At what age should you first introduce your child to the dentist’s chair? “As soon as their first teeth start to come in,” says Dr. Myrna Pearce of On Track Dental in Port Coquitlam. “Not only will an early visit help the child feel comfortable at an early age with the experience, dentists can obtain plenty of information about long term oral health simply by watching a child’s first teeth come in.”

With school officially done for summer, kids ages 5-14 have the opportunity to participate in the BC Summer Reading Club a fun, free, and inclusive literacy program offered by public libraries in more than 200 communities throughout B.C. Programs like the BC Summer Reading Club help kids build their confidence in reading, while having fun and building stronger connections with their public libraries, said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. These programs are truly making a difference in the lives of children and their families, helping build literacy skills today that will help them succeed in the future.

Your front door is the first thing you see when you get home at the end of the day and it’s the first impression your home makes to your guest and neighbours. What does your front door say about you?

Are you expecting visitors over the summer holidays? There’s something special about creating a warm and inviting living space for your guests. Here are some tips that I have picked up from friends and family over the years that will elevate your guest room space from ordinary to extraordinary.

If you are worried about the health of your pet during the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone.

Just because you’re stuck inside due to this pesky COVID-19 outbreak, that’s no reason to go without beer. Thankfully, a number of B.C. craft breweries offer online sales, with delicious craft beer available to be delivered right to your front door. In Vancouver, you can even get Skip the Dishes to deliver beer from some of your favourite craft breweries.

A new study published May 2 has suggested there are no mental health benefits to eating your placenta. The new research was conducted by the B.C. Mental Health and Substance Use Services’ Research Institute, alongside UBC which was published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.

My sensible wife reminds me that Valentine’s Day is only a Hallmark holiday – a day when florists are overwhelmed selling roses at the highest prices of the year and when you should have made a reservation if you wanted an intimate night out. Of course, we could never outlaw Valentine’s Day in Canada; the chocolate, floral and greeting card industries would lobby ferociously for their biggest day of the year.

We get it, parents are busy. In Vancouver at least, it’s typical that both parents work, which can make dinner time more than a little hectic. To get some ideas on how to ease some of that stress, the Courier had some questions for Trevor Bird, chef/owner of Fable Kitchen, former Top Chef contestant, spokesperson for Real Canadian Superstore and, most importantly, parent to two-year old Leonidas (Leo).

Vancouver-based Strongbody Apparel is back at it again, this time giving away men’s workout tees. Having sold out of their womenswear launch giveaway of 1,000 leggings in just days, they increased the legging giveaway to 10,000 pairs. Next on the list: menswear! Strongbody is giving away 1,000 of their best-selling Stoic mens tees. Like the women’s free legging campaign, all you have to do is pay for the cost of shipping.

While planning a vacation can be a fun and exciting exercise, it helps to know what to do, where to stay, and where to eat. Booking the travel can be an exercise in patience and persistence as you scour websites looking for the best accommodation packages and event tickets. Whistler Blackcomb has devised a way to help visitors to the Resort and Whistler Village enjoy everything the area has to offer at the best price.

The best summer hikes call for the best summer rewards… If you live in Vancouver, you’re acutely attuned to the changing of the seasons.

While skiing and snowboarding are a great deal of fun, Whistler offers a plethora of fun activities that you must try. From dog sledding to luxurious spas, delicious eats to bobsledding, this alpine destination has something for you!

I’ve been on several hiking and camping trips with dogs over the years and they have never detracted from those experiences, only added to them. Dogs notice things in a way that humans can’t. I find that by merely watching them and noticing what draws their interest another layer is added to my experience in wild places. They hear sounds that I can’t and respond to scents that are too weak for my nose to detect. A hike with a dog can be a reminder to listen to our other senses and not focus too much on only what our eyes can see, but also on what we can smell, hear and touch. Which is why I can completely understand the upset caused by the recent dog ban at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. A decision I imagine was not made lightly but was made to keep the interests of the majority of visitors and wildlife that calls this location home at the forefront.

This winter you can be whisked away by helicopter to Canadas largest, southernmost ice field for a private high-end dinner served in a secret, hidden ice cave. The exclusive opportunity is available to guests at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler in partnership with Head-Line Mountain Holidays.

Cayenne S put through its paces on challenging terrain

Grounds for Coffee learned that cashless businesses are more likely to succeed in Kits than East Van. When Grounds for Coffees Kitsilano location went cashless earlier this year, owner and founder Dan Hilton expected a slight drop in sales. Instead, the coffee shop experienced a significant boost.

With varying price points and menus, Burdock Co., D6 Lounge, and Little Juke have something for everyone

I come from a long line of worriers, so when my husband and I moved into our Vancouver condo, I naturally worried about whether we should get a real Christmas tree.

Kitsilano resident Réjean Beaulieu walks his dog by the intersection of West 11th and Maple Street most days. On one particular January day he noticed something peculiar. Each corner of the intersection, except for the southeast corner, has large granite markers arranged in slightly different shapes. Some of them look like giant footsteps.

With a huge range of colours, patterns and finishes, modern wall coverings are as diverse as design itself