Karen Temple

ABOVE: The RIU Dunamar Playa Mujeres, Mexico has adapted to ensure the safety of guest including daily cleaning all of the lounge chairs. In early September, my daughter and I decided to escape to the beaches of Mexico for a week of R&R. It was a last-minute decision made easier by the vacation [...]

Tucked behind the construction-filled corner on Richmond Road at Woodroffe Avenue is the small trip mall that is home to Flowers by Maggie. On the day I visited, owner operator Maggie Freitas was busy making bouquets for a multitude of clients. Maggie is like the Jean-Paul Riopelle of flowers. To the [...]

Finally, a frozen treat you can feel good about. Fressy Bessie Foods Inc. has developed a healthy and very tasty organic popsicle called the “Ice lolly.” Rather than use unhealthy artificial sugars, preservatives and additives, ice lollies are made with all-natural fruits and vegetables. [...]

I was recently out to pub with a good friend of mine and he was telling me how relieved he was to have ordered a new mattress. I almost fell out of my chair when he told me he paid $3k for it and they threw in delivery because he bought it at a showroom. He has back issues and I get that the mattress [...]

Ottawa's Three Sisters Theatre Company & SevenThirty Poductions opened their adaptation of revered Irish playwright, Brian Friel's award winning Dancing at Lughnasa, directed by John P. Kelly. Dancing at Laghnasa is the story of five spinster sisters who share the family home with their [...]

Be Winter Warm with Winter Care at Home With the coldest temperatures of the year expected in Ontario tonight, it’s important for homeowners to ensure they’re staying safe and warm. Whether you’re skating on the canal, playing shinny on a local rink, taking in Winterlude or skiing, [...]

The easy choice when shopping for a new phone is get the new version of the same old phone. Makes sense, right? You already have charger cords to spare. In fact, there is one in practically every room of your house and backup-battery packs in every purse or jacket pocket because your old phone – [...]

We love our capital city with all its year-round festivals, museums, parks and activities. It’s s nice to enjoy a white Christmas, Winterlude, outdoor skating rinks, and the wonders of winter. But when the mercury drops into the double negatives, it’s great to be able to take a direct flight [...]

The regional wines of the Loire Valley are celebrated around the world. The food, including local cheese, charcuterie, and produce, is simple but spectacular while the vibe is laid-back in this valley of medieval cities that was once home to French kings. There is a road that begins in northern France [...]

French chef Auguste Escoffier (1848-1935) is widely regarded as the man who brought French cuisine out of the palaces and private courts and offered it up for the enjoyment of everyday people. He proclaimed that, “The art of cuisine is perhaps one the most useful form of diplomacy.” Escoffier [...]