There's nothing quite like the excitement your kids have when they're about to give you the special gifts they've created with their sticky little kid hands.  Their little chests puffed out with pride, bubbling over with excitement to show you what they made. And there's nothing more heartwarming than to read the words they've written. It's the best. The kind of love that puts a lump in your throat.  When my oldest handed me his thoughtfully made gift, his first disclaimer was that the picture he drew on the front of my Mother's Day card wasn't actually me.  It was his grade 2 teacher.  It was a great drawing. He went on to explain how it ended up looking a lot more like his grade 2 teacher, so not to be surprised when I saw Mrs. Pike on the front of my card.   The inside cover was things about me, his mom.  The line I enjoyed most from the first page was the part about "My mom looks pretty when........ His answer? "It's 5:00pm." How I become "pretty" at the magicalhour of 5pm is a bit of a puzzler to me, but as far as I can figure, it likely has a strong correlation with supper time.  He's hungry.  I feed him.  Food source = beautiful.  The drawing inside the card on the 2nd page is one of our favorite things to do. We jump on the trampoline together.  He says its way more fun when I'm on there with him. One day I asked him why.  "Because you're super heavy mom." This is what he said to me.  Not to be mean, it wasn't intended that way at all. It's how it is.  It's just that the amount of extra mass I add by jumping on the trampoline with him, makes it so much more fun. And the last line on the 2nd page of the card? "I love my mom because she bought me a dog." This was quite a surprise to me, possibly even more so than trying to figure out what makes me so pretty to him at 5pm......or who the woman on the front of my Mother's Day card was.   We don't have a dog.  I will cherish these little gifts, as any parent does, made with a little imagination and a lot of love.  Dog or no dog.  Yours truly, Caley

You’ve saved, invested wisely and built a sizeable nest egg. Retirement is within your grasp, so it is no time to take chances. Here are 10 questions to move you towards a secure, confident retirement. 1. When do you want to retire?  The timing of your retirement is crucial to building your retirement nest egg and assessing how long it needs to last. In retirement, you will experience a fundamental shift – from saving to spending. 2. How much of your current income do you expect to need in retirement? Your goals and challenges are unique to your life situation. The amount of your current income you’ll need in retirement depends on how much you’ve saved and how much you plan to spend during retirement. 3. How do you plan to spend your money? How you spend during your retirement will depend on your choices and could be influenced by factors beyond your control. 4. Have you considered your retirement lifestyle needs? What is your lifestyle vision for your retirement years? How will you spend your time? These choices may impact your spending pattern during retirement. 5. What guaranteed sources of income can you count on in retirement? Taking into account your existing sources of guaranteed income can help determine how much additional money you require to cover basic living costs and preserve the lifestyle you’ve worked hard to achieve. 6. Do you plan to work part-time or full-time in retirement? Perhaps you want to continue using your skills or explore new opportunities. You could also be influenced by debts or helping family members. 7. How do health and wellness factor into your retirement plan? Focusing on your wellness is central to your vitality and enjoyment of life. You may want to consider using retirement to focus on your mental and physical fitness. It’s important to make room in your budget for health and wellness priorities. 8. Are you ready for the unexpected events in life? When considering retirement planning, take into account unpredictable events – both financial and personal – for which you want to be prepared. Check to see if your retirement nest egg is strong enough to support you through a future economic downturn, a rise in the cost of living or a longer lifespan. 9. How will you keep your money working in retirement? In addition to fully protecting the money you need to cover your basic expenses, many retirees want a portion of their nest egg to grow. 10. Do you plan to leave a legacy? You might want to leave an inheritance to your family or favourite charity. Retirement brings many mixed emotions, but your financial professional can help you create a vision for the future so you can plan for retirement with confidence.

Dayna Weselowski is a 25-year-old self taught artist born in Thompson who moved to Brandon, Manitoba in the late '90's.  Always with a strong passion for art, and taking inspiration from everything around her, she has successfully completed and sold art pieces in an array of different mediums. These mediums include pencil and graphite, Prismacolour pencils, acrylic and oil painting, and creating and painting concrete leaf stepping stones. Her artwork style can be described as decorative art, varying from vibrantly coloured landscapes to anime characters to much more.  Dayna has showcased her artwork at several different craft shows around the Manitoba area and pieces can be viewed on her Facebook page - DaynaWeselowskiArt  

Children's Country Fair The Westman Dreams for Kids Children's Country Fair is coming up fast and they are looking for all the talented kids out there to be part of this years event. Do you dance, sing, play instruments?? Are you and acrobat or have a band?? They want you to come take center stage this year and show Brandon all the talent in our community! If you are or know someone who would love to take part in this exciting event call 204-729-1698 or 204-729-8898. Children's Country fair is June 5th at Kirkaldy Heights School, and they hope to see you all there. McHappy Day Please also keep in mind that on May 4th, $1 from every Big Mac. Happy Meal and Hot McCafe beverage will be donated to Westman Dreams for Kids! Please come by and visit them at all 4 Brandon locations and help them continue to grant dreams to children and their families who are dealing with serious illness and health concerns in the Westman area. King Louis will be handing out balloons and taking pictures with the kids from 11:am - 1:00pm at the Richmond location!

Regardless of what you’re saving for – a down payment on a home, a dream vacation, a child’s education or your eventual retirement – developing good saving habits can definitely pay off. Even relatively small but regular contributions can quickly gain momentum thanks to the power of compounding, or making interest on your interest. Most people can rationalize buying new bedroom furniture or a better and more reliable car by using small monthly payments spread over several years. However, you can also use this strategy to build hefty savings. For some, saving is instinctive. Chipmunks know they must save enough nuts and seeds to get them through the winter. They even build storage rooms in their burrows. But it’s important everyone – even humans – realize the importance of saving. Deciding on your goals for the future The first step is determining an investment strategy and that means carefully evaluating your financial goals. After all, saving for a down payment on a house or a new car requires a different approach than long-term retirement planning. So, ask yourself this: what do you want to do with your money? Crunching the numbers Next, set up a spending plan to help you determine how much you can afford to put away each month. There are plenty of online tools and calculators that can help you. Start by going over your chequing and savings accounts and credit card statements, including ATM withdrawals. Make sure to include everything – even those pricey takeout lunches. This exercise can help you trim excessive spending. Once you have a better understanding of your income and expenses, determine your savings “payment.” Be bold, as you can always dial it back a bit later on. Or better yet, keep the amount steady and reduce your overall spending. Then, as your income grows, continue to raise the amount you put away each week. Choosing the right investment solution Your financial professional can help you choose the right mix of investments and help you achieve your unique savings goals. Why it’s is crucial to start saving now Setting up a regular, automatic savings plan is an essential part of anyone’s financial health. The sooner you start, the better off you’ll be and the sooner you’ll achieve your goals.