FROM THE EDITOR
Editor's Note
June 13, 2008
Renee Sylvestre-Williams
Tell us what you think
You may have noticed a couple new things at yourhome.ca. We've got commenting - which means you can share your thoughts with us. Why not tell us if you agree with Christopher Hume or share a tip with others in Reader Exchange. Come on, we want to hear from you!
Debuting this week is Conversation Piece by Vicky Sanderson. She's the writer of the Hot Home Products column in the New in Homes section of the Star. Vicky launches the new bi-weekly column with a look at items that may not be necessary, but are always guaranteed to start a conversation. This week she looks at an egg holder with a military background.
Don't forget, I'm still looking for pictures of your garden.
May 15, 2008
How does your garden grow?
The sun's out - most of the time - and the trees are sprouting. Have you spent time in your garden yet? Why not email me your photos of your garden and I may feature them in an upcoming gallery.
May 6, 2008
In search of the green
“I killed my lawn today,” my best friend Laura gleefully told me over the phone during our weekly chats.
“Excellent!” I said, poking at the poor bamboo plant that decorates my desk. “Did you do it on purpose?”
Turns out she did, all in an attempt to cultivate the perfect weed-free lawn. I don’t have a lawn. All I’ve got are two plants – the aforementioned bamboo plant I inherited from a previous job, and an aloe plant. Their criteria is that they’re both hard to kill (and if the cat eats the bamboo, it won’t kill her.)
I may not have a lawn to obliterate, but in Toronto, homeowners are reviving their lawns from winter’s exposure. Why not? They only have five months to enjoy them before they’re covered in snow again.
Forget the pesticides - the City of Toronto already did that for you - and forget the gas-guzzling lawn mowers – if you can still afford gas. The trick now is to be green about your lawn. If you’re looking for a green lawnmower, Vicky Sanderson’s Hot Home Products column looks at two lawnmowers – a push mower and an electric mower. She also talks to Mark Cullen about the best eco-friendly grass seed.
In the meantime, until I have a lawn, I’m going to give my plants just a little more love.
What are your garden plans? Email me your photos of your lawn or garden and I’ll use them for an upcoming gallery.
April 28, 2008
Where can I find Christopher Hume or What They Got? How can I find a
plumber? Where can I advertise my real estate business? At yourhome.ca,
you'll find your favourite columnists, favourite sections and anything
that's related to buying a home, selling a home and decorating your
home – all on one site. You can find the latest stories on the main
page but to find a specific article, here's a quick guide:
Decor & Renovation – David Ferguson (Creative Space), Donna Jean MacKinnon (Best-Laid Plans) and Vicky Sanderson (Hot Home Products).
Repairs & Maintenance – Steve Maxwell (Expert Advice).
Entertaining & Electronics – Wine critic Gord Stimmel and food editor Kim Honey. You'll also find recipes from the Star's test kitchen. Also tips on buying electronic items, such as a high-definition TV or how to pick a retailer.
Garden & Outdoor – Gardening expert Sonia Day
Real Estate
– Christopher Hume, in his Condo Critic column, takes a look at Toronto
architecture; What They Got, in the Personal Space section, lists the
selling prices of Toronto-area homes.
Money & Shopping
– Decorita by Rita Zekas; So, What's It Worth? antiques column by John
Sewell; mortgage info., homebuyers' tips and the latest business
stories.
News & Features – Bob Aaron (Title Page),
Gerry Hyman (Law) and the Condo Pets column, co-written by Valerie
Hauch and Janice Bradbeer, which profiles condo owners and pets.
Yourhome.ca
also has real estate listings and provides a directory of services
including real estate agents, mortgage brokers, insurance services and
garden centres on the Infocentres.
April 21, 2008
Putting down the welcome mat
I have a friend who emails me links to available condos on the market. One condo was 300-square feet, which is very, very small. The price was right - under $200,000, but when your first thought is, ‘that space is not meant for claustrophobics’ you know that space is not right for you.
She liked it because it would get her on the real estate ladder, which made me think:
What seals the deal when you’re buying a home? A recent issue of Toronto Life looked at how much people are willing to spend to buy a home, especially in Toronto.
Money aside, why did you buy your home? Was it the cost? Location? The amenities?
Email me and I’ll share your answers in an up-coming column.
Don’t forget to check out this week’s At Home With gallery . Kathryn Kates spoke with Citytv’s Anne Mroczowski. If you’re interested in going off the grid, then check out the Star’s article on Survivorman star Les Stroud and his self-sufficient home. We’ve got pictures.
Who do you call?
I’ve received emails from people who would like to list their business in yourhome.ca's service directories. Please email the following:
National Sales
Olive Canada Network
416.596.2149
info@olivecanadanetwork.com
Local / Retail Sales
Leanne Gibson
416.814.2730
Contact Leanne
Business Development
Judy Sims
416.869.4689
Contact Judy
April 14, 2008
Push the button for the perfect turkey
I keep waiting for a stove to
actually do the cooking for me. I can cook - in fact, I've gotten pretty good
at opening my fridge, pulling out stuff and combining it into something edible.
I'm just bad at grocery shopping, but that's another story. What I don't
like is coming home after work and having to cook dinner.
So while we
wait for the self-cooking stove, we can indulge our need for shiny appliances
and gadgetry thanks to Electrolux. I had the opportunity to go to the launch of
their range of kitchen appliances and poke around the shiny fridges, ovens and
dishwashers.
There were a lot of buttons to push, enough to keep any
gadget-lover happy. There was a button to boil water in 90 seconds, favourite
buttons so you can program the cook times for your favourite meals, and the most
intriguing - the perfect turkey button.
Theoretically, it is possible to
cook a perfect turkey even for a novice like myself. Unfortunately, there
wasn't a turkey lying around dressed waiting to be put into the oven. No
matter, even if you don't have a turkey to cook, you could entertain yourself
by pushing all the other buttons, then realize you've forgotten to cook
dinner.
Here's something else I discovered - white is apparently the
new stainless steel. That doesn't help the guy I talked to on the subway. He
and his wife just bought new kitchen appliances, all stainless steel. He could
have saved himself a couple of bucks if he had gone for white or black.
- Renee Sylvestre-Williams, editor