London Drugs Archives - Page 7 of 24

Entertaining in Your Outdoor Space Like an Expert

Ah, the season of sunshine. Spending more time outside in the summer months is treat enough! A couple of folding lawn chairs and patch of grass can be enough to enjoy the warmer weather, but if you want your backyard gatherings to become the talk of the neighbourhood, we’ve got some tips to help take your outdoor space from fine to SHINE!

Step One: Tidy Up

First thing’s first—you need to make sure your space is clean and tidy. Here are our tips for getting your yard into tip-top shape for the summer.

Then, decide what style speaks to you. Choose sleek and modern, bright and tropical, cute and cozy, or any vibe that fits your space and your taste, and then decorate accordingly. A consistent style will make your space more polished and sophisticated. Here’s some eye-catching inspiration in case you’re stuck on what style to choose.

Step Two: Choose the Furniture

When choosing furniture for outdoor use, you’ll need to make sure it can stand up to the elements. Keep an eye out for metal, rattan or weather-treated wood, and coverings and fabrics should be waterproof (or at least moisture-resistant if they’re under cover). We have a great selection of outdoor furniture and accessories to suit many different styles and spaces.

If you’re on a budget, there is power in a yard sale purchase, some spray cleaner, a can of paint, and a few cute accessories. Not sure if your new-to-you furniture is meant for outdoor use? Never fear, because you can DIY it to make sure it withstands whatever mother nature has to offer. Your local hardware store will have all kinds of paint for metal and plastic protection. Wood and fabric takes a little more work to fortify (here’s a handy guide) but a little elbow grease is worth it for a gorgeous outdoor sitting area.

Step Three: Find the Shade

Your outdoor space will most likely be used in the afternoon or evening, and sun at that time of day can still be pretty harsh. There’s nothing like a bunch of squinting and hand-on-forehead-eye-shading to ruin a backyard get together, so make sure your guests have ample shade. An umbrella is the obvious choice for providing shade in your yard, but there are other options. Strategically-planted trees can provide lovely, dappled shade, or a gazebo-style cover can take care of a larger area.

Step Four: Turn On the Lighting

Days are longer in the summer, but the sun does eventually go down—lighting is an important element if you want to entertain outside in the evening. String lights create a pretty atmosphere in any outdoor space, stake lights will brighten up dark pathways and gardens, and solar- or battery-powered lanterns can be hung in trees for a romantic feel. Speaking of romance, don’t forget the candles! Make sure they’re in holders or use flameless candles to avoid being snuffed out by summer breezes.

Step Five: Dining Design

Any dishes and glasses will do for outside dining, but a backyard makeover is your chance to embrace bright and colourful design that might not fit in with your interior. Why not branch out a little with some fun dishes and accessories?

Keep food casual for backyard meals to capture the classic summer feel – salads, fresh fruit, cold drinks, finger food. Elaborate courses and lots of cooking is impressive, but keeps you in the kitchen and missing all the fun.

Cold drinks are important on warm summer evenings, so make sure your guests are adequately hydrated. Coolers will keep bottles and cans cold without repeated trips to the kitchen, and if you’ve got the room and electricity spare, a drinks fridge is a good investment for serious outdoor entertaining. A lemonade or iced tea station on a side table will keep guests refreshed, or for larger parties, a rolling drinks cart stocked with a selection of beverages, glasses, ice and straws can easily move back and forth from the kitchen for repeated refills.

Step Six: Curate the Music

Everyone knows the perfect playlist can really make a summer party, so keep the music portable with a high-quality, weather-resistant Bluetooth speaker.

Small space? You can still entertain!

Yes, even your teeny, tiny apartment balcony can be warm and inviting for guests. You’re paying for that valuable square footage, so why not make the most of it?

Choose smaller, narrower furniture and arrange it around the perimeter – guests will have more standing room in a smaller rectangular space instead of having to navigate around large pieces. Two small couches facing each other take up a lot less room than a group of chairs.
Non-traditional furniture like a bar table can multi-task as an area for food prep, eating, and outdoor entertaining, all rolled into one.
If you have access to a shared space that you can’t take over full time, have some folding furniture on hand for spontaneous courtyard hangouts.

Check out the London Drugs Outdoor Living Guide for all your backyard entertaining needs. Make this summer the best one yet!

5 Expert Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

Buying a new home can be a very exciting and daunting task. While the excitement is great, the tiny details associated with closing on a new home don’t have to take over your life. While the learning curve can certainly be steep, a little homework can help first-time buyers navigate the process feeling accomplished and happy to enjoy their new home. Make sure your home-buying experience goes smoothly with a few expert tips.

1. Check your credit

Your credit score is one of the most important factors in qualifying for a home loan. So before you begin your search, be sure to go over your credit report carefully to screen for possible mistakes and any unpaid or collection accounts. Even if you pay your bills on time each month, you could have a less-than-perfect credit score. Everything from your credit utilization ratio to the age of your accounts can have an impact on your current rating.

2. Explore different financing options

Most first-time home buyers should have a number of different financing options available to help them purchase a new home. Your bank or credit union may have special programs for first-time homebuyers or you may be able to secure a federally backed loan. Keep in mind that your mortgage interest rate will greatly impact the total price that you end up paying for your home, so take the time to shop around.

3. Figure out your down payment

It can take a great amount of effort to gather the down payment for your new home, but don’t forget that you may have access to programs that offer financial assistance for new home buyers. Stumped where to look for help? Reach out to friends, family members and co-workers to find out which lenders they enjoyed working with and which lenders to avoid. A personal recommendation to a lender can often lead to better service!

4. Complete a home inspection

Professional home inspections help evaluate new homes for quality, safety and overall condition. If an inspection reveals any serious defects that the seller failed to disclose, you should be able to rescind your offer and get your deposit back. Additionally, once finding out the state of the home, you may be able to negotiate with the seller to make the necessary repairs before completing the sale.

5. Invest in comprehensive home insurance coverage

Purchasing a new home is often the largest financial commitment a person will make in their lifetime. That’s why protecting your home and your loved ones with the most comprehensive home insurance policy available is extremely important. But not all home insurance policies are created equal. Each policy should be unique as the home and people it protects, so be sure to invest in coverage you can count on.

If you are in the process of buying a new home, be sure to protect your investment with the best home insurance policy available. Don’t get caught without the right level of insurance protection when you need it the most. Visit the Insurance Services Department at London Drugs today to learn more and request a quote.

6 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health

We all know the physical benefits of exercise. It helps keep excess pounds at bay, increases stamina, strengthens our heart, keeps arteries clear, and wards off illness. But did you know that exercise can improve the structure and functionality of our brains, as well as improving our overall mental health?

There’s no denying exercise should be a key part of any strategy to combat depression, anxiety, and the general stress of daily life, but “green exercise” in particular, such as cycling, brings with it added psychological health benefits compared to exercising in synthetic environments such as gyms!

Recent studies suggest that exercising in nature gives a quick and significant boost to our mental health. Researchers analyzed studies encompassing more than 1,200 participants involved in outdoor activities such as cycling, walking, horseback riding, and fishing. They found that outdoor exercise improved mood and self-esteem significantly, with the biggest effects coming within just five minutes. The study also found that the trials also showed an improvement in mental well-being.

Compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments is associated with greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy and enjoyment, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression. Here are six interesting ways exercise can positively affect our brains.

1. Improves cognitive functioning

The overlooked cousin of “grey matter,” white matter is comprised of millions of bundles of nerve fibers acting as the computer cables that connect various parts of the brain. Research has shown than exercise enhances white matter integrity and improves conductivity resulting in better cognitive functioning.

2. Promotes brain health

Intense exercise results in elevated levels of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) – an important protein that that promotes brain health and memory. BDNF prevents the death of existing brain cells and supports cognitive function. Low levels of BDNF have been linked to obesity, depression and even schizophrenia. Therefore maintaining satisfactory levels of BDNF results in optimal neurotransmission and potentially prevents a myriad of physical as well as mental diseases.

3. Improves memory and reasoning

Exercise acts directly on the body by stimulating physiological changes such as reductions in insulin resistance and inflammation and by encouraging production of chemicals that affect the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and the overall health of new brain cells. Studies show that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in people who don’t. Exercise also boosts memory and thinking indirectly by improving mood and sleep.

4. Reduces anxiety and stress

Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It produced endorphins—chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers. Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood. Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects. Physical activity helps to relax muscles and relieve tension in the body and also improves the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress.

5. Acts as a natural antidepressant

Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication—but without the side-effects. It promotes changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also increases blood flow to the brain, releases endorphins and other neurotransmitters, like serotonin, which makes you feel good.

6. Increases self-esteem

Regular activity is an investment in YOU. When it becomes habit, it increases feelings of self-worth, achievement and make you feel stronger. It also helps you feel more confident in your physical appearance too!

And if you still aren’t convinced that getting outside is worth the effort then consider this: Science also suggests that mental health may be an even stronger predictor of life expectancy than physical health or even heavy smoking. If we’ve got you motivated, throw on some shoes and head outside this summer!

Written by Lorna Allen, CMHA BC

6 Kitchen Appliances and Gadgets That People Are Obsessed With

Here are six of our favourite trendy products that everyone is buzzing about.

1. SodaStream

The SodaStream isn’t technically a new product – the company was founded in 1903 and their home soda makers became popular in the 1970s and 80s. SodaStream products have made a big comeback in recent years, mostly due to consumers’ focus on health and environmental impact.

People who want to drink more water for better health swear that the SodaStream makes the task of drinking water much more exciting. Making your own sparking water at home can also save money and you’ll keep plastic bottles out of the waste cycle.

2. Instant Multi-Cooker

Multi-cooker pots burst onto the kitchen gadget scene a couple of years ago and took the domestic world by storm. It seemed like you couldn’t call yourself a proper home chef without owning one of these, and it’s easy to see why. The Express Crock Multi-Cooker can cook up to 70% faster than traditional methods, or can be set to slow cook all day. This little gem is a master at homemade chili, stew, sauces, poultry (home-made hot wings? Yes please!), steamed fish, rice, soup, dessert, bread, and even yogurt. It’s so fast and versatile, it might even leave your stove and oven feeling left out.

If you’re not convinced that your counter needs an Express Crock Multi-Cooker on it, Crock-Pot has a whole library of delicious recipes for you to check out right here.

3. Vitamix Blender

This is a serious piece of kitchen equipment, and Vitamix owners swear that it has changed their lives. Vitamix doesn’t make an “every-once-in-a-while margarita mixer” that’s stored away nine months out of the year; they make a use-it-every-day, can’t-live-without-it, commercial-grade blender.

Vitamix machines have all the power you need to pulverize ingredients, releasing flavours and marrying them together to create better-tasting blends. Eating healthy can be a challenge sometimes, so taste makes a big difference. With precise settings that can chop, grind, puree, or juice to perfection, you’ll be making your own delicious salsa, soup, nut butter, sorbet, sauces, and of course the most perfectly smooth smoothie you’ll ever taste in your life.

A Vitamix blender isn’t cheap, but knowing that it’s a quality piece of a equipment that will get used every day and last a lifetime (many people have passed theirs on to their kids and grandkids!) makes it completely worth it.

4. Vegetable Spiralizer

Another big healthy eating trend that’s taken the cooking world by storm is spiralized veggies. In an effort to replace the not-so-healthy pasta dishes, people have discovered this tasty, curly alternative. Pasta lovers can enjoy all the flavour, taste, and texture of their favourite dishes every day with a fraction of the carbs and calories. The catch is that creating the noodle-y spirals can be difficult with traditional kitchen tools, so products like the Vegetti can speed things up.

Not sure how to incorporate spiralized veggies into your regular recipes? Here are twelve yummy ideas.

5. Food Dehydrator

Food dehydrating is a healthy and cost-effective way to preserve meat, fruit, veggies and other foods. Using low heat and air, dehydrating reduces the overall amount of water found in food. Once the water is removed, the food is resistant to bacteria and doesn’t spoil as quickly as it normally would. The bonus of food that has been properly dehydrated is that it retains most of its original nutritional value. After food is cooked, it starts to lose the overall nutrition potential. A food dehydrator allows you to retain all of those nutrients and vitamins in your food, getting the benefits of a raw food diet but without the hassle of continuously buying raw food. It’s perfect for making healthy snacks for the whole family, saving you money, calories, and waste.

The Weston Food Dehydrator has a compact, lightweight design that can fit in even a small kitchen, and is easy to clean. Apple chips, here we come!

6. Home Smoker

This is the product that has made professional meat smokers very nervous. Nothing can beat the mouthwatering goodness of food cooked in a real smoker, and The Char-Broil® Connected Electric Smoker & Roaster has created a whole new generation of backyard barbecue masters.

This reliable smoker and roaster will impress your friends with tasty mouth watering burgers, charred veggies, juicy steaks and smoky chicken. This backyard must-have plugs into any common 120V power outlet and comes built with 15 pre-set temperature levels for all your cooking. Here’s the kicker – it has its very own smartphone app! You can virtually monitor your food’s temperature and general cooking information in real time and will let you multi-task in various locations without having to constantly go check on the food in your smoker. You won’t miss a minute of the big game while making the most mouth-watering ribs, steak, burgers, chicken, or veggies.

Did we miss a new, trendy kitchen product you can’t live without? Post it in the comments!

The Most Beautiful Canadian Wedding Photography You’ll Ever See

With the arrival of spring (finally!), we know that wedding season is just around the corner. So many details go into planning a wedding: the perfect dress, amazing food, gorgeous flowers, thoughtful invitations, meaningful vows, stunning (yet delicious) cake…the list can seem endless. Luckily, with some of the most stunning scenery on the planet, beautiful wedding photos are one thing we don’t have to worry too much about around here. Here are some incredibly beautiful Canadian wedding photos we found!

1. Cottage Country

Photo by Rowell Photography

Here’s a gorgeous shot of a quintessential Muskoka Cottage Country wedding. We hope it was at the beginning of the summer, because the guests probably wanted to stay well into September.

2. Alberta Tranquility

Photo by Cosmin Danila Photography

A moment of quiet beauty was captured in this unexpected wedding photo, shot just outside Calgary.

3. Romantic Kootenay Adventure

Photo by Three Owls Studio

Hats off to this brave BC bride who looks like she’ll do whatever it takes to get a great wedding shot.

4. Beauty at Banff Springs

Photo by Carey Nash Photography

After celebrating their nuptials in a modern, Western style, this Korean-Canadian couple chose to include a traditional element in their wedding to pay respect to their families and customs, and their photos captured both colourful traditions beautifully.

Photo by Carey Nash Photography

5. Banff Beauty, pt II

Photo by Kim Payant Photograpy

As one of the most beautiful places on earth, Banff is a common locale for weddings, and this gorgeous couple certainly took full advantage of the ready-made scenery for this epic wedding shot.

6. Two Sara(h)s in Ontario

Photo by HRM Photography

The Fanshawe Conservation Area near London, Ontario is the perfect location for an outdoor wedding, and these beaming brides undoubtedly got a ton of beautiful photos here.

Do you have a jaw-dropping Canadian wedding photo you think the world should see? Share it with us in the comments!

8 Cool and Quirky Products You Need for Summer

Sun’s out, fun’s out! It’s finally time for us to shed our winter coats and seek out good times in the great outdoors. We have some fun and unexpected outdoor products that will get you out of the house and into the great, wide open.

Tabletop Fireplace

Also known as the “Umbrella Hole Fire Bowl,” the Bond Tabletop Firebowl will illuminate your outdoor dining area, and fits on any patio table. It is easily secured into the pre-existing umbrella hole in just minutes and connects to a 1 lb. propane tank. Simply light with a match, adjust the flame to your liking and enjoy hours of ambiance amidst a smokeless dancing flame.

Portable Waterproof Speaker

The Boompods Aquapod Bluetooth Speaker may be small in size, but it still packs a 70db punch. With crystal quality sound and tough construction, you can take it anywhere the summer leads you: mount on your bike, stick to the shower wall or hang off your backpack for summer tunes on the go.

Rustic Cooler

Get rid of that big hunk of plastic in your backyard and keep your beverages cool in this spiffy wood cooler instead. You’ll really class up the joint!

Kitchy Birdhouse

Your backyard birds will be the envy of the neighbourhood with this hip and nostalgic hanging birdhouse.

Light-Up Garden Crane

If you need to shed a little light on your backyard but aren’t satisfied with a boring old lamp, try this eye-catching solar powered light-up metal crane.

Telescopic Flyswatter

Bugs getting you down, but too comfy in your lounge chair to chase them around? Whip out this telescopic flyswatter, and strike fear into the hearts of all the 6-to-8-legged critters in your yard.

Bug Catcher

If you and your kids would rather check out the bugs instead of crush them, this Adventure Lazer Bug Sucker captures bugs harmlessly to get you up close and personal with nature.

Giant Unicorn Pool Float

Who doesn’t want to ride a unicorn? This magical friend is over 1m wide, so it’s big enough for the biggest kid (aka grown up) at the pool or lake.

Tips for Cleaning Your Kitchen Like An Expert

You clean regularly, but spring is a good time to roll up your sleeves and really dive into the grime that builds up in the kitchen. We’ve found some surprising tips and hacks to get your kitchen shining like a diamond.

1. Clean your oven easily without all the chemicals

You’ll need:

2 cups baking soda
2 tbsp dish soap
Water
Scour Pad
Damp rag
Dry microfiber cloth

Mix the baking soda and dish soap together, then stir in water slowly until you get a runny paste. Wearing rubber gloves, rub paste onto inside of oven and door. Leave oven door open and let sit for 15 minutes. Go have a coffee.

After letting it sit, wet the scour pad and scrub your little heart out, concentrating on trouble spots (it won’t take as long as you think, we promise). Once you’re done scrubbing, collect as much of the paste as you can and wash it down the sink, then use the damp rag to get the rest. This last step might take a few rinses of the cloth before it all comes off. Polish the baking soda film off with the dry cloth.

2. Take your oven racks to the spa

You can’t have a clean oven with dirty racks, so to get them up to snuff, soak them in the tub overnight with 1/2 cup of dish soap and 6 dryer sheets (yes, we said dryer sheets). Once they’re done soaking, rub off the dirt with the dryer sheets, then rinse them well under warm water.

3. Don’t forget that other oven

The microwave can quickly get covered with caked-on crud. Instead of the tedious spray-and-scrub-spray-and-scrub routine, put a handful of wet paper towels inside and run it on high for 3-5 minutes. The steam from the towels will soften the grime and save you a lot of elbow grease. Wait for the paper towels to cool down then use them to wipe down the interior (or put on your rubber gloves if you don’t have time to wait).

4. Clear up that coffee pot

Nothing like that brown film inside your coffeemaker to put you off your morning cup of joe. For a quick and natural clean, fill the empty jug a quarter full of ice, add the juice from half a lemon and 2 tbsp of salt. Swirl the mixture in the jug for 2 minutes, then rinse out with warm water. Voila! No scrubbing required.

5. Blast the grime off of your range hood

Ever tried to wipe off that layer of greasy fudge on top of your stove’s hood with a damp cloth? Doesn’t work too well, does it? That’s because it’s mostly made of cooled oil, which doesn’t mix with water. (Hello, elementary school science class!) The best way to loosen it up is with heat. Grab your hair dryer from the bathroom, put it on the hottest setting and give it a Brazilian blow out for about 30 seconds. Then wipe it down right away with a warm, soapy cloth. Lustrous!

6. Treat your wood cabinets right

Photo by wu yi on Unsplash

Wood cabinets add warmth to your kitchen decor, but wooden surfaces can lock in bacteria that is tough to get out, and harsh chemical cleaners can damage their finish. Baking soda is a great alternative for cleaning wood: mix 1/2 cup baking soda with a litre of warm water and use a clean sponge to rub it on the wood surface. Rinse with damp cloth, blot with a clean towel and allow to air dry completely.

If the finish is looking dull, use boiled linseed or vegetable oil with fine steel wool to rub it in. To seal it, add another coat of oil 24 hours later, wiping off the excess between each application.

7. Ugh. The fridge.

Cleaning out the fridge is a big job, but it’s worth it. Obviously, the first thing you need to do to tackle the fridge is to clear out any old food. But wait! Just because it’s past the “best before” date doesn’t mean that it’s not still good. The best before date isn’t the same as the expiration date–it’s just the date recommended by the manufacturer when the product should be consumed for the best quality. There are other food safety guidelines to keep in mind (read more here), but as long as it smells, looks and tastes normal, eating food that’s a little past the best before date might only affect the taste and quality and likely won’t hurt you.

Now that your fridge is cleared out, you might as well roll up your sleeves and really get in there. Unplug it, clear out the rest of your food and take out the shelves and bins. Fill a bathtub with six to eight inches of water and add a small box of baking soda. Soak the shelves and bins for about 15 minutes; rinse and dry.

Use a non-toxic cleaner or natural solution of 2 tbsp of baking soda in 1 litre of warm water and wipe out interior. Clean small crevices in the door seals with a pointed-tip cotton swab dampened with warm soapy water. Dry with a towel.

Phew. *wipes brow* Before you put away your food, check out this comprehensive guide on how to best store all of your groceries.