Health

Even if spring lasts for only about two weeks in Canada, I always like to upgrade my wardrobe this time of year after a season of wearing dark woolly sweaters and winter coats.

But it doesn't make sense to blow your budget on items you'll only wear for a short time. The good news is, trends considered by the fashion crowd to be de rigeur this season are easy to achieve and easy on the bank account if you know where to shop. Here are a few tips to get you started.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click image below for "Spring Fashion for Under $30" Gallery



%Gallery-150541%

Turning over a new leaf can mean tossing out a few old things that just don't work anymore including relationships, according to experts.

While money issues likely didn't drive recent well-known splits, like that of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries or Katy Perry and Russell Brand, financial differences are consistently cited as a top stress in partnerships.

Marriage and family therapist Michal Regev -- who runs her practice in Vancouver -- recently spoke with me about common financial issues couples argue about and productive ways to deal with the conflict that can arise from having a different value system and different approaches to money. Regev says over 50 per cent of couples who go to therapy report having money disputes and that money fights -- if left unresolved -- can lead to divorce.

Here are some common money problems couples experience and some strategies suggested by Regev on how to get through them.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, many parts of our lives are influenced by Hollywood, including what we wear, what we say and where we travel.


But dig a bit deeper and the movies can offer us some more substantial insights, including work and career lessons. With the Oscar's upon us (February 26th), here are some tips from a few of this year's contenders on how to make your work life more meaningful.


Click on the image below for Oscar-worthy career lessons:




%Gallery-148290%

The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay (among others)
Plot synopsis: This black and white film follows french actor Jean Dujardin (nominated for Best Actor) as Hollywood silent picture star George Valentin who resists moving into the era of the talkies and endures hardship as a result.
Lesson Learned: There are second acts. If you're not finding fulfillment in your current role, leverage your strongest skills and pursue a job that might suit you better. It may take re-training and will likely be humbling but will be well worth it. (SPOILER ALERT!) It took great inner courage (and a deflated ego) for Valentin to accept he had to change with the times, but when he did he found a new niche built on his old skills.

Cold weather. Dusk at 5pm. The constant search for your misplaced glove. This time of year there are almost more excuses to justify feeling grumpy than energetic and chipper. But if you can see past the bleak horizon and align yourself more with the arrival of spring -- a time of energy and renewal -- you may just find yourself in a better state of mind and consequently a more productive person. To get there, you don't need to go on an extravagant vacation or spend a lot of money on vitamin infusions. Try some of these simple steps to improve your state of mind for free.

1. Take a hike
Yes, it's (sort of) cold outside, but so what? Bundle up and get out there for a walk. It will elevate your senses on all levels, make you a fitter person if you do it regularly and you may even get some vitamin D the natural way if you leave some skin exposed between your hat and your scarf.

Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Jeff Conaway, Greg Giraldo, Mike Starr, Amy Winehouse and now, Whitney Houston and that's just a partial list of the celebrities taken by drugs in the last couple of years. It doesn't even cover all the famous people who died of a drug overdose over the course of time or those who are still struggling with addiction and dying in silence without the attention of the 24 hour news cycle.

Thanks to shows like Intervention, the emotional, relational and physical costs of drug addiction have been well established, but removing all that from the equation, still leaves the financial cost. So, how much money does it really cost to support a drug addiction, especially if you never made "Whitney Money?"

Liked this article? Don't miss another one. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Related Links:

• Dangerous Addiction: Are You Glued to the Web?
• Confessions of a Shopping Addict
• How to Detect Counterfeit Drugs

With all the focus on concussions in sport recently, and the ongoing aging of our population, the brain is starting to get more attention as the vital organ it is. Our overall health includes one major, and commonly overlooked, component – our brains. Regardless of age, it's important to start leading a brain-healthy lifestyle now to help defer the onset of brain decline, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Wes Ashford, creator of consumer memory screening test MemTrax, outlines 10 tips for keeping our brains healthy.

1. Exercise Your Mind: Education is associated with decreased Alzheimer's risk. Try taking an interesting class, learning a new language, or working puzzles like crosswords and Sudoku to keep your mind stimulated. There are also personalized brain train programs, like those at HAPPYneuron (www.HAPPYneuron.com), specifically designed to keep your brain fit.

2. Get Physical: In addition to mental exercise, physical exercise is an important part of keeping your mind healthy. Adopt a regular exercise program, incorporating both aerobics and strength training – and don't forget to stretch!

It's that time of year, if you don't get out of the house with the kids or at the very least get the kids out of the house you're likely to lose your sanity. I recently did a run-down of kids sports programs and what you get for your money, but not every child is on her way to becoming the next Cassie Campbell. It's important to remember, some kids excel at activities of the mind. (And don't nerds make more money eventually anyway?) So here are some financially viable options to consider to keep your child busy and mentally motivated this winter.

Art classes
If you want a fun math problem, add up the cost of playdough, paints, markers, crayons, crate paper and easels that have passed through your rec room. Multiply this by the cost of carpet cleanings.
Cheaper and less frustrating are art classes at your local gallery. Here your pint-sized Picasso will have the artistic freedom to pursue his life's work surrounded by somebody else's white walls. In most art classes offered your child will at the very least get to experiment with painting and drawing. In some sessions, sculpting and printmaking are offered.
Weekend classes range from about $100 - $180 for four weeks depending on the gallery, which means paint on the canvas is a lot less than re-painting your kitchen.
Rating: Not Bad but be sure your minuscule Monet knows that what happens at the gallery stays at the gallery.

Check out around the house for these items that have been recalled this week:

Health Canada and West Elm have issued a recall for the Overarching Floor Lamp, due to the possible shock hazard because of a short circuit problem with the lamp's wiring.

The curved lamp is nickel with a lampshade in natural, white or charcoal linen.

There have been 39 reports of short circuits in the United States, but no reports in Canada. The lamps were sold in Canada from March until November 2011, with over 150 sold in-store and online.

Consumers are asked to return the lamp to a West Elm store for a full refund and can contact the retailer at 1-855-236-1941.

You don't have to go broke to be beautiful.

True, caring for your hair and skin in the winter can be a challenge, and you'll probably spend more money on beauty essentials during the colder months.

Very often hair of all types becomes frizzy, dull, and unruly. Exposure to extreme temperatures is the culprit. Moreover, heat from blow dryers, flat irons and curlers don't help either. So what can you do about it?

First, don't go on a spending spree winter-proofing your beauty routine.

The truth is expensive hair care products are not always better for the health of your hair. In fact, there's no reason to spend more than eight dollars on hair care products. Nevertheless, your stylist may tell you that the drugstore brands are inferior. The next time you're in the beauty aisle, pick up a high-end brand and a cheaper brand, and compare the ingredient list.

Notice that the list is similar? The price won't tell you the value of the product on your hair. The truth is both expensive and inexpensive hair care products have more in common than you think. What's the difference? Price. Do you want to know more money-saving tips for beating the winter hair and skin care blues? Here are some great tips!

Liked this article? Don't miss another one. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Getting in shape or setting a fitness goal doesn't have to be solitary. For added inspiration and motivation, the best answer may be hiring a personal trainer.

After figuring out what you need first (as shown in part one) - next you need to know how to find the right personal trainer for you.

Brent Bishop, a personal trainer and owner of Think Fitness Studios, advises that after you've made a commitment to work on your health, finding the right personal trainer is just as important as finding a physician or a dentist.

Bishop has several suggestions on what to ask and things to know about hiring a personal trainer.