Avoid injuries from
falling TVs—mount them on the wall
By Alanna Bouchard
(NC)—Nothing looks more impressive than a huge
flat-screen TV mounted on the wall of your living room.
Mounting your TV not only looks great, but did you know
it's also safer than setting in on a piece of furniture?
Each year, emergency rooms treat thousands of people
with TV-related injuries. Many of these patients are
small children who have been hit or trapped beneath
fallen flat screens.
To avoid accidental tipping and bumping, experts advise
placing your TV securely on the wall and out of reach of
little hands.
Wall mounts attach to the back of the TV display and
then screw into wood studs in the wall. Mounts come with
safety ratings to support screens up to a certain size
and weight range. Sanus Systems manufactures mounts for
all TV sizes and offers many attractive solutions for
incorporating a wall mount into your home.
Don't want to put holes in your wall? Flat-panel stands
are a hybrid mount and furniture stand. The TV secures
to a solid base, which sits on the floor and also
includes shelves for DVD players and other gear.
More information is available online at www.sanus.com.
Entertain with
Seafood-Inspired Cocktails
Long Weekend Sippers
Photo: Loretta Campbell
(NC)—When hosting your long weekend barbecues this
summer, treat your guests to a little flavour from the
Island – Prince Edward Island that is. PEI's food
ambassador, Chef Michael Smith, has a recipe that is
sure to wow the crowd: PEI Potato Oyster Martinis.
For preparation, you'll need:
• Wooden cutting board
• Knife
• Large platter
• Ice
• Oyster knives
• Four martini glasses
What you'll need:
• 2 dozen PEI LARGE Malpeque oysters
• 1 bottle of PEI Potato Vodka
• 2 large red onions
• 1 cup (250 mL) of sugar
• 1 cup (250 mL) of red wine vinegar
• A bunch of fresh dill
• 1 box coarse sea salt
• Salt and pepper
Start by making the pickled red onion relish, which
yields approximately 2 cups. Slice the onions as thinly
as possible. You may find it useful to first slice them
in half and lay them on their cut side before slicing
them further. Cram the sliced onions into a large Mason
jar. Pour the sugar and red wine vinegar into a small
pot and bring to a boil with the salt and pepper. Add
the onions and continue heating just long enough to
return the mixture to a simmer. Pour the mixture into
the Mason jar, cover and rest overnight in the
refrigerator before use. Because sugar and vinegar are
such great preservatives, these pickled onions will last
indefinitely in your refrigerator. They're at their best
after a day or two in your fridge, once their flavours
have had a chance to mature.
Fill vodka glasses with course sea salt and set aside.
Shuck the oysters and place them in the half shell on
top of salt. Pour a one ounce shot of vodka over the
oyster. Garnish with a teaspoon of pickled red onion
relish and a sprig of dill.
You can find many more recipes in Chef's Michael Smith's
recipes in his new book, 'The Best of Chef at Home.'
Other local PEI recipes are available online at
www.tourismpei.com.
Get an A+ in
financing your child's education
(NC)—Saving enough money to pay for your child's
post-secondary education can be tough, especially given
that sending a child to school for a four-year
undergraduate degree can cost as much as $80,000.
Putting money away when your kids are young is ideal,
but if your children are now approaching college age
and, like many Canadians, you do not have the funds
available to pay their way through school, what do you
do?
“I regularly speak to parents who are financing their
child's graduate or professional education through
credit cards, or by dipping into their own investments
or personal lines of credit,” says Lawrence Engel, Vice
President, Personal Lending, TD Canada Trust. “There are
effective financing tools offered by your bank to help
pay for a graduate or professional education such as a
student line of credit, which you can co-sign with your
child.”
Engel offers the following advice for financing your
child's post-secondary education:
• Know your payment options - Some universities offer
the option of monthly payments, which may help minimize
the impact of the impending costs.
• Visit your bank – Talk to a professional about the
financing options available to your child, such as a
student line of credit, that offer lower rates than many
other personal finance tools like credit cards and home
equity lines of credit. The student line of credit at TD
Canada Trust, for example, offers no monthly or annual
fees while your child is a student, a competitive
interest rate and flexible repayment terms. Most banks
also offer a range of additional services for students
including low-fee accounts, credit cards and even
medical and dental plans.
• Do your research - There are a number of grants,
bursaries and scholarships available for Canadian
students. For example, many graduate students can apply
for some grants or assistantships to fund their studies.
For more information on financing options available for
students, visit www.tdcanadatrust.com/student |
Quick tips for moving up to a larger home
(NC)—If you're planning to move and you already have a mortgage,
there are several things to consider before taking the plunge. A
good place to start is by speaking to a mortgage expert at your bank
who can help you make the experience as economical and comfortable
as possible.
“The first step is to know what you can afford so that you can shop
for your new home with confidence,” says Farhaneh Haque, Regional
Sales Manager, Mobile Mortgage Specialists, TD Canada Trust. “There
are many options available to repeat home buyers and a mortgage
expert can help you choose the right one to help you save money so
you can own your new home faster.”
2 tips for home owners looking to move:
• Take your mortgage with you when you move. Many banks will let you
bring your mortgage with you. You can even increase your mortgage
principal amount and blend your existing interest rate with the
current market rate.
• Use your mortgage as a selling feature. If your mortgage interest
rate is lower than current market rates, the purchaser may be able
to take on your mortgage when you move.
TD Canada Trust offers more information on buying a home at
www.tdcanadatrust.com.
Keeping your family healthy this season
(NC)—As a parent it can be difficult to keep kids feeling healthy.
Sniffles, sneezing and fevers seem to be something families are
constantly battling against. One of the best ways to protect
yourself and your family against the spread of germs and infectious
diseases, such as colds and flus, is to use proper hand washing and
hand drying techniques. Even if your hands appear to be clean, they
may still be carrying germs that can make you or those around you
sick.
The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends the following four steps
for proper hand washing:
1. Wet your hands under running water.
2. Scrub your hands well with soap.
3. Rinse your hands under running water.
4. Dry your hands with a clean towel.
In order to further minimize risk, Health Canada recommends not
using a common hand towel to dry your hands. Common towels can
collect viral, bacterial or fungal contaminants which can be
transferred to hands when drying them. Instead, use a one-time use
towel each time you wash your hands – that way you know you are
getting a clean, fresh, dry towel every time and your hands will
stay as clean as you want them to be.
Make the flexible work
schedule good for your family
(NC)—With mom and dad needing to juggle work and family commitments,
more and more companies are providing employees with flexible work
options. Working anywhere, anytime is quickly becoming the new
normal. However, for the many people who are not prepared for the
hazards and distractions that come from working at home or on the
road, working remotely often turns out to be less of a dream job and
more of a nightmare. Work strategically by following these four
simple tips:
1. Stay in touch. Communication is key when not on-site. Set times
to regularly communicate what you're working on and receive updates
from your team. This way you'll always be in the know and better
prepared to address any issues that need to be resolved quickly.
2. Use technology to enhance productivity. Technological
advancements have made working anywhere, anytime a reality. With
tools such as wireless internet sticks or smart phones you can
access all your work and make quick changes on the fly. Having
access to the latest versions of traditional productivity tools such
as Excel, Word and PowerPoint 2010 means the work you do at home
won't be outclassed at the office.
3. Designate an official home office. Ensure you have a comfortable
and quiet space to work in at home. Look to transform a den or spare
bedroom into your office oasis. Be sure to incorporate good
lighting, a spacious work surface, a proper chair and a bulletin
board. A comfortable and function space will make working easier and
will help you complete you tasks faster.
4. Be a master scheduler. Keep a calendar of family activities and
build your weekly working schedule around this. Try not to work
during the busy times after school, instead, look to schedule work
during quiet times while the kids are at school or after they go to
bed.
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Fabulous fall entertaining
(NC)—Just because it is getting too chilly for dinners with friends
on an outdoor patio, it doesn't mean that the fun has to stop. Bring
the entertaining indoors this fall and impress friends and family
with your party-ready pad. Try adding some quick and easy seasonal
glitz and glamour to your home in time for your next gathering.
Modern metallicsTo make your home or condo look extra chic, add
touches of metallics to your home decor. Rust-Oleum's stainless
steel paint can be applied to worn-out appliances and even furniture
to give the look of cool chrome in the kitchen and dining areas.
Guests will be impressed with your keen eye for style while sitting
on your stainless steel painted bar stool and sipping a cocktail at
your next dinner party.
Festive funWhy not get a head start on holiday decorating this fall
by taking some inexpensive clear vases and spraying them with Rust-Oleum's
frosted glass spray paint. Place some candles inside the vases to
add an ambient glow to your next get together. When it gets closer
to the holiday season, take it up a notch by painting serving trays
with Universal metallic spray paint in warm tones like copper or
gold to complement the colours of the season.
And finally, if you are hosting a themed party, whether it's your
child's birthday party or your girlfriend's bachelorette party,
incorporate fun trend colours by spraying objects that you won't
mind tossing once the last guest has left. For a young girl's party
spray paint pebbles in Painter's Touch gloss magenta and place them
in clear vases throughout the room or to represent the tropical feel
of the bride-to-be's destination wedding, scatter tropical fruits
like pineapples or coconuts throughout the room and spray paint them
in Painter's Touch gloss white and Painter's Touch blue sky.
Make walls fun for the whole
family
(NC)—Walls are no longer just for hanging pictures on. Now you can
turn your walls into a chalkboard, make it glow in the dark with a
coat of paint, or even make it magnetic to play tic-tac-toe. Whether
you're decorating your child's bedroom or creating a playroom for
the kids, don't be afraid to have a fun with your walls.
Turning a wall into a magnetic play space for your kids is easy if
you follow these simple steps:
Step 1 – Clean wall surface and allow to dry fully.
Step 2 – Tape off the area, stir primer well.
Step 3 – Apply multiple thin coats of Rust-Oleum Specialty Magnetic
Primer, allow 30 minutes between coats of primer.
Step 4 – Allow primer to dry for at least four hours then apply a
top coat of any latex paint.
Remember – Paint the space low enough that your kids can easily
reach it.
Perfect fall DIY projects
(NC)—As the weather cools down, fall is the perfect time to tackle
all those indoor projects that were put off over the summer. Keep
your house or condo on trend this season without breaking the bank
with a few quick and easy DIY projects.
Spruce up a coffee table, refinish a wardrobe or breathe new life
into tired cabinets with a simple to apply stain, like Varathane
premium foam stain that is easy to use and avoids messes created by
traditional stain products. The non-drip foam stain is thick like
whipped cream and can be applied vertically by rubbing onto the
surface with a cloth. Be sure to sand and clean the surface
thoroughly before applying. The stain is available in popular fall
colours like dark walnut and golden pecan.
Create a whole new look in your living spaces by changing the
colours of key accessories like vases, mirror frames or even a
bookcase. Pick bold, trendy colours like plum or navy blue and
choose a no-fuss spray paint like Painter's Touch to ensure a smooth
and vibrant finish on any surface.
Changing the colour of one wall in a room can change the entire look
of the space. Whether you choose to paint or wallpaper, look for
dramatic colours or patterns to create an eye-catching look.
Keep your hardwood floors protected from the wear and tear of every
day foot traffic with a protective floor finish like Nano Defence by
Varathane. Easy to apply, virtually odourless and clear, this
product is a fast-drying floor finish that helps to protect your
floors for years to come. |
