Organize your vacation itinerary with TripIt.
I heard about a new app last week. Check out Artkive–a clutter-free way to enjoy your children’s artwork.
Posts Tagged ‘tips’
When it’s Just Too HOT to Cook…
Summer Down Sizing
Hot. Hot. Hot! This time of year cooking with simplicity is absolutely necessary. My objective is to not turn on the oven! As a chef, that is a very difficult task! At the end of the day, a light refreshing meal makes for a happy family and mom!
Entertaining in the backyard, simple means grilling–as much as possible. Thankfully, we have pots of tomatoes, herbs and greens ready to harvest. Pizza Bianca is a great choice–pizza dough rubbed with olive oil and grilled to bake through. Snip arugula, basil, spinach, cherry tomatoes off the vine and crumbled goat cheese…yum! Add a grilled steak or chicken breast, and dinner is almost done. Strawberries are still available, so a Strawberry Rhubarb Fool is a tasty addition to the outdoor dinner. No oven required!
My daughter Mackenzie adores her lemonade. We make this often, and enjoy the refreshing taste. You can also use limes and oranges for a twist. Enjoy the summer with all its fresh outdoor flavours. Happy cooking!
Chef Dierre
Never Enough Thyme Catering Inc. was created with one thought in mind…to create more thyme! Chef Dierre offers corporate and celebratory catering, a specialty food shoppe including cakes and cooking classes. We’re located at 83A Arthur Street South, Elmira, ON. Contact us by telephone at 519.669.0374.
Like us on facebook and follow us on Twitter – NEThymekitchen.
Organizing Your Kitchen
It’s officially Summer!
Summer is now in full swing with Canada Day already behind us. Happy Fourth of July (later this week) to our neighbours south of the border!
Have you made any plans for the summer? No matter what you do, take time to relax and enjoy the great weather. Summer never seems to last long enough.
Let’s get started and turn over another leaf!
ORGANIZING YOUR KITCHEN
“My grandmother was the greatest cook in the world. She could just go in there, the whole kitchen would look like a tornado hit it and then she’d come out with the best food.” Edie Brickell
For many people, a lot of time is spent in their kitchen. Did your kitchen function well when you made Easter or Thanksgiving dinner? If not, take some time to organize your kitchen so you’re not frustrated the next time you entertain.
Planning
You may not be able to complete your reorganization all at once. Divide the kitchen into sections, and work on one section at a time.
Supplies
Once you’ve finished purging, you can determine what you need.
Getting Started
It’s important to think of your kitchen as prime real estate space.
Frequently used items should be stored in the work triangle in your kitchen–between the stove, refrigerator and sink. Store items for food preparation, cooking/baking, serving, storage and cleaning there—close to where they will be used. Make your kitchen as efficient as possible.
Start by grouping similar items together by category.
China/Glassware/Silverware
Setting the table and washing dishes are things to consider when determining the best location for these items. A cabinet close to the dishwasher or sink makes putting away the dishes easier. Or you may want these items in a cabinet close to the table. Do you have a cabinet located halfway between your table and your dishwasher?
Pots and Pans
Pots and pans can be reached more easily when they are stored in a drawer. Display pots and pans by hanging them on racks if you have limited cabinet space.
Serving Items
Serving trays (and cookie sheets) are best stored in divided racks, so that they slide out easily. For items that are only used several times a year, you may wish to store them in your dining area or basement.
Food Preparation
Try to keep your countertop clear for food preparation. Limit the countertop to items used on a daily basis. This will also make it easier to keep clean.
Storage
Clear storage containers should be used as much as possible, so you can see what is inside. You need to know when you are running low on a particular item, so that it can be added to your grocery list. Square or rectangular containers stack more easily, fit better on a shelf and take up less space. Be sure to label all containers.
Items like gravy and sauce packets can be easily retrieved if stored in baskets. Baskets also work well for children’s lunch or snack items.
If your kitchen utensils are crammed in a drawer, determine which ones you actually use. Empty the drawer, put everything in a box and then take utensils out as you need them. Get rid of the ones that are left at the end of a month or two. Frequently used utensils can be stored in a handy container on the countertop.
Pantry
Discard items which are past their expiry dates.
Consider storing items like rice, pasta, cereal and crackers in plastic containers to keep them fresh. Adjust shelves or add extras to maximize your storage. Heavy items should be stored on lower shelves for safety.
Spices
There are many storage options for spices today—a traditional spice rack, magnetic spice containers or a tiered drawer insert. In order to keep spices at their best, do not store them too close to heat sources.
Refrigerator and Freezer
Clean out your refrigerator on a weekly basis. Get into this habit the night before your garbage is collected.
Post a grocery list on the refrigerator, so that it’s easy to add items to your list.
If you haven’t cleaned out your freezer in a long time, don’t despair. This is a chore that’s easiest to do when the weather is cold. Discard items that have dried out or items that won’t be eaten.
Junk Drawer
Try to avoid a junk drawer. Items typically found there are usually best stored elsewhere.
Renovations
If you’re planning to renovate your kitchen, make some notes about what you’d like to change—as you think of them—such as a drawer for storing pots and pans or a roll-out pantry.
Rewards
Reward yourself with a cup of flavoured coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Organizing your kitchen is one of those tasks that will pay dividends every day. Your eating habits may even improve!
Add a Check-up to Your To-Do List!
What are you doing to get or stay healthy? When was the last time you had a complete medical checkup? If you don’t remember, add that task to your to-do list!
It’s never too late to make healthier choices!
Create your OWN checklist…
Create your own checklist for your decorating/renovating project!
If travelling to a foreign country is in your plans for 2013, check out this article on foreign exchange.
Organizing a Decorating/Renovating Project
Spring has finally sprung!
Spring is the time of year when we like to clear out the cobwebs, splash on a fresh coat of paint, and spruce up tired areas of our homes.
So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!
ORGANIZING A DECORATING/RENOVATING PROJECT
“Among these several kinds of beauty the eye takes most delight in colours.”
Joseph Addison (English Poet, 1672-1719)
Planning
If you’re planning to redecorate or renovate, start your plan on paper. Determine your budget.
Renovating can be stressful. However long you think the project will take, add some extra time to your estimate. Unexpected delays are often a reality of renovation projects.
Supplies
Create a list of everything you will need in order to avoid numerous trips to the store.
Professional Help
Hiring a decorating professional for a 1-2 hour consultation may seem expensive, but one large mistake may prove more costly.
Choose a contractor if you’re not doing the work yourself. Get family and friends to recommend someone. Check out the contractor’s references, and contact the Better Business Bureau.
Outside Projects
If you are planning to build a new deck or outside structure, don’t forget to contact your local utilities in advance. “Call before you dig” is always sound advice. You don’t want to cut hydro/power, telephone or TV/internet cables, and/or water or gas lines. Always think safety first!
Inspiration
Which styles do you like–traditional, contemporary, country, cottage or eclectic? What colours do you like?
A piece of fabric or artwork can be the inspiration for a whole room/area. If you plan to redecorate more than one room/area, think about the colour flow.
Watch a decorating show. Take a walk through a furniture store or fabric store. Peruse some decorating magazines. Canadian House & Home and Style at Home are good ones; they provide the Canadian sources for many of the featured items.
Storage
How can you decide what to build for storage if you don’t know what items will be stored in that location? Purge as you pack your belongings, so that you can determine your storage needs. Reassembling your room will be easier also.
Furniture and Placement
Will you be rearranging your current furniture, switching pieces from another room in your home or adding new pieces?
Decorators often recommend neutral colours for investment pieces. It is much easier to replace your accessories than to replace your sofa.
Remember that large pieces of furniture look smaller in the showroom than they will in your home. It is extremely important to take the measurements home beforehand and check to see if the new pieces will fit. You can tape an outline of the furniture on the floor, so that you don’t have to move heavy furniture.
Choose furniture that performs double duty—an ottoman with a tray and storage inside, a sofa with a bed, etc.
Colour
Changing the colour of a room is the easiest change you can make, and it will give you the biggest bang for your buck.
Keep in mind that it is easier to mix a paint colour to co-ordinate with your fabric and/or furniture than the other way around. Take fabric samples to the paint store. We can recognize over 7,000,000 colours, but we can’t remember an exact colour for more than 30 seconds.
Choose an environmentally friendly paint if your budget allows. Large paint chips and test pots are available at some paint stores. If you don’t want to test the paint on the wall, paint a small piece of bristol board. You will be able to move the board around to different locations to see what the colour looks like at different times of the day and night. Light is an important issue when choosing a paint colour.
Did you know that if you paint a cool colour in a north-facing room, it feels even cooler? Did you know that if you paint a warm colour in a south-facing room, it feels even warmer?
If you choose a neutral colour, a variety of textures in the room will make it work well.
Accessories
Here is where you can use this year’s trendy colours. Take paint chips and fabric samples when you look for accessories. Remember that items don’t need to match exactly—as long as the colours blend.
Meals
Plan ahead for easy meals. When cooking, double a recipe and freeze one batch. This is especially important if you are renovating your kitchen. What will you be able to access? Can you cook outside? Consider using paper plates if you won’t have a kitchen sink to wash dishes or use your dishwasher.
If you’ll be ordering take-out, don’t forget to include those costs in your budget.
If you take the time to plan well, your decorating/renovating project should go more smoothly, and your money will likely be spent more wisely.
Travel Tips from Kelly Fields from A.C.T. Tours
GET READY TO PACK!
It’s fun to open a travel brochure or surf the net to look at cruises and resorts. There are many tools instantly available making the modern traveller quite savvy. While you can do a fair bit of research on your own, be sure to get in touch with your travel agent. Let them know what you’ve found, and ask what can they do to make your time away better.
Here are the top 3 reasons you should use a travel agent.
1. In Ontario all sellers of travel are licensed through TICO (Travel Industry Council of Ontario). Your money is placed in trust, and you are safeguarded against fraud and supplier bankruptcies.
2. Quite often travel agencies have better buying power, and the prices are competitive.
3. Travel Professionals are well versed on all travel, and respect that travel is precious.
With more than 25 years of planning vacations and conferences, we are most successful when we tailor fit your experience. Please allow A.C.T. Tours to personally chat with you to better understand the theme you are envisioning, be it culinary, historical, sporting or quite simply enjoyable!
You can contact Kelly Fields by e-mail or by telephone at 519-581-8681 or 1-888-297-8334.
Tax Time Tips from Nicole Hacock
It’s Tax Time!
Over the last 15 years, I have been preparing personal tax returns for a wide range of clients. Each year there are numerous tax changes implemented by the government, and this helps to keep the life of an accountant interesting! Whether you are an avid golfer anticipating your first tee-off, a fan awaiting the first pitch on opening day, or just tired of winter, spring is around the corner and this can only mean one thing……tax season is upon us! Below, I have highlighted some personal tax changes of which you should be aware.
The Family Caregiver Tax Credit takes effect in 2012. It is a 15% non-refundable tax credit of $2,000, which enhances certain existing dependant-related credits as opposed to being a stand-alone credit. Depending on each individual tax situation, this credit could potentially increase the following: infirm dependant credit, spousal or common-law partner credit, eligible dependant credit, child tax credit or caregiver credit. This credit can only be applied to one credit per eligible individual.
The Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit is also new for 2012 and was established to help seniors with the cost of permanent home modifications required to improve accessibility or assist with mobility and function in and around their home. The tax credit is 15% of a maximum of $10,000 in qualifying expenses, or $1,500. Qualifying expenses could be ramps, stair lifts, widening doorways, hand rails, lowering existing counters/cupboards, to name a few. Couples living together may only claim up to $10,000. Seniors who live with other family members may claim this credit on behalf of the household. For 2012, the qualifying period of expenditures is October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012.
There have been other tax changes relating to bloodcoagulation monitors being added as an eligible medical expense, changes to rules governing Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP), and mineral exploration tax credit for flow-through share investors.
A non-refundable tax credit that is often overlooked is called the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). If you (or a family member) have a severe and prolonged impairment in physical (hearing, speaking, walking, elimination, feeding, or dressing) or mental functions, you may be eligible for this credit. A Disability Tax Credit Certificate (which can be downloaded from the Canada RevenueAgency (CRA) website) needs to be completed and certified by a qualifiedpractitioner and then submitted to CRA for approval. If approved, this credit can be transferred in whole or in part to a spouse or other supporting person.
For more information on these tax topics or any others, please contact your tax professional.
Nicole Hacock is the owner of Nicole Hacock CGA Professional Corporation, a full service firm providing accounting and tax services to small and medium sized companies and individuals in Waterloo Region and beyond. Our services include year-end preparation, financial statements, corporate and personal tax planning and preparation, bookkeeping and payroll. If you have any questions about our services, please contact us.
March is Fraud Prevention Month
“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”
– Earl Nightingale
Did you know that March is Fraud Prevention month?
Even if you’re not a Royal Bank customer, their RBC Advice Centre offers some tips to protect yourself from credit card fraud and identity theft, as well as how to avoid business fraud.
Check your bank’s website for additional tips.
Get Your Financial Life in Order – Part 2
ORGANIZING YOUR FINANCIAL RECORDS AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS – Part 2
“Documents create a paper reality we call proof.”
-Mason Cooley, American Writer (1927-2002)
Do you pay your bills on time? Do you file your income tax return before the deadline?
If not, it’s never too late to get organized. In the event of an emergency, death or disaster, being able to find required documents quickly can make a difficult situation more manageable.
Planning
Plan to set aside a few hours to put your paperwork in order. If it feels overwhelming, break it down into smaller chunks—an hour a week until it’s done.
Getting Started
Start by sorting your paperwork into categories. If you don’t need it, get rid of it. Remember that 80% of what you file you will never look at again. Reduce your risk of identity theft by shredding any documents containing your name, address and/or account numbers. Label files so that you will be able to find items when you need them. Create an Action file for any items requiring your attention.
Bank Statements
Check your statements against ATM withdrawal slips and your chequebook as soon as possible after your statement arrives (either in the mail or electronically). Most banks ask that you notify them of any errors within 30 days. Shred the slips as soon as you reconcile your statement.
Credit Card Statements
Check your statements against your credit card receipts as soon as possible after your statement arrives. Keep receipts for large purchases or items with a warranty.
Investment Statements
Statements pertaining to your investments should be kept for income tax purposes.
Income Tax Returns
Keep all of your income tax paperwork in one location—preferably not in a shoebox! Most income tax records need to be kept for 7 years. Check with your accountant or Canada RevenueAgency if you are unsure of what or how long you need to keep your paperwork.
Business Expenses
If you operate a home-based business, keep any receipts that you will need for deductions as business expenses. It’s easiest if you can keep your personal and business receipts separate.
Household Paperwork
Household bills often don’t need to be kept for more than a year. A copy of a gas or telephone bill can be obtained easily should the need arise. The exception to this rule may be if you operate a business from your home and claim a portion of the expenses on your income tax return. You may wish to keep the records for any major repairs or renovations, as well as the paperwork pertaining to building your home. Property tax statements, assessment notices and mortgage statements should be kept—together with your deed and mortgage.
Medical Records
Medical records should be stored in a safe place. Create a separate folder for each family member. If one family member has a number of medical conditions, create a different folder for each condition. Information you may be collecting about retirement homes or nursing homes for an aging parent should be kept in its own folder as well.
Storage
Store your records in a filing cabinet, storage box (plastic is preferred over cardboard) or a home safe. They are worth protecting.
Reward Yourself
When you’re done, don’t forget to reward yourself for your hard work! Investing the time to put your records in order will be worth the peace of mind!
Connect with us Online