(NC) This year’s home must-have is an office space that offers flexibility to go seamlessly from video calls to virtual classroom to everything in between. To help you create a workspace that works for you, Sharon Grech, Benjamin Moore colour and design expert, shares three affordable tips to create a stylish office no matter your style or budget.

Choose colours that promote productivity.

Struggling to find focus when working from home? Your wall colour can help promote a sense of calm and concentration to help you through your busiest days. “Tints and shades of green such as Spa AF-435 or Flora AF-470 can help foster a sense of calm and support your productivity,” recommends Grech.

Giving your home office a coat of green paint is a project you can do yourself, and the increased focus and reduction in eye strain will help you work smarter all year long.

Make room for your workspace.

If you don’t have a dedicated home office, you can easily create a place where you can focus by making a work area in your home. A floating shelf or a side table can double as a compact desk in small spaces. Once you select where you want to set up your workspace, clean up any clutter that could be distracting. Grech suggests shopping your home for baskets, mason jars and catch-alls to store office supplies such as notebooks, pens and loose papers.

Create a chic background.

On video calls all day? You can create an envy-inducing backdrop in just one weekend by painting out a bookcase, including the backs of shelves, in one solid hue like Amazon Soil 2115-30. Grech recommends choosing a durable paint designed to adhere to wooden surfaces such as Advance interior paint for results as professional as your new office. Once dry, position your bookcase, with styled shelves of books and decorative objects, behind you for a put-together background.

(NC) With Canada’s housing market hotter than ever, saving up a down payment can feel impossible. But wise spending and saving decisions can add up over time. Here, Vanessa Bowen, money expert and accountant, offers simple yet effective ways to save for the home you’ve had your eye on.

Ensure you have a good credit score
A better credit score means that you can qualify for lower interest rates and loans that you may require when investing in a future property. Working to improve your overall credit score, such as by avoiding late bill payments, will help make your savings go further as you look towards purchasing the house or condo of your dreams.

Contribute lump-sum payments to your savings
Large annual payments such as a work bonus or your tax return can be added as lump-sum contributions to your savings. Contributing larger sums helps you reach your end-goal more quickly, so remember to save these payments. It’s money you don’t count on in your day to day anyway, so it’ll be easier to set aside and watch your savings steadily grow.

Switch to a no-fee bank account
A small step that you can take that will add up to big savings in the long run is switching to a no-fee bank account. The PC Money Account is the bank account reimagined with no monthly fees and opportunities to earn PC Optimum Points on every dollar spent everywhere you shop. Now, instead of having to pay monthly banking fees, you can put your hard-earned money towards saving up for a house or condo.

Cut down on unnecessary spending
Try cutting back on expenses such as takeout food and shopping for things you may not actually need, like subscription services. Instead, put this money, which could potentially add up to thousands each year, towards a significant investment opportunity, such as a future home.

(NC) There’s nothing like a cold, refreshing glass of water. But if it comes from a well, you will want to make sure it’s safe.

Your well water should be free of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses or parasites that may cause disease, and from chemicals at levels that may be a risk to your health.

If you have a private well, you should have the water tested to see if there are any problems. Your most important tests look for certain bacteria that tell you there may be disease-causing microorganisms in your water. You should test for these bacteria (E. coli and total coliforms) every six months.

There are also other tests for chemicals and general water quality. Your provincial or territorial drinking water authority or local public health unit can help direct you on what you should test for, how often to test and suggest an accredited laboratory that can do the tests. It’s also a good idea to test your water if you notice changes in taste, smell, colour or in land uses or activities, such as construction, near your well.

Follow all instructions from the accredited laboratory on completing and submitting the test forms; collecting, labeling and storing the sample; and handling and transporting the sample to the laboratory.

The best time to sample your well water is when there is the greatest chance of contamination:

• early spring just after the thaw,
• in the fall rainy season,
• after a long dry spell or drought,
• after heavy rains or floods, and
• after the well has not been used for a long period of time.

Check your well record to find out how deep your well is and learn about the geology in your area. Shallow wells or wells that have only a thin layer of soil over rock can become contaminated more easily. Water in these wells needs to be tested more often.

If you or a family member has had a gastrointestinal illness and suspect that it might be related to drinking your well water, speak to your doctor and local health unit and have your water tested.

Find more information at canada.ca by searching the keywords “well aware.”

(NC) If you’ve spent the last several months daydreaming about your ideal renovation project, you’re not alone. Whether it’s a reno for a new kitchen, your own spa bathroom, a basement media room or a beautiful backyard oasis, there’s no shortage of dreams to take on.

Here are a few tips to make your vision a reality:

Spend time planning ahead. 
The more you think about your project before you begin, the better you’ll understand your wants, needs and priorities.

A great place to start is thinking about why you’re doing this project in the first place. Is it to create more space? Add functionality? Freshen up décor? These questions will help you make the right decisions during your project.

Know when to call in the pros. 
Many home reno projects might seem DIY, such as laying tiles and flooring. But for anything structural, mechanical or electrical, it’s best to hire a properly licensed professional. You don’t want to cause any fires or leaks that could lead to more time-consuming and costly damage to you or your home.

Save on splurge-worthy finishing touches. 
Add creature comforts and finishing touches that make completing your renovation all the more rewarding. From a luxurious Nespresso espresso machine, to the perfect Cuisinart kitchen gadgets, to that coveted Napoleon barbecue, you can use Air Miles Reward Miles to save big on must-have items for your newly renovated space.

Find more information at rewards.airmiles.ca/merchandise.

(NC) As many of our homes have transformed into makeshift offices and classrooms and we plan summer staycations, fire safety has become a priority.

With more regular activity in and around the home, the risk of hazardous home incidents, such as fires and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, may also increase. Here are the top three tips to help you and your family stay safe this summer:

Get alarmed. 
Even if you have alarms, you may not be sufficiently protected. Safety experts recommend installing smoke and CO alarms on every level and in every bedroom of your home. Test alarms regularly and replace the batteries every six months. To eliminate the need for battery replacements, upgrade to 10-year sealed battery alarms. But remember that alarms don’t last forever and should be replaced at least every 10 years.

Gear up to grill. 
Before you fire up the barbecue for your next cookout, position it well away from the house on a flat surface and give it a good cleaning to keep grease build-ups from catching fire. Equip yourself with long-handled tools to provide plenty of clearance from the heat and flames.

Just in case of an emergency, have a fire-extinguishing device on-hand, like First Alert EZ Fire Spray, a compact, lightweight spray can. With no pins to pull or levers to squeeze, it’s easier to handle than traditional fire extinguishers. Just point and spray to quickly put out a developing fire.

Make an escape plan. 
The warm weather makes summer the ideal time to plan and practice a home emergency plan with your entire family. Identify two exits out of each room, including windows and doors. Set a dedicated meeting spot a safe distance from the house and ensure everyone knows to call 911 only after they are safely outside. Be sure to practice your home escape plan at least twice a year, making drills as realistic as possible.

Learn more home safety tips at firstalert.ca.

(NC) Whether it’s in your backyard or a nearby park, lawns provide more than just aesthetic benefits, they contribute to happier and healthier communities. Here’s how:
1. Providing oxygen that we breathe.

15 square metres of grass produces enough oxygen for a family of four every day.

2. Reducing the warming effect of hard surfaces.

Urban areas sprawling with buildings and concrete tend to be significantly warmer than areas with lush greenspaces.

3. Acting as water filtration systems.

A healthy lawn will slow runoff and allow time for the water to seep back into the groundwater system, rather than overworking municipal storm sewer systems and creating a flood. A lawn the size of 900 square metres can absorb more than 22,000 litres of water.

To provide these benefits, lawns require care. Pesticides are one tool that help protect lawns by keeping weeds and other pests under control. Health Canada regulates every pesticide sold in the country to ensure they can be used safely. A product that may harm human health when used as directed will not be approved.