Canadian Living May 2013

I’ve had the time of my life at Canadian Living. I have been with the brand for more than 20 years, and I’ve had the pleasure of working for the past eight years as editor-in-chief. Over that time, I have written 95 columns in which I’ve shared many stories of family and friends, detailing the ups and downs of my life, which so often mirrored your own experiences. I heard from thousands of you through emails and letters – even faxes (it’s been that long!). I’ve met so many wonderful people from across the country and around the world, some of whom have become lifelong friends. To you, dear readers, I extend a big heartfelt thanks for letting me into your world. But I am just a small part of what has made…

WE ASKED WHAT DID YOUR MOTHER PASS ON TO YOU? “To believe in myself, to be independent, to water flowers, to cook with love, to paint life with my own colours and not to forget to see the sun in the morning!” – Tina Boussoulas “Her kindness and compassion.” – Anne White “How to make homemade bread and overnight buns. My mom is a gifted farm girl who taught us to make everything from scratch. Now if I could only master her pastry!” – Kari Leal Mirrlees “My mom taught me ‘the look’ (which you never wanted to get!). Fortunately, I don’t have to use it on my kids very often.” – Michelle Muxlow-Facchin “My grandmother was a professional seamstress who worked from home. She taught both my mom and me to use a sewing machine at a very young…

MARC COBLEN WATCH WITH BEZEL, $425, MARCCOBLEN.COM. MICHAEL KORS LEATHER WATCH, $195, MICHAELKORS.COM. MOMENTUM BOLD WATCH, $140, WATCHIT.CA. TIMEX ORIGINALS GRANDE CLASSICS, $75, TIMEX.CA. MONUMENT TRANSLUCENT WATCH, $19, O.CO. TIMEX ORIGINALS MODERN SPORT, $80, TIMEX.CA. MOVADO WATCH, $295, WATCHIT.CA. WINDOW SHOPPING GAME FACE Stow away your basic black or brown watches and try on something a little more playful. This spring, watch out for oversize faces, confectionery colour combos and even translucent straps. SECRET WEAPON Stress: It holds us together, but sometimes it can make us feel like we’re falling apart. Beyond the damage it does to the body (that’s a whole other story), it can have a tremendous impact on your biggest organ. “Skin is where the first signs of stress begin to appear,” says Dr. Adam Geyer, Kiehl’s product development consulting dermatologist. When we are stressed, skin reacts…

Annette Dombrowski ARMY MAJOR ORLEANS, ONT. This breast cancer survivor recently returned from a year-long tour in Afghanistan. “I always used to be mistaken for being younger than I am. Now, as I enter my mid-40s, people are telling me how tired I look – even though I’m not tired!” she says. The biggest change for Annette was her hair colour. “I was actually born blond. However, as I got older, it became a light brown,” she says. At the time of the makeover, Annette had resigned herself to going grey and hadn’t cut her hair in months. “The blond colour was, at first, a shock. Even after a week I still didn’t recognize myself!” Annette’s beauty routine was pretty basic, so the introduction of fake lashes and girly gloss was a…

Why We Love Tea 1. It offers cellular protection. Whether green, black or oolong, tea from the Camellia sinensis plant contains antioxidants, which can help protect against free-radical damage to your body’s cells. For maximum antioxidant content in your cup, brew tea for at least two minutes and give the tea bag a good squeeze before removing it. 2. It makes you feel alert, yet calm. Unlike coffee, tea has the ability to improve alertness without negatively affecting sleep or causing jitters. This is due to theanine, a unique amino acid with the power to relax the mind without inducing drowsiness. Theanine also boosts your attention span and cognitive performance. 3. It’s hydrating. As the world’s second-most commonly consumed beverage after water, tea provides much of the fluid we need. Tea contains just…

In this second instalment of our three-part swimsuit challenge, the goals are to continue scorching calories and start building lean muscle through separate cardio and strength workouts. Strength training allows you to build lean muscle and burn calories for up to two hours after you’ve hit the shower, resulting in greater fat loss. This workout will get you one step closer to rocking your swimsuit like never before. And be sure to look for the workout next month to finish sculpting your swimsuit body. Estimated calorie burn: For an average 140-pound woman, this 30-minute workout will burn about 191 calories. What you’ll need: • Yoga mat • Dumbbell or àlled water bottle • Timer or timer app THE WORKOUT After warming up by walking, jogging or doing jumping jacks for five to 10 minutes, PERFORM THREE SETS…