I’ve often written about taking time out for yourself, even if it’s just 10 minutes to meditate in the morning. Anything to reset and recharge; it really helps to improve your mental and emotional well-being. When I do go away, it’s often to some of my favourite places that are a short distance away - Whistler, the Okanagan wine country, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, for instance. What I’ve often forgotten is that there is another location so close to home: Victoria. In fact, it’s so close that I often take it for granted and have been doing so for nearly 20 years. Yes, I can’t believe it had been that long since I had been back...

I'm a self-professed oenophile. As such, I often enjoy a glass of wine (or two) with my meals. And while I like white wines my preference still lies with red - in particular deep, rich, velvety and smooth Bordeaux wines. The only first-world problem that comes with that preference however, is that the wines end up staining my teeth. Pile on coffee stains from my multiple lattes during the day and I'm starting to resemble someone from the cast of Oliver...

Given how Vancouver’s weather can change on a dime - where one day it’s a balmy 25 degrees Celsius and the next day it’ll be 13 degrees and raining, you can’t quite do a wholesale change with your closet. That’s why I keep sweaters in my dresser year-round. You never know when they’ll be handy and hey - they’re super comfortable and cuddly...