Tiny House Movement – The Option You Didn’t Realize You Had!

Sep 09, 13 Tiny House Movement – The Option You Didn’t Realize You Had!

Posted by in Blog, Lifestyle

Over the past few weeks I have been captivated by the tiny house movement.  The timing is right for this little trend to make a BIG impact.  Tiny homes are small dwellings – usually under 500 sq. feet.  Super small and VERY cute, these homes offer a seductive alternative to the large McMansions that have become the norm.  The allure of the tiny homes is the freedom that they can offer.  Building your own tiny home means a total investment of anywhere from 25-85k depending on your personal skill set. This means that many previous property owners have been able to downsize into these charming little homes and completely eliminate their mortgage.  In addition to freeing up debt and monthly cash flow, tiny homes also inspire the liberation that comes from aggressively editing your belongings.  People who have transitioned into a tiny home report a complete life change in terms of gaining peace, relaxation and simplicity. Tiny homes solve a myriad of current problems.  First of all, they are a cheap and yet still very attractive option for home ownership.  They cost no more than your average trailer park home and yet these dwellings manage to maintain all the class and charm of a tiny cottage.  The small footprint has allowed these homes to dodge many building permit and zoning laws – with many designs able fit comfortably in a backyard without damaging property values.  This makes them a fantastic guest house or living arrangement for aging parents who seek independence but still need to be close by.    They are also a sensible option for people working from home to have an office separate from the house – yet still ‘at home’.  Their small size makes them a quick build and a very economical and sustainable living arrangement. As this trend builds, the internet is filling up with new businesses offering to design and construct the tiny homes.  There is also a growing selection of furniture and appliances that are specifically designed for these...

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Local Shamanic Healer Writes Children’s Book – Luminous Mountain

Sep 09, 13 Local Shamanic Healer Writes Children’s Book – Luminous Mountain

Posted by in Blog, Lifestyle

A beautiful book for introducing spiritual concepts to children.  Marcela Grant is a Munay-ki and Shaman Healer in the Ajax area.  She has recently written her first children’s book called Luminous Mountain.  The book is about a young boy who “loses” his mother, and must embark on a journey to find her.  During the different stages of his journey, he meets his power animals who teach him lessons for life, maturity and character development. This is a wonderful book for exposing children to spiritual concepts.  It creates an awareness that life’s challenges are opportunities for growth.  I shared this story with my daughter who is 9 years old, and it was very good timing because they were learning about “symbolism” at school.  This book was a great way for her to practice interpreting the themes of the book and what they meant.  It was pretty insightful for me to see how she thought and what she took away from it! She felt like the book was telling her that we don’t just learn facts and problem solving (the information she gets at school,) but we also have to learn how to become a “grown up”.  She also explained to me that we can learn outside of school too, by thinking about the things that happen to us in the world.  Not bad for a grade 3! The book was also a great platform for us to talk about independence, and what kind of “journey” we might each be on.  (A great discussion!)  My daughter loved the pictures in the book which are bright and beautiful, and talking animals was right up her alley!  Her only criticism was that the main character should have been a girl.  (LOL!) Mrs. Grant is a skilled shaman healer and explains that there is strong magic actually written into the language of the book, and that it can have a healing effect on people.  I know that the time I spent with my daughter reading the book and talking about it was very rewarding, and...

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