When life leaves you feeling wound up, nothing is as relaxing as a spa day. A little indulgence can go a long way for your health. You deserve to take it easy. Timbercreek Communities has put together this list of the top 5 spas in Ontario to visit when you need a break or can be a great Mother’s Day gift!

Ste. Anne’s Spa

Ste. Anne’s Spa in Grafton, Ontario is located about 90 minutes east of Toronto. This adults-only, all-inclusive resort offers guests day or over-night accommodations in a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere that promotes a feeling of genuine calm. Guests can select their own personal spa experience with a full line of services and wellness classes. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy a healthy and wholesome meal in their full service dining room.

The Spa at White Oaks

The Spa at White Oaks in Niagara-on-the-Lake features 17 treatment rooms where guests can treat themselves to the very best. Choose from aromatherapy facials, body wraps, microdermabrasion treatments and more.

Body Blitz Spa

Body Blitz Spa is a water spa that caters to women in their two downtown Toronto locations. Both locations feature identical services. Guests can bathe in the spa’s therapeutic waters and indulge in premium services from the spa menu to create their own ultimate unwinding experience.

Scandinave Spa

Collingwood is about two hours north of Toronto and home to The Scandinave Spa at Blue Mountain. Here guests experience a unique Nordic-inspired, outdoor spa. Visit to indulge in body warming steam baths, hot baths and Finnish sauna, before taking the plunge into the cold bath. Finish off your visit with a Swedish or hot stone massage.

Miraj Hammam Spa at Shangri La

Envelop yourself in luxury at Shangri La’s Miraj Hammam Spa, an oasis within the city of Toronto. This Moroccan-themed spa features “hammams” where steam and exfoliation are used to detoxify and rejuvenate. But that is only the beginning. Stay for a massage, facial or body care treatment -- like a honey and wine body wrap.

Timbercreek Communities hopes this list of the top 5 spas in Ontario inspires you to take some time for yourself or with your mom as a nice getaway. Relax, unwind and shrug off some stress at one of these amazing spas.

The weather is getting warmer, the birds are singing and your apartment is probably cluttered from hibernation. It’s time for spring cleaning! Timbercreek Communities has some great tips for how to declutter your apartment this spring.

A Place For Everything

If you don’t have a place for all of your things, it’s possible that you don’t need to hang on to all those things. Life is more simple and less stressful when things are out of the way and organized. It’s also great when you know where everything is and where everything goes. If you can’t find a place for it in your home, perhaps it doesn’t need a place in your heart.

Don’t Take on Too Much

Most of us don’t have the time, energy or focus to spend an entire day cleaning and organizing. You need to organize your efforts. Break the job down, room by room or task by task, it’s up to you. Be efficient and plan to spend 2 or 3 hours per room or task. Be sure to take a well deserved break if you need it.

Use it or Lose It

How many times have you gone through your closets and cupboards and decided to hold onto something because you may need it one day? If you haven’t used that ice cream maker you got for a wedding gift years ago, you probably won’t and that’s okay. Let it go. Sell some things, donate some things, recycle some things and yes, throw away some things that are unusable.

Routine Maintenance

Congratulations! You’ve cleaned-out, decluttered and re-organized. The next step is to realize that you are not done. If you think it’s over, you may feel bad about yourself when you have to clean it up again in month or two. Staying organized requires routine maintenance and regular upkeep. The good news is that your new organizing system will be easier to maintain, with less clutter, than before.

Being organized can be easy! We hope that with a little time and effort, these tips for how to declutter your apartment this spring will help you will feel lighter and less stressed!

To learn more about Timbercreek Communities across a Canada, please visit our website.

Stainless steel is beautiful, but it smudges easily. It can even, strangely, become stained. Don’t despair! It’s easy and inexpensive to keep your steel stainless and smudge-free. Timbercreek Communities has some great tips for how to keep your stainless steel clean.

Vinegar and Oil

Vinegar and oil is not only great for salad dressing, it also leaves your stainless steel gleaming! Don’t mix them together though, you need to apply the two ingredients separately. You can use mineral oil, olive oil or other vegetable oil. The first step is to determine to determine the direction of the grain, it will either be vertical or horizontal. Go with the grain.  Pour a small amount of oil on a microfiber cloth and polish in the direction of the grain. Next, pour a small amount of white vinegar on the other side of the cloth (or use a new cloth) and wipe off any remaining smudges, again, in the direction of the grain. You’ll be left with shiny steel!

Dish Soap and Baby Oil

For this 2 step process you’ll need a couple of soft, non-abrasive cloths, and a little dish soap and baby oil. Dampen your first cloth and apply a little dish soap. Clean the steel along the direction of the grains. Going against the grain will not damage the steel, but you won’t get the clean, gleaming shine that you’re looking for. When you’re done cleaning the steel, wipe up any water streaks before polishing (with the grain) with a couple of drops of baby or mineral oil on a cloth.

Club Soda

Is there anything club soda can’t clean? Put a little club soda in a spray bottle and spray directly onto the steel, then wipe it away with a cloth in the direction of the grain. This will remove fingerprints and residue, and give your stainless steel a nice shine.

Glass Cleaner

A big complaint with stainless steel is all the fingerprints. You can quickly remove them by using glass cleaner, such as Windex. It’s not recommended that you spray it directly onto the appliance, as you may end up with drip marks and residue. Spray a small amount onto a cloth and apply it in a circular motion. Rinse thoroughly with water and another cloth and dry with a clean towel.

Your stainless steel just wants to shine! Timbercreek Communities hopes these tips help you keep your stainless steel clean and bright.

To learn more about Timbercreek Rental Communities across Canada, please visit our website.

While it’s a little early for t-shirts and sunscreen, the days are getting longer and the clocks have sprung ahead. It’s important to keep our animal friends in mind as spring begins. From cleaning products to open doors and windows, spring plants, and other seasonal changes, hazards to our pets increase. To keep your pets safe and sound, Timbercreek Communities has some important safety tips for spring.

Steer clear of standing water

From algae to mold, dirt, oil, heavy metals, and giardia, standing water (puddles, eaves troughs, ponds, poorly draining backyards) can present a danger to pets. While their digestive systems tend to be less sensitive than humans, pets can still get sick from drinking contaminated water. Try to keep an eye on your yard, and keep an eye out for standing water pockets on your walk routes.

Keep spring cleaning materials high up

Cleaning products contain a ton of toxic chemicals and need to be kept out of reach of your pets. Consider keeping your cleaning stuff in a high place. If you’re like a lot of people, you keep your cleaning solutions under the sink, or on a shelf next to the laundry. For your pet’s safety, relocate any and all cleaning products to a high shelf or cabinet. Keeping them out of reach will prevent accidental ingestion (and vet bills!).

Avoid toxic plants

Lilies can be fatal to cats if ingested. The ASPCA also lists Azaleas, Tulips and Sago Palms as having “systemic effects on animals and/or intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract.” While both dogs and cats gnaw on grass and succulents for added vitamin content, it’s important to be aware that these and other common greens can give your pets trouble. Get more info here.

Keep Easter chocolate out of reach

While delicious for humans, chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs. Throw in that cute little plastic grass that comes with many Easter basket packs and you get a real pet hazard. Inform your kids about the dangers of both items. They shouldn’t have trouble keeping their chocolate safe, but remind them to keep it out of pet reach.

Screen your windows (cat safety)

Even indoor cats love the prospect of outdoor freedom. With spring weather comes open windows and doors, which present an irresistible seduction to the adventurous pet. Get a jump on spring by installing screens on windows to deter your cats (dogs, birds, salamanders) from roaming the neighbourhood (sad as it might be for them!).

Watch out for fleas

Spring is flea and tick season. Luckily for you, knowing is half the battle. The best prevention is cleaning your pet’s bed, sleeping and hangout areas, vacuuming your home, and watching your pet for telltale flea and tick behaviour (scratching, biting, licking, shaking). Click here for more info.

At Timbercreek Communities, we know how much you love your pets and we hope that these important safety tips for spring keep your pets happy and healthy this year.

For more information on Timbercreek Communities across Canada, please visit our website.