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3 Ways to Save On Your Energy Bill During the Winter

December 13, 2018 by Kathryn 1 Comment

As a busy mom, you have enough to handle over the winter months. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the arrival of colder weather, household costs can start to climb quickly.

During the holiday season, it is pretty common to want to save money anywhere possible. One way to save is by cutting costs on energy usage and by preventing inefficiency. There are several factors that contribute to higher utility bills in the winter, and recognizing these factors is the first step to lowering energy costs.

feet by fire

Consider these energy saving tips to improve utility bill expenses during the winter months!

Adjust the Temperature

Keep the thermostat as low as possible while still staying comfortable. Wearing extra clothing can help in keeping the thermostat lower. Whenever you are out of the house, turn the thermostat back 10-15 degrees. This can also be done at night while you’re sleeping. Lowering the thermostat can help you save 10% or more on utility bills. By using a programmable thermostat (or a smart thermostat like the Nest Learning Thermostat), this can be even simpler to achieve, as you can adjust the unit remotely as you’re on your way home from work, or set it to turn on an hour before you wake up.

Weatherization

Weatherizing your house will aid in keeping the house warm, while keeping costs down. Utilizing insulating drapes on windows is an extra step to ensuring the cold air stays outside where it belongs. Finding and sealing leaks, gaps, or holes around pipes, chimneys, unfinished spaces and any other opening is important. Fill gaps with caulk, foam, or weather stripping as required. Weather stripping can be used on doorways and windows as well to seal out frigid air. In a pinch, you can even cover windows with heavy duty plastic on a frame to seal warm air in.

HVAC Maintenance

Replace filters for the furnace and heat pumps monthly, or as often as needed. It is also necessary to regularly assess and make repairs on your HVAC system to ensure it is working efficiently. Checking the system for leaks, breaks, rust, or corrosion should be done regularly to ensure safety. Read this guide for more information on how to get the most out of your furnace, and how to know when an issue is serious enough to call for professional help.

sensi wi-fi thermostat on wall

Venting and ducts should be inspected for leaks or damage. These issues need to be addressed quickly to avoid the added cost and headaches of compounding problems. To further ensure efficient heating, you may choose to upgrade or replace your old HVAC system. Upgrading can be completed by retrofitting the furnace or boiler with the most energy-efficient options.

There are also rebates available so you don’t have to break the bank when you invest in a new unit. Some companies offer up to $3,200 in combined savings and mail-in rebates on featured furnaces. The right HVAC specialists will also offer protection plans to help you avoid unexpected repair costs. These plans often include:

Annual maintenance by licensed, professional technicians
Live telephone support 24/7, 365 days a year
No pre-inspection – which makes it easy to get coverage
No-term contracts

There are several factors that contribute to higher utility bills; by considering these energy saving tips you will not only stay warmer, but save money this winter, keeping you and your family — and your wallet — happier!

The Top 3 Best Double Strollers for Twins

December 12, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

There’s nothing more exciting than learning that you have a child on the way. And things get even more exciting when you discover you are carrying twins!

As much fun as babies are, handling twins (or a newborn and a toddler) can be a daunting task, since both will still need lots of that motherly love and attention. So, how do you solve the problem? Start by making sure you have a great double stroller!

baby boy in stroller

Double strollers for twins can be a massive investment, but they’re an integral tool for allowing you to attend to two children at once. If you’re looking for the best double stroller for your twins, here are my top 3 picks for double strollers you should check out:
[Read more…]

Protect Your Home and Your Family By Testing for Radon

December 5, 2018 by Kathryn 24 Comments

For most of my life, I lived in a century-old house in small-town Saskatchewan. And while I loved the community and our established property with its large size and mature trees, the house itself was desperately outdated.

Now, after moving into my family’s custom-built dream house, life couldn’t be more different. While we’ll have lots of landscaping to do on our six acres over the next few years, the house itself is perfect in every way, and totally up-to-date.

With three boys in our family, the safety features of our house are something I especially appreciate. In addition to the hard-wired smoke detectors, we finally have a carbon monoxide detector as well! But recently I learned that when it comes to safe indoor air, there’s more than just carbon dioxide to be worried about.

In fact, the radioactive gas radon is potentially a bigger threat to my family’s health than carbon monoxide. I hadn’t heard of testing for radon before, but after learning about the damage that long-term exposure can cause, I want to make sure our new house has safe levels of radon!

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada and is present in some level in all buildings, since it occurs naturally in soil and rock. In areas where more uranium is present in the soil, radon levels tend to be higher. It seeps into houses any place there is an opening, from floor drains and sumps to cracks in foundation walls.

Of course, not all levels of radon require attention. Currently, the Canadian guideline for radon in indoor air is 200 Bq per cubic metre. This is a significant reduction from the previous guideline of 800 Bq per cubic metre, as new information about radon’s health risks have become available.

But the only way to know if your home has a high concentration of radon is to test for it! Whether you hire a professional to test your home’s radon levels or buy a testing kit and do the job yourself, having knowledge about your home’s radon levels will help you protect your house’s value and your family’s health.

Testing kits are between $30 and $95 and generally collect radon levels over a three-month period or so. The test is then sent to a laboratory to be analyzed and the results are sent back. And if your home does show high levels of radon, there’s no need to panic!

Lowering the levels of radon in your home may be as simple as sealing up cracks and openings in your home. And even more labour-intensive solutions, like a radon mitigation system, generally only cost between $500 and $3000. These radon mitigation systems use a pump and a ventilation system to draw radon through a pipe system and ventilate it outside the home.

Testing my home for radon is something that is going to give me even more peace of mind about my home. And unless there’ some major change being done to a building, it only needs to be done every few years to help ensure my family’s health.

Learn more about the dangers of radon, and find places in your province to purchase test kits or find radon measurement and mitigation professionals at www.takeactiononradon.ca. The minimal cost of a kit is well worth making sure that radon isn’t jeopardizing your family or your house’s value!

How Head Lice Treatments May Be Harming Your Kids

November 29, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Have you had an encounter with head lice yet? If you have school-aged children, statistically speaking, you’re likely to come up against them at some point.

Lice have been present wherever humans are for centuries, and they’re especially prevalent among our younger kids. Schools, daycare facilities and other places where kids are playing close together can be prime areas for infestation.

Most parents will look for the quickest, most effective way to get rid of lice. Many schools still send kids home and won’t allow them back until they are “nit free,” while you still must get to work!

The problem is that not all lice treatments are a great choice. In fact, some over-the-counter treatments can be downright harmful. Want to avoid potential ill-effects of treatments, yet still successfully get rid of lice? Home remedies for head lice can be effective, but it’s important to know what you’re dealing with:

The Size of the Lice Problem in North America

The official estimates of the CDC show 6 to 12 million lice infestations in the 3 to 11 age group annually. Given that many cases go unreported, some suspect this number to be a low estimate. In any case, just know that a lot of kids get lice and it’s totally normal! [Read more…]

Lawyer Jeremy Diamond Talks Balance, Work and Family with His Wife, Sandra Zisckind

November 29, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

It was a mere 6 years ago when Jeremy Diamond and his wife, Sandra Zisckind, started an ambitious mission to change the world of personal injury law. Since then, Diamond and Diamond has transformed into Canada’s fastest growing personal injury firm, including partnerships with The Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, and Calgary Flames.

Just last year, Diamond and Diamond made the transition to a full service firm, extending offerings to wills, real estate, employment, immigration and more.

As a busy parent that believes in the importance of work life balance, I interviewed Jeremy Diamond and Sandra Zisckind, to get a better understanding of how they juggle the demands of marriage and children.

jeremy-diamond-sandra-zisckind

Q: What are the challenges you face as a working parent in today’s busy culture?

Sandra Zisckind: The biggest challenge we face is time management. There are only so many hours in a day. We want to be able to grow our business, while also attending to the needs of our injured clients. Work takes up a lot of my time, but if I wasn’t there for my children as much as I could be it would really start to affect me. So I decided the jobs that don’t require all my attention can be outsourced in some way. You have to relinquish some control.

Jeremy Diamond: I try to prioritize and schedule things around my kids’ schedules, whether that is hobbies like sports or other social commitments. The kids need to feel like they’re #1 and that they’re not being passed over for work. We try to have at least one parent there for all major events, and Sandra and I do our best to split that evenly.

Q: How do you instill the importance of hard work in your kids, while also stressing the importance of a work/life balance?

Jeremy Diamond: Our kids are smart. They know that the lifestyle we have created did not materialize out of nowhere. I think it is important to allow your kids to see you stressed sometimes. It shows the importance of sacrifice. From that, they learn that success comes from long hours and fortitude, while also understanding the importance of work life balance.

Sandra Zisckind: My little one often gets sad when we have to go away on business trips. Sometimes in the morning she asks me if I’m going to work on a plane or a car. We work hard to make sure our kids know we’re there for them. The other day there was a moment of validation when my little one said, “Mommy, when I grow up I want to go to work and be a lawyer just like you.”

Q: What was it like going from being a married couple to working together day to day?

Sandra Zisckind: Actually, that part was easy because we are able to separate the two. We’ve always been quite good at compartmentalizing things that way. We know we have each other’s backs no matter what. The hard part is turning it off. I’ve learned that when you find yourself in an argument with your spouse, it’s best to turn around, compose yourself with a deep breath and then come back to the topic at hand. You never want to say things you regret, especially if children are around.

Jeremy Diamond: We make rules around turning off. We used to say that when we were home we wouldn’t talk business but that’s simply not feasible. Being an entrepreneur is a 24-hour endeavour. But even with all the ups and downs, we are closer than ever. A lot of marriages can weaken with time and we haven’t experienced that, which is nice to know.

business desk

While living together, working together and raising their children can be a challenge at times, having clear boundaries and set priorities clearly helps the couple maintain their relationship and balance the joys and stresses of their busy lifestyle.

Talking to Kids About the Dangers of Vaping

November 28, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

When I was a young teenager, I went through some pretty shy and awkward years. And eventually, in an effort to fit in, I ended up starting smoking.

It was a terrible decision that cost me money and damaged my health for over a decade, but ten years ago I quit for good and never looked back.

Now, with my oldest son on the cusp of his own teenage years, I know that he’ll face some of the same worries and insecurities as I once did. And unfortunately, there are even more dangerous things that he may be pressured into trying.

[Read more…]

How To Make A Big, Scary Move Easier On Your Family

November 19, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

That promotion you’ve been angling for has finally become a reality, or you’ve found a dream house in your dream neighborhood, and it means moving to a totally new city. First things first, congratulations! But as exciting as such a big event is, moving is also a lot of work.

And it’s even worse when you’re uprooting your family to move to the other side of the country. If you’re facing down a big move, prepare yourself with these simple tips. Whether you’re moving abroad, to another coast or just to a neighboring city, they’ll help make the task a little easier.

Discuss it with the Family

Moving is nerve-wracking for everyone, but for kids who just started to make friends at school, it can be a frightening new experience. They might be worried both about leaving these friends behind and meeting their new classmates. [Read more…]

Tips To Select the Best Family Car

November 16, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

It’s amazing how my car needs have changed over the years, and I’ve come to realize that the perfect family car isn’t going to be the same car from year to year. Four or five years ago, I could buy a Hyundai Accent that would be perfect for me as a single mother with two boys. Now, with a husband, three children and a dog, my needs are completely different and an SUV is a better fit.

If you’re also looking for a new vehicle the whole family will love, make sure to keep some basic tips in mind! Whether you’re planning to buy a Hyundai Accent for its fuel economy or a Ford F-150 for its versatility, knowing what features are most important will help you make a great choice every time!

[Read more…]