It’s time to start planning awesome Halloween costumes for 2017. TV studios have been particularly kind to those who are costume-inclined this year. Check out our list below for 7 Awesome Pop Culture-Inspired Halloween Costumes for 2017. And if you should happen to try any of these, please, please share a photo with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.
A Handmaid – The Handmaid’s Tale This one is actually easier than you might think. Grab a vibrantly red (but very modest) long dress from a second hand store, and order yourself a bonnet to match. Advanced Handmaid’s can use poster board to create the full bonnet as seen on the iconic show. Here are a few versions of the costume to inspire your rebellion. Blessed be the fruit.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk/Hulu
A Dragon – Game of Thrones Are you excited that Winter has finally come? What better way to celebrate than to channel your enthusiasm into an easy dragon costume for Halloween? This great blog has instructions on how to make no-sew dragon wings so that you can take flight against the white walkers or the Lannisters. You may not look as fearsome as Drogon, Rhaegal, or (gulp) Viserion, but you’ll inspire enough awe with how little time it took you to pull together this look. Dracarys!
Diana Prince – Wonder Woman Flex your amazonian muscles in a Wonder Woman costume this year. This video from Mashable gives a method for a DIY version that isn’t super simple, but doable for those inclined to spend some time with vinyl fabric. You can also do a simple version with a graphic t-shirt and a pair of cuffs (for deflecting bullets, of course). Merciful Minerva!
Wrestler – GLOW There is never a bad time to bust out truly huge 1980s hair and high-cut leotards. The characters in the Netflix Original show are based on a real group of pretty awesome women, and you can honour them with your Zoya the Destroya costume. Totally rad!
Your Favourite Overwatch Character
Is someone in your household obsessed with Overwatch? Ours too. This cosplay site offers links to kits that will give you a spot-on look for any of these striking characters (we’re team Symmetra and team Lucio). Certainly the DIY-ers among you can find even more creative ways to channel your favourite warrior. Catch phrase!
Don’t forget to share your photos with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below. Happy Halloween!
A major challenge modern students face is managing their many digital files and documents. One risk is that a precious hard drive could fall and break or become water damaged. For that, a rugged, waterproof hard drive, like this one from Lacie, is a great option.
Just transferring files between devices is another frequent challenge, especially when using iPhones or iPads for school work. A possible solution is the Leef iBridge, a special flash drive available in a variety of storage capacities that lets you transfer to these popular devices with ease.
Another common wishlist capability is to easily create digital copies of printed materials on the go…
For that, a wireless, wifi-enabled scanner such as the IRIScan Anywhere is incredibly handy. You can create digital scans in seconds and the results are much more legible than a photo or photocopy would be. Plus, these scans can be searched and even manipulated digitally. They’re great for research, letting you scan documents to read later or search later. And for scientific papers, you even scan and analyze data tables.
They’re perfect for whipping up a quick oatmeal in the morning or some lunchtime noodles. But they are especially crucial for brewing late-night study fuel in your dorm room.
For some food lovers, the end of summer means saying goodbye to backyard cookouts and delicious BBQ meals. For others, the cooler fall weather is a welcome excuse to warm up in front of the oven and enjoy a piping hot mug of cocoa after dinner.
Whatever you may prefer, there’s no doubt that the following dessert recipes are bound to inspire you this fall season (and satiate your sweet tooth)! Besides – who can say no to chocolate?
The chocolate chip cookie is beloved for a reason! And because fall is the season where you can finally dust off your cast iron skillet, this cozy take on a household classic provides the perfect dessert option on a chilly evening.
Just because camping season is coming to a close doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to s’mores just yet! These pudding cups call for the basics – marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and some pantry items, and allow you to enjoy a campfire treat in the comfort of your own home.
Dipped in a luxurious dark chocolate sauce, the crispy cinnamon coating and sweet, soft dough make these churros to die for. A fair favourite that can easily be made at home, there’s no need for a clunky deep fryer if you have a wok on hand!
If you haven’t already heard, the pumpkin spice latte (or PSL) has made yet another comeback this fall. And whether you’re on board with the trend or not – we guarantee you’ll love this pumpkin spice hot chocolate recipe!
Donuts are not only delicious, but they can be a great baking activity that the kids will love. These double chocolate donuts are a quirky (and easy to transport) alternative to birthday cake. If you don’t have a donut pan on hand, simply use a muffin tin!
Although some may argue that the fall season is too cold for ice cream, we beg to differ. Complete with an Oreo crumb crust and filled with your favourite brand of coffee ice cream, this mud pie is a perfect dish to bring to your next fall potluck!
When you think of a fruit crumble, chocolate doesn’t usually come to mind. This crumble, however, brings the classic flavours of black forest cake into a rich cherry crumble – loaded with fresh Bing cherries and rounded off with a coconut and cocoa topping.
Nothing quite says “fall” like a warm pecan tart fresh out of the oven. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’ve found a recipe that will excite any chocolate lover! A maple pecan filling sits atop dark chocolate for a unique – and tasty – dessert.
Pain au chocolate – or chocolate croissants – are usually a coffee shop treat. Thankfully, we’ve found a recipe that’s as simple as it is delicious! With only three ingredients: egg, puff pastry and your favourite dark chocolate bar, you can have your *croissant* and eat it too.
Believe it or not – not everyone is a huge fan of dark or milk chocolate. For anyone who can’t eat chocolate, or prefers the taste of white chocolate, we’ve got you covered! This delectable brownie recipe is the perfect balance between rich and fluffy, and can be tweaked to whatever sweetness level you prefer.
Canada’s mountains, oceans, and glaciers get plenty of attention, but is anything grander than our wide open prairies?
Between being able to see for kilometres, the magnificent colours, the rustic buildings, the epic sunsets, and the undulating landscapes…there’s lots to love. And at London Drugs, we adore any chance to pull out our cameras and capture a moment. Maybe even one that’s fit to print.
With that in mind, we present Prairie Pride – a photographic journey of incredible shots of Canada’s great plains.
Historic buildings abound throughout Canada’s prairies. But they never cease to inspire and amaze, like this old foundation and barn in Truax, Saskatchewan.
With so much to see on Canada’s prairies, one of the best ways to take it all in is on a train. Reserve the Skyline car from VIA Rail for views like this.
Before you head home, revel in the chance to take a moment, lean on an old Manitoba fence, and smell the prairie flowers.
Heading on a trip through the prairies this fall? Share your Prairie Pride pictures with us @LondonDrugs on Twitter and Instagram and be sure to tag #PrairiePride.
Doing laundry is necessary, of course, but it takes time and energy—and we know there are ways to save a little of both.
You probably already know to wash your clothes in cold water to save energy and hang your clothes to dry. Now try these next-level tips to truly up your laundry game.
Vinegar Magic
Vinegar is a magical cleaning tool. You probably already use it to clean your microwave or other kitchen appliances, but it’s amazing in the laundry room too.
If your sweaty workout gear is a little too fragrant, pre-soak it in a vinegar solution. The technical, sweat-wicking fabrics that work so well during exercise are actually harder to clean; the vinegar helps cut through your body’s oils to eliminate that smelly bacteria.
And vinegar doesn’t just clean, it also softens fabrics! Add ¼ to 1 cup of white vinegar to your washer during the final rinse cycle instead of a traditional fabric softener. (You’ve already got the vinegar in your pantry—you might as well use it, right?)
Don’t forget, too, that washing machines also need to be cleaned regularly, along with your clothes. You can use vinegar to clean your washing machine itself, too–it’s easy and cost-effective!
Delicates
Hand washing is best for delicates, but when you need to throw them in the washer make sure you use a mesh laundry bag. It keeps them protected from rubbing against other fabrics that may lead to pilling while the mesh still lets in water and detergent to get them clean. There are even specially designed laundry bags for bras, with padded mesh to protect the cup shape. It’s still advisable to use the delicate mode on your washer, but the mesh laundry bags will protect your delicates even more.
When you do hand wash, there’s no handy spin cycle to remove that excess water. You can mimic your washer’s spin cycle using a salad spinner (make sure you only use this salad spinner for laundry!), or you can lay your garment flat on a clean dry towel and roll it all up. Some more gentle pressing helps the towel soak up that water gently. It’s much safer than wringing the water out.
Easy breezy
There are lots of little things you can do that will make your laundry life so much easier. Post a note by your washer to remind yourself about any items that need particular care: those that need to be washed separately, can’t go in the dryer, etc. This is especially important if you share laundry duties with a family member! You can use a dry erase board to easily update your laundry notes.
You might also try dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They do the same thing—soften fabrics, speed up drying time–plus they’re reusable.
And those mesh laundry bags you use for your delicates? Keep your socks in there to ensure they all come out of the dryer! In fact, you can give one mesh bag to each family member to make it even easier to sort socks later. Never lose a sock again.
What are some of your favourite #laundrytips? Let us know on Twitter!
When you enter into an agreement with an Internet service provider, you typically receive a standard modem and router for home WiFi. While these components provide the basics for a home network, they are a one-size-fits-all system that rarely provides an ideal solution for homes. Wireless mesh network technology makes it possible to overcome the challenges posed by basic systems and gives you a true whole home WiFi system.
The Problem with a Conventional Home Network
With the basic home WiFi equipment provided by your Internet service provider, you’re likely to experience dead zones in various areas of your house or condo. In these areas, you may not be able to access WiFi on your smartphone or tablet as connectivity may be poor.
Secondary routers can be added to a home network to try and address this problem, but this leads to other challenges. Smartphones and tablets are not smart enough to switch from one signal to another, making it necessary to manually connect to the secondary router as you move throughout your home.
What Is a Mesh Network?
Mesh network technology was developed as the solution to the problem described above. A wireless mesh network provides home WiFi with two pieces: a base unit and a satellite. The base unit takes the place of a conventional router and is connected to the Internet. Then, you place the satellite component of the wireless mesh network system in another location, such as on the second floor, and just plug it into the wall. Signals from the base unit are transmitted to the satellite unit and then distributed through your home.
Mesh networking provides a whole home WiFi system that does not require you to reconnect your mobile devices to maintain optimal connectivity as you move throughout your house. Your smartphone or tablet works seamlessly with no interruptions to data no matter where you are in your home. This means you can say goodbye to freezing and buffering when streaming videos.
Do You Need a Mesh Network?
Mesh networking is ideal for multi-level homes and businesses where there are noticeable WiFi dead zones. The highly efficient system can provide whole home wireless coverage when metal, water, or concrete interferes with or completely blocks connectivity.
Meet the Netgear Orbi
Netgear Orbi AC3000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi System – RBK50-100CNS
Benefiting from mesh networking is easy with the Netgear Orbi. This system gives you the ability to continue to grow your network with additional satellites to provide full connectivity throughout a large home. It’s dedicated channel for communication means that Internet speed remains fast no matter how many satellites you add and sets the Netgear Orbi apart from dual-band mesh networking systems.
With its larger size, the router in the Netgear Orbi system offers a stronger signal than other options on the market for a noticeable boost in performance. Plus, the sleek modern design of the base unit and satellites blend in with a home’s decor for a fashionable look.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), in partnership with London Drugs, is on a mission to bring suicide prevention training to communities across western Canada. Suicide prevention training isn’t just for professionals. Suicide prevention is everybody’s business.
The most basic premise of suicide prevention is that if we are thinking about suicide ourselves we need to tell someone, and if we are concerned someone else may be thinking about suicide we need to ask them about it, clearly and directly. If they are indeed thinking about suicide, we need to listen carefully for long enough to acquire some understanding of what they are going through and then based on what we’ve learned help them link with supports and resources to keep safe for now.
But all of us worry, “will they be offended if I ask them?” Experts agree that you will not suddenly open someone up to the possibility of suicide as an option by talking about it, but rather will show them you care enough both to notice they are troubled, and to ask. The intention is to open up a dialogue that can lead to the possibility of help. And if they are offended? You might get something back like “Hey things are bad but they aren’t that bad!’, and you can again respond that the ask comes out of noticing they were troubled, and feeling care and concern for them.
CMHA’s vision of mentally healthy people in a healthy society has every community working to become suicide-safe, with many people equipped to step in and offer help to someone who is struggling. We can all be part of making this change happen — and one place to start is to sign up for a safeTALK workshop where you’ll learn what to look for, what to do and how to help. Visit askaboutsuicide.ca to learn more.
Askaboutsuicide.ca was made possible through the generous support of London Drugs. We are grateful to London Drugs for recognizing that suicide is everybody’s business and that we all have a part to play in creating suicide safer communities.
A major challenge modern students face is managing their many digital files and documents. One risk is that a precious hard drive could fall and break or become water damaged. For that, a rugged, waterproof hard drive, like this one from Lacie, is a great option.
Aside from other staples like 
