Courtesy of Leigh Johnston

WINTER SAFETY DRIVING TIPS

Canadians often joke about driving in the winter and how they can do it in their sleep, so to speak. However, if you’re new to driving or new to driving in snow and poor road conditions due to a recent move, there are some pretty basic do’s and don’ts to follow to make your winter trips safer and less stressful. First, before even getting in the vehicle, use the facilities, pack a snack and water and ensure your winter safety kit is stocked and accessible. Ideally, you’ll have winter tires on your vehicle as well because they are made to keep their elasticity and grip at low temperatures which means more traction for you. Also be sure to brush, or scrape, off any snow or ice that has accumulated on your vehicle. It will not only allow you to see better, but also prevent snow from disturbing the drivers around you as it blows off your moving vehicle.

Making a small, yet impactful change to the look of your room can be quick, easy and cost effective. The easiest way is to change out decor items - get new storage baskets, replace your candles or vases, get new throw pillows, etc. If you want to take it a step further, here are five easy and relatively low-cost changes you can make this weekend that go beyond purchasing new decor. 1. Apply wallpaper to, or paint, the panels on your interior doors. For doors that don’t have pre-made panels, change the colour or texture of the entire door, or just a rectangle in the middle. 2. Change your lampshades and/or paint the bases of your lamps. Either way, it will look like you went and purchased new lamps when really you just gave them a makeover. 3. Change your light fixtures. You can add a chandelier to your ceiling light in the kitchen or incorporate a square design if your light fixture covers used to be round or vice versa. Add colour to your wall sconces or track lighting to really make a statement. 4. Install decorative vent covers. There are so many options on the market today including the option to purchase custom designed vent covers to make those household necessities into works of art. 5. Upgrade the legs on your furniture. If your table, bed, chair or sofa legs aren’t a permanent piece of the frame, you can replace them entirely. Or, you can purchase covers that change the look to match more with other furniture, or to stand out completely. Once on the roads, you generally want to give yourself more space between the vehicle in front of you so you have more room to stop, but also to react if someone in the next lane skids or loses traction on a patch of ice, for instance. Avoiding sudden braking and turning to help prevent yourself from skidding on snow or ice and definitely adjust your speed to the road conditions. If you stay with the flow of traffic by not going too fast or too slow, you should be safe. Finally, experts say to avoid using cruise control in poor road conditions and to be cautious when relying on other driver assistance technologies (such as lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning) as they may not function properly or accurately with precipitation falling. Review your vehicle’s owner’s manual for instructions on these technologies as well as Electronic Braking Control (standard on vehicles made since 2012.) FIVE WAYS TO REFRESH A ROOM