You’ve just finished your final exams and you are exhausted. You walk through the door of the four-bedroom animal house in which you live only to find both sinks full of dishes, a stack of pizza boxes, the garbages overflowing and four months worth of empty beer bottles stacked haphazardly in the front entrance. You flop down on the torn, stained sofa and contemplate your current housing situation. Do you suffer in this madhouse for one more semester or is it time to let your roommates know that you are getting your own pad? One more look around the room, confirms that you really only have one choice. Without delay, you call your new landlord to confirm that you’ll take the one-bedroom apartment that you looked at last week. You feel a sense of relief but also dread. It’s the middle of winter — not an ideal time to move when you live in Manitoba. With some careful planning however, even a cold weather move can go smoothly. Consider these tips to save your sanity: 1. Hire a professional moving company or recruit as many family members and friends as you can. This will minimize the number of trips per person from your current location to the vehicle, and from the vehicle to the new location. 2. Consider covering the floors with old sheets (perhaps from a second-hand store) or plastic to keep the snow, salt and sand from tracking into your new place and wrecking the flooring. 3. Send your pets to the pet spa or daycare for the day. Moving is stressful enough for humans, if you remove pets from the equation you know that they will be warm, relaxed and cared for, which means you can fully concentrate on the tasks at hand. 4. Take the time to clear all pathways. By making sure the path that you’ll be using to carry furniture and boxes is free of snow and ice, you and your movers will avoid unnecessary slips and falls. 5. Wear suitable footwear that will keep your feet warm and dry, as well as provide good traction on the ice and snow. 6. Choose a good pair of gloves to keep your hands warm and dry to prevent items from slipping out of your hands. Be sure to have a few extra pair on hand for those who are helping with the move. 7. Don’t pack away your bedding. Things such as blankets and sheets can be used to protect large items on stairways and in tight spaces. This will help to prevent damage to the walls, as well as damage to the furniture. You can also use large towels and blankets to protect electronics from snow and extreme temperatures. 8. Keep warm beverages handy to help keep everyone warm. A cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate can quickly take the chill out after being in and out of the cold. 9. Double pack fragile items, cold temperatures make already fragile items even more fragile and likely to break. Items that are particularly sensitive to the cold should be transported in the cab of the vehicle. 10. Reward those who took the time to help you move. Order pizza or have gift cards handy as a way of saying thanks. End the day on a positive note by eating dinner together, celebrating a successful move and enjoying your new home!

We’ve all been there. Sitting around the boardroom table, trying to hold back a yawn while the discussion all of a sudden turns from what you thought was an ordinary, ho-hum motion to a heated discussion. There are many challenges that people are faced with when serving on a board of directors for a condominum development, profit or non-profit organization. One of which is dealing with different personalities and differing opinions. We’re taught at a young age that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around and that we need to look for each other’s strengths when we don’t see eye-to-eye on a particular topic. Regardless of whether you are two or fifty-two, you need to play nice in the sandbox. It’s important to keep in mind that when you’re a member of board that the position you take should be in the best interest of the organization and that you must treat other members with respect. The world however, isn’t always perfect and you may find yourself in need of some help in dealing with someone who is being difficult. If you have the opportunity to smooth the waters during the meeting, try the following: Remind everyone at the meeting that all board members/directors are working towards the same goals. Every member is needed to play an active and positive role in helping the organization to move forward. If there is a particular board member that is difficult to reason with, remind them that they were recruited for their specific attributes and they are a valuable asset to the board. Approach each meeting with a specific, desired outcome. For example, if a board member is continually taking the meetings off topic and wasting time on items that are not on the agenda, the desired outcome would be to correct the behavior by keeping the discussions on topic. If a board member is bullying one or more members of the board, the desired result would be to have that board member be respectful to all members on the board. Outside of the meeting, there are other ways to help improve the situation and make the meetings run more efficiently and amicably. Set up a casual meeting or coffee date with the person that exhibits disruptive behaviour. While it can sometimes be difficult, attempt to provide constructive criticism with factual information as to why you believe the actions or comments of this particular board member are counterproductive to the board’s mandate. Specific examples relating to the time and place should be referenced if possible. If constructive criticism is not an option, attempt to explain how the action or behaviour of the board member has become a distraction from the mission and goals of the organization. Implement an evaluation process where each board member anonymously evaluates each other, as well as the chairperson. Provide feedback to the board members to help them improve their contributions to the board. Feel free to invite an unbiased outside party to help facilitate the evaluation and summary of the results. There is usually more than meets the eye - seek to understand why a difficult board member is acting a certain way, especially if it is outside of their historical conduct. Raise your concerns with the chairperson of the board and enlist their help to improve te flow of the meeting and relations among board members.

Looking for something to do with your school aged kids this weekend, for free? Why not stop in to the Brandon Rock & Mineral Show & Sale. It's taking place at the Victoria Inn, Imperial Ballroom at the corner of 34th Street and Victoria (which is open to traffic now).  If you've ever had fun picking beach pebbles or spotted a geode out while hiking this is definitely the place for you. There are rows and trays and tables of all kinds of different rocks labelled and for sale. It's a science fair research dream come true.  There are the salt lamps, an often hard to find item. In fact, they have a whole table of them along the back wall.  They sell for $20 each this weekend. Admission is free. The doors open each day at 10 AM. Friday closing at 9 PM Saturday 7 PM and Sunday hours just 11AM to 5PM.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

TORONTO, Nov. 1, 2017 /CNW/ - Simplii Financial™, Canada's newest direct banking brand, opened its virtual doors today offering straightforward banking for the growing number of Canadians who prefer to bank online, on mobile devices or by phone. Simplii's no-fee daily banking offer includes sending and receiving free unlimited Interac e-transfer transactions, as well as great interest rates. "With Simplii, we are bringing a straightforward approach with no-fee daily banking and great rates," said Mike Boluch, Executive Vice-President, Direct Banking, Innovation & Payments, CIBC. "We're excited to add even more value for clients by offering free unlimited e-transfers out of the gate and we will continue to introduce enhanced digital banking services that meet the rapidly evolving needs of Canadians. We know it's what our clients expect and we will deliver." For Canadians who want simple and easy banking - whenever and wherever they want - Simplii offers: No-fee daily banking Sending and receiving free unlimited Interac e-Transfer transactions High interest rates on savings Great mortgage and loan solutions Banking on the go online and via our Simplii mobile app available on Android and iOS 24/7 access to Personal Banking Representatives by telephone Client support via email and click to chat with live agents 7 days a week Free access to 3,400 CIBC ATMs across Canada "We are thrilled to welcome clients to the Simplii brand and we will be actively listening and looking for ways to evolve our offering as we continue to innovate and create a great banking experience for our clients," added Boluch. "We look forward to launching enhanced products and services in the near future." Learn more about Simplii's no-fee daily banking and great interest rates at www.simplii.com. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Is your mother’s meatloaf not what it used to be? Are you getting tired of your dad’s outbursts of laughter while watching the Big Bang Theory?  Maybe it’s time to take the plunge and consider moving out of your parents’ basement. While the idea of moving out on your own and getting your own pad is intriguing, it takes a bit of time and energy to become an approved tenant. Generally, most landlords have an application process. They are looking for good prospects who will be diligent in paying their rent on time and who will be respectful of their property. They will often consider the following: Is the potential tenant able to afford the monthly rent based on their current income and other monthly expenses as shown on a credit bureau report? Does the prospect have a good credit history? That is, do they pay their bills and rent on time and in full? Does the applicant have good references to support their rental history and employment status? In order to speed up the application process, as well as improve the likelihood of being approved as a tenant, consider doing the following: Obtain a letter of employment from your employer (on company letterhead) stating your current position and income level. This saves the landlord from calling your employer to obtain information, plus it eliminate the hassle of the employer trying to determine whether or not they should disclose the information. If you have had a positive rental experience in the past, have your former (or current) landlord write you a letter of reference stating that you were prompt in paying rent and there were no significant damages when you moved out. If you have a less than satisfactory credit history, are a student or do not currently have income to support the rent at your desired rental property, recognize these potential barriers for approval. It may help to submit a co-signor application along with your original application. If the place you are hoping to rent is more expensive than what your income can support, consider choosing a good roommate. Have them complete steps one through three and be sure to do your own homework! You might want also want to determine some ground rules, so that your living arrangements are satisfactory to both parties. It isn’t necessary to take these steps to become an approved applicant, however the extra effort will show how serious and responsible you are. Plus your application will be approved quicker, which means you’ll be able to give up the futon at your parents’ place sooner than you think! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});