Although the weather is not cooperating for Vancouver Island so far this summer, many people have had their summer vacations planned for months, and if you don’t you may be looking to get away from the rain and into the sun. Whatever your case may be, a very important thing to think about when planning your vacation is the safety and security of your home. Vacationing away leaves your home vulnerable to break-ins and theft related crimes.Going on a vacation should be enjoyable and relaxing, Taking a few precautions can help ensure peace of mind during your time away from your home and keep your sense of security when you return.

The best way to keep your home safe in your absence is to make it appear like you are actually home, leaving no clues that you are away.

Do's:

·         Use light timers and ensure different patterns of when the lights come on and where, always leaving the same light on could tip-off a thief and signal that you are not home.

·         Use timers for the TV and...

 

 

Don’t let Procrastination stop you from achieving your New Year’s Resolutions or goals. People procrastinate for different reasons; fear of failure, enormity of the task, boredom, or dislike for a particular aspect of the work. The key to controlling this unhealthy habit is to recognize when you start procrastinating, understand why it happens, and take active steps to manage your time and outcomes better.

To have a good chance of conquering procrastination, you need to spot straight away that you're doing it. Then, you need to identify why you're procrastinating; is the task unpleasant? Are you disorganized? Does the task overwhelm you? Are you a perfectionist? Could you have underdeveloped decision making skills?

Then you need to take appropriate steps to overcome the block; make up some rewards for yourself, get someone to follow up with you (peer pressure), identify the consequences...

 

The Campbell family needs our help. Devastation hit their family home just before Christmas and now their lives have been drastically changed. Molly, their 1 month old daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and is now at Children’s hospital in Vancouver while her 4 siblings are being juggled by different family and friend caregivers here in Victoria.

Help us help them; we challenge all of you to make a donation to the family.The first 20 donors to contact us email info@prioritytime.ca or phone 250.590.3001 and beat our $100.00 donation will receive 1 hour of errand services which they can donate to the Campbell family or use for themselves.

To learn more about Molly visit www.molly-campbell.com

Our thoughts and prayers are with Molly and her family at this extremely difficult time, no one should ever have to go through.

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Too often at this time of year we all get caught up in shopping and obligations that we have little time left to have a good time. The holidays are supposed to be fun. Forgo the parties that you really aren’t interested in, delegate responsibilities, and the whole family can have fun together.

If you don’t have any holiday family traditions, it’s never too late to start, and they may just be carried on for generations to come.   Select a family activity, do it once or twice and declare it “a new family tradition”. Traditions can add meaning and character to family holidays in your home and are meant to be fun and enjoyable by all – young and old.

Here are some ideas for family traditions:

Holiday light tour: find out the hot spot for “over the top” exterior Christmas decorations around your area, dress warm and then drive or walk to the area and as a family check out all of the amazing homes lit up for the holiday season. Be sure to take with you a thermos full of hot cocoa and some appropriate...

 

The holidays can be an exciting and fun season, filled with the miracle of Christmas and anticipation of the New Year. For some families, celebrations turn to devastation when people are careless with decorating, lighting, toys & gifts, food, consuming alcoholic beverages, and travelling.

The safety of you and your family should be of the utmost importance. By taking simple precautions, you can greatly reduce your chances of accidents and misfortunes.

Here are a few of our favourite holiday tips to help keep you and those around you have a safe and happy holiday season:

Decorating & Lighting:

When purchasing a real tree, you can tell if it is fresh if the needles are hard to pull off. Keep it in a cool place until you bring it in to decorate and ensure it always has plenty of water. To be sure your tree is fresh, go to a local tree farm and cut one down yourself.

Small decorations and ornaments can be a choking hazard for small children and pets. When decorating your...

Priority Time is pleased to help promote a community service program that gives back to seniors, “Be a Santa to a Senior”. Share in the holiday spirit this season and spread some cheer and brighten the lives of lonely isolated seniors in Victoria.

Home Instead Senior Care offices throughout North America have attracted upwards of 60,000 volunteers and helped to provide 1.2 million gifts to more than 700,000 lonely seniors over the past six years.

Home Instead Senior Care partners with local non-profit and community organizations to identify seniors who may not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season. Home Instead then works with local businesses and retail stores to help facilitate the purchase and distribution of gifts by placing trees and ornaments within their various locations. Each senior’s gift requests, including size and gender, are written on ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ tree ornaments.

How the program works:

1. Victoria non-profit agencies will provide the names of lonely or financially challenged seniors in our community, as well as gift requests for each senior to Home Instead.

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Experts tell us that we can expect snow this winter (in fact there is a snow fall warning for Greater Victoria issued today) so why not prepare early and keep your family and your property safe for the winter weather that we Islanders aren’t always used to. Winter weather can be dangerous for people who are unprepared so we have provided you a few tips that will help you to prepare for the weather ahead.

AROUND YOUR HOME:

Since winter weather conditions can appear quickly, it’s important to ensure you keep plenty of food and general supplies on hand as well as prepare your property for a cold weather snap.

·         Stock your freezer and your cupboards with food and supplies that will last so you don’t need to worry about heading out to the grocery store in your car.

·         Purchase your snow shovel and ice melt before the chaos at the local hardware stores hit and the inventory is depleted.

·         Clear gutters, disconnect and drain all outside hoses and if possible...

Our guest blogger, Edward Yang, BCom, CFP® is a financial planner with Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network. Specializing in creating wealth strategies for families with aging relatives, Edward is dedicated to his clients and treats them with respect and patience. Contact Edward today and discover how your family can benefit from his expertise. Email: zhen.yang@dfsin.ca
 

 Fall is the time to get your home ready for the coming winter, which can be the most severe season for your home. It's important to maintain your home, not only to show you care about your residence but also to keep costs down by avoiding major maintenance problems later.Seasonal maintenance is a good way to protect your investment. It makes sense to do what you can in the fall before it gets really cold. Using some of the following tips will help you to stay safe, save money and protect your investment.

Don’t be afraid to ASK FOR HELP from a family member, friend, neighbour or professional to assist you in determining exactly what needs to be done to you ensure your safety for the winter season. Use our handy fall maintenance checklist to get started.

1. ROOF: Have someone check your roof around vents, skylights and chimneys for any leaks, and look for damaged or missing shingles. If needed, hire a handyman to repair a few shingles or a roofer for larger sections. 2. CLEAN THE GUTTERS: If your gutters are full of debris, water can back up against the house and damage the roofing, siding and wood trim, plus cause leaks inside your home. Also look for missing or damaged sections. Ensure the water coming from the downspouts run at least 3 – 4 feet away from your home’s foundation. This can be done by adding extensions to the downspouts....

 What do you want to do before you die? It’s time to stop procrastinating and making excuses as to why you can’t do something.