12 Fun Furniture Finds
Living on Vancouver Island, all of us are very aware of nature and most of us are animal lovers, so how much fun would it be to fill your home with furniture inspired by animals? Recently, I wrote an article on 20 fun-shaped designs that range from this pretty awesome cow cupboard (by Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba) to an owl partition screen. The 20 designs include birds, animals, and even a whale design, all incorporated into animal-shaped or painted furniture – you should see the goth-looking hand painted pink flamingo chairs. There are so many designs that I even managed to do a separate...
Read MoreOpportunities for the development Ogden Point.
What uses should, or should not, be considered for the redevelopment of the Ogden Point lands in Victoria?
Read MoreJust for you.
What is on your wish list for yourself for this Christmas? You can leave a reply below, or click here to see all replies to this...
Read MoreLogging at VGH
What do you think regarding the logging controversy on land near Victoria General Hospital? You can leave a reply below, or click here to see all replies to this...
Read MoreWoman to Woman blog.
Over the past 3 years thanks to our brilliant writers and our talented editor Diana Matsuda, Island Woman has become a great platform for women on Vancouver Island to share talent and ideas. We would now like to take that interaction to another level via this new Woman to Woman blog section. Please send us any questions, ideas or thoughts you might like to share with island women to islandwoman@shaw.ca and we will post them here for our readers to join in the conversation? Thank you,The Team at Island Woman. You can leave a reply below, or click here to see all replies to this...
Read MoreThank you and congatulations
A big thank you to all the women who volunteered to make the 2015 election happen. Without you it would not have been successful. Congratulations to Elizabeth May, Rachel Blaney and Sheila Malcolmson for being elected to represent all the people on Vancouver Island. You are the conduit to ensure we are included in a safe and prosperous Canada. Thank you and best wishes.From the team at Island...
Read MoreWhy Teens Use Drugs
Understanding why teens use drugs is key to preventing addiction. Despite the best efforts of parents, educators and awareness groups, drug abuse remains a core problem for young people. While most who try drugs once or twice don’t go on to develop substance addictions, those who do may suffer from life-long problems. These problems have never seemed more pressing, amid fears that heroin addiction is on the rise in Vancouver, particularly among the city’s young people. In particular, this stems from a recent rise in the number of teens abusing prescription opiates, and the fear...
Read MoreSigns The Body Is Giving Us
Why are so many people experiencing anxiety and panic attacks? What is it that our body wants to tell us? Something is affecting our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health. There has to be a reason. Recently I heard an explanation by Rabbi Jacobson, author of “Toward A Meaningful Life”, that made sense to me when I thought of people struggling with anxiety: ’’All fear, all anxiety, all stress comes really from a sense of being focussed on yourself and your feelings and whatever happens around you. People who are able to transcend it do not allow that situation to define...
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Who are we?
On this labour day morning we need to take stock of who we really are. Find a quiet place, close your eyes; take a deep breath and relax. Think pleasant thoughts. of friends, loved ones or a favourite place. On this labour day morning we need to take stock of who we really are at this moment in time. Who are we? As individuals, as a family member, as a member of our local community and as a Canadian. We are being forced fed a daily overdose of politically caused trauma from all around the world, including here north America. This trauma includes the devastation humans are inflicting...
Read MoreNutrition and the Papaya Project
Guatemala is the only country in the Caribbean, Central or South America that has chronic malnutrition. It actually has the 4th highest rate in the world. This leads to high infant mortality rates and stunting of growth. The problem is not caused by a lack of healthy foods in the market as there is an abundance, but by the poor quality of eating habits, minimal nutrition knowledge and a lack of funds to purchase food. Malnutrition is rife and there is no easy solution. It will take many years and numerous projects to make a dent in it, but you have to start somewhere. Aldea Maya started...
Read MoreChristmas Hazards
For those of you who are taking time during this busy season to read this column, we send wishes for a happy and safe festive season for both you and your four-leggeds. Though the holidays are fraught with potential hazards for your furry kids, you can easily keep them safe with an ounce of common sense. The most common holiday ailment is the simplest one to prevent. Overeating disease only occurs if you let it. You have to remember that dogs are creatures of habit. Because many dogs eat the same thing every day, their digestive tracts are not prepared for the Christmas food assault. If you...
Read MoreThe Gen-Y Perspective
I’d like to suggest 50 ways to defy your comfort zone … Over time we acquire habits (formed from our fears, social constructions, etc.) that are done frequently, automatically, and become extremely difficult to discontinue. Some can be good (e.g. eating clean), some can be bad (e.g. smoking), but regardless of their state, they share one thing in common: they inhibit us from change (for better or for worse). In an era marked with ever-evolving technologies and seemingly unlimited opportunities, it is surprising, and yet not uncommon, for many of us to create habits that keep us...
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