Sharon Schmidt of Saskatoon writes, “Our granddaughter, Sarah, was a little over three months old when her mom placed her inside this pumpkin-with a towel wrapped around her for support, of course!”
Send in your funny one-liners through the comments below or by sending it in through Our Canada’s submission site (please identify it is an entry for Caption Corner)!
Nesting
Melissa Henke of Wetaskiwin, Alta., says, “While spring cleaning Grandma’s house, we came across this object and no one in the family knows what it is. It’s been on my coffee table for some time and has become an excellent conversation starter, but no one can identify it!” Any ideas?
Submit your answers in the comments below or by sending it in through Our Canada’s submission site (please identify it is an entry for What Is It).
If you don’t pay attention, shopping for car insurance can easily turn into a headache. You’re buying a new car? Your teenager is now driving your car? You change jobs or you retire? All these things can influence the cost of your premium. Here’s everything you need to know to make a good deal on your car insurance.
How Does Your Insurance Company Calculate Your Premium?
Several factors need to be considered to avoid bad surprises while calculating your car insurance premium. Here are the most important ones:
• The car itself: the model, the year, the repair costs and the equipment or accessories chosen are all influencing the cost of your car insurance premium.
• How you use your car: the cost of your premium will not be the same depending on whether you make an occasional use or a daily use of your car. If you use your vehicle for work, inform your insurance company.
• Where you live: if you live in a city and you park your car in the street every night, your premium will not be the same as if you live in the countryside or park your car in a garage.
• Who is driving the car: the age, sex and experience of the people who are driving your car have an impact on the price of your premium.
• Protections and franchise chosen in your coverage: the price of your auto insurance is calculated according to the options that you choose in your coverage. Make sure you understand your coverage.
• Driving Record: your insurer will get access to your driver record to get the list of your previous accidents and claims.
Your insurance company might also ask to access your credit report. It is the best way for them to calculate the risk of insuring you. You can refuse to give them that access, but you should know that it is possibly a good way to save money on your premium.
Everything You Need to Know Before Purchasing Auto Insurance
You’ve bought a new car and you’re surprised to see your insurance premium increase? This is perhaps due to the repair costs of the model you have chosen. It is therefore important to check those things before you buy a new car and purchase new auto insurance. Here are a few tips to reduce the cost of your premium.
• Be a great driver: make sure you respect the Highway Safety Code and to be a great driver.
• Be well informed: before you buy a new car, learn about the repair costs and the average insurance cost for this model. Also look for the frequency of reported theft.
• Combine your auto and your home insurance: to save on your premium, combine your auto and your home insurance. Also, make sure all of your vehicles are insured with the same company. By doing so, you’ll benefit on all these coverages.
• Choose wisely: subscribe to good guarantees and choose the right franchise deductible for your financial capacity. The franchise deductible corresponds to the amount that you agree to pay in the event of a claim.
• Install an antitheft alarm system: such a system will allow you to save on your car insurance premium. Make sure that your insurance company approves your device to avoid paying unnecessary installation costs.
• Be honest: lying on your insurance policy or during a claim could result in denial of coverage. To omit a particular condition or lie about an event is not a good way to save money.
With all these keys in your hands, you’re now ready to roll toward your next adventure! Be safe!
Outhouse Race!
If your hometown holds special community events and festivals that you’d like to share with your fellow Canadians, let us know at ourcanada.ca or write to us at Our Canada, PO Box 988, Stn Main, Markham, Ont., L3P 0M1. Remember to include photos!
Repairs are one of the costs that come with car ownership, but it sure is confusing when you don’t speak the lingo. How do you make sure you’re being billed fairly? Here’s some advice for those who aren’t so mechanically inclined.
Check to see if your car is under warranty.
If it is, you’ll need to take it to the dealer or an authorized repair facility.
Plus: When’s the Best Time to Buy a New Car? 5 Savvy Strategies
Find a good auto shop.
Ask co-workers, friends and neighbours where they take their vehicles for repairs. Is the shop affiliated or does it have technicians who are certified? Do you like the look of the place (clean, organized, etc.)?
Plus: 20 Secrets Your Auto Mechanic Won’t Tell You
Ask for a written estimate before the work starts.
It’s not uncommon for the actual bill to be 10-20 per cent higher, or more if the mechanic finds that the problem is more complicated.
Plus: 7 Ways You’re Completely Wasting Money on Your Car
Ask for the mechanic to review your bill with you.
It might seem tedious, but it can save you money. Mistakes happen all of the time. Compare the charges with your estimate.
Plus: 9 Strange Car Sounds—And What They Could Mean
If you have a bad feeling about the work performed, dispute your bill carefully.
If you can’t find a resolution, ask for the old parts (should you need evidence) and take your dispute, in writing, through the chain of command. If necessary, you might turn to the Better Business Bureau or, as a last resort, legal action.
Medications offer many benefits: they can help manage a health condition, relieve symptoms or improve your health. They can also be complicated. If you’re taking multiple medications, it can be challenging to keep track of the different dosages and instructions. It’s important to get expert advice on managing your medications, especially if over-the-counter products, supplements or herbal remedies are also part of the mix.
What is a medication review?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could sit down with a pharmacist, one on one, and get your medication questions answered? That’s exactly how a medication review works.
You can ask for a consultation with a pharmacist to discuss your medications. He or she will help you understand why you’re taking them, how to take them in a safe and optimal way, and how to manage potential side effects. Pharmacists also offer tips on managing medications, such as organizing your pills or setting reminders to take them.
Depending on where you live and which medications you take, you may qualify to have your medication review funded by the provincial government. Ask your pharmacist if you’re eligible.
Who should get a medication review?
Anyone taking multiple medications may benefit from a one-on-one discussion with a pharmacist about their medications. This includes seniors, people with chronic health conditions and people who take over-the-counter and natural health products in addition to their prescriptions.
At the end of your consultation, you’ll receive a complete, up-to-date list of your medications, which you can share with your health care team and family members.
How do I get a medication review?
If you need a medication review for yourself or a loved one, ask your pharmacist for details.
Margaret Bertrand of Pembroke, Ont., says, “I purchased this from the Booth House Inn in Pembroke, Ont., last summer. It’s made of solid wood and is about the size of a child’s chair. I have no idea what it is although I loved the shape of it! Can anyone provide some background info on what it was used for?”
Submit your answers in the comments below or by sending it in through Our Canada’s submission site (please identify it is an entry for What Is It).
Who hasn’t seen a harried mom in the grocery checkout hand her phone to her child to quiet them down while she unloads the cart? When you see it, and you have many times, you have to bite your tongue and turn the other way. You can’t count the times you’ve seen moms’ (and dads’!) cell phones hit the floor in that situation. And if it doesn’t connect with the floor, it’s a grimy, sticky mess by the time you get it back. When will they learn?
“I used to give my phone to my daughter and son when we were at doctors’ offices. The thought of them playing with the toys provided there, no matter how clean they looked, terrified me. All I could think was germs, germs, germs. So I’d surrender my phone, and hope for the best,” smiles Tessa Rae, rolling her eyes. “I lost information, got dings when they dropped it, and always got protests when I’d take it back. It was a win-lose situation, with me on the losing end.”
Parents have been loaning their cellphones to their kids for as long as they’ve had them. Savvy parents have been buying their kids their own devices for almost that long. The first flip phone came out in 1989, the same year as Nintendo’s Game Boy. Many parents learned very early on that it was better to police time on Tetris on a Game Boy, which was close to indestructible, than a phone whose screen could be snapped as easily as flipped.
2004 – the Nintendo DS made Dads jealous of the kids-the two screens of the DS, the lower one a touchscreen, and wireless connectivity for play with friends. “When my son would be waiting at his sister’s dance competitions-which would last for three or four 10-hour days -he and kids with their [Nintendo] DS [systems] would make friends and play against each other all weekend. It was great socially, and kept him focused and happy.”
What are parents doing now? Handing over their cells and tablets to little Mr. and Miss Messy Hands, of course. Many have made the choice and bought the kids phones of their own, thinking that phones have games, internet capabilities and phone and text, so why not? But an increasing number of parents are consciously deciding that handheld gaming consoles are better than phones for children, and definitely better than parents’ phones and tablets. Here’s why:
- As long as the kids are with you, they don’t need a phone.
- The range and quality of children’s games for handhelds is incredible.
- Handheld gaming consoles are made for kid-type treatment.
- The screens are bigger and better for gameplay than that of phones, and the units are much easier to manipulate than tablets.
- Gaming is now recognized for all kinds of benefits: it builds resilience, increases optimism, builds stronger social bonds with family and friends, improves cooperation, encourages problem solving, increases the ability to concentrate. You don’t get that by texting emoticons for hours at a time.
- Parental controls are so advanced that worry is passé. The New Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DShave parental controls to limit internet access; limit the play of games by content ratings set by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board; restrict the purchase of games and apps; restrict the sharing of photos, video, audio; disable the 3D images of the 3DS to display in just 2D (an option some parents opt for if their children are under 6 years old. The device can easily be switched from 2D to 3D later); restrict online interaction, new friend registration, YouTube content with an age rating of 13 and over; as well as Child Online Privacy Protection. You can even limit how long your child can play.So go ahead, reclaim your tech and let the kids have their own. It’ll teach them responsibility, keep them engaged and happy, and best of all, you’ll have your own toys back!
@Where4ArtU
(William Shakespeare)
Poet seeks playmate. Love is blind. Don’t take that literally. I’m a leg man. Ignore rumour I’ve a wife in Stratford. #muchadoaboutnothing
@JozefinaBrunszvik
(Beethoven’s ex-girlfriend)
Hungarian noblevoman vants man 2 pay attn 2 me, not piano. I look hot in dirndl. But does Ludvig look up? Nein. Vanna share a schnapps?
@WedBedBehead
(Henry VIII)
Tubby Tudor seeks that special someone. No Catherines, Annes or Catholics. Long story. Screening @Tower of London. Use rear entrance.
@FilipaPerestrelo
(Estranged wife of Christopher Columbus)
Seeking mate who won’t take off 4 Indies. Ur gonna get east by going west? Ha! Is there a man out there w/sense2ask4 directions? TEXT ME.
@UrKindaGal
(Lady Godiva)
Free spirit seeks kindred spirit for bareback rides on the beach and general horsing around. (No peeping Toms, please.)
@CorgiNumber34
(Queen Elizabeth II’s pet corgi)
Male seeks action off palace grounds. Kennel Club reg’d. Proud of my pecs. Better built than the mutt who played me in Helen Mirren flick.
