Canadian Living January 2013

Our Food director, Annabelle Waugh, recently introduced me to Bitstrips and I was immediately smitten. I asked Bella (Annabelle’s office nickname) if she would make a strip to celebrate the season and asked Brett Walther, our lovely Home & Garden director, if he would create an avatar that we could include in it. We hope that you enjoy our comic strip and all of the great content in this issue that will help you celebrate the season. You can create your own cartoon messages for friends and family this holiday season – and throughout the year – at bitstrip.me. Wishing you the very best and sending you positive vibes for 2013, @susanCanliving My favourite things THIS MONTH • Bitstrips. Create your own cartoon messages starring friends and family at bitstrip.me. • In the fall, I was hooked…

Sharing your life & passions We wish you all of this and more in 2013! Mothers’ Love Thank you, Canadian Living, for the article on families with special needs (“eight truths About special needs Parenting,” October 2012). I am a mother with a daughter who has Down syndrome, and I was so touched to be able to relate to someone in your magazine who knows what it is like to have a child with special needs. It is so great to know that our kids and families are being supported by your magazine. I also really appreciated that you mentioned how the “r” word is offensive, because it is, and we all, as parents, wish that word would be banned. We can’t change how the world thinks, but we can educate it –…

WINDOW SHOPPING: BLOCKBUSTER BEAUTY KITS Indulgence is guilt-free when beauty sets are as cute (and affordable) as these. 1 | YVES SAINT LAURENT TOUCHE ÉCLAT CRACKER, $50, THEBAY.COM. 2 | FRESH SUGAR ADDICTION MINI LIP COLLECTION, $58, SEPHORA.COM. 3 | SMASHBOX STUDIO POP ULTIMATE PALETTE, $69, SHOPPERS DRUGMART.CA. 4 | LISE WATIER PALETTE GLAMOUR ROSE EYES AND CHEEKS, $45, SHOPPERS DRUGMART.CA. 5 | QUO BY ORLY 18-PIECE MINI NAIL POLISH GIFT SET, $40, SHOPPERSDRUGMART.CA. BEAUTY: BREAKTHROUGH Eyelash Curler It’s only natural that Panasonic, with its clout in the world of electronics, should enter the beauty game at a time when almost every styling tool we see is buzzing. The HEATED EYELASH CURLER ($40, PANASONIC.CA) boosts lashes according to your preference with three settings to choose from. Use it prior to applying mascara or you could…

THE EVENT: NEW YEAR’ 1 | NECKLACE, $85, BANANAREPUBLIC.CA. 2 | COAT, $310, BANANAREPUBLIC.CA. 3 | ESPRIT SLEEVELESS DRESS, $119.50, THEBAY.COM. 4 | LILLITH STAR CRYSTAL BANGLE, $63, O.CO. 5 | STRETCH DESIGN BRACELET, $140, SIMPLYYOU.COM. 6 | LILLITH STAR MINI CRYSTAL BANGLE, $52, O.CO. 7 | SHOES, $150, NINEWEST.CA. 8 | BAG, $110, TOWNSHOES.COM. shoe index From supportive flats to Lady Gaga–esque heel-less heels (and all the pumped-up kicks in between), we’ve broken down the best in festive footwear and judged how long you’ll be able to last in each style. 12 hr LEATHER FLATS, $110, TOWNSHOES.COM. 60 sec PATENT HEEL-LESS HEELS, $120, ALDOSHOES.COM. 7 hr DAVID DIXON PUMPS, $125, TOWNSHOES.COM. 4 hr NINE WEST PUMPS, $125, TOWNSHOES.COM. 1 hr RHINESTONE PLATFORM HEELS, $130, ALDOSHOES.COM. WHAT’S IN THE BAG Put your best face forward at any party with our purse essentials. Keep these beauty…

Why We Love Pears 1. They help prevent diabetes. Red pears contain anthocyanin, an antioxidant that can help reduce insulin resistance, a risk factor for developing diabetes. Studies from Harvard University found that people who consume greater amounts of anthocyanin-rich foods have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 2. They’re full of fibre. Pears are noteworthy because they contain both soluble fibre, which helps lower cholesterol levels, and insoluble fibre, which promotes regularity. One pear has six grams of fibre, or about 20 percent of your daily recommended intake. 3. They’re ready when you are. Pears continue to ripen after being harvested, but they keep well in the crisper because refrigeration delays the ripening process. A few days before you’re ready to eat one, leave it at room temperature. It’s ripe…

Forget sugarplums. These days the only visions you have dancing in your head are of sprawling out on a massage table. On top of being a relaxing way to spend a cold January afternoon, getting a little kneading is a boon to your health. Massage increases blood flow and circulation to the area being treated, says Rhonda Shishkin, head therapist for Huskie Athletics at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. “That, in turn, helps bring oxygen and nutrients to the sore area, easing tension and pain, and aiding healing.” But it’s tough to carve out time and money to go to the spa. So why not try a self-massager? These tools work well for treating those aches and pains you may have developed from standing all night hosting a New Year’s…