicole is an avid writer with a background in marketing and communications. She has a passion for humanitarianism, sports, local consignment boutiques, home decor shops, coffee houses and lemons - oh, does she love lemons.

Nicole is a proud mother of one and a true believer in karma, fate and purpose. She is fascinated by human behavior and eastern religions and if you were to ask her what she wants to be when she grows up all she would say is, happy.

NOW OPEN at our NEW LOCATION!

HING T E M ell SO ONE!” S e “W ERY V E R FO

A Grown-up Christmas Wish The magic in Christmas is that this is the time of year when miracles can happen. When all that isn’t right in the world is temporarily forgotten, we can take solace in the fact that we have those we hold dear to us. Christmas trees, mistletoes, perfectly wrapped gifts enveloped in shiny red paper that draws the attention of every animal, child and father in the general vicinity.

(Obnoxious?) in-laws, over-eager children, eggnog and a log on the fire - this is Christmas.

We Sell Something For Everyone!

However, this year, I would like to make my grown-up wish list a little less about diamonds and lot more about unity. You see, as I sat here pondering my list to Santa, I couldn’t help but realize just how much pain our world is actually in. The poverty and despair; wars, hunger and hatred. Circumstances around us have hardened so many, and for some, understandably, our greatest defense has been to numb ourselves from humanity.

Open 7 days a week!

I’m not asking anyone to donate their time or their money. I’m asking that we put aside our hurt, anger and judgements this holiday season and reignite our compassion for humankind. See the love in your grandfather’s eyes, the longing for home in that child’s smile, the nearly unbearable chill running over the homeless man’s bones as he lay alone on the park bench. I ask you to shake that veterans hand, hug your brother and try to empathize with the fact that Santa usually brings less to those who need more.

New Overstock Used and Refurbished: Appliances Electronics Mattresses Household indoor & Outdoor items Collectibles Antiques

Forget religion, geography and social status for a moment and just focus on the purity in the people around us, near and far. If we can find it in our hearts to do that this Christmas, then our world may see peace again - if only just for a day.

Merry Christmas to you and yours (and theirs) Nicole MH

403-983-7222

1016 Westridge Road

(Old Sears building on Highway 1)

Strathmore, Alberta

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We will buy and sell everything! /StrathmoreLiquidationStation

Trent Auger, Judy Moore, Colin Moore, Kerry Pollock 6 •

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CRIR2016

C HRI STM AS S PEC IAL $

2.00 from every Sunday Ticket sale or Weekend Pass goes to the Dean Brody Foundation http://deanbrodyfoundation.com and ARGRA Charities

ring CRIR2016 FedaHtu ammers

Terri Clark, Roa oper, Dean Brody, Tro pril Wine, Kim Mitchell, A elhi 2 Dublin Charlie Major, D

www.argra.org

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STRATHMORE LIONS CLUB Box 217. Strathmore, Alberta. T1P 1K2

Celebrating 77 years of service!

14th Annual Christmas Party Cocktails: 6:30 pm Dinner: 7:00 pm Dance to Follow

December 12, 2015 – Strathmore Civic Centre

Tickets available through any LIONS club member or contact:

Pro Water

Unit D 202 Canal Court Bruce Bishop 403-888-9914 Shelley Hall 587-727-0369

Featuring - JG n’ the District & Free Beer

Payment Options: Credit and Debit

Stories, Musings, A Little Adventure And Humour Suzanne is a native Calgarian that lived in Langdon for 15 years before transplanting to Chestermere in 2013. By day she is an accountant with a frustrated creative side that occasionally escapes in form of written musings, which is far more interesting than adding stuff up for people.

Christmas Gift Giving at its Finest!

G

Christmas Dinner

Growing up, Christmas dinner in my world meant turkey. Actually, the whole menu was pretty standard each year

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– turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and some other unremarkable veggie that didn’t warrant remembering. Somewhere along the line, the forgotten veggie got replaced with a carrot/onion dish, introduced by a family friend, which was remarkable only in its ability to infiltrate the menu one year and stay there. Come to think of it, the dish even outlasted the family friend. And the net result of this standard menu was a holiday feast of starchy goodness that even my grandma’s odd cooking “creativity” mostly couldn’t harm. Mostly.

124 Orchard Way. Strathmore, AB

Growing up, I can’t say I particularly cared for half of the meal.

Sweet potatoes didn’t motivate me, brussel sprouts appalled me and the cooked carrot dish was viewed with deep suspicion when it made its debut. Strangely, that dish not only wormed its way on to the annual menu, but it is also responsible for a change of heart

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regarding my previous childhood stance on cooked carrots.

Stuffing was a hit and miss thing depending on who was hosting.

My mom’s stuffing was a mass of bread, with a delicate balance of poultry seasoning, onion, egg and other random spices that managed to pick up just the right flavour that can only be accomplished by spending half the day jammed up a cooking turkey. My grandma, on the other hand, chose to fry her stuffing first, before inserting it into the bird, with the end result baring only a passing resemblance to proper stuffing. Any similarity was lost when you had the bad luck of biting down on a particularly greasy segment and discovered fried stuffing is capable of oozing. It shouldn’t be, but anything is possible when my grandma was at the stove.

Somewhere in there we all started getting quietly sick of both the menu in general and turkey specifically. It’s entirely possible having the same basic menu, with dessert being the only “unique” item, for both Thanksgiving and Christmas may have something to do with that. Our lack of menu diversity, other than the great carrot dish invasion, has now resulted in an out and out war on holiday meal traditions; a war that makes the Starbucks Christmas cup controversy look trivial. Oh wait. That actually IS trivial.

The first shot was fired at the Thanksgiving bird. My mom had been trying to have everyone over to test drive a new BBQ rib recipe, since sometime in the summer, and after having multiple date choices rejected over scheduling challenges (think “pinning down Jell-O” or “herding cats” type challenges), she finally threw up her hands in frustration, declaring, “If you people don’t agree on a date, we’re having the damn ribs for Thanksgiving!”. There was a moment of silence as everyone regarded each other, then my oldest piped up and said, “Fine by me, I don’t even like turkey”.

And in an instant “Thanksgiving Ribs” became a thing.

Thanksgiving Ribs also resulted in a complete side dish overhaul with the elimination of pretty much everything but the damn carrot dish. The reviews were only lukewarm are the ribs, due to the lack of real BBQ at my mom’s, which does beg the question why invite us over for BBQ ribs, but that’s a whole other issue. There is a possibility that my mom has decided to take the role of her mother, grandma of oozing stuffing fame, when it comes to cooking. Frankly I think it’s a plot to avoid cooking holiday meals altogether and she’s only recently caught on to my grandma’s gig, but I’ll reserve judgement on that for now.

Round two of the war appears to be Christmas dinner with the official request of “ham”. And not that fake ham, either, we’re told.

Real ham. With a bone. Because real ham apparently has a bone.

Mom and I have agreed to go along with this, but drew the line when we were told they expected the ham to be stuffed…

Carrots go well with ham, right?

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Mainly in Calgary, Alberta. We go to more locations than any local publication.

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PICK UP LOCATIONS: Strathmore & Chestermere: Gas Stations Medical Offices Hotels and other lodging Grocery Stores Strathmore: Value Drug Mart More Than Ice Cream Booster Juice Studio 86 Tanning Chamber Of Commerce The Road House Pranava Yoga Chestermere: Chestermere Library Town Of Chestermere Recreation Centre M & M Foods Catalyst Supplements Chestermere Optometry Trend Fashions Caribbean Sun Tanning Sak’s Music The Lakeshore Esthetics Langdon: Kimmer Market Botsford Deli Prairie Pharmacy IDA Rockyford: Dee’s Cold Beer & Liquor

Standard: Co-Op Tom’s General Pet’s Bakery UFA Petro Cluny: Cluny Liquor Store Country Farmhouse Gleichen: Family Foods Medical Center Arrowwod Co-Op Rosebud Museum Emmes Esso Bassano: Rosies Road Side Bassano Empty Bottle IDA Pharmacy Mossleigh: Out Post Mossleigh Hotel Inn Aspen Crossing Carseland: Food Mart Reds Family Cook House

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The opinions expressed in the advertisements and articles of this publication are those of the advertisers and authors and not of The Newsy Neighbour Inc. The information in this magazine is believed and fully intended to be accurate but not warranted to be so. The Newsy Neighbour Inc. disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the articles or advertisements. The mention of any brand in article or photos does not imply endorsement. Images are supplied by readers, advertisers and from shutterstock.com.

Our database is confidential we will not share our information with third parties. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of The Newsy Neighbour Inc.

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OUR TEAM:

PUBLISHERS LETTER:

Owner/Publisher, Layout, Design, Accounts Payable/ Receivable & Website.

Aleesha Gosling

Phone: 403-478-9114

aleesha@thenewsyneighbour.com

Owner, Content Development & Articles

Kathryn Hartwell Phone: 403-561-0888

kathryn@thenewsyneighbour.com

Advertising; Regional Sales Manager

Denise Geremia

Phone: 403-608-0686 denise@thenewsyneighbour.com

OUR CONTRIBUTORS: JockTalk

Life Lines

Jock Wilson

Jody Brown

Shaken & Stirred

Lomenda Energy

Marcy Field

Carla Lomenda

Interior Design

Stories Musings

Emily Hogan A Mindful Minute

Rebecca Stone Holdin’ Holden

Jenny Schoberl

Suzanne Shaver Guiding you OVER the steps ..... of Real Estate.

The REPs Natural Choices

Cynthia Barnesky

This is our last Issue of 2015!! It’s the last month of the year and what a year it has been; a year we will never forget!

Not just personally for each of us, but for the province and the world. As this year comes to a close, may we all look forward to a new exciting year when everyone’s hopes and dreams come true and there may be peace on earth.

This December Issue is a very special, one with all the Readers’ Choice “Best in Business Awards” businesses listed within these pages! These special awards are brought to you by The Newsy Neighbour Magazine, with sponsorship from the Town of Strathmore, the City of Chestermere and the Langdon Community Association. Nominations opened in October, and closed on November 18th. There were an astounding amount of nominations, ending with a total of 1216; incredible! The first round of voting closes on December 14th, so don’t forget to vote on The Newsy Neighbour’s website. The awards Ceremony will be held January 28th at the Strathmore Travelodge, with the hilarious corporate comedian Jebb Fink there to entertain us.

We can hardly wait – see you there!

Every month I say how much I love that month’s Issue, but, really I love this one the BEST; not only because it is the Christmas Issue, but it is just so incredibly beautiful and everyone has just outdone themselves with this one; it is magical with the recipes, Christmas laughs, Christmas and Pets, Health and Beauty, Kids’ stuff and “Twas the night before Christmas” on page 28 should be framed!!

I know for a fact that you all will be saying the same thing after reading this Christmas Issue – so make yourself a special cup of Christmas Hot Chocolate, snuggle up next to the glow of your Christmas tree and give yourself some special me-time and enjoy. We do this for you!

Make this Christmas your most special Christmas of all time!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Kathryn, Aleesha and Denise

Natural Options

Derek Henry Just some Stuff

Nicole MH

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS THIS MONTH:

Wheatland FCSS, 5 for Life, Langdon Dental, The Lakeshore Spa, My Bakery Shop,Animal Care Centre

Leela Sharon Aheer facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

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T

Coats & Cocoa

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Department: Position: Status: Date Posted: Deadline:

The winter wear exchange program for 2015 County Coat Campaign has begun. We are mobile this year, travelling to various sites within the County. We will be in Gleichen at the Community Centre on December 1st, in Standard at the Library on December 3rd, in Rockyford at the Elementary School on December 7th and in Carseland at the Elementary School on December 9th. We will be in each community from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Old Sun Community College Adult Literacy Program Adult Literacy Part time Numeracy Instructor Contract Position (Sept 2015 – June 2016) October 30, 2015 Until suitable candidate found

Thank you to the ladies at the ‘Hussar Sundowners Seniors Centre’ for being such gracious hosts on November 17th.

Position Summary: Old Sun Community College is looking for a qualified individual to teach Numeracy. Under the Supervision of the Old Sun Community College President, the Adult Numeracy instructor will teach students the basic foundational skills in Math and prepare them to take the regular Grade 10 levels of Math upon completion of this program.

‘Drop ~ Swap ~ Shop’ At any time in this campaign, you can drop off your gently-used items, swap for something else or shop for whatever you may need and enjoy a hot chocolate while doing so.

Good Food Box Program has ended for 2015 but will resume in January with the first order going in by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5th, 2016. For the winter/spring schedule, check out our website.

Duties and Responsibilities: • Develop assessments that measure progress towards the academic standards.

• Develop curricula and activities that are aligned with the academic standards.

• Incorporate direct instruction, discussion, projects and cooperative work to engage students.

• Keep classes focused and infuse a lasting desire to learn.

• Establish a formal cultural support and learning environment for students.

• Utilize testing tools, administer assessment and interpret results.

• Provide ongoing support to students on an individual basis.

• Follow the Old Sun Community College policies and procedures for student conduct and discipline.

• Develop and use a variety of assessments (i.e. exams, written work, and public performances) to measure student progress toward the school’s content and skill standards.

• Develop clear evaluation criteria and distribute to students prior to assignments.

• Work with program coordinators to ensure initiatives are being met.

Wheatland Lunch and Learn sessions are held at the Wheatland County Administration Building at noon. Upcoming sessions include: • December 16th - ‘Colours’ • January 20th – ‘Fraud Bingo’ • February 17th – ‘Relax and Smile’ • March 16th – ‘Updates to Seniors’ Benefits’ Sessions are free to all Wheatland County residents and start promptly at noon. To register, please call 403-934-5335 so we have enough food for everyone.

The Board and Staff of Wheatland FCSS encourage everyone to take time during the rush of the holidays to enjoy the things in life that really matter; take in the serene moments spent with friends and loved ones, and may the wonder of Christmas surround you during the miraculous time that is Christmas. May you see with the eyes of a child, experience the wonder of love, and truly enjoy all that the season has to offer.

Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree in Education is required.

• Must have an accredited Alberta Teaching Certificate.

• Superior interpersonal and communications skills are essential.

• Must have knowledge and respect for Siksika cultural traditions.

• A dedication and commitment to the mission of Old Sun Community College.

• Must be available 3 days out of the week.

Please contact us at: Phone: 403-934-5335 Email: info@wfcss.org Website: wfcss.org

WHEATLAND

“I will h�n�ur Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all �ear l�ng.” ~ Charles Dickens

SUBMIT COVER LETTER/RESUME ALONG WITH COPIES OF EDUCATION AND OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS TO: Amelia Clark, President Old Sun Community College Box 1250 Siksika, Alberta T0J 3W0

Please send facsimiles to (403) 734-5363 or toll free to 1 (888) 375-3335.

Phone: 403-934-5335

NOTE: ONLY CANDIDATES GRANTED INTERVIEWS WILL BE CONTACTED BY PHONE

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FAMILY & COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES

Happy Holidays & Best Wishes in the New Year from WFCSS Board & Staff

Visit us at wfcss.org

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W

Leela

SHARON AHEER

MLA Chestermere - Rocky View

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: HOW CAN WE HELP? See Our Facebook Page For Updates

/ChestermereRockyView Phone: 403-207-9889 Fax: 403-216-2225

W

Chestermere.RockyView@assembly.ab.ca

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: 215, 175 Chestermere Station Way, Chestermere, AB T1X 0G1

Hello to all my constituents

We have seen the face of evil revealed in the recent events in Paris. Remembrance Day ceremonies had just been held across this great country, and then multiple terrorist attacks shook the world to its core.

The world showed solidarity and joined the French people in their resolve. We are not afraid. “Nous sommes la France.” We are France!

Well, December is upon us and we are dealing with a new federal government, as well as the Provincial budget. In my last column I expressed confidence that the new Prime Minister would realize that a prosperous Canada needed a prosperous Alberta. Since then, the US President has rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, thus killing thousands of jobs and an opportunity to get better value for our oil exports. The Prime Minister was “disappointed”. In fact, he was so concerned about market access that he has instructed his ministers to put in place a moratorium on tanker traffic off the northern BC coastline, thus effectively killing the Northern Gateway pipeline as well. One wonders how he can pay for his ambitious social agenda without the wealth that will now not be flowing out of Alberta. To put it charitably, our Premier’s response is indifference.

Our new provincial government’s budget is now being debated in the legislature. They plan to ramp up spending and run gigantic deficits. Even if one believes their sunny “predictions” for oil prices ($20/bbl over what the market believes), we are looking at accumulated debt of about $50 billion dollars by the end of their mandate. That represents about $11,000 dollars for every man, woman, and child in this province. This Government shows no restraint. We do not have a revenue problem, we have a management problem that began with the PC’s and continues with this government. They refuse to even ask our public sector to consider a wage freeze. They are also planning to fund day to day operations with borrowed money, something that is at the moment illegal until they ram through new legislation to allow for that. This means they are planning to rob your (and my) children’s future to pay for their bloated spending. We already spend about $2000 dollars more per capita on the public sector than BC and arguably get less for it. To add insult to injury, they are using borrowed money to saturate the airwaves with propaganda, touting the budget, joined by the various public sector unions who, after all, don’t have to worry about putting food on the table unlike thousands of Albertans who are either unemployed or faced with unemployment. Meanwhile, our Premier is telling her friends in Ontario that they are going to introduce wide ranging carbon taxes, a “tax on everything”. It would have

WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! Please give.

We are accepting donations to: Veterans Food Bank (year round) Chestermere Christmas With Dignity 403-207-7079 www.chestermere.ca/cwd

Have an upcoming event?

Call us! We’ll try to come!

been nice if she had the courtesy to tell Albertans first. After all, we get to pay for it. We need solutions to the problems we are facing, and throwing money at it is not the way.

We would like to take a moment and reflect on the moving words of Maria Fitzpatrick, MLA for Lethbridge East. She shared the horror of her survival in an abusive marriage and had the strength and eloquence to bring before us in the legislature. Issues like this transcend politics.

As you put up your tree, or celebrate in another fashion, please, please spare a thought for the less fortunate among us. Albertans’ willingness to give is one of the pillars of this province and something that we should all be proud of. Please give if you are able to the food bank, our veterans, or other worthy charity. Or just help out neighbours down on their luck. You will be richer for it.

To all of you, Merry Christmas! It is truly an honour to serve such wonderful people.

Leela Sharon Aheer, MLA

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IGHBOU E N R Reader’s Choice

2015-2016

Z AGA INE M

E NEW H SY T

Recognizing Business Excellence

in

BUSINESS

E NEW TH S

Reader’s Choice

BEST IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE SERIES.

Y

IGHBOU NE R Reader’s Choice in

BUSINESS

AGAZINE M

Awards

Nominee

The Readers Choice Best of Business Awards project is brought to you by The Newsy Neighbour Magazine, with sponsorship from the Town of Strathmore, the City of Chestermere and the Langdon Community Association.

We launched this project in November 2015 Issue 97 and it continues through to February 2016 Issue100(!!), we are recognizing excellence in our communities. There will be 3 winners in each active category. Gold, Silver & Bronze. Winners are chosen by readers of The Newsy Neighbour Magazine.

Nominations opened in October, and closed on November 18th. There was a total of 1216 nominations. First round voting closes on December 14th, so don’t forget to vote!

www.readerschoicebestinbusiness.com 14 •

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Reader's Choice Best in Business Awards The Readers’ Choice Best in Business Awards project is brought to you by The Newsy Neighbour Magazine, with sponsorship from the Town of Strathmore, the City of Chestermere and the Langdon Community Association.

The Newsy Neighbour launched this project in November 2015 Issue 97 and it continues through to February 2016 Issue 100(!!).

We are recognizing excellence in our communities. There will be 3 winners in each active category: Gold, Silver & Bronze. Winners are chosen by readers of The Newsy Neighbour Magazine.

Nominations opened in October, and closed on November 18th.

There was a total There was a total ofof 1216 nominations .

1216 nominations .

Who Are All The Nominees?

Watch for the nomination badge throughout this issue. The advertisers/ supporters of this issue are clearly marked with this badge. Please show them your support by voting for them!

The businesses that didn’t advertise in this issue are still recognized in this issue. When you see a box like THIS ONE, it will contain all the nominees in the applicable category. Please take a second to recognize them.

There are 70 Active Categories and 423 Active Nominees. Most businesses received more than one nomination. Congratulations!

First round voting closes on December 14th, so don’t forget to vote!

The second round voting for the finalists opens December 16th and closes January 16th. The finalists in each category will be recognized in our January issue.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on January 28th and recognized in February Issue 100!

VOTING RULES:

1) ****IMPORTANT**** You can ONLY vote ONCE from the same device. If you want to vote multiple times, do it from your home computer, office computer, tablet, phone, etc. You will not be able to log in and vote again from the same device.

2) You can vote for a business in EVERY category. Spend a couple minutes and go through all the nominees. A lot of businesses were nominated in multiple categories. You can vote in every single category if you wish, but it is not mandatory.

3) First Round Voting CLOSES on December 14th, then we will move onto the Finalists round of voting.

4) Winners will be determined by YOU, the voters. The business with the most votes wins!

**IMPORTANT** If you clear the cookies from your web browser so that you can vote again from the same device over and over, the system will notify us of a problem. The multiple votes will not be counted. The system does this automatically.

This is a clean and fair voting system. You can vote once from each device and that is it. We have already had a few notifications. We are on to you!! :-) Spread the word, tell all your supporters to vote for YOU!

How many times can you find this VOTE NOW symbol in this issue?

Submit your answer on our website: www.thenewsyneighbour.com Find the CONTESTS tab, submit the correct answer and you are entered to win a $100 Gift Certificate to an advertising business of your choice in this issue, and there are a LOT of businesses to choose from in this issue! *Business of choice must have an advertisement. Businesses mentioned in the nomination categories do not qualify.

Between November 1st and November 22nd there were 4065 votes cast!

If this doesn’t prove how much people read/support this magazine and how excited people are for this awards project, we are not sure what does. We are overwhelmed by the success of the project and we want to THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

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CusToMer serVICe

3) Chestermere lAKe reGistry 4) Chestermere optometry 5) DnD sheet metAl 6) home hArDwAre

Ceremony

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9) lil hoots ConsiGnment 10) meADowlArK senior CAre home 11) noosA BeACh

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21) stAnDArD one stop shoe shop 22) VAlue DruG mArt THIS PAGE 23) wheAtlAnD housinG 24) wheAtlAnD towinG

in

Awards

7) huxteD's wAste AnD reCyCle

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Reader’s Choice

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8) KAl tire strAthmore

IGHBOU NE R Z AGA INE M

2) Assist Business Centre

PAGE 73 PAGE 37

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1) Asset insurAnCe BroKers

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Come and enjoy drinks, appetizers and networking with Strathmore, Langdon, Chestermere & Area’s top business owners, industry leaders and town/city representatives as we announce the winners of the Readers Choice Best in Business Awards.

We’re excited to announce that Jebb Fink, an award winning host and comedian will be providing corporate comedy for the night!

Aleesha Gosling, owner of The Newsy Neighbour Magazine be the emcee for the evening, and we will have many special guests and guests of honour to help present the awards.

And it’s not just our finalists who could be winners on the night.

You could be too! We will have a fantastic selection of door prizes and end of the night giveaways.

When: Thursday, January 28Th, 2015 Where: Strathmore Travelodge- Heritage Ball Room Time: 6:00Pm – 10:00Pm Food: Beef on a Bun, Appetizers and Dessert Drinks: Free Coffee & Tea. Cash Bar. Entertainment: Live, Corporate Comedy Show By Jebb Fink Special Guests & Award Presentators: TBD Who is Jebb Fink?

PAGE 56

He is an award winning host and comedian.

Jebb Fink has spent the last 30 years performing in comedy clubs and specializing in corporate comedy. It is hard not to recognize Jebb Fink from eight years on the A-Channel’s Big Breakfast or, more recently, as the host of City TV’s “Your City.” In addition to his local work, Jebb has also been the host of CBC’s Just for Laughs “All Access Pass”, a writer and performer with the Just for Laughs Festival, and a writer and performer for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Edmonton Comedy Festival, Halifax Comedy and the Hub Cap Comedy Festival.

NEES

I NOM

Christmas Decorations and Catalogue Special on Sale Now! www.valuedrugmart.com

Schedule of Events: *Times subject to change*

Networking, Snacks & Drinks: 6:00–6:45 p.m.

Awards Ceremony: 7:00–8:15 p.m.

Entertainment (Corporate Comedy by Jebb Fink): 8:30 – 9:15 Further Networking/Socializing: 9:30 – 10:00pm with $10 from each ticket being donated back to a local charity. Please vote for the char-

Tickets are $40 each

ity at www.readerschoicebestinbusiness.com E: strathmore@valuedrug.ca

132-2nd Ave Strathmore AB T1P 1K3

16 •

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Tickets are limited, so get yours now at www.thenewsyneighbour.com

403-934-3122 ph 403-934-6474 fax

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14 Spruce Park Dr, Strathmore, AB (403) 934-3802 Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!

Business Core Excellence: Core Values Values

Fundamental values are the core of every successful business. Yes, each organization is inevitability responsible for developing and carrying out their own ideals and codes of conduct, however there are a few basics that every business owner should consider.

INTEGRITY is one of the most important and sought-after qualities in a company. At the base of your business-consumer relationship should be the trust that gives your customers the confidence in your ability to do as you say and say what you mean.

INNOVATION

is thinking ahead; being proactive and anticipating what your customers are going to want from you, and your product, before they even realize they want it. Innovation is not necessarily developing the ‘biggest and the best’ in the business, but

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18 •

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Eminem’s album “Recovery” was released

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From shoebox to completion we can help! tailoring your next steps to pave the way to your client’s contentment. Take Apple, for example. They thoroughly researched the likes and dislikes of their consumer’s shopping experiences; then they tailored their retail locations to address those things and in 2009, when other retailer’s sales had decreased, Apple’s sales rose by nearly 7%.

QUALITY. QUALITY. QUALITY. Should we say

it again? Quality. High quality products attract high quality (and repeat) consumers. Anyone can create a sub-par product and sell at least one of them - but a successful business owner knows that your progress lays in the quality of your product. This goes hand-in-hand with integrity: if your customer doesn’t have trust in your brand, they will go elsewhere. And they’ll tell their friends.

ACCOUNTABILITY.

Financially, legally and ethically, accountability is imperative to your success. Just as individuals in society require both morals and laws to guide their behaviour, responsibility and accountability are both necessary to guide company conduct. It should be your pleasure to take the blame and the credit for everything that happens within your organization.

COMMITMENT AND RESPECT. When possible,

work to create personal relationships with your customers. Listen to them, empathise with them and respect what they’re telling you. Studies have shown that people are more inclined to come back for your services if they feel a sense of friendship from you; a genuine caring and respect.

Of course, there are other fundamentals to consider when trying

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• 19

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano.

Repeat.

STRATHMORE HAS ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

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Speaking of mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

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seNIor serVICes

If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labour Day?

1) meADowlArK senior CAre home

Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

2) wheAtlAnD housinG

One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention.

Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

CoFFee sHoP 1) prAirie GrounDs CoFFee 2) stArBuCKs Chestermere

Remember this motto to live by:

3) stArBuCKs strAthmore 4) the wAitinG room CAFe

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a glass of red wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, “WOO HOO what a ride!”

5) tim horton's lAnGDon

1 2

Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

Holiday Eating Tips

Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare... You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat.

Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

20 •

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BeST iN

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PromoTioNal/ emBroiDerY/ SCreeN PriNTiNg 1) assist BUsiness centre

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1) assist BUsiness centre 2) trim diGital imaGinG

2) indUs GraPhics

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4) chimP emBroidery

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5) cyndi's seWinG and emBroidery

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Weird & Wacky Christmas Traditions Spiders Mean Extra Christmas Luck: Ukraine

Most people think of spider webs as a spooky Halloween symbol, but in the Ukraine, spiders and their webs represent a most lucky kind of Christmas. Tradition calls for Christmas trees in this part of the world to be decorated with spider webs to insure blessings and good fortune in the coming year.

This custom is based on an ancient Ukrainian legend in which a poverty-stricken widow had no funds to decorate her family’s Christmas tree. Her desolate children were left saddened and crying. After the children went to bed, some friendly spiders who had sympathized with the children’s tears spun gorgeous, light-reflective webs to decorate the bare tree. When the children awoke on Christmas morning, they were joyous to find the beautifully decorated tree. From that day forward, the poor family was prosperous and lucky.

Hide the Brooms from the Witch: Norway

Christmas Eve is regarded with great superstition in Norway.

Very much like the Halloween tradition in other countries, Norwegians believe that this is the night when evil spirits taunt the living. It is customarily believed that this is when witches come out and search for brooms to steal from hapless citizens in order to fly off into the cold, dark night. In order to prevent this, it is a yearly tradition for women to hide all of the brooms and mops in a given household, lest a nearby witch might steal one of them. The men are then responsible for firing guns into the sky to frighten away evil entities. Don’t go for a walk outdoors that evening!

Source: Oddee.com

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• 21

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Who does not have a “Magic Bullet”? My guess is most people out there have one and this is a very good thing (if you are using it)! As a matter of fact, I just dug mine out of the back of my closet because I found these fabulous CHRISTMAS RECEIPES you can make using your handy dandy little Magic Bullet. YAY!!

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This is for your gift-giving and snacking as your guests arrive.

luNCh PlaCe

Magical Candy Cane Bark for your Christmas Snacking

1) Back to Good strathmore PAGE 24

24 candy canes 3 14-ounce Toblerone milk chocolate bars Place a large sauce pan on low heat and add all Toblerone bars. Keep a close eye and stir often so the chocolate doesn’t burn. Add candy canes to Magic Bullet Blender Tall Cup. Just break off the ends so they fit. Blend until you have candy cane powder and add to a medium sized mixing bowl (you can use this magical candy cane powder in hot chocolate). Continue with the above step with all candy canes.

Once chocolate is melted and smooth, add in candy cane powder and stir well. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. Pour melted chocolate-infused candy cane onto wax paper and smooth. Go about 1/4″-1/2″ thick but it doesn’t have to be uniform! Pop the cookie sheets into the freezer until your bark is solidified. Break up with your hands – or take larger pieces, add to a big baggie and break up using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.

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PAGE 23

8) Van son chestermere 22 •

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Perfect for your cocktails and Christmas Party Entertaining.

Fruit Ice Cubes for your Christmas Drinks

All you have to do is to throw in your peeled and pitted fruits into the magic bullet puree, and pour into ice cube trays for freezing. Think about this for a minute: you can add strawberries, cantaloupe, mango, figs, apples and bananas; just about any fruit to a glass of champagne or any fruity festive drink.

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I’d be adding a bit of Grand Marnier to this recipe.

Chocolate Banana Pudding for your Christmas Dessert

1 1/4 cups milk 1 banana 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted 3 tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp vanilla extract Sliced almonds for topping Add milk a little at a time to the cornstarch in a small bowl, mixing together using a fork until combined (this avoids lumps).

Add all ingredients (except the vanilla and sliced almonds) to a Magic Bullet cup and blend until creamy. Heat in a skillet for 5 minutes on medium heat while stirring, or in the microwave for three 15-second intervals, stirring in between to thicken.

Pour into 4 glasses and cover with plastic wrap, pressing down onto the pudding to completely seal. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This is perfect with your Christmas Turkey.

Blue Cheese Dressing for your Christmas Salad ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream ⅓ cup buttermilk ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp garlic powder

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½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper 4 oz. blue cheese (or Gorgonzola) crumbles Combine all the ingredients in blender, reserving about half of the blue cheese crumbles for later.

Blend just until blue cheese crumbles are broken down. Stir in remaining blue cheese crumbles and refrigerate until ready to serve. Lasts up to one week in refrigerator.

There! Now you have it – that little “Magic Bullet” can be used for more than smoothies and eggs!

Have the most wonderful Christmas Season!

Kathryn Hartwell

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• 23

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your brain stem down to your abdomen. It is now well established that the vagus nerve is indeed the primary route your gut bacteria uses to transmit information to your brain.

In a very real sense, you have two brains: one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment. Your gut and brain actually work in tandem, each influencing the other.

This is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa; as well as the reason why your diet is so closely linked to your mental health.

H

This year has been an exciting one for unraveling some of the “mystery” between gut flora and mental health. For example, research demonstrated that probiotics have a direct effect on brain chemistry under normal conditions—in such a way that can impact your feelings of anxiety or depression.

PRO-BIOTICS

How many people out there take a Pro-Biotic?

I took one for a little while and then stopped for some unknown reason, but now, after reading this article written by Dr. Mercola, I am going to the health food store today to pick one up.

Now, my understanding is the LIVE pro-biotic is the best. I had no idea that scientific evidence shows that nourishing your gut flora with friendly bacteria is extremely important for proper brain function, and that includes psychological well-being and mood control. It may sound odd that bacteria in your gut could impact emotions such as anxiety, but that is exactly what the research bears testimony to. On top of that, Compromised Gut Flora leads to ADHD, autism and learning disabilities.

News Flash: Did you know you have two nervous systems? Your central nervous system, composed of your brain and spinal cord, and enteric nervous system, which is the intrinsic nervous system of your gastrointestinal tract.

24 •

Interestingly, neurotransmitters like serotonin are also found in your gut. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and suppressing aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain!

Many people start their day by popping a multi-vitamin as a sort of “insurance policy” to cover their bases, nutritionally speaking.

But all in all, the research into probiotics indicates that supplementing with probiotics is probably more important than taking a multi-vitamin. In fact, many of the essential nutrients that we find in multi-vitamins are produced for us 24/7 by these beneficial bacteria, such as the entire spectrum of B Group vitamins.

Actually, the best way to ensure optimal gut flora is to regularly consume traditionally fermented foods, which are naturally rich in good bacteria. Pasteurized versions will NOT have the same benefits, as the pasteurization process destroys many, if not all of the naturally occurring probiotics. So you will need to seek out traditionally fermented, unpasteurized foods, or make them yourself. This includes: - Fermented raw milk such as kefir or yogurt, but NOT commercial versions, which typically do not have live cultures and are loaded with sugars that feed pathogenic bacteria. Make your own.

Both are created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system.

- Various pickled fermentations of cabbage sauerkraut, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash, and carrots or Tempeh, Kimchi, Natto (fermented soy)

These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from

If you do not eat these types of foods regularly, then a high-quality probiotic supplement can help fill in the gap and give your gut

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the healthy bacteria it needs. This is the first part of the equation.

The second part of the equation to optimizing your gut flora lies in avoiding the many factors that can throw your bacteria equilibrium way off balance. For the sake of your gut health, it is vitally important to eliminate ALL sugars, as they will sabotage any beneficial effects of the fermented foods. In short, sugar acts as a “nutrient” for the disease-causing yeast, fungi and bacteria that are in your gut. If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, or other signs that you have an excess of unhealthy bacteria in your gut, such as gas and bloating, fatigue, sugar cravings, nausea, headaches, constipation or diarrhea, eliminating sugar and fructose is an excellent starting point toward recovery.

As you remove the offending foods from your diet and begin to introduce nourishing probiotics, your gut flora will come back into a healthy balance. Once this occurs, it’s common to experience a variety of emotional and physical improvements.

1

2014-11-18

10:39 PM

MY BA K E R Y S H O P C

custom cakes cupcakes

M

Y

CM

mini cupcakes

MY

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K

frozen yogurt

&

Shop

Cupcake Frozen Yogurt

whole wheat bread homemade jams OPEN Monday to Saturday 10 to 7 #111- 355 Centre Street N Langdon, AB 403 880 9875 facebook.com/mybakeryshop

Baking the world happy, one cupcake at a time!

This article was published with the permission of DrMercola.com “Take Control of your Life” by Dr. Mercola, a New York Times bestselling author. For more helpful articles, please visit Mercola.com today and receive your FREE Take Control of Your Health E-book!

Business Spotlight:

MY BAKERY SHOP It is with love and passion that I decided to start a small baking practice from home eight years ago. The first four years were a challenge, as I continued to bake through two pregnancies and a part time job. It was in the sixth year that I decided I want to put more time into my baking. I started to bake more regularly from the comfort of my own kitchen. After two years of baking full-time from home, I made the decision to open a store front.

This has given me the opportunity to share a nutritional way to eat and enjoy desserts. By grinding our own flour, it gives value to the calories you are eating. Although it can be a challenge at times, I am enjoying all aspects of owning my own bakery. The thing I enjoy most is decorating cakes and the way my customers’ faces light up when they see the finished product. What makes my shop different from other similar businesses is that we bake everything fresh daily; all while grinding our own fresh flour! We also serve a selection of frozen yogurts; in these we start with a plain yogurt and add our flavours with fresh fruit and purées. We also use real ingredient, such as flakes of coconut. If I were to recommend my business to anyone, I would tell them to stop in and try the specialty desserts and breads, and we don’t have an overabundance of products to choose from. It has a feeling just like your mom’s own kitchen with staff that are always eager to help with a smile.

In closing, I would like to share a little unknown secret about our bakery. We will bake almost anything you can think of! You can also suggest a flavour of cupcake you would like to try and see it in store the next day!

So come down and see us where we take every day to bake the world happy.

CuPCake/Cake/ DeCoraTiNg 1) For the loVe oF cakes 2) my Bakery shoP 3) seW delicioUs

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Written by William Pilon submitted by My Bakery Shop

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• 25

Article by: 5 for Life An Early Childhood Development Coalition

FamilY eNTerTaiNmeNT

5forlifeforever.com

1) camP chestermere 2) eXPressions the dance Gallery 3) JUmPhoUse Gymnastics 4) macaroni kid chestermere

PAGE 27

5) shakers Family FUn centre 6) the Point restaUrant

Gift Dance Give The

As you prepare for Christmas this year, take some time to plan an activity into your calendar that involves you and your child.

Try one of the following ideas, research others or invent your own. Use it as an opportunity to spend time with your child.

Steer away from perfection and focus on enjoying your child.

Who knows, you may enjoy it so much that it may become a tradition in your home!

Of

Show your child how to cut out paper snowflakes, make and decorate paper chains or make popcorn garlands.

Play Christmas music and teach your child your favourite Christmas songs.

Decorate a tree outside for the animals.

Dance gift certificates available for Christmas!

Make sugar cookies with various cutters. Use them to tell a Christmas story.

Dance Classes for anybody with ANY BODY!

Have a cookie decorating contest.

Use newsprint or butcher paper to paint and decorate your own wrapping paper.

New programs beginning 2016 for everyone!

Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 5:30-8:00 Saturdays 10:00-1:00

Create a cozy area by the Christmas tree. Select Christmas books from the library & read by the lights of the tree, or read by flashlight.

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Ph: 403-901-6392

Merry Christmas Check Out Our Website For Upcoming Events!

26 •

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• 27

Twas the night before Christmas Clement Clarke Moore (1799 - 1863) came from a prominent family and his father Benjamin Moore was the Bishop of New York who was famous for officiating at the inauguration of George Washington. The tradition of reading Twas the Night Before Christmas poem on Christmas Eve is now a Worldwide institution and tradition. It is also a tradition for us to put it in the Christmas Issue of The Newsy Neighbour each year! Enjoy!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!" thenewsyneighbour.com

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

28 •

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

•

Altogether Different

Chestermere Regional Recreation Centre

MINI ENERGIZER

Wed, Jan 6th

6 – 8 pm

Rec Centre

Clubs and Organizations interested in having a table to share upcoming programs and services and let the public know what you have to offer, please email recreation@chestermerecrca.com R E N T A L S P R O G R A M S & M O R E

Community Christmas Party Saturday, December 5th Rec Centre Main Hall 12 – 4 pm Musical Performances by local talent!

Santa’s Workshop – Crafts & Activities.

Coffee, hot chocolate, treats & Santa visit!

Hayrides Outside: 1 – 3 pm

Chestermere Christmas Marketplace Lots of homemade crafts and gift ideas! Saturday, December 5th 10 am - 4 pm Chestermere Rec Centre MPP Room

SKI/SNOWBOARD TRIPS TO COP

A Supervised CRCA Rec Program for ages 9—17 Bus leaves at 3:20-returns at 9:30 Session 1: Dec 4, Dec 11, Jan 8 and Jan 15 Session 2: Jan 29, Feb 5, Feb 12 and Feb 26 Cost per Session: Lift & Bus: $200.00 Bus Only: $60.00

P U B L I C

Check out Chestermere Rec Centre Programs!

Lots of your old favorites and some exciting new ones!

Information for the 2016 Winter Programs will be posted on our website (www.chstermerecrca.com) on December 1st and registrations start December 8th.

Register on line or in person at the Rec Centre Office.

Community Memberships are required for all CRCA programs and will be 1/2 price for the 1/2 year from January—June!

FLYING BOB CIRCUS CAMP for ages 9 – 15 December 27th 28th and 29th at the Rec Centre Watch the Synergy website for more details! www.truesynergy.ca A Synergy/CRCA Partnership Program!

CHESTERMERE GO GIRL Ages 10 – 15 Cost $15.00 A day to promote physical activity to girls in the community.

Saturday January 16th from 8:45 – 5:00 pm Registration starts Dec 8th.

Packages now available!

For more info and for all your event needs call Jocelyn @ 403-272-7170.

S K A T I N G & E V E N T S

Register for CRCA Programs online at www.chestermerecrca.com or the Rec Centre Main Office Need more information ? Contact us at 403-272-7170 or email recreation@chestermerecrca.com (Vicki )

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Darren remembers accompanying his father out shopping in the toy department of Sears one Christmas Eve. Dad said, ‘What a marvellous train set.

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Dad replied with a glint in his eye, ‘Maybe you’re right. In that case I’ll take two.’

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• 29

W

CHRISTMAS AND PETS With the holidays just around the corner, we would like to offer some tips for the Christmas Season!

• Keep bows, ribbons, tinsel, and garland away from pets, especially cats who love the texture. A gastrointestinal obstruction is a serious condition that requires surgical removal of the foreign body. If you are unsure if your pet has ingested a foreign body, pets will present with the clinical signs of vomiting (inability to keep solid food down), lethargy, inappetence and/or abdominal pain.

• Keep electric cords and Christmas lights out of reach. Accidental electrocutions are serious and can lead to death.

• Keep chocolate (especially dark chocolate and bakers chocolate) and chocolate laced-baking goods up and out of reach of your furry friends. Even if it’s under the tree, pets have a keen sense of smell! Chocolate toxicities can be serious; so if your pet does get into any chocolate, please call a veterinarian immediately. Chocolate has similar signs to caffeine that can cause hyperactivity, increase blood pressure, muscle tremors, abnormal heart rhythms, seizures and sometimes even death.

• Keep garlic, onions, fatty meats, and fruit cake (raisins/currants) away from pets. Onions and garlic can cause a reaction in their body that can lead to red blood cells rupturing (oxidative damage), leading to an anemia (low red blood cell count), resulting in pale mucous membranes and lethargy. Ingestion of fatty foods like turkey and roast trimmings, gravy, bacon etc. can lead to pancreatitis. This is the inflammation of the pancreas, which is the organ that normally produces digestive enzymes in the body.

When inflamed, this can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea and can be life-threatening. Desserts like fruit cake and others contain raisins, grapes or currants, which are also toxic.

The mechanism to how it causes toxicity is still currently unknown, however can lead to acute kidney failure. Even a small amount ingested can be harmful (it is not dose-dependent).

• Mistletoe, holly and poinsettias are toxic, so keep them out of reach (or use fake versions to decorate).

• Poinsettias: Oral irritation (foaming at the mouth with lots of saliva and/or vocalization) and vomiting and diarrhea.

• Mistletoe: As few as 3 berries can be lethal to dogs. Clinical signs can be delayed but causing vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, central nervous signs (incoordination, seizures, hyperesthesia, coma), cardiovascular collapse, or death.

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30 •

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The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

•

Altogether Different

• Holly: Oral irritation (foaming at the mouth with lots of saliva and/or vocalization) and vomiting and diarrhea.

• Tis the season to be having anti-freeze laying around in the garage and in storage. This commercial product has a surprising pleasant taste that Join us for our Holiday Photoboot h is appealing to cats and dogs. Please Holiday Photobooth! ensure all spills are cleaned up since Bring your pets in for pictures on anti-freeze is highly toxic to our fourDecember 5, 2015 legged friends. Severe clinical signs can from 12pm-3pm. happen as quickly as 24 to 48 hours after ingestion. At first, it will appear like We are dedicating December to an alcohol intoxication (depression, Happy Cat Sanctuary.

Donations will be accepted all month for vomiting, incoordination, increased this local Strathmore cat sanctuary. urination, dehydration and increase heart and respiratory rates). As the anDecember 24: 8am – 1pm ti-freeze is metabolized in the body, it HOLIDAY December 25 & 26: Closed NOW you can book your pet’s next destroys the kidneys and can lead to 31: 8am – 3pm appointment from our Facebook page!

HOURS December January 1: Closed acute kidney failure. In these cases, prognosis is often poor since kidneys 403.901.1800 clinic & emergency | info@animalcarecentre.ca | www.animalcarecentre.ca North of Trans Canada Hwy on RR 254, 2 km West of Strathmore. cannot regenerate themselves.

• As we run our furnaces and let our cars idle to warm up, please be vigilant of where your pets are. Carbon monoxide is odourless and rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. It affects the carrying capacity of veTeriNariaN oxygen on the red blood cells. Overexposure can lead to muscle weakness, elevated heart and respiratory rate, 1) animal care centre oF strathmore difficulty breathing, bright red oral mucous membranes, coma and death in the most severe cases. Ensure all car2) Barrett Veterinary Practice bon monoxide detectors are working properly and have 3) chestermere Veterinary clinic good ventilation.

• Lock pets away in a room while visitors are coming and 4) FaUna animal hosPital going to prevent an escape artist from getting outside and also to reduce the amount of stress during this busy 5) lanGdon Veterinary clinic holiday season.

6) larrikin Vet serVices • If you are a snowbird and celebrating with your pet(s) abroad, ensure to have the proper documentation, vacci7) seVick Veterinary serVices nations and parasite medications organized prior to your travel date. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has an 8) strathmore Veterinary clinic international list of countries and what they require before entry. Please see www.inspecition.gc.ca for details.

We hope you have a happy and festive holiday with your furry friends!

Merry Christmas from everyone at the Animal Care Centre of Strathmore.

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• 31

Sugar cookies were plain and round when they were first introduced in the 1700s.

In 1930, they became popular.

Because of the simple sugar cookie recipe and the ease of shaping the dough, children would leave them out for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve.

Proposing?

Are you ready to propose to the love of

your life?

Picture This... soft music in your beautiful cabin. Wake

Today, we can do so much more! With the right tools, we can create beautifully decorated sugar cookies to match any theme.

Fresh flowers, chilled champagne and

to a two-course hot breakfast served in the cozy kitchen of your cabin and while you sip your coffee enjoy the view of the lake and the mountains. We’ll take you for a sleigh ride in the afternoon and while you warm up in the hot tub, we will prepare a three course dinner topped off with a decadent dessert! While you linger over coffee and dessert, we’ll turn down your bed, light the candles and place chocolates on your pillows. Where to propose…on the sleigh ride, in the hot tub, snuggled into layers of luxurious linens or curled up in front of the fireplace? The possibilities are endless!

We’ll make sure every detail is

Pro Tip: while making sugar cookies yourself, only roll the dough out twice!

Rolling more than twice makes them tough. You can still cook and eat the left over dough, just don’t add it to your Christmas bento box or cookie exchange.

Perfect!

Tel: 1.403.934.6974 Email: info@rockingrguestranch.com /Rocking-R-Guest-Ranch www.rockingrguestranch.com

Rolled Sugar Cookies

WeDDiNg ServiCeS

Cookie: 1 1/2 cups butter 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 cups fresh ground flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt

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In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.

Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Roll out dough on a floured surface 1/4 to 1/2” thickness. Cut into shapes. Place 1” apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Chill shapes on the pan for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before removing from baking sheet. Add your favourite icing!

6) seW delicioUs 7) shhUGar 8) the WeddinG GroUP settinGs linen

ipe

Rec

The Ever Popular

Sugar Cookie 32 •

thenewsyneighbour.com

Icing 3 tbsp meringue powder 4 cups icing sugar 6 tbsp water Mix together in a mixer on medium speed for 7-10 minutes. For festive icing, add drops of food colouring, or top your sugar cookies with sprinkles or silver sugar pearls!

Written by Victoria Mairs Submitted by My Bakery Shop. See ad on page 25

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

•

Altogether Different

Christmas Laughs I try to be unusually kind and compassionate to those around me during the Holidays, because I never know who will end up being my Secret Santa.

21st Century Santa - As a little girl climbed onto Santa’s lap, Santa asked the usual, “And what would you like for Christmas?” The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped, “Didn’t you get my E-mail?”

Knock Knock Who’s there? Centipede. Centipede who? Centipede on the Christmas tree.

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PAGE 32

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• 33

S

Since time immemorial, Christmas has been the season of spreading good cheer, of spending time with your family and of sharing, caring and giving.

Family

But this year is the first year since the beginning of my life that I will not be spending Christmas with my family, my original family, my grown-up family, or my children. I will be far away from my children and I know (and they all know) this is going to be hard for me. I LOVE Christmas, my Christmas tree, our Christmas dinner, the decorating, and music and baking… I get a little teary eyed when I think I will not be with my children this Christmas. But they are all grown up and I know they will all be having a wonderful time with their

own families and friends. So instead of feeling sad, I have decided to share some great Christmas ideas for those of you who will be spending your Christmas season together.

FOR THE LITTLE ONES AT CHRISTMAS Hand and Foot Print Reindeer

This little crafts is a must for parents of young children.

The reindeer are simple, and become a keepsake of those precious hands and feet when they were still small. The basic supplies you will need are: scissors, glue, a pencil, brown construction paper and crayons. To begin, trace both hands and one of your children’s feet. Cut out the hands and feet. Very young children may need some help cutting out the hands, or you may end up with hurt fingers.

To make the reindeer, glue the hands to the heel side of the footprint cut out. Arrange the hands so the fingers look like antlers.

Now that the reindeer is assembled, let your child decorate them with the crayons any way they wish. If you want to jazz this little project up a bit, use glitter, googly eyes or puff balls for a nose.

Using two different colours of brown paper for the antlers and head creates more visual interest.

Snowflakes

Snowflakes are fun, and except for the paper clippings, create little to no mess. Avoid clipping clean up by using a big blanket or table cloth on the floor under the cutting area. Other supplies you will need: scissors for each child and paper (white or icy blue). Take a few moments to show the kids how to fold the paper so they can make snowflakes, and then let them go nuts with the scissors.

When all the cutting is done, you can use fishing line or another translucent string to hang them from the ceiling to create your private indoor snow fall. Tape them to windows and doors to make the look of your winter wonderland just perfect.

Advanced Snowflakes 101: Using specialty paper from the craft store is a great way to create one of a kind snowflake. Paint the finished flakes with white glitter glue to add an icy diamond finish to your flakes.

FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY AT CHRISTMAS

Drink hot chocolate with marshmallows, hang candy canes on the tree, sing your favourite Christmas carol, write a letter to Santa, bake cookies, make a holiday-themed craft, trim the tree, hang the stockings, build a gingerbread 34 •

thenewsyneighbour.com

house, look at Christmas lights, watch a Christmas movie, hang a wreath, make popcorn garlands, watch a Christmas play, make a homemade ornament, donate to a toy drive, shake a snow globe, mail holiday cards, wear a Santa hat, read “The Polar Express”, play Christmas music, make paper snowflakes, donate canned goods, build a fire, bundle up and observe the stars, act out a Christmas play, visit Santa, make a construction paper tree chain, drink egg nog, go ice skating, make a gift for teacher, colour a Christmas colouring page, catch snowflakes on your tongue, wrap presents, countdown to Christmas with an advent calendar, wear new Christmas PJs, volunteer at a local hospital, senior care centre, or community kitchen AND DON’T FORGET TO MAKE:

POPCORN BALLS

Easy, fun and delicious: popcorn balls are a simple Christmas craft idea you can share with your neighbours for a treat or gift giving for teachers and friends.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil ½ cup un-popped popcorn 6 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 cups miniature marshmallows * If you are popping the popcorn in an air popper, omit the oil.

You could substitute 4 quarts of popped microwave popcorn if you wish. Pop the popcorn and set aside. Melt butter and marshmallows in microwave (about 2 min); do not overcook.

Add vanilla, stir, and combine with popped corn. Wait until cool and form into popcorn balls. Jazz it up a bit: add food colouring or decorate the balls with colourful candy or mini chocolate chips.

Make this Christmas your most special Christmas of all time! Family is the most important thing you will have ever have. Family is everything.

Kathryn Hartwell

References: familyeducation.com, momswhothink.com, allthingschristmas.com

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

•

Altogether Different

How about More Bli� and Le� Stre�!

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My Bakery Shop

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• 35

Photo Credits: Andrew F. Kazmierski / Shutterstock.com

NEW YORK AT CHRISTMAS

H

How exciting it would be to be in New York at Christmas time! They say nobody does it better than New York and did you know that the famous poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (on page 28 of this issue) was supposedly inspired by the festive atmosphere in one of the city’s downtown markets in 1822? And, according to Miracle on 34th Street, yes, there is a Santa Claus, and he resides at Macy’s?

New York is situated on one of the world’s largest natural harbors; it consists of five boroughs, each of which is a separate county of New York State. The five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. This I did not know, perhaps because I never thought to look it up, but New York State shares its northwestern and northern border with Quebec and Ontario, eastern border with Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut, southern border with New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Atlantic Ocean and western border with Ontario and Pennsylvania. Furthermore, the Atlantic Ocean edges the state to the southeast, and two of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie edge it to the northwest and west respectively.

New York City’s five boroughs are home to some of the world’s

36 •

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most recognizable, cherished landmarks and attractions. From Times Square and Central Park to the Empire State Building and One World Observatory, the island of Manhattan packs more famous icons into one compact area than any other place on earth, has incredible art galleries and museums, and some of the world’s best restaurants.

For Christmas, you must go to Rockefeller Center Plaza (aka the Capital of NYC Christmas), and see the big tree (there since 1931, now boasting 45,000 LED lights), and snap a photo or two. It’s worth fighting the crowds, particularly after dark when the lights bounce off the bare shoulders of the golden Prometheus statue.

While at Rockafeller Center, you simply must go to “THE RINK”, one of New York City’s most celebrated attractions! In the heart of Midtown, steps from Times Square and the Theater District, The Rink at Rockefeller Center is a New York City tradition that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for a classic NYC ice skating session or reservations for one of our exclusive wintertime experiences, you are assured magical memories that you will cherish for years to come.

If you’re taking the kids, you cannot miss the Times Square Toys ‘R Us and its indoor Ferris wheel, and another must-see would be Macy’s elaborate Santaland – a stunner of a scene of Christmas trees, elves, toy trains and snow-filled wonder. It’s also still home, per Miracle on 34th Street and the store’s hotline (tel +1212-494-4495), to the ‘one real Santa Claus.’ And, the holiday show “St John the Divine’s Winter Solstice,” which is a beloved, and rather secular, concert series (this year December 18–20), The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

•

Altogether Different

Cruise Vacations & so much more...

We can arrange your flight, hotel, car rental & more, all at Expedia ® prices!

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while Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular is the show, every NY kid sees growing up, with dozens of dancing Santa’s and the line of Rockettes a-leg-kicking.

Do some window-shopping, as all the boutiques and department stores across the city dress up for the season and don’t stick to downtown; they say midtown simply does it better. Have a walk up Fifth Avenue from Saks at 49th St to FAO Schwarz at 58th, and don’t miss outliers like Lord & Taylor (5th Ave at 38th St), Macy’s (34th St & Broadway) and the modern, invariably funny antics of Barneys New York (Madison Ave & 62nd St). Brooklyn’s BAM hosts the American Ballet Theatre’s version of ‘The Nutcracker’ (Dec 12–21), while the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx has one of the city’s great Christmas traditions, the Holiday Train Show, with a quarter-mile toy train track passing NY icons like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and St Patrick’s Cathedral, built with leaves and other natural materials.

Sounds to me like New York, New York is absolutely the place to be at Christmas! Can you imagine staying in the World Famous Plaza hotel (the one in home alone 2)? Now, that would be the trip of a lifetime!

Contact your Vacation Consultant or visit our website for full details.

(403) 263 3500

16, 140 E Chestermere Drive, Chestermere www.cruiseshipcenters.com/Chestermere

Travel ageNCY 1) coles traVel 2) eXPedia crUiseshiP centre 3) hooked on traVel 4) kaleidoscoPe traVel & crUise 5) marlin traVel strathmore 6) sWan Valley traVel Truthfully I have never considered a trip to New York but I think that has all changed, sounds like Christmas is the time to visit The Big Apple!

Kathryn Hartwell

References: lonelyplanet.com, nycgo.com, travelandleisure.com and mapsoftheworld.com

Rockefeller Center Ice Skating In NYC

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• 37

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PAGE 4

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Independent business

/TheRedCarrotStrathmore

Servicing Chestermere And Area Since 2007

209 - 175 Chestermere Station Way. Chestermere, AB

C

HOT CHOCOLATE

FloriST

Christmas and hot chocolate… don’t those two words seem to fit together nicely?

1) chestermere saFeWay 2) sara may creatiVe Blooms 3) strathmore co-oP

When it is cold outside, I get feeling all warm and cozy inside my house. I get cravings for all things cozy like my fuzzy housecoat, my wood burning fireplace, and… hot chocolate (with peppermint schnapps). Nothing beats sipping hot chocolate wrapped in a blanket watching the wood burn and crackle in the fireplace. Life is good. Hot chocolate is good. But you know what makes homemade hot chocolate even better? Spices! You can add all sorts of spices to spice up your hot chocolate, like cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and even a little salt. Both cinnamon and cardamom should have a place in your kitchen, as they are both super tasty and full of medicinal benefits. As with most spices, both cardamom and cinnamon are best in the whole-form, not the ground dry stuff from the store.

4) strathmore Florist

Cardamom Spiced Hot Chocolate

2 cups milk, coconut milk or almond milk 1/4 cup cocoa powder OR cacao powder 2 tbsp of your sweetener of choice, maple, honey or coconut sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp bruised cardamom pods (to bruise a pod, you can use a rolling pin over the pod and gently push.)

1-2 sticks of cinnamon Optional: a few pinches of other spices, like: nutmeg, ginger, and/or cloves

Luscio u Joys s

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The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

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In a saucepan, whisk together all of the ingredients. Heat on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scalding (don’t use a higher heat to make this quickly: a low heat will simmer and blend the spices into the milk perfectly). Allow your hot chocolate to simmer on low heat for at least 15 minutes. This makes enough for two mugs of lusciousness. *If this beverage is too thick for you, simply add more milk.

Taste-test towards the end to decide if it’s too bitter (then add more sweetener) or if it needs more chocolate. * Think about this as you are sipping you luscious hot chocolate, the health benefits of cardamom include gastrointestinal protection, cholesterol control, control of cancer, relief from cardiovascular issues, and the improvement of blood circulation in the body. It is useful for curing dental diseases and urinary tract infections such as cystitis, nephritis, and gonorrhea and Cardamom is said to possess aphrodisiac properties and cinnamon is high in a substance called cinnamaldehyde, which is responsible for most of the health benefits. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. The antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help lower the risk of disease.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

1½ cups granulated sugar ¼ tsp fresh lemon juice 4½ cups room temperature milk 8 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped 2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped Big pinch salt In a small bowl, rub together the sugar and the lemon juice, until the sugar is damp and fragrant. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and let it preheat for several minutes until the pan is hot. Once the saucepan is hot, add the sugar. Begin stirring immediately and continuously. Because the pan was preheated, the sugar will start cooking very quickly. Soon after it liquefies, it will start to take on colour. Cook, stirring constantly, until it is a medium amber colour. Continue to stir while you stream in the milk. The caramel may seize and form small chunks of sugar, but continue to stir and heat the mixture, and by the time the milk is piping hot, the caramel will have melted and you will have a smooth liquid. Once the milk is at a simmer (small bubbles forming along the sides of the pan) remove the pan from the heat. Don’t let the milk come to a boil! Add the chopped chocolates to the pan and whisk until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is melted. Add a pinch of salt, taste the milk, and add more salt if desired.

Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate

1 cup of heavy cream 2 cups of milk - I used skim milk 1 cup of good quality white chocolate chips, Ghirardelli recommended 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice Heat cream and milk in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until hot but not boiling. In a medium sized bowl, pour heated cream and milk over white chocolate chips. Stir until chips are melted. Add vanilla extract and pumpkin spice.

Don’t feel guilty about all the hot chocolate you will be drinking this Christmas season; you will have lots of time next year to exercise off all that deliciousness! After all, what else would you use for your New Year’s resolution?!

Kathryn Hartwell

Wishing Everyone A Wonderful Holiday Season.

Thank you to our customers for shopping local!

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Come Celebrate with

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Marcy enjoys helping others experience the joy in life. She started Mountain Lion Leadership, in 2003. As a leadership & community advocate, she is actively involved with organizations & businesses working to aid growth and development. This is combined with a passion to see women grow both personally & professionally whatever their stage of life. Contact Marcy: marcy@mlleadership.com. Follow Marcy on Twitter @MarcyLField to my profile.

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golF CourSe

2015

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As 2015 comes to a close, I ponder what a ride it was. The world is changed globally, nationally and provincially. Beliefs and ideologies are challenged in the transitions and as balance is sought, we occasionally flounder. Despite a profound desire for things to return to “normal”, normal may never be the same again.

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Personally, 2015 didn’t roll out the way I anticipated. On May 22nd I crashed my motorcycle, which led to 12 days spent in

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the Foothills Hospital Trauma Unit followed by another 8 weeks at home recovering. I broke bones in my left foot, 5 ribs on my left side (excruciatingly painful), my left shoulder blade, my right wrist and the metacarpal index finger of my right hand. Furthermore, my left lung collapsed, I had some renal bruising and experienced whiplash. I scared my family and friends but thankfully, I survived.

The healing from the accident was not the greatest blessing; rather, the discovery of a brain aneurysm during the assessment of the damages from it became the miracle. Early in November 2015, I underwent brain surgery, where a talented and skilled team of neurosurgeons coiled the aneurysm, thus extending my life expectancy. It is difficult for me to comprehend the minds and science that conceived this treatment, yet I am eternally grateful for their expertise.

Prior to undergoing brain surgery, I was made aware of a number of possibilities that could occur during it. I was also asked, “Do you really want to do this?” My answer was a resounding, “yes.” I knew people who have died or been disabled with undiagnosed aneurysms that leaked or erupted. I chose to trust the trained and skilled team with my life in one of the best hospitals in our province. A mere twenty years ago, I would have had to travel across the country to Toronto to undergo a similar procedure.

My experiences transformed my opinion of the Health Care system, through firsthand experience. Previously I knew facts, figures, and tales of mismanagement as relayed to me via mainstream media and conversations with health care professionals.

I was convinced that it was broken, yet I’m now convinced that exceptional care is available for us despite the problems that require attention.

Many individual lives could change dramatically if they could experience just some of the services available here. Healthcare remains a central issue in both provincial and federal politics. It is one area the majority of the electorate holds strong opinions about. Do we all have a right to an opinion? Yes, but truthfully not all opinions carry the same weight in an argument. Knowledge and experience change perceptions and our ability to make a difference.

Experience teaches me that by remaining calm and engaging with experts, better solutions arise. We may believe the answers are simple; however, there are many things at play, making life incredibly complex. I’ve begun to ask, “Why/how does my opinion count? How great is the personal impact on my family of the decisions being made? What is it that I fear and why? Can I make a difference in some way and how?”

During 2015, I faced fears of pain and death. I needed the expertise, wisdom, kindness and assistance of others. This was a major personal test for this independent woman. There were and continue to be challenges.

Thankfully, I am granted the wonderful privilege of continuing to celebrate life with family and friends in a land of plenty. There is a roof over my head, food on the table and clothing to keep me warm. These basic human needs are denied to many through no fault or choice of their own. In this season of giving, my thoughts, prayers and support go to them.

May you and yours experience the true blessing of Christmas.

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Got skin tags? Most of us do. How about Cherry Angiomas, those little red circular spots that can develop all over? Little broken capillaries around your nose? I could go on and on… sadly, most of us have something. Let’s be honest: we still want to look good and have perfectly smooth skin.

If you don’t want to spend a pile of money at the dermatologist’s office removing unsightly bumps and lumps from the face and body, try ThermoLo. This technology was developed back in 1996 by Lorenzo Kunze to treat epidermal skin imperfections. It can treat spots and dots such as: sun/age spots, cherry angiomas, small capillaries, milia or acne, sebaceous hyperplasia or enlarged oil glands, skin tags and unwanted hair, like pesky chin hairs!

What is ThermoLo? ThermoLo is not a laser. It is a technology that works on the upper most layer of skin and only on the affected area. This keeps the surrounding skin from being affected negatively. ThermoLo uses electricity to create heat through radio frequency, both high and low, and the service can be performed by a qualified and educated esthetician.

Why ThermoLo?

The advantage of using the ThermoLo is that it only works on the top layers of the skin (epidermis) and the dermal layers of the skin are not affected. Electrolysis works into all three major skin layers (epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Most pulsed light

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treatments can penetrate both the epidermis and the dermis, so the ThermoLo machine only works on the epidermis.

The ThermoLo can be applied precisely to the area that you want treated, whereas light therapy cannot be focused on small solar lentigines (sun spots) or telangiectasias (spider veins) without hitting areas that do not need to be treated. The theory is to “treat the weeds and leave the grass alone”.

The thing to remember about the ThermoLo is that you are not going into the deeper layers of skin to remove tissue. You are simply touching the epidermis and allowing the current to attract to the water in the milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, spider vein, cherry hemangioma or acne to dehydrate the problem area, thus causing the body (over several days) to exfoliate the dried skin. The down time is minimal and the treatment can be permanent.

- Lorenzo Kunze, ME So in short, this incredible machine can remove those skin imperfections at an esthetic level and be done safely, effectively and at a lower cost than you would find at a Medical Skin Care office. It’s also a great service for men as well. It’s always recommended that you do your own research and find a reputable spa or clinic to have this treatment done. Who doesn’t want perfect skin?

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References: www.thermolo.com/about

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With the holiday season in full swing, our minds often start to crave baking, hot ciders, and eggnog. Unfortunately, most store-bought eggnogs ruin what could otherwise be a nice beverage by using conventional dairy, sugar, eggs, and other modified ingredients. This year, don’t let that stop the holiday cheer. Make your own healthy eggnog with this delicious recipe.

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Purpose

The purpose of this healthy eggnog recipe is to substitute the dramatically inferior ingredients in your typical store bough eggnog, and replace them with healthy substitutes that will not negatively affect the flavour, and deliver a healthy holiday treat.

This recipe will be much easier on your digestive system, and will allow you to go back for seconds without feeling guilty.

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• Mixing bowl • Medium sized sauce pan • Whisk

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Ingredients

Something for everyone on your list and stocking stuffers too!

a nt ere Sa s H op Sh

• 4 egg yolks • 2 and 3/4 cups of sprouted almond milk or coconut milk • 1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar • 2 tsp of vanilla extract • 1 tsp ground nutmeg • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • Pinch of all spice

Directions

Place egg yolks (no whites) in a small mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium heat.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Slowly add about 1/4 cup of hot liquids to egg yolks while whisking. Continue until you’ve added about 1 cup of the liquid mixture to the egg yolks, then transfer yolks to the pot. Increase to medium heat and whisk on simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a glass container. Refrigerate for 24 hours for best results.

Consumption

Enjoy as you wish. After all, it’s the holidays and it’s healthy!

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different. We are so much alike. Brother, sister, mother, father, neighbour, co-worker, stranger and friend. We seek for the same things – security and safety for our family, a sense of purpose and passion in our life, a group of people we can share our happiness with. It matters not where in the world you are – this gift transcends the barriers of separation. Through connection with others, we realize our shared qualities are so much more relevant than our differences ever could be.

This season, seek to close the gap between yourself and others.

Look for the similarities and the beauty that makes us unique, yet connected. Look into another’s eyes, someone you perhaps feel you have nothing in common with, and see yourself reflected. Build up, don’t tear down - in conversation, in social media, in the thoughts you cultivate within. Give yourself the gift of community, at home, in our community, and with the world. That gift will spread like wildfire.

Compassion – The Gift of Action.

The definition of compassion is, “A feeling of deep sympathy or sorrow with the suffering of another, accompanied by the desire to alleviate it”.

TwO Gifts for the Season As we approach the Christmas season, we begin to start our preparations – blessing our families and friends with gifts, great food and time spent together. This year, I have an idea of two gifts that we can give to ourselves; gifts that will make an impact in our own lives and others all year long.

What a beautiful statement. Jesus (I care not whether you take his life as fact or allegory) was the ultimate compassionate being.

He saw the suffering of the world, and came to sacrifice himself so that we could be freed from our fate. He was willing to work and suffer himself, despite the fear he felt, so that we might experience peace.

Connection – The Gift of Community

This season when you see the suffering of another, give yourself the gift of action. What can be done to alleviate the suffering you see? Simply feeling the emotion is not the end of it – steps are to be taken, work must be done. The gift you give will be returned to you – leaving a lasting impact on you, the one for whom you have shown compassion, and on the world that is better for your action.

Ego will see us define ourselves by race, religion, status, income, political ideology, and geographical borders. There will always be those that will try to make it an “us” against “them” battle. There will always be those that attempt the use of terror or bigotry to sow seeds of separateness. I implore you – disregard this emphatically.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama says this: “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” It is my belief that COURAGE comes as a result of compassion and connection with our fellow beings. Doesn’t it make sense that the best gifts we can give this holiday season (and all year long) are ones that will not only ensure our survival, but make it a beautiful world to live in?

We are no longer a globe, separated by vast waters, space and time. We have the ability to make an impact in our community, and that impact may very well have lasting effects around the world.

The understanding of our fundamental connection as a human race is one that I am so grateful for, one that yoga has taught me so well. We are not so

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SunRise Healing Center Cynthia has over 10 years in the Energy work and started her own healing business in 2007. She loves to learn new techniques that will naturally heal the body, soul and spirit. She has 24 years of experience in Self-Pain Management, specializing in migraines, chronic pain, depression, carpal tunnel, tendonitis and fibromyalgia. Cynthia has experienced many of these therapies herself and continues the ongoing journey of learning how to manage all pain through natural techniques.

Through working with her clients, Cynthia has learned there is no “magic pill” for any kind of condition, but as she likes to tell them it is about “finding your own healing puzzle”. She also guides clients to find healing in all levels of their life: mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, consciously and subconsciously, because only then will the healing to be total, complete and balanced.

Through her business Sunrise Healing Center, Cynthia’s goal is to help you find natural ways of healing. Services include: Spiritual Life Teacher/Guide (guiding you to finding your inner truth, love, forgiveness, wisdom and power that comes from the Divine). Different massage techniques, including deep tissue massage, cupping massage, trigger point or acupressure massage, myofascial release, Raindrop Therapy massage (using essential oils and very light massage strokes). Cynthia is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) Reflexology and ionCleanse Detox Foot Bath and to guide you spiritually, Intuitive Card Readings, Divine Love Healing.

Cynthia has on hand some amazing health products that can aid in the health of the whole body; natural like Crystals, Himalayan Crystal Salt products, Essential Oils like Young Living, Scents of Health, Pure (Melaleuca Oils), and ameo Oils (Zija), Pure Trim (Natural Health Products which include Vitamins/Supplements and Liver, Colon and Digestive Tract detox and support and Weight Management programs), all of which she uses for her own natural healing puzzle!

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Two gifts; one for a family member and/or friend and a gift for yourself! Choose from: Relaxation Massage, Raindrop Therapy Massage, Intuitive Card Reading, A Reflexology Session, or even a hour of Divine Energy Healing (using Crystals, Vibrational Energy, Reiki, Reconnective Healing, and/or Aromatherapy), or try the IonCleanse Detox Package!!!!

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She is never ashamed to share with clients her own conditions, knowing this does not define who she really is as a person. Cynthia also has a gift of feeling energy and uses this to help in the process of helping you heal YOU. To contact Cynthia: 403-934-6416 or sunrisehealingcenter@ gmail.com. See ad on this page. facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

• 47

Hats of Happiness Does the Cat in the Hat live in your house?

As humans, we get told (or sometimes we speak) about how many different hats we wear. We are moms or dads, daughters or sons, employees or employers, coaches or players, teachers or students, chefs when it comes to feeding the family, project managers when arranging schedules, and the list goes on. The point is, we have so many skills and roles that we try to differentiate and separate.

The fact is, we never really stop wearing any of those hats. When we go to work, we don’t stop being a parent because we have arrived at the office or worksite. Our primary focus has shifted, but we are still wearing that parent hat; it just may be hiding underneath the ‘I’m at work hat’.

The problem is, we deny ourselves the truth. This denial leads to a feeling of conflict within. When we are at war within ourselves, it is hard to feel fulfilled. What’s the solution? Own the truth.

Make peace within.

Grab one HUGE Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat hat (or maybe a Santa hat for the holiday season) and wear all your hats underneath it. Stop pretending that we break off a piece of ourselves when switching roles and start living in the truth.

Through this holiday season, practice this: Bring all that you are to all that you do always and in all ways.

Lomenda Energy

Carla is a wife, a mother and an agent for happiness. As a Senior Life Strategist and Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, Carla helps people get amazing results while having fun and deepening their relationships. Carla founded Lomenda Energy Inc. in 2010 to create community, life balance and wellness for professionals and organizations. Connect with Carla by phone 403-861-4810, by email carla@lomendaenergy.com and on twitter @LomendaEnergy

You are one amazing, complete human being. Own that truth.

When you own the truth, you will find that your happy face appears and your heart grows without even trying.

Always remember to wear a straw hat once in a while (or a sombrero!) for those times you just need to relax.

Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and yours!

Your happiness agent, Carla

Jacqueline Buckley Certified HeartMath® Coach jacquieb@theheartsolutions.com

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Teach Your Kids How TO Keep Their Teeth Healthy

• Brush at least twice a day — after breakfast and before bedtime. If you can, brush after lunch or after sweet snacks. Brushing properly breaks down plaque.

• Brush all of your teeth, not just the front ones. Spend some time on the teeth along the sides and in the back. Have your dentist show you the best way to brush to get your teeth clean without damaging your gums.

• Take your time while brushing. Spend at least 2 or 3 minutes each time you brush. If you have trouble keeping track of the time, use a timer or play a recording of a song you like to help pass the time.

• Be sure your toothbrush has soft bristles (the package will tell you if they’re soft). Ask your parent to help you get a new toothbrush every 3 months. Some toothbrushes come with bristles that change colour when it’s time to change them. A trick to remembering to change your toothbrush? Change at every season change (spring, summer, fall, winter!)!

• Ask your dentist if an antibacterial mouth rinse is right for you.

• Learn how to floss your teeth, which is a very important way to keep them healthy. It feels weird the first few times you do it, but pretty soon you’ll be a pro. Slip the dental floss between each tooth and along the gumline gently once a day. The floss gets

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It’s also important to visit the dentist twice a year. Besides checking for signs of cavities or gum disease, the dentist will help keep your teeth extra clean and can help you learn the best way to brush and floss.

It’s not just brushing and flossing that keep your teeth healthy — you also need to be careful about what you eat and drink.

Remember, the plaque on your teeth is just waiting for that sugar to arrive. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink water instead of soda. And don’t forget to smile! kidshealth.org

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LANGDON DENTAL IS GIVING BACK

PRINTING Dr. Jess Chhokar of Langdon Dental made quite the impression on Langdon’s K-grade 9 students this year. With so many local families visiting and supporting his dental office, Mr. Chhokar took it upon himself to return the favour.

He met with Mr. David Smith, Langdon’s school principal, to determine if and how he could help the school and what they would benefit from most. Best known for its advanced art program, Mr. Smith and his staff resolved that a 3D printer would be more than advantageous for their classes.

“We have an outstanding advanced art program here at Langdon School, with a t-shirt printing machine, recording software and the potential for a full recording studio in the future,” says Principal Smith. “The 3D printer that Dr. Jess Chhokar has gifted us has not only contributed greatly to the program, but has also helped to get our students even more excited about the arts.”

The printer they had in mind wasn’t just your average 3D machine.

Dr. Chhokar and Mr. Smith took the student’s needs into account while trying to determine which printer would be best suited for them. The verdict was: the best one possible. In fact, the printer that was chosen, the Afinia H800, hadn’t even been built yet but its outstanding level of capabilities were exactly what the doctor ordered.

This year, The Afinia H800 won the RAPID Exhibitor Innovation Award for its high performance and easy-to-use attributes. It allows users to bring their larger-format designs to life with limited print lines and high-quality resolution, which makes it the ideal addition to the Langdon School arts “team.”

BesT in DenTaL

Staff and students within the program, and the community as a whole, will be forever grateful for Dr. Chhokar’s wonderful contribution and generosity.

Nicole MH

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50 •

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Reindeer’s Story at Christmas According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.

Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa’s reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should have known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

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Helping Your Child Stay Cavity Free Rates of childhood decay are on the rise – maybe due to increased consumption of sports drinks and fruit juices, maybe due to a high sugar diet and lack of effective brushing and flossing. There has never been more emphasis placed on preventative dental care – especially in young patients who have the ability to be cavity free for life – if the required care and attention is given in the early years.

Placing Dental Sealants Dentists are firm believers in starting off on the right foot, and developing good oral hygiene habits in children, so that a lifetime of dental issues can be prevented. Brushing and flossing with parental assistance is recommended, even for children up to the age of eight, as reaching back teeth to brush and floss can still be tricky for young patients. Molar teeth are susceptible to decay because of their location at the back of the mouth and subsequent difficulty keeping clean, but also because they commonly have really deep grooves and pits that easily trap bacteria and food debris, leading to cavity formation. Even with the most diligent home care, some children will develop cavities, but there is a preventative procedure that can be beneficial in preventing decay and that’s the placement of Dental Sealants.

How Do Sealants Prevent Cavities?

Because some teeth have really deep grooves and pits, they become at higher risk for developing decay. These pits and grooves become prime spots for enamel to be weakened and a cavity to form. By placing a dental sealant on a cavity-prone tooth, all grooves and pits are sealed, preventing bacteria and food particles from getting trapped. By leveling-off the groove, plaque and food stays on top of the tooth, and doesn’t sink in to a groove that is inaccessible for a toothbrush or floss to reach. Sealants aren’t bullet-proof, though, and effective homecare and regular visits to the dentist for cleanings is still recommended and encouraged.

Dental Sealants are ideally placed after a regular exam and cleaning and take just a few minutes per tooth to apply the liquid sealer. Placing sealants is a fast and affordable option for preventing dental decay.

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This month’s article has tips and relaxing exercises to help manage stress more easily and effective. We will also look at when it is time to get professional help.

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It is also important to start teaching our kids how to realize they are experiencing stress and how they can recognize the difference between good or bad stress. It is never too early for them to start listening to their bodies so they too can help themselves with easy and simple release techniques.

marTiaL arTs

These stress releasing tips can be tried by both you and your children and can even be taught in schools.

1) apeX mma stRathmoRe

Breathing deeply is one of the best ways of releasing tension. It slows down the heart rate, increases oxygen levels and relaxes the muscles. Do this simple and easy breathing exercise: Take a slow deep breath in for a count of 3-12 (depending on the age and experience), hold for a count of 4 and then slowly breathe out for

2) ctc maRtiaL aRts and fit ness 3) focus taeKwon-do 4) oKu damashi maRtiaL aRts thenewsyneighbour.com

Part 2

As the article last month showed us, there is good and bad stress. Everyone experiences both and even more so around the holidays. Now that you know how stress feels in your body, mind and soul, what can we do about it?

3) JaffeRy opticaL

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Cynthia Barnesky is a Holistic Practitioner/Certified Professional Spiritual Life Coach and owner of SunRise Healing Center: Specializes in helping you with the natural ways of healing through her services of Inner Clarity Spiritual Life Coaching, Intuitive Massage, Reflexology, IonCleanse Detox Foot Bath, Intuitive Readings, Reconnective Healing, and many natural healing products. For more information visit her website: www.sunrisehealingcenter.com or give her a call: 403-934-6416.

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

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Altogether Different

a count of 3-12. Do this about 4 to 5 times or until you feel your body feels relaxed and calm.

Running: It’s FREE, It’s EASY, It Reduces STRESS and have MANY amazing HEALTH BENEFITS!

Exercise and movement. Go for a walk and do your breathing exercise; play some music so you can dance, take out a Yoga or Tai Chi tape or even do some chores around the house. The great thing is that you can apply any kind of exercise or movement into your daily lives, including playing outside with your kids.

Caring for and stroking a pet can help reduce stress by lowering your anxiety levels; this can also reduce blood pressure, and increase the endorphins, making the body feel and react calmer and happier. If you own a dog, walking him will be an added benefit.

Laughter is the best medicine and is another way to increase the endorphins and the “happy drugs” into your systems. Some great ways to bring some fun into your life are, go to a comedy show or watch a funny movie or sitcom. Most kids’ shows have a lighter side and humour to them. Read a funny book. Of course, just spending time with your kids will help everyone; at the playground or toy store, around the kitchen table where you can paint, colour a picture together, create with play-dough. Time with positive friends can be rejuvenating; shopping, movie or just go for coffee (or wine!). Being silly, laughing and smiling are all positive and healthy things to have in your life.

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Muscle Contraction Relaxation Exercise is for the young and old.

This exercise can help everyone get in touch with how their body is feeling and to recognize how your body feels relaxed and/or tensed. You can do this exercise sitting or lying down, but lying down is the best! We will be contracting (tight) and releasing (relaxing) all large muscle groups in sections, starting with the feet and toes and work our way up to the head. Do this at least once a day; the best time is before bed. Make sure you are not interrupted, and it should be practiced for at least 20 minutes daily for a month or so. Give your body permission to relax and have an intention of allowing your body to release its stresses. Make sure you close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out slowly; do this 3-4 times. Be aware of how each muscle area of your body feels. Is it relaxed or does it still feel tight? After you have finished, lie in the bed or stay sitting for a few minutes enjoying how you feel; relaxed, lighter and peaceful.

5) doc peRsonaL tRaininG

There are so many other ways of learning to relax and reduce stress, like meditation, guided imagery and visualization, learning to say “NO”, massage and self-massage can play a big part in helping to reduce stress and using essential oils like lavender or chamomile. There are even acupressure points that can help, too!

You have to try as many techniques as you can to find what works for you because everyone is different and every technique does not always work for everyone. Find your own unique stress releasing techniques; for when you do, you will feel healthier, happier and calmer.

14) that fitness pLace

If you have tried some of these suggestions and still feel stressed, go to a professional to ask for more help. Your family doctor, a Life or Spiritual Coach, Massage Therapist or Counsellor; will have the information and education to help you. Just remember, no one can make you relax or calm; it all comes down to intention, practice, and learning to let the small stuff go. Never give up trying to make sure that your body, mind and soul is as healthy as it can be as this would be the best Christmas present you could ever give yourself!

Have a fun and stress-free Holiday Season from all of us at Sunrise Healing Center! See ad on page 47

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9) Jumphouse Gymnastics 10) mind body connection - tamaRa GehRinG 11) neveRmoRe fitness 12) pRavana yoGa

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Coyotes for a 3rd round draft pick and the results were amazing. Dubnyk provided instant results. He started 38 consecutive games, posted a 27 - 9 - 2 record, a 1.78 goals against average and a save percentage of over .936. The Wild made the playoffs, Dubnyk was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie and won the Bill Masterton Trophy for resurrecting his career. He was rewarded with a new 6 year contract in the off season.

Jon Gillies is the Flames top goaltending prospect. Unfortunately, he is done for the season after having hip surgery. Number two prospect Mason McDonald is still a couple of years away playing the Canadian Hockey League. So unless Karri Ramo or Jonas Hiller have a huge transformation in their game, the one and only thing on GM Brad Treliving’s wish list is goaltending that is not the worst in the league.

Since we are filling some Christmas stockings, here are some other gifts I would like to hand out for the holidays.

Jocktalk

Will Christmas Come Early for Flames?

As I write this article at the end of November, I am hoping the Calgary Flames have addressed the one and only issue that has plagued them for the first two months of the 2015 - 2016 NHL season.

“The Flames goaltending has been so bad, it impacts every other aspect of your game!” stated former Flames GM Craig Button. “It’s that simple! If it’s not addressed, you’re not giving your team a realistic chance to save the season.”

Remember what happened last season in Minnesota? The Wild were floundering, out of a playoff spot. All of the so-called experts were calling for head coach Mike Yeo to be fired. General Manager Chuck Fletcher was adamant: His team did not have a coaching problem; they had a goaltending problem!

On January 14, the Wild acquired Devan Dubnyk from the Arizona

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John Murphy - A new job! The assistant general manager of the Calgary Stampeders has established himself as a shrewd CFL negotiator and an amazing judge of talent. If the Saskatchewan Rough Riders don’t put him on the short list for their vacant GM position, they really are out to lunch! I will hate to see him go, but I really hope he gets the job.

Jon Cornish - Good health! While we’re not sure what the future holds for the former Most Outstanding Player in the CFL, this is a person who has set himself up for life after football. I would love to see him back for another CFL season but I am not convinced that is in the cards.

Andrew Buckley - Medical School of his choice! The CIS all academic quarterback has applied to 6 medical schools including the U of C. If (when) he is accepted, he admits his CFL dreams are over. It really is a shame this young man did not end his career with a national championship but he goes into the record books as one of the best University quarterbacks ever!

Ken King - Calgary Next! At least give the Flames president closure on the new arena project. Is the Creosote going be cleaned up? Can the city agree on a funding model that makes sense? As I have said all along, I may not be in love with the location, but I do like the vision. Let’s stop talking and take action.

Good or bad.

Kaillie Humphries - Another chance! Although I didn’t disagree with Bobsleigh Canada’s decision, I would like to see Humphries given another shot to pilot a four man sled on the World Cup circuit. I agree the World Cup circuit is not for tourists and you should earn your spot through merit, not gender.

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PHIL, HAROLD & DALE

Wish You A Safe & Merry Christmas!

AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSMISSION REPAIR GENERAL REPAIRS SPECIALIZING IN TRANSMISSIONS

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However, this is not an Olympic year and Humphries is willing to pay her own way through sponsorship dollars, so what harm does it really create?

Mike Soroka - A Major League Fastball and changeup! Selected 28th overall in the Major League Baseball draft this year, this 18 year old right hander from Calgary is turning pro with the Atlanta Braves. While it may be a few years before he makes his major league debut, how can you not be excited about this Bishop Carrol grad?

Mark Shapiro - The American League Championship title! The new president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays is in a no-win situation as fans blame him for running former GM Alex Anthopoulos out of town. If the Jays don’t get back to the playoffs, it’s going to be a long season for Mr. Shapiro.

Connor McDavid - A healthy collarbone and fantastic finish to NHL season! I think this gift speaks for itself. It’s a huge loss for the league and the fans not to have this young man playing.

Dave Dickenson - The Annis Stukus Trophy! The new head coach of the Calgary Stampeders is replacing a legend. One of the most popular coaches in team history. There will be highs and there will be lows during the 2016 season, but Dickenson is ready for the promotion and a 15 win season will earn him coach of the year honors.

CFR Bisons - A Mac’s Major Midget Hockey Championship! The Triple A Bisons are having a fine season in the Alberta Midget Hockey League and I think it’s time they repeat a feat they did in 1998. Wouldn’t you agree, Strathmore?

Newsy Neighbour Readers and Sponsors - A very Merry Christmas and Wonderful Holiday Season. I hope all your dreams and wishes come true!

About Jock Wilson: Jock has been involved in the Calgary sport media scene for over 30 years. He hosts the Calgary Stampeder football broadcasts on News Talk 770 and is the co-host of Sportstalk with Mark Stephen from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Jock@am770chqr.com On Twitter: @talkwithjock

PLEASE DON’T DRINK & DRIVE!

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Phone: 403-934-5774 14A BAYSIDE PLACE. STRATHMORE, AB

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WHEATLAND TOWING

Letter Letter to to Santa Santa fromfrom MomMom

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On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and ‘Take your hands off your brother,’ because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. And please don’t forget the Playdoh Travel Pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colours and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet, making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine. If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don’t mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family, or if my toddler didn’t look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice cream in his pyjamas at midnight.

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Lar-Don Rentals Ltd. We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks for your patronage this past year and may you all have excellent visits and safe travels over the holidays!

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Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

www.lardonrentals.com 15 Spruce Lane, Strathmore 403.934.3727 56 •

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I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find any more free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids (in any colour, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like a car with fingerprint-resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

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I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

Yours Always... Mom.

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NEW AGE LETTER TO SANTA

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ANOTHER Weird & Wacky Christmas Tradition A Christmas Log that Poops Presents: Catalonia, Spain

For most of us, the thought of holiday fun and defecation definitely do not go together. Sure, rich holiday foods can often cause a troubled digestive system, but most of the time relieving one’s bowels is nothing to celebrate. That is, unless it is Christmas time and you are in Catalonia, Spain, home of the extremely odd Caga Tio. Literally translated, Caga Tio means Pooping Log and this hollowed out, smiley-faced piece of wood brings laughter and joy to Catalonian children in a long established tradition.

It is cherished because it “poops” out presents.

Beginning on the night of December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Caga Tio is placed by the fireplace, covered with a blanket, and treated as a pet. Each evening, the children of the household feed the log fruit, nuts, and chocolate in hopes that it will grow bigger. Loving parents secretly swap out the log with a progressively bigger one until magically, by Christmas, it is full grown.

On Christmas day, the children of the household gather round their Pooping Log, pet it and sing songs to urge it to release its loot. The song lyrics translate as “Poop log, poop candy! If you don’t poop well, I’ll hit you with a stick. Poop log!” The children then beat the little log with sticks to force it to defecate traditional presents like Turon nougat candy, small toys, and coins.

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WINTER

CAR CARE MAINTENANCE

Your car is like your body; if you do not take care of it and pay attention to some fatal warning signs, it may break down at the most inconvenient or scary times, like when it is -40°C and you are on your way to Saskatchewan for a Christmas visit in the middle of the night and your vehicle breaks down (sounds scary to me).

Listen to me, this is important: before you pack up the car to head home for the holidays, the Car Care Council reminds you to make sure your vehicle is ready for the journey. Before you leave home, check all of the following, often overlooked, items: tires and tire pressure, brakes, hoses and belts, air filters, wipers, exterior and interior lighting, and fluid levels, including engine oil, windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

Heating, Wipers & Lights

Make sure heaters, defrosters and wipers work properly. Consider winter wiper blades and use cold-weather washer fluid. As a general rule, wiper blades should be replaced every six months.

Check to see that all exterior and interior lights work and headlights are properly aimed. Lights are normal wear items that require periodic inspection and replacement. The vehicle lighting system provides nighttime visibility, signals and alerts other drivers, and supplies light for viewing instruments and the vehicle’s interior.

Tires & Brakes

Check the tire tread depth and tire pressure of all tires, including the spare. If snow and ice are a problem in your area, consider special tires designed to grip slick roads.

Examining your tires for wear and tear, along with checking tire pressure and alignment, are essential to ensuring your vehicle’s safety on the road and helping to improve gas mileage and performance. The non-profit Car Care Council recommends that motorists be car care aware and check tire condition and pressure regularly. During winter, tire pressure should be checked

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weekly.

When it comes to vehicle safety, the brake system is at the top of the list. Brakes are a normal wear item for any car and eventually they’re going to need to be replaced. For routine maintenance, check your vehicle’s braking system at least once a year.

A thorough inspection should include brake lining wear, brake fluid level, rotor thickness, condition of hoses and brake lines, brake and dash warning lights, as well as taking the car for a test drive to detect other potential brake system problems. If your car is pulling to the left or right, or if you hear odd noises when you apply the brakes, you should inspect your brakes. Other warning signs include an illuminated brake warning light, brake grabbing, low pedal feel, vibration, hard pedal feel and squealing.

Gas, Oil & Filters

Keep your gas tank at least half full throughout the cold weather to prevent moisture from forming in gas lines and possibly freezing.

Be diligent about changing the oil and filter at recommended intervals. Dirty oil can spell trouble in winter. Consider changing to “winter weight” oil if you live in a cold climate.

Check the fuel, air and transmission filters at the same time.

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winter is coming, are you prepared?

OK Tire Strathmore offers automotive service, tires and accessories to truly be your one stop automotive shop.

Time to start winterizing, check in-store for rebates on Winter Tires

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System Checks – Charging, Cooling & Exhaust

Have the battery and charging system checked, as cold weather is hard on batteries. Clean, flush and put new antifreeze in the cooling system. As a rule of thumb, this should be done every two years.

Have the exhaust system checked for carbon monoxide leaks, which can be especially dangerous during cold weather driving when windows are closed.

PREPARE AN EMERGENCY CAR KIT Always have winter safety and emergency equipment in your car.

A basic car kit should contain the following: • Food that won’t spoil, such as energy bars • Water—plastic bottles that won’t break if the water freezes (replace them every six months) • Blanket • Extra clothing and shoes or boots • First aid kit with seatbelt cutter • Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush • Candle in a deep can and matches • Wind up flashlight • Whistle—in case you need to attract attention • Roadmaps

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24 Hour Emergency Road Service: 1-888-KAL-TIRE (525-8473)

ITEMS TO KEEP IN YOUR TRUNK • • • • • •

Sand, salt or cat litter (non-clumping) Antifreeze and windshield washer fluid Tow rope Jumper cables Fire extinguisher Warning light or road flares

AND, according to a study done by Desrosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., “Hidden Potential Unmasked” within the Canadian light vehicle market, there exists a substantial amount of maintenance and repairs that are being delayed or missed. Therefore, the core of the Canadian fleet aged between 4 to 12 years old (which represents 54% of all vehicles on the road) require additional repairs and maintenance.

Winter can be very cold and very long and we absolutely rely on our vehicles to keep us safe, so make sure you express to your favourite repair guy (we have a few amazing ones advertising in this issue!) to make sure he or she checks and double checks all the important parts of your vehicle that might be overlooked and realize how important it is that you do regular maintenance to your vehicle. Don’t wait until something goes wrong!

Be safe out there this winter!

Kathryn Hartwell

References: carcare.org, getpreparedgc.ca, Desrosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.

Tire sTore 1) chesteRmeRe tiRe seRvice & RepaiR 2) fountain tiRe stRathmoRe 3) KaL tiRe stRathmoRe 4) oK tiRe

THIS PAGE

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5) tiRe cRaft chesteRmeRe 6) wenstRoms

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Quality ~ Elegance ~ TRUE Craftsmenship

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Talking from experience, we were new to Strathmore during the holidays (years ago now). There were a lot of things to consider, The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

•

Altogether Different

but we wanted our kids’ experience to be the priority, because, let’s face it, Christmas is for family and especially the kids. We had no other family here to count on and we were in a new province.

A WHITE Christmas was going to be a first for us, and this was exciting. So we all sat down and made a list of NEW traditions. It was a perfect time to create new memories with new traditions.

We all got to pick one each, and 17 years later, each tradition is still honoured. From “More Than Ice Cream” for Christmas Eve Dinner (they were the only restaurant open that first year, and our waitress still remembers us each year!), to skating outdoors on Christmas Day (only 2 Christmas’ we’ve had no ice to skate on, but hiking in +5°C sunny weather is a great substitute).

Another important item that first year was an EARLY letter to Santa, letting him know that we had moved, complete with directions to get to our new house. It was all good; Santa found us and we started our traditions. Strathmore was our NEW HOME! Traditions during the holiday season are treasured memories, whether you are new to your town or have always lived there.

Keep traditions, or start a new one!

The REMAX REPs want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Merry Christmas ALL!!

Hayley, Carey, Debra, Lynn and Candace.

home BUiLDers PAGE 60 homes THIS PAGE

1) aQuiLLa homes 2) douGLas

3) JaGeR homes 4) LifestyLe homes

PAGE 62-63

5) LoRecK homes 6) ovation homes 7) ReidbuiLt homes

PAGE 79

8) Rich Lee custom homes 9) steRLinG homes 10)tRiLoGy homes

PAGE 65

Father Christmas Calls Alex was five. All of his Christmas presents were always signed, ‘from Father Christmas.’

A little while after Alex had opened all his presents on Christmas morning, we became aware that he was looking quite sad for no obvious reason.

‘What’s the matter, Alex?’ I asked.

‘Ummmm,’ replied Alex slowly. ‘I really hoped that you and mommy would give me something for Christmas.’ facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

• 61

F

or almost two decades, Lifestyle Homes has been building homes for our clients that meet and far exceed industry standards. Beginning in Chestermere 18 years ago, Lifestyle Homes has now expanded to building in Okotoks, High River, Strathmore, Chestermere, Calgary and now Airdrie.

Lifestyle takes pride in building homes with attention to detail and functional design. We believe that what is behind the walls is most important, even if the interior and exterior design draws the most attention. We believe in building homes that are safe and durable for decades to come. We don’t just care about how we build, but we try to educate the homeowner on what they should be buying, and why they should be buying it. We put a lot of love and care into the detail.

Our portfolio has expanded from laned homes, move up and even estate homes, to our newest 31 unit villa project in Okotoks of a 50+ Adult Community. The Parkhouses is a unique type of small-scale community for those looking to downsize. Homes frontthenewsyneighbour.com onto a central common green space, with double attached 62 •

garages around back, away from the pedestrian-oriented spaces.

Snow removal, care of common areas, and garbage pick-up is taken care of. Roomy verandahs on the front of the homes lend themselves to visits with extended family and happy hour with neighbours. Generous spaces, casual living and easy interaction were guiding principles in the design of The Parkhouses complex.

Lifestyle is more than just a word. For us it’s an aspiration that compels us to push past the status quo, an invisible hand that guides each and every decision we make in the pursuit of a better home. It’s the creation of beautiful iconic designs. It’s the application of premium products and materials where it matters most.

It’s the peace of mind that comes with the industry’s most comprehensive third party inspections. It’s craftsmanship, vision, and it’s a lot of hard work. Because ultimately: the only thing that matters more than what we build, is who we build it for.

Our clients may come from all walks of life, but they all share one thing in common. The homes we craft, make their lives better.

And we think that’s something worth aspiring to!

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RAK It!

ProPerty ManaGeMent 1) BDs PRoPeRtIes

With our advertisers, I am the most well-known member of the Newsy Neighbour, as I work with them one-on-one every month.

However, with our readers, I’m the least known! So, I should start off this NEW article in the Newsy Neighbour with an introduction: hello! I am Denise, and I’m the one with the super cute little red-headed pixie and the super cute bright white-headed little monster you see around town. No, I’m not biased – they really are that cute.

THIS PAGE

2) emeRAlD mANAgemeNt & ReAlty ltD. 3) hestIA PRoPeRtIes

PAGE 3

My new article, RAK It (Random Acts of Kindness) is a challenge.

Not a challenge to write, but a challenge for YOU – the readers.

Whenever I watch the news, or read the paper, I leave the stories with thoughts of “what is happening to humanity?” What IS happening to humanity?

EES

IN NOM

BDSProperties

Enter, RAK It! Every month, I want you to email me at denise. newsyneighbour@gmail.com and tell me what Random Acts of Kindness you did! I will list them here every month (anonymously) and every month we’ll be reminded that there is so much GOOD out there!! Here are some suggestions to get you started:

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1. It snows. Shovel your neighbour’s sidewalk.

2. While walking your dog, pick up some of the … ahem… “droppings” you see along the canal and walkways.

3. Pay for the order for the person behind you at the Tim Horton’s drive-thru.

4. After a snow fall, brush off someone’s car.

5. Park farther away at the grocery store so that someone else can have the stall closest to the main doors.

bdsproperties@shaw.ca

www.bdsproperties.com 64 •

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aPPLianCe SaLeS & rePair 1) APPlIANCe RePAIR ChesteRmeRe 2) mR. APPlIANCe RePAIR ChesteRmeRe 3) VolKs teCh APPlIANCe 6. SMILE. 7. While in line at any store, if someone behind you has only a couple of items and you have a lot, let them go first.

8. Bake some gifts for our local law enforcement and firefighters. They have the hardest jobs, and deserve some kindness.

9. Leave hot chocolate packets with “RAK It” notes on people’s vehicles in parking lots. Mmm what a nice gift to find!

10. Too many clothes? Bring them to a shelter or to those bins at the recycling depot instead of selling them. Some people truly need clothes and can’t afford them.

These are just ideas! Email me your Random Acts of Kindness this month! denise@thenewsyneighbour.com Denise Geremia

Will Build To Suit!

As members of Progressive Home Warranty Solutions you can be assured that we stand behind our product!

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trilogyhomes.ca HoMe BuiLderS PAGE 60 homes PAGE 61

1) AQuIllA homes 2) DouglAs

3) JAgeR homes 4) lIfestyle homes 5) loReCK homes 6) oVAtIoN homes 7) ReIDBuIlt homes

A friend of The Newsy Neighbour Magazine posted this on her Facebook page: So this just happened: I went to the Disney store (ya I did!!) and the staff in there were just so nice! I swear those are a special breed of amazing people. At the till, I asked the guy where Starbucks was and he pointed me and started listing his favourite drinks and “ooh’ed” over an Eggnog Latte. Let me tell you, this guy was so bubbly and so sweet and so friendly! I got him the latte. And 5$ gift cards so everyone else could have a coffee on me! Yay! He looked like he was going to cry when I showed up! I may have cried a little too because of how he reacted. SO! Are you inspired? I challenge you all to go do a random act of kindness! Make someone cry (happy cry!), or just make someone smile, then post what you did to maybe inspire others. Let’s make Facebook a little nicer for a few posts!

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8) RICh lee Custom homes 9) steRlINg homes 10)tRIlogy homes

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Dear Santa, define “good” facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

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How does Santa’s sleigh make it around the world in one day? Through a combination of lots

of practice and hard work, judicious use of time zones, and a little magic, Santa and the reindeer always make it in time.

How does Santa know whether I have been naughty or nice? Santa maintains his naughty and nice list (now com-

puterized, by the way), with the help of all the elves who keep track of each person -- you probably aren’t even aware they are around you, but elves have a special way of keeping an eye on you. Sometimes if you look quickly enough you *might* catch one peering in a window or around a corner, but you would have to be very fast and very good!

1) CANADIAN tIRe stRAthmoRe 2) home hARDwARe

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3) RoNA stRAthmoRe 4) ufA stRAthmoRe

What kind of snack does Santa like left out for him?

Santa Answers for your Kids What does Santa do when a house does not have a chimney or there is a fire burning in the fire place? Santa

likes to keep a few things secret so he can always surprise the kids he is visiting -- all he will say to this question is that he uses a little magic but he *always* finds a way!

How do the reindeer fly? A long time ago Santa and his helpers discovered magical oats and corn-- when the reindeer eat the oats and corn the deer become able to fly and leap high into the air.

Why can’t I ever see Santa or his elves? Santa and the elves are magical and move very quickly. Sometimes, if you are very good, you *might* catch a glimpse of an elf!

Santa loves cookies, of course, but he is always happy to try anything you think he might like -- pick your favorite kind of cookie or snack and Santa and the reindeer will be happy! The reindeer love carrots and lettuce best, of course!

Why doesn’t Santa always bring me what I asked for?

Thanks to the elves and your gift lists, Santa usually knows what presents you would like to receive. However, sometimes Santa also knows that your parents, family, or guardians have other special things in mind. Also, Santa does not like to bring gifts that he knows your parents etc. would prefer you not to have -- such as a horse, or a space shuttle, or other gifts that would not be appropriate.

Has Santa ever missed a year? No, Santa Claus has not missed a Christmas yet. At the North Pole we take many precautions so that nothing can go wrong on Christmas Eve. After so many years of practice we have plans for everything. There have been some close calls as you may see on television, but everyone here loves Christmas so much that we all work extra hard to make sure that Christmas is as fun as it is supposed to be.

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www.grahamauctions.com 66 •

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1. White Christmas 2. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire 3. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth 4. O Holy Night 5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 6. O Come, All Ye Faithful 7. Away in a Manger 8. Deck the Hall 9. Little Drummer Boy 10. We Three Kings 11. Silent Night 12. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen 13. Santa Claus is Coming to Town 14. Let it Snow 15. Go, Tell It on the Mountain 16. Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer 17. What Child is This?

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68 •

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CENTURY FLOOR FASHIONS Chestermere, AB Century is happy to introduce Frank Lavallée as our new store manager and flooring consultant! Call or visit him and see how he can help you navigate your next project.

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5) New sPACe CoNstRuCtIoN PAGE 71 6) PRAIRIe home RoofINg 8) stRAIght-lINe CoNtRACtINg 9) Vel wINDows AND glAss ltD.

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You are standing up to your knees in the slime of a waterlogged trench. It is the evening of 24 December 1914 and you are on the dreaded Western Front. Stooped

over, you wade across to the firing step and take over the watch. Having exchanged pleasantries, your bleary-eyed and mud-spattered colleague shuffles off towards his dug out. Despite the horrors and the hardships, your morale is high and you believe that in the New Year the nation’s army will march towards a glorious victory. But for now you stamp your feet in a vain attempt to keep warm. All is quiet when jovial voices call out from both friendly and enemy trenches. Then the men from both sides start singing carols and songs. Next come requests not to fire, and soon the unthinkable happens: you start to see the shadowy shapes of soldiers gathering together in no-man’s land laughing, joking and sharing gifts. Many have exchanged cigarettes, the lit ends of which burn brightly in the inky darkness. Plucking up your courage, you haul yourself up and out of the trench and walk towards the foe...

The meeting of enemies as friends in no-man’s land was experienced by hundreds, if not thousands, of men on the Western Front during Christmas 1914. Today, 90 years after it occurred,

7) Rose eNteRPRIses

70 •

CHRISTMAS TRUCE – true story

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New Kitchen or Bathroom for Christmas??

www.newspaceconstruction.com Renovations, Roofing Residential Contracting, Interior & Exterior Brett Presley 403-888-9931 the event is seen as a shining episode of sanity from among the bloody chapters of World War One - a spontaneous effort by the lower ranks to create a peace that could have blossomed were it not for the interference of generals and politicians. Christmas day began quietly but once the sun was up the fraternisation began. Again songs were sung and rations thrown to one another. It was not long before troops and officers started to take matters into their own hands and ventured forth. No-man’s land became something of a playground.

Men exchanged gifts and buttons. In one or two places soldiers who had been barbers in civilian times gave free haircuts.

One German, a juggler and a showman, gave an impromptu, and given the circumstances, somewhat surreal performance of his routine in the centre of no-man’s land.

Captain Sir Edward Hulse of the Scots Guards, in his famous Kurt Zehmisch of the 134th Saxons recorded in his diary: ‘The English brought a soccer ball from the trenches, and pretty soon a lively game ensued. How marvellously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it.

Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.’

The Truce lasted all day; in places it ended that night, but on other sections of the line it held over Boxing Day and in some areas, a few days more. In fact, there parts on the front where the absence of aggressive behaviour was conspicuous well into 1915. Captain J C Dunn, the Medical Officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, whose unit had fraternised and received two barrels of beer from the Saxon troops opposite, recorded how hostilities re-started on his section of the front. Dunn wrote: ‘At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with “Merry Christmas”

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on it, and I climbed on the parapet. He [the Germans] put up a sheet with “Thank you” on it, and the German Captain appeared on the parapet. We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches, and he fired two shots in the air, and the War was on again.’

In the public’s mind the facts have become irrevocably mythologized, and perhaps this is the most important legacy of the Christmas Truce today. In our age of uncertainty, it comforting to believe, regardless of the real reasoning and motives, that soldiers and officers told to hate, loathe and kill, could still lower their guns and extend the hand of goodwill, peace, love and Christmas cheer.

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Emily Hogan is an interior designer from new and local design company Blyss Interiors. Her strong experience in the window covering industry has inspired her to offer those services to Strathmore and area as well as her savvy & stylish design style. If you have any questions for her call her at 403-9014467 or email to info@blyssinteriors.ca. She would be happy to hear from you!

Decorating for the holidays It is hard to believe how fast this year went and that Christmas is just around the corner. Now is the time to bring out the decorations and bring some festive cheer to your home. Everyone loves decorating for Christmas, as it brings that extra level of cheer and coziness to your space. Here are a few areas not to miss when decorating for the holidays that your family and holiday guest will adore.

Number one is always the tree – starting from the top and working your way down, you can customize any tree to work with existing décor colours in your space, or create a whole new wow factor for the season. There are also no rules in how many trees you may have in your space; of course, depending on space available. This would allow you to decorate with many different colours and styles; for instance, having the main large tree the more traditional style and smaller trees to display keep sake items, advent items or to add a new burst of colour into your scheme.

Entrance – This is your front foyer and door, the first holiday impression of your home that extends into the rest of the house.

Dressing the front door is an easy way to add some holiday flare, as well as lights, garlands and dramatic Christmas planters.

There are many options other than your typical wreath to dress the front door and make your home one of a kind for the holiday season.

Fireplace and Mantel – this area is usually the focal point of any living space and deserves to become even more of a feature during the holidays. Replacing existing art with seasonal pieces layered on the mantel will draw the eye to this space and create a unique holiday feature that you can echo from this area to the remainder of the space.

S

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deSiGner/deCorator THIS PAGE hARDwARe PAGE 18

1) Blyss INteRIoRs 2) home

Table Settings and Centrepieces – If you are imaginative, creating a unique table display can be as easy as bringing the outside in. In addition, to make this an extra special arrangement, soft finishes such as linens and seat covers will add extra wow factor

Blyss Int eriors Emily Hogan Custom window coverings & Interior styling Free in home window covering consults!

403 901 4467

72 •

●

info@blyssinteriors.ca ● www.blyssinteriors.ca

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SERVING ALLStrathmore OF ALBERTA Serving Chestermere, and Area with Affordable Insurance Solutions and Superior Customer Service

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Ambience Lighting – I find this time of year especially beautiful because of all the different lighting. Lighting is the perfect way to set a mood in a space and create a cozy and intimate feel.

Christmas is the perfect time to bring out all those candles, light the fire place, as well as string up lights wherever you like. White fairy lights are a staple in Christmas decorating and can be used around banisters, on mantels, draped around artwork and or windows. This will add hints of sparkle wherever you need.

It has been an amazing year and from myself to your family, I wish you the best Christmas yet. Enjoy decorating and enjoying your home with family and friends and see you next year for new and exciting décor ideas and articles!

Emily Hogan

If you’re looking for an insurance agency with big city quality, but yet a small town atmosphere, we are the right place!

With a network of providers we can compare coverage and cost to get you the best possible insurance value on AUTO, PROPERTY, FARM, AND COMMERCIAL insurance for all your unique needs. Call and speak with one of our experienced agents today at (403) 934-3221 and let Coldwell Agencies help you.

Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas & Safe And Happy Holidays!

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• 73

A little bit of everything Gaylene Smith has been a waitress, tree planter, canoeing instructor, cemetery caretaker, fund development officer, communications officer, marketing coordinator, and currently is a career coach, and first aid instructor on the side. She still isn’t sure what she wants to be when she grows up other than healthy, wealthy and wise, although right now she is willing to take just one of the three.

Gaylene can be reached by phone at 403-9344305 or gsmith@mcbridecareergroup.

Lynn A. Dumont

Stuck on what to get your kids?

Specializing in Real Estate Photography LADumont.Photography@gmail.com

403.324.4282 • ladumont.com

My oldest son has started his Christmas wish list. He hasn’t gotten too far with it; he has the title My Epic Christmas Wish List and has numbered the list from 1 to 15. 15!!! Who does he think I am, St. Nick? Donald Trump? It makes it even harder that he and his brother are at that age where toys just won’t cut it.

There was a time that I could go and buy any toy and as long as it had wheels or made an obnoxious sound, my boys would love it. We’re past that phase. We have even started to pass the nerf gun phase, which is a good thing as our house has an arsenal of weapons that could safely see us through the zombie apocalypse, assuming nerf bullets could take out a reanimated lurker. We have enough Lego to build a mote around our house for additional defence, thanks in part to my husband not having outgrown Lego. We have entered the tweenage years of not really wanting toys, but are full-blown in the your-parentswould-need-to-take-out-a-loan-to-get-the-stuff-you-do-want list. I am now left with a wish list where the average suggested retailer’s price makes my eyes water and my husband’s wallet snap shut.

S INEE

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PHotoGraPHy 1) AC PhotogRAPhy 2) DeANNA lyNN PhotogRAPhy 3) eRIN eKluND PhotogRAPhy 4) ImAgewoRKs PhotogRAPhy 5) lA DumoNt PhotogRAPhy 6) lINDsey gAgNoN PhotogRAPhy 7) moRgAN sIlVeRNAgle

I’m not really into getting my sons stuff just for the sake of getting them stuff, either. I always want to get them things that have “life value” to them. Yep, I am that parent that buys educational toys. I confess I bought my sons these really awesome encyclopaedias that came with a smart pen that asked them questions and allowed them to interact with the book more than just reading it. Yes, they liked it. Yes, they learned from it.

Yes, I suck at getting gifts.

PhotogRAPhy 8) NAtAshA wIlsoN PhotogRAPhy 9) Ps PhotogRAPhy 10) shots N gIggles 11) tAyloR hIllIeR PhotogRAPhy

30+ YeITarZNER

My youngest son has joined the Strathmore Polominos Water Polo Club, and it is an awesome sport. It’s also a very tough sport to understand at first. I read a quote that said a water polo athlete can best be described as having the over-arm accuracy of a baseball pitcher, the vertical of a volley ball player, the toughness of a rugby and hockey player, with the endurance of a cross country skier and strategy of a chess player. The first water polo game I watched left me dazed and confused (and just a wee bit scared for my baby.) The ref blew the whistle every three seconds (or so it seemed) and yet didn’t blow his whistle when another child literally did a killer whale flop on my son, pushing him down into the unending depths of the Talisman Centre pool like a defenceless seal pup. “Blow the whistle, stop the game!”

The whistle didn’t blow, my heart only skipped a few beats and my son surfaced to the top of the pool with the biggest damn grin on his face that I have ever seen. I think it was at that moment he fell in love with the sport. It might have been during the ride home when he gave me a play-by-play of the entire game that I too fell in love with the sport. Not because I play or have

s

Debbie Mitzner,

IE M DEBB ard Winning Aw

Based on Calgary market share.

e Servic

agfefS`V[`Y [` ZWd ÀW^V #102, 279 Midpark Way SE Calgary, Alberta T2X 1M2

t t t t t d.mitzner@shaw.ca

debbiemitzner.com

74 •

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MortGaGe BroKer 1) JAsoN elDRIDge - AXIom moRtgAge 2) KoRI-lyNN CoRBIN - RBC stRAthmoRe 3) QuANtus moRtgAge solutIoNs 4) TAMMY LAMBERT tAmmy lAmBeRt - JENCOR MORTGAGE CORP. 4) JeNCoR moRtgAge CoRP. any desire to play (honestly, have you seen what water polo players look like as adults – not like me!) (However, there is a reason why I am studying up on the game by watching YouTube videos of the men’s Olympic matches. Hubba-hubba!). I love water polo simply because my kid is doing something he enjoys so much while gaining a ton of those life skills that I love so much: team work, dedication, time management, setting priorities, respect, hard work, all those awesome values and skills and a great new bunch of friends too. I also love that Christmas shopping for him this year will be easy – all things water polo! So perhaps if you too are faced with the question of what to get your kiddos for Christmas, maybe you should consider enrolling them into water polo or another sport. You never know, they might just develop a new passion and develop a life skill or two along the way.

Gaylene Smith

WATER POLO 101

INTRODUCTION TO BASIC WATER POLO SKILLS FOR AGES

COME AND TRY WATER POLO AGES 6-16 First Friday of every month 7:00-8:00pm

Pre-register on the sign up sheet at Strathmore pool (on front doors), or by email.

COST:

Pre-registered $10.00 Drop-in $12.00 (drop-ins welcome) ____________________________________________

POLOMINOS “CLUB” TEAMS

BECOME A “POLOMINO”

AGES 6 –10 PUPS TEAM FRIDAY PRACTICES

U12/U14/U16 TEAMS TUES/FRI PRACTICES

Open registration throughout the season (Sept-April) Email us for more information!

Check out our FACEBOOK PAGE: STRATHMORE WATER POLO CLUB

Email us to register or for more info: STRATHMOREWATERPOLOCLUB@GMAIL.COM

11-16years.

Ability to swim 50m, and comfortable in deep water

WHEN: Tuesdays 7:00-8:30pm Jan 5 to Jan 26/16 WHERE: Strathmore Aquatic Centre COST: $84.00

Once Water Polo 101 is complete, athletes will have the option to join “Club” for the remainder of the season.

REGISTER NOW! Space is limited!

To Register, email us!

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Apply Online: http://jason.axiommortgage.ca facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

• 75

Murphy’s Real Estate Laws

Because a Great Experience Begins with a Great Agent. TM

As your real estate agent, I am committed to providing you with the best possible real estate experience. I will offer you an exceptional level of service and knowledge, whatever your real estate needs.

www.carolwarawa.ca E: cwarawa@cirrealty.ca

Carol Warawa, C.C.S, SRES REALTOR R

C: 403-585-5270 B: 403-291-4440 F: 403-366-6708

Try Before You Buy! Myra was going to the Christmas office party but needed a new party dress.

In the clothing store she asked, ‘May I try on that dress in the window, please?’

‘Certainly not, madam,’ responded the salesgirl, ‘You’ll have to use the fitting room like everyone else.’

• That sweet young lady that you rented to will start dating the crazed loud-vehicle-loving guy from hell... and several of his friends... the very next week.

• Tenants have at least one relative get sick or die per month, so... they will just have to pay you later.

• If a tenant attempts to replace the washer in a faucet, plan on replacing the faucet…. And perhaps all the plumbing in the building.

• Prospective tenants who make an appointment to see your rental across town often get kidnapped on the way there, so there was just no way they could call you.

• Tenants only lock themselves out in the middle of the night... or on Christmas.

• When a furnace breaks in mid-winter, it is always the heat exchanger.

• At least one tenant’s cheque will be “lost in the mail” every month.

• Every lost pet will find its way to your rental.

• The hardware store closes five minutes before you get there.

• A tenant’s ability to see dirt and damage is much greater during the move in than when they move out.

• Your best tenants always get job transfers during the worst rental markets.

• Everything in your rentals will break 100 times faster than in your own home.

• The insurance inspector always shows up to take photos of the building as you are putting the evicted tenant’s possessions on the curb.

• Tenants always swear under oath that the window was broken when they moved in.

• When a tenant calls and says, “Hi, how are you?”, something is drastically wrong.

• If it exists, your tenant will try to flush it down the toilet.

• If you have any questions about anything, ask your tenants.

• If it is pouring rain, you can be sure the windows are open at one or more at your units.

• Proper disposal of chewing gum is in the carpet.

From: Murphys-laws.com

Tamara Desjardins

ALBERTA LICENSED BONDED · INSURED

403-934-1090

REALTORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

soldbytamara.ca

Merry Christmas

To contact me, have me contact you and to view a sample report, visit my website:

& Happy New Year!

www.exceedhomeinspections.com Warren K. Boese, CPI

InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector®

warren@exceedhomeinspections.com

403-874-6486 76 •

Inspected Once, Inspected Right! ® THIS I PROMISE YOU.

#106, 304 Third Avenue Strathmore, AB

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Wishing You A Merry Christmas

Re/Max Realty Horizon

Visit all of our listings & virtual tours at

www.nancystairs.com

Proud A+ Members of the Better Business Bureau!

MLS®:C4039860 Strathmore, AB Backing onto PARK!

MLS®:C4023843 Strathmore, AB Pride of Ownership

End unit condo backing onto This 984 SqFt. 3 Bed 2 bath park and green space!!! 1151 home is fully finished and SqFt Fully Finished Condo. immaculate. Large living room Maple cabinets, great size with bright windows. Loads eating area with a door to of cupboard and counter back patio and Park!! Close to space. The lower schools, shopping, and much Has family room with more. The condo fees are fireplace & games room. $149/Month and is run by a Many fruit trees, and professional management beautiful landscaping and a company. single attached garage.

$244,000

NEW PRICE! $275,500

MLS®:C4039689 Strathmore, AB Quiet Mature Subdivision!

MLS®:C4015661 Strathmore, AB 3 Properties Available

Brand New 1245 SqFt. 3 1064 sqft 3+1 bed, 2 bath Bedroom, 2.5 bath fully bungalow. Very modern with central air conditioning and finished WALKOUT condo!!!

Single attached GARAGE, many upgrades!! Covered family room with PATIO door back deck. Hot tub to your walk out, beautiful (negotiable) low maintance laminate flooring. Modern yard with dog run and rv colored cabinets and counter parking. 24x24 detached tops. Full New Home garage, full fencing. Gazebo.

Warranty and backs onto All electrical and some future GREENSPACE & PARK!! plumbing upgraded.

$349,900

$259,900 or $269,900

MLS®:C4021476 MLS®:C4037857 Strathmore, AB Strathmore, AB Check the PRICE!!!! Walking Paths And Canal!!

1423 SqFt. 3 Bedroom 2.5 Bath. Huge entry way with a formal sitting room/den.

Open concept kitchen living room with patio doors to MASSIVE size deck and back yard. The master has a 4 piece en-suite and enough room for KING furniture.

Double attached garage, and a fully fenced yard.

1119 sqft Bungalow. 3 Bedrooms up 1 down plus den. Large living room with TRADITIONAL WOOD Burning stone surround fireplace and beautiful built in shelving!!

MASSIVE Family room. Fresh paint throughout. The yard is amazing with fruit trees, patio area, gazebo and BBQ area, double detached garage

NEW PRICE! $299,900

$335,000

reaL eState 1) BARRy DuffIelD - oRANge JIgsAw ReAl estAte 2) CARey Rose - Re/mAX ReAlty hoRIZoN 3) DeB eNsleN - Re/mAX ReAlty hoRIZoN

BACK COVER BACK COVER

4) DeBBIe muRRAy - ReAl estAte PRofessIoNAls INC. I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included. ~Bernard Manning I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph. Shirley Temple Let me see if I’ve got this Santa business straight. You say he wears a beard, has no discernible source of income and flies to cities all over the world under the cover of darkness? You sure this guy isn’t laundering illegal drug money? Tom Armstrong

5) gAIl sChmIDt - CIR ReAlty 6) JoANNe DRysDAle - ReAl estAte PRofessIoNAls INC. 7) JulI mooN - ReAl estAte PRofessIoNAls INC. 8) KAtelyN hAffNeR - CeNtuRy 21 PoweR ReAlty 9) KeVIN BAlDwIN - CIR ReAlty 10) mIChelle elDJARNsoN - Re/mAX ADVoCAtes

THIS PAGE estAte seRVICes COVER ReAl estAte PAGE 76

11) NANCy stAIRs - Re/mAX ReAlty hoRIZoN 12) NAtAshA eDeN - uRBAN ReAl 13) tAmARA DesJARDINs - AZteC

14) the ReAl estAte RePs - Re/mAX ReAlty hoRIZoN

BACK COVER

Why is Christmas just like a day at the office? You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit. ~ Anonymous facebook.com/TheNewsyNeighbour

• 77

ea Y + Years + 0 3 30*& .**55;;//&&33 rs

&## *& . inniinngg % %&#A#wardd W Winn AwarServviiccee Ser

Based on Based on Calgary Calgary market share. market share.

Debbie Mitzner, AgfefS`V[`Y [` ZWd ÀW^V t t t t t t t t t t debmitzner@gmail.com debmitzner@gmail.com

www.debbiemitzner.com

Santa's Wish 403.830.0949

trilogyhomes.ca

We wish all our supporters a very Merry Christmas and our sincere thanks for your goodwill, support and loyalty throughout the past year. We look forward to an even more prosperous new year with you.

78 •

thenewsyneighbour.com

A man was walking along one day and found a Jack-in-the-Box lying in the street. He looked around and didn't see anyone who might have dropped it, so he decided to turn the handle and open the Jack-in-the-Box. All of a sudden, Santa appeared and thanked the man for letting him out of the box.

Santa said, "I am so grateful to get out of that crazy Jack-in-theBox, that I will grant you a wish. BUT, I can only grant one at this time of year. I have SO many wishes to grant."

The man thought for a while and finally said, "I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, but I've never been able to go because I cannot stand flying in an airplane, and boats tend to make me claustrophobic. So for my wish, I want a road to be built to Hawaii."

Santa thought about the road for a few minutes and finally said, "No, I don't think I can do that. Just think of all the work involved. Consider all the piling needed to hold up a highway and how deep they would have to go to reach the bottom of the ocean. Just imagine all of the pavement needed. No, I'm sorry, but that is just too much to ask."

The man thought for a few minutes and then decided on his second choice. The man said, "There IS one other thing I have always wanted. I would like to be able to understand women.

What makes them laugh and cry, why they are temperamental, and why they can be so difficult to get along with. Basically, I'd like to know what makes them tick."

Santa pondered the request for a moment, and finally said, "So, do you want two lanes or four?"

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

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• 79

Carey Rose Debbie Enslen Hayley Poirier

Wishing EVERYONE a Merry Christmas and all the Best in 2016

Adult Community 3 Bdrm, 2 Bath, unobstructed views, enclosed deck. $99,900

Country Home on 4 Acres, NEW 30’x40’ Shop, Ask about the Builder’s Incentive! $634,900

Fully Finished 4 Bdrm Bungalow in .NEW SS Appliances, gorgeous Media& Games Room $419,900

NEW Carpeting, Central A/C, Kinetico Water Softener, 3 Bdrms, Upper Level Laundry Rm, Fireplace $ 409,900

Fully Developed Bi-Level, Vaulted Ceilings, Open Layout, Backs to Greenspace $339,900

UPDATED Fully Dev. 4 Bdrm Bungalow, MODERN Kitchen w/ SS Appliances $185,000

SHOWHOME by AQUILLA HOMES

Modern 2-Storey with UPSCALE features like Hardwood, Granite SS Appliances, Custom Cabinets and walk-thru Pantry. Main floor Laundry & Office, with 3 Bdrms and Bonus Room. Walk-out basement with RI Floor Heat.

An Estate home in Hillview, overlooking the Golf Course $679,900

MOVE-IN READY! Cathedral Ceilings, 4 Bdrms, 3 Baths, U/G Sprinklers, RV Parking $289,900

Enjoy Small-town Living! 3 Bdrm, Lrg fenced Yard, DOUBLE Garage $159,900

Open, Bright and Spacious Bungalow SS Appliances, Granite, Hardwood Walkout Basement $478,800

Immaculate Bungalow in Adult Living Community, 2 Bdrms, Mainfloor Laundry, Dbl. Att. Garage $385,000

Build your Future Dream Home on 13 Acres with a Creek & Utils at Property Line $169,900

Custom 3 Brdrm, 2 Bath Bungalow, Backing the Canal, 24’x24’ Att. Garage $429,900

Lovely Bungalow with 4 Bdrms, 2 Baths, Granite, Central A/C & U/G Sprinklers $397,000

½ Duplex backing greenspace with Single Att. Garage and Central A/C $279,900

Luxurious 3,500 sq ft home on 6 acres, just 5 MINUTES from Strathmore! $879,900

Traditional 5 Bdrm, 3 Bath Fully Dev. home w/ walkout basement and Lrg. Fenced Yard $359,900

Outstanding family Bungalow with modern home, finished basement, decor, 5 Bdrms, granite, hardwood, backs Hardwood, Fully greenspace Finished Basement $439,950 $429,875

Fully Dev. Bi-Level, 4 Bdrms, 2.5 Baths, Double Detached Garage and RV Parking $359,750

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D D D L L L O O O S S S

Lots of space in this home, 4 Bdrms, 3 Baths, Vaulted Ceilings and lrg. Fenced yard $339,900

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

Sought-after Bungalow, backing Greenspace. 3 Beds, 2.5 Baths, Media Room & more! $459,000

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