My Recommendations

After going through so many winters and paying for snow removal, I had had enough. I had slipped on the patio steps more than once - even once laying right on my back. I searched Amazon for some heated mats and initially only found products that had really bad reviews. Then I searched outside of Amazon and found Heat Trak. The reviews looked promising and while the return policy included a 15% restocking fee, I ordered a few just to try them out. If they worked, great - if not, I would only use one and return the others. Well, no need. Check this out: First time we used them, there was no snow but it was cold. We had people over and when they went outside in their socks, they were loving it - no boots needed!! Then the snow came - sure enough - the mats worked perfectly. It's not instant - 2 inches of snow melts every hour but that's more than enough to get the job down. They aren't THAT expensive either (under $200 for a 5' mat) Here are some links for ...

If you're looking for speed in a web browser, most people immediately go to Chrome. But between Chrome, Safari, Firefox, most don't really find a big difference between browsers on your mobile device (phone or tablet). When testing a web site, I tried to grab as many different browsers and devices as possible. And that's where I found Puffin . In a word, WOW!! Our web site was operating behind a separate firewall but even then, Puffin delivered pages at least 2-5x faster than Chrome or Safari and this was on an iPhone 5C. Even on an iPad 2, Puffin's speed is incredible. It also supports Flash if you need it. Maybe more so - it's download mechanism is powerful too. On your phone, the chances that you are downloading something directly to your phone for use on your phone is unlikely. Instead, you likely want to refer to it later. Puffin has cloud-to-cloud drive support so when you want to download a file, it will send the link to your cloud drive (like Dropbo...

http://torchbrowser.com If you consume media through your desktop web browser, you should consider using Torch. Torch is based on Google Chrome ( Chromium , Google's open source version, to be exact) so it feels very similar. It is based on an OLDER version of Chrome (since Chrome updates on Google's schedule and Chromium not so much) however, it really works well. They have both Windows and Mac versions - although the Mac version isn't being supported anymore, it's still super functional. Why Torch? If you are watching a video and want to keep it for later, you can simply click the "Video" button and it downloads it for future use. Myself, I'm not that big on video. I don't mind watching it but what I really care about is listening to it - it's easier when driving (also a lot safer). When you click the Video button, it attempts (since it would be site-specific) to find the original source and downloads it. If it's successful, i...

We recently worked with Roger Varette on a small siding job at our home. We had previously been delayed by a contractor who kept us waiting for 5 weeks. We found Roger on Kijiji. Instead of having to come out for a prolonged estimate process, he sped up the entire task asking for pictures to get a general idea as to what was required. This was over a weekend where we weren't expecting responses until the Monday. He requested a deposit for materials and was ready to get the work done on the Tuesday - so only 48 hours notice, which was great for us! He had some transportation issues so we were concerned the delays would immediately start (we're used to that with contractors) Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by a call saying "I'm here". He checked the colours of siding and his eye for the color was extremely good, especially just from two pictures. Our big concern was getting the job done. He had both walls done in less than 6 hours and the results were pe...

For those with pets who have gone through this before or for those who are proactively searching for potential problems, I can appreciate a "duh!" response but if we did it, others may as well. The wonderful spring and summer and many people look to improving their outdoor landscaping.  After going through a lot of deck work, we wanted to add a shrub to our garden. From the local gardening store, we picked a shrub thinking it would be a good addition - an azalea. Our dog loves to play in the backyard and every now and then may nip at some grass. A week after planting the bush, he had a bad day. We came home and found he had thrown up a fair bit (and the other way as well). As long-time dog owners, we thought "ok, he may have eaten something , we'll see how it goes". His attitude was great and didn't seem that distressed by it. The NEXT night, however, was a different story. His attitude was great coming home but overnight the vomiting started and then...

The Electrical & Plumbing Store specializes in (surprise) lighting and plumbing with a large focus on bathrooms. They've been around for several years and have a fairly large inventory of lights and other accessories.  We've bought lights and fixtures from them in the past. They've never had everything in stock but it usually arrived from their East-end store in under a week. Recently, in the middle of renovations, we ordered a fairly large light and were told by the salesman (Brian), it would take possibly 2-3 weeks because it had to be shipped.  After 3 weeks, it still hadn't arrived in. All of the renovations are done so we want to finish this off. We were told to speak to Paul. He tells us that they placed the order but it wouldn't ship it until they had more orders. It might take 12-18 weeks. Huh? He didn't want to pay the extra money ($100) for shipping. Fine - why not add it to the cost of the order or give the customer the option? This is craz...

Roofing....everyone needs a roof over their heads. After 18 years, it was time to replace ours. Neighbours in the area were getting it done and there were lots of signs all over the neighbourhood for different companies. Who to choose? We saw their work at another home and had them come in for an estimate. How long does it take to do a roof? With Century Roofing & Siding , our home in Kanata, Ontario (Ottawa area) was done in less than 9 hours!! They were fast, respectful of the environment (with tarps covering the area), efficient and friendly. John Barresi came in to provide an estimate. After measuring extensively, he sat and went through all of the details of the work that would be done. Some companies like to give options - Century doesn't - they say what the job will be and deliver it. They don't skimp on things and in our area, where we get a lot of ice build up and windy weather, this has to be taken into account. He said right up front, we aren't the chea...