For most of us, a summer getaway is an essential part of our annual calendar. All year long we look forward to our one or two-week vacation as an opportunity to recharge our batteries, re-establish family bonds and have a little fun. This year, with the high price of gas, crazy airline ticket fares and a struggling economy, more and more people are turning to the "staycation" as a frugal alternative and the newest vacation trend. A staycation is just like any other summer vacation... except instead of visiting some far-off destination, you stay at home. Everyone's talking about... More »

So, how's your lawn looking? I don't know about the rest of the country, but for those of us in Southern Ontario enduring the soggiest summer on record, the only silver lining is the state of our lawns. My backyard has never looked better! During a normal summer, around this time, my backyard looks very much like a baseball diamond; complete with pitcher's mound covered in mud, dirty baselines and dusty dugout. My front lawn's greener, but usually overrun by clover at this point in the season. However, this year, my friends Dan and Sue are truly the envy of... More »

There's a revolution going on in the running world and it's about who wears the pants...or rather who doesn't. I first noticed it at the start line of my first 10K race last fall...women running in skirts. I looked at those first skirt-clad runners with disdain. As a newbie suffering from a little insecurity, I felt they couldn't be serious runners if they were more concerned with fashion than athleticism. Boy, was I wrong. Skirts first came onto the sporting scene in early 2005, when pro triathlete Nicole DeBoom launched SkirtSports. "Skirts are an attitude and emotional trend," says... More »

We're just days away from the launch of the iPhone in Canada, and the media buzz may have you thinking that it's the only smartphone in town. However, I've spent the last couple of weeks playing with the Palm Centro, which launched to much less fanfare last month in Canada, and I'm willing to say you'd get more bang for your buck with this baby. The Centro is Palm’s smallest and lightest smartphone and has sold more than one million units worldwide. It will fit into the smallest clutch, but has a complete (and useable!) keyboard. I have used a... More »