Over the past several years we have been very fortunate to introduce our readers to some hidden gems (Crows' General Store, D-Vos Sports Lounge, Eternal Springs, Nature's Hideaway) in Brandon and the surrounding communities. Thanks to a tip from a follower, we can now add the Kelwood Store to the list. The store, located at 10 Mountain Ave in Kelwood, is only open Saturdays from 10AM TO 4PM. Kelwood is halfway between Neepawa and Ste Rose du Lac. The recently opened store is full of antiques and collectibles. There is a great little cafe next door too, called “Cafe 37”, which is open Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays.

The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is offering a jam-packed month of drawing, painting, animation, cartooning, video game making, puppets, clay classes and much more this July! Children and Teens can delve into the fantastic world of art making this summer and work with talented artists and instructors. Sign up now for activities and art projects in an inspiring, creative, and supportive setting for learners of all ages and abilities. Please remember - classes fill up quickly, so sign up now to avoid missing out! The Children’s and Teens Summer Art Program begins July 2nd and runs until July 26th. Full days or half days are available. The programs accommodate ages 6-9, 9-12, or 13-17yrs. Are your children fascinated by Minecraft or into creating cartoons and anime? Join Ronalyn Ewert and Carly Morrisseau during the afternoons in Week 3 to develop game ideas and create drawings, pixelated selfies, and interactive art. Are your teen artists interested in animation or learning the first steps to game design and making video games? Check out the teens classes with Marcel Laurin during Week 3. Do your little ones love to get creative with paint, clay, rainbow unicorns, and sparkles? Leave the mess to us, and bring your kids to the gallery so they can have fun and set their imagination free in Week 1 with Mud to Mug and Colour Your World or Imagination Station in Week 2 with Hannah Seitter. Children can become Art Stars as they create mini-murals and Star Blanket paintings in Week 3 in a unique opportunity to work with amazing downtown mural artists from Brandon and Winnipeg! There is something for everyone in a wide range of workshops this summer featuring T-shirt design, Harry Potter themes, superhero puppets, watercolour painting and more. These workshops, plus many more, are all listed on the Art Gallery’s website: agsm.ca or contact the Art Gallery for a printed brochure. To register: please contact us in-person, over the phone, online, through the mail or fax.

Carmen has been a part of the Brandon fitness community for the past 15 years. A certified Personal Fitness Trainer (from Mount Royal College in Calgary), she is the owner of The Zen Zone in Brandon. The Zen Zone offers a variety of yoga classes at their studio located at 346-10th Street. Years lived in Brandon: 27 years What’s the one thing you haven’t done yet that you would love to do:  Go to Sturgis A movie you’d watch again tonight: The Hangover Your fast-food guilty pleasure:  Filet o fish and fries - don't judge me What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs:  Keep stepping out of your comfort zone and you'll be amazed where it takes you Backyard BBQ or Formal Dinner:  Backyard BBQ with friends for sure. Describe yourself in three words:  Independent, spontaneous, fun. What’s the last adventure you went on: Does Vegas count as an adventure?   You can only dance to one song for the rest of your life, what is it:  That's just an awful thought... What TV show would you like to a cameo in:  Cheers, barstool beside Norm please. You've got friends visiting Brandon for the first time, where are you taking them:  Well the last group that came in from out of town started with tubing down the Little Sask and ended up at the Rock.   What's one fashion trend that you tried that you hope never comes back:  High waisted jeans...oh wait they are back aren't they.  What word or phrase do you most overuse:  You betcha Tell us 4 things you can’t live without:  Coffee, mascara, a blue rav4 and as much as I hate to admit it...my phone. Describe Brandon in one word: home What is your greatest fear:  losing my loved ones If you had a clock that would countdown to any one event of your choosing, what event would you want it to countdown to:  retirement day What’s the best thing that happened to you last week:Got asked to do this questionnaire! If you joined the Spice Girls what would your name be:  Yogi spice Dream dinner party guests:(4):  Alive: Joe Rogan, Bill Murray, Betty White, Cher Dead:  All 4 of my Grandparents...I wish I had have asked them more questions when they were around. Bonus question: Do you think your segment will receive more views than Cam Toews did:  Well I hope so for bragging rights, but Mr. Toews is a pretty popular guy.  I don't know if I stand a chance.

Is mama bird kicking you out of the family nest or is your current place about to be condemned? Perhaps you are looking for a new place to start the next chapter in your life i.e. going to college or starting a new career. There is a lot of rental property out there, but some places may be out of your price range, especially after you’ve made a short list of some of the amenities that you’re looking for in your new home. This could include in-suite laundry, a balcony, lots of storage space, a secure entrance, modern finishes, or a great neighbourhood. If this is the case, you might consider sharing the cost of an apartment with one or two roommates. It will make living on your own more affordable and possibly more enjoyable. Whether you’re considering moving in with your best friend, a distant cousin or a friend of a friend, be sure to choose a roommate carefully. Here are some tips to make the experience a great one for everyone involved: Talk to your potential roommate(s) to determine if there are lifestyle traits that you can’t live with. If they have a cat and you are allergic to cats, you may not be compatible. Engage in a conversation about all pets. Everything from snakes to budgie birds - they may not already have a pet but they have may have plans to get one once they have their own place. Try to get a feel for what your new roommates’ lifestyle might be. Do they watch a lot of TV, are they gamers? Are they home all the time or never at home? Do they party or would they rather immerse themselves in a good book? Do they smoke? You won’t find a perfect match on all lifestyle choices, however, it is best to know what you are facing before moving in together. If you have the opportunity to visit them in their current living situation, do it. What is your level of comfort when you’re there? Do they leave their dishes in the sink, is there pop cans and pizza boxes sitting on the counter from last week? Or, is it like walking into a museum all neat and perfect? More often than not, rifts between roommates revolve around cleaning duties. It’s important to decide in advance what extras you need or want when living together. For example, will you subscribe to cable/satellite TV or the Internet or both? How will the bills be divided? How will you handle sleepovers with girlfriends, boyfriends or couch-surfing friends? Company is a bit like leftovers, after a couple of days they need to be thrown out to avoid unpleasantness. Be prepared for this. Figure out how you’re going to handle food. Do you split the fridge and cupboards in half and do your own shopping? Do you share everything and just split the grocery bill or is it a combination of both? Set the rules in advance because eating the last slice of your roommates pizza could cause World War III. Look for a space that works for your lifestyle with the amenities that fit your budget. Go apartment hunting together. When you find the right place, have all roommates apply as tenants rather than having one main tenant and the other roommates as occupants. This allows all incomes to be considered in the screening process and provides equal rights to all tenants with the Residential Tenancy Branch should problems come up. Vionell Holdings Partnership (VHP) provides rental housing and property management for an array of residential and commercial customers, including Condominium Management. VHP currently has nearly 4,000 units under management in Manitoba. For more information please visit www.vhproperties.ca. VHP has committed to constructing 128 multifamily residential units in Portage la Prairie the first 64 units will be ready for occupancy in fall of 2019.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Natural Elements Wellness Centre. They offer a variety of unique wellness services, in an incredibly beautiful spa like environment that welcomes you as soon as you step inside the front door. I would go there just to soak in the atmosphere, and shop. The treasures for sale are just another reason to go see for yourself. Candles, bath products, crystals and jewelry just to name a few! As a registered massage therapist for almost 20 years, I’ve seen and heard about all kinds of alternative therapy and couldn’t wait to try out the float tank experience at Natural Elements.  I really didn’t know what to expect, aside from my google search findings, however I did know it was going to be very salty.  How salty? 1000 pounds worth.  So floating in salty water, in a dark room, in complete isolation, void of light, sound, and smell.  Total sensory deprivation.  Sounds like fun doesn’t it.  (Of course it doesn’t, it sounds terrifying) Guess what.  I highly recommend it.  It’s anything but scary.  The atmosphere is enough to calm anyone’s frazzled nerves, and the float experience is unlike anything I’ve ever tried.  You enter a private room where there’s a place to undress and shower before entering the float chamber.  Kori Gordon, the lovely lady who’s the face behind the incredible new business, gives you a thorough run down on exactly how to prepare yourself before you float, what to do if you’d like to ask anything or need something during your float, and what to do when you’re done.  Ear plugs are provided so you don’t get the salt water in your ears, also to block sound, and a cloth and spray bottle with water can be taken into the float tank with you in case you get the salt water near your eyes.  On with the floating bit.  I’m fairly analytical, so even though I understand how salt increases the density of water which makes you float, I couldn’t quite imagine that I would float without ACTUALLY doing it myself, on purpose, because I took swimming lessons.  Guess what.  You’ll float. It’s so floaty. You can’t sink, even if you TRY.  And I tried because I’m like that. I had to see.  So if you’re scared of water, can’t swim, think you’ll fall asleep and sink, or any combination thereof, fear not. It’s not possible.  How does it feel during the experience? Well, since it was a new experience, a fascinating one at that, I spent the first 2 minutes trying to sink myself, the next 10 minutes, observing and pondering, then the next 10 trying to relax.  You know.  Stop thinking. Stop making grocery lists in my head. Stop wondering how cotton candy would taste on ice cream. Stop trying to remember the name of the cool song I heard 8 years ago on American Idol....or was it at my cousins wedding......just breathe.  After all, this is one of the main purposes of floating. It’s to shut down the senses. No seeing, no hearing, no feeling touch, (the water temperature is so perfect, ie:  not warm and not cool, that it seems to become part of you). I managed to spend the next 10 minutes simply floating. Weightless and relaxed. The session I was booked for was an hour, however I felt like it was long enough for me at the halfway point (which is remarkable for ME to lay there at all) and so I got up, showered, dressed, and went on my way.  My skin felt incredibly soft, I felt completely relaxed, and my back felt great. After 20 years as a registered massage therapist, I have a few of my own aches and pains that could use a little work.  I will definitely be going back to float again!  The therapeutic benefits are undeniable and I highly recommend it to anyone! Natural Elements Wellness is located at 2940 Victoria Avenue South.