When do you think I took these pictures? If you said "not today Caley" you'd be correct. I'll tell you what did happen today. Ok yesterday or the day before. I finally got stuck.  In the snow. In my car. And it was -50 with the  windchill. Where? At the cemetery. Unbelievable. You'd be surprised how well you can dig with an ice scraper. I don't know what was worse actually. The people watching me from the street (who go straight to work like normal humans thereby avoiding getting stuck in the cemetery) or my frozen hands. It hurt. So. BAD. Who drives through the cemetery on a Wednesday morning, in semi-blizzard conditions when there's a severe cold warning issued? Me. The girl who wanted to see the big orange sun, glowing through the ice fog and evergreens. Which happen to be conveniently located in the cemetery. Great big beautiful evergreens. On the way to work. I will no longer secretly mock other drivers, shake my head in smug "bad driver disapproval", or drive through a cemetery in winter on the coldest day of the year on my way to work. Until I have a 4x4. Here's a few summer pictures to enjoy, and a few winter ones to bring back a touch of reality. Even though it's cold, the sights to see are just as beautiful as the summer. Ok not quite.                                                      

Visitors to western Manitoba have come to recognize our region as one with many great attractions to visit. But organizers of the upcoming Valley Paradise Weekend Retreat (January 27-29) want people to know that we aren’t just home to great scenery, we’re also reach in hand on activities for an enriched visitor experience. Marlies Soltys, the curator of the Inspire Studio of Fine Art had the idea for a women’s weekend retreat here in Minnedosa which combines art, cuisine, yoga and an invigorating three days that focuses on women’s health and wellness. Partnering with Allison Burgess of the Corner Stone Grill, Heidi Rae Yogini Lifestyle and Kim Burgess from Valley Art Therapy, the quartet has assembled a weekend with plenty of activities to explore your creative side and treat your taste buds. The program is an example of an emerging trend in rural tourism, focusing on the visitor experience instead of the passive approach of simply marketing a destination. Increasingly, travelers are looking for an authentic experience that allows them to try their hand at a local custom and discover talents that they didn’t know they had. This new approach to visitation not only invites new people to the region, but also sends them home with a souvenir that they have created themselves. Eastman Tourism offers a slate of four programs of a similar nature. One, called “Jammin’ in the Heartland” invites guests for a weekend to pick berries in Grunthal in the morning and then turn your yield into jam in the afternoon that you can take home or enjoy on site. Other sessions include snowmobiling adventures, a paddling safari and a forest excursion through Bird’s Hill Park. Given our geography in Minnedosa, Soltys feels that there is a lot of potential to develop a similar package of activities for those that are interested to fully experience what the valley has to offer. For the Valley Paradise Retreat, the weekend begins on Friday evening with a wine and cheese reception at the Inspire Studio which will include a music appreciation “sound circle”. Saturday begins with a morning yoga session with Heidi Rae followed by a group art therapy session led by Kim Burgess. The afternoon includes an art class sponsored by Inspire Studio and the evening begins in the kitchen as Corner Stone Grill chef Allison Burgess leads the group in the creation of artisanal pizzas for supper. Sunday morning will include more activities hosted at the Inspire Studio with breakfast wraps and mimosas for all patrons. There will also be some open time throughout the weekend for patrons looking to engage in some retail therapy in downtown Minnedosa. “What we really want is for ladies to allow themselves the gift of time,” says Soltys. “Come for the weekend, and just let yourself be creative and explore new talents.” For more information or to register, interested attendees can contact Marlies at 204-210-1993 or by e-mail at inspirestudiooffineart@gmail.com   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Image: Kempton/Flickr   Most of us lead very busy lives so anything that appears to make our lives easier, or saves time, we may as well try it. Today there are many app's geared towards making life easier for everyone. Some local examples of app’s that can make your day to day lives a bit more simple: Domino’s Pizza App Atom Movie App Starbucks App Subway App Booster Juice App Recently I have seen the ads for Superstore advertising for getting groceries. etc online. Off the start, I have been loyal to Safeway for decades, but if this idea of using a shopping app can save an hour a week by eliminating having to get a cart, searching for what you want, and all the stop n chats then why not at least explore the idea. The process is actually very simple and painless. You click on this link, and start to browse the items on your shopping list. Initially, I made some rookie mistakes, but once you have an idea of what you want you can basically search for anything from chewing gum to cupcakes. You fill up your online shopping cart, pay for your purchase, and then select a time when you want to come pick everything up. LOVE IT, so far. A huge bonus is that they keep a record of what you shopped for so you can always just re order what you have had in the past. When you arrive at Superstore you pull into the area for pick ups, call the number, and someone inside brings your order to your vehicle and you leave …. Simple. Local real estate agent Scott Rouire is married, with 3 kids, and loves what Superstore is doing.  "Having three kids I would never go back to the old way of shopping……once you save a profile and do one shop online, it saves what you ordered, and once you have done it a few times it becomes much easier". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

For Immediate Release - The Westman Multicultural Festival (formerly the Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Festival) is pleased to announce the dates for the 14th annual event. The 2017 Festival will be held January 26, 27 and 28. Over the years, Westman residents have become accustomed to celebrating the broad cultural diversity within our community as they visit the various host pavilions at locations throughout the city. This signature event in Brandon has become a welcome winter respite as festival goers enjoy warm friendship, food, beverages, entertainment, art and customs from around the world. This year, seven pavilions will be part in the three-day festival. This includes the Scottish, Mauritius, Irish, English, Filipino, Ukrainian and Honduran pavilions. Admission to each pavilion is free, making this a very popular, inclusive, family event. Last year, 32,000 people attended! The festival is entirely run by volunteers recruited by the various cultural societies and associations that host the pavilions. It generally takes over 1000 volunteers to help make the festival as successful as it’s been. This year’s event is being organized by the Westman Multicultural Festival Society. The organizing committee chose to change the name of the event to be more inclusive to guests outside the city of Brandon and to better depict what the event encompasses. Details on the Westman Multicultural Festival can be found on the new website: www.gotothepavilions.com. Follow them on Twitter @wmmfest, on Instagram and Faceook / wmmfest. #gotothepavilions #pavilions2017 For more information: Sandy Donald, Vice-Chair amd@mymts.net 204.724.5743 Wanda Kurchaba, Secretary kurch@wcgwave.ca 204.720.8177 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Like hockey? Then you already know that the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL are having a once-in-a-lifetime season. They are poised to break the all time NHL wins streak. And if you're a hockey fan, you already know that former Brandon Wheat King captain and hometown hero, Matt Calvert plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Wouldn't it be amazing to see Matt play and cheer on the Blue Jackets? Did you know that you can pick up a flight from Winnipeg, or Minot and six hours later be in Columbus? And prices are currently around $400 per round trip, depending on dates. The Columbus Blue Jackets play at the Nationwide Arena. The arena is 8 miles from the airport, so a taxi or Uber is pretty inexpensive ($20).The international airport code is CMH for the John Glen International Airport.   Lots of hotels right by the arena including a Marriott, Hyatt and a Hilton. Tickets? I'm a fan of Stubhub.com. Using the January 19th game as an example, (It's against Mark Stone and the Ottawa Senators) you can pick up tickets for as low as $20 each, upper deck, or $44 each for lower bowl. That's a pretty amazing price for any NHL game.     As a second example, you could take your valentine to Columbus and see two home games. Flights and hotel, tax included (expedia.ca) for $700 per person, plus tickets. The Blue Jackets play the Rangers on the 13th of February, and the Leafs (Auston Matthews) on the 15th.   So, to recap, once-in-a-lifetime season, Matt Calvert, Columbus, about $800 per person. You should go. ps. If you'd like to reduce the cost even further, and have some Air Miles to burn, click over to SheTalksTravel.com to learn more