If you have crooked or gapped teeth, you may be tempted to try DIY orthodontics using videos on YouTube or at-home kits that are advertised on TV. These options are said to save people money by avoiding appointments with dental professionals. The truth is, DIY orthodontics are unsafe and could end up costing you more money later on. Complications can arise from placing DIY or mail-order dental appliances over decayed teeth or infected gums. Only a professional can determine the presence of these problems and ensure they are fixed correctly. Options like Invisalign 5 offer people with mildly crooked or gapped teeth a way to straighten them with clear aligners instead of braces, in as little as six to eight weeks, at a cost comparable to those mail-order products. Bower Dental Centre, Invisalign5atCost.com

Studies show that there are numerous benefits for connecting children with nature at an early age. It supports creativity and problem solving; enhances cognitive abilities; improves academic performance; reduces Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) symptoms; increases physical activity; improves nutrition, eyesight, social relations, self-discipline and reduces stress. Kerry Wood Nature Centre, WaskasooPark.ca/nature-nursery

Tax season is quickly approaching, but there’s still time to limit the amount of taxes you will owe this year. Make the most of RRSP opportunities. – They are an effective tool to defer current tax until retirement;
-Your RRSP contribution enables current tax savings by reducing your overall taxable income; and
– You can benefit from tax-free growth on the investments inside your RRSP portfolio.
The contribution deadline is March 1, 2018, but first be sure to check your allowable contribution limit on your prior year’s Notice of Assessment to avoid an over-contribution.
Mike Goodade, CPA, CA, ProVerus Chartered Professional Accountants, Proverus.ca

Have you ever found yourself horse-trading in your relationships? “I’ll give you what you want, if I get what I want.” Horse-trading is common and can cause relationships to suffer. People barter to meet their emotional, physical, or psychological needs, and relationships are often compromised. So how can you meet your needs and maintain a strong and healthy relationship? Working with a coach to learn about the different levels of relationships, and ways to engage at a higher level, can improve your relationship and address your needs, and help you leave those horse-trading days behind. John Harty, Insight Life Coach Services, MeetMe.so/JohnHarty

It’s surprising, but everyone can LEARN to be happier. Like mastering other skills, it takes practice and like other aspects of health, if you don’t use it, you lose it! Try this and see how you feel. People who completed 5 Acts of Kindness in 24 hours reported feeling happy for days afterwards. Stop to hold the door open for someone, or compliment a friend or a stranger, but do 5 deliberately nice things today. And then repeat, for practice makes perfect!

The Red Deer Primary Care Network, RedDeerPcn.com

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2/3 cup favourite Buffalo Sauce
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1 rotisserie style chicken, meat chopped
• 1/3-1/2 cup chopped celery
• Cilantro, as desired
• Ranch or bleu cheese dressing
• Shredded cheese, if desired
1. Combine stock, cream cheese, Buffalo Sauce, milk, cream, and butter in blender. Pulse until smooth.
2. Pour into stock pot and heat over medium low until simmering. Do not boil. Add seasonings, chicken, and celery. Allow to cool an additional 3-5 minutes. Top with cilantro, dressing, and cheese, if desired. Dawn Volmer, Big Bend Market, BigBendMarket.ca

Cranial Osteopathy is a safe, gentle restorative technique for everybody from infants to the elderly. It is used to assess and treat the mobility of the skull and its ligaments, the spine, sacrum and other parts of the body. The goal is to adjust the body’s physiology by restoring balance to the circulation of the blood and other body fluids, the body’s internal biorhythm. Manual Osteopaths can feel this biorhythm in the client’s head, spinal cord and sacrum and will use techniques to modify it during treatment, as needed. Dr. Dwayne Manary DC. DMO., Black Rock Therapies, BlackRockTherapies.com

Most commonly this occurs when a woman passes into menopause and also in women experiencing induced menopause. While many painful symptoms are experienced by as many as 50% of postmenopausal women, many women who experience these symptoms feel that it is just a normal part of the aging process and nothing can be done about it. These issues affect a women’s quality of life both physically and psychologically. There are new treatments available for this very common disorder such as the MonaLisa Touch® – a simple treatment that provides lasting results. Women Imaging Center, WomenImagingCenter.ca

When was the last time you did something for yourSELF? Self-care is the most selfLESS thing you can do. If you consistently put other things or people ahead of your needs, it can deplete you and your happiness. What you are actually giving is a burned-out version of you. Give 100% to yourself first, then you’ll have more to give to others. Try self-care on for size: go to bed earlier, play that guitar, go to that retreat. Do what FEELS good and others will see your light. Kendra Irvine, Certified Wellness Coach, Living Light, KendraIrvine.com

Various dates and times: Red Deer Primary Care Network offers FREE group Happiness Basics workshops for anyone wanting to learn these skills. Four and 7-week long options available. Call 403.343.9100 for more details. RedDeerPcn.com