6 Blake St Mornington P 5976 2125 Welcometo the GoodLife Dear Readers...
Are you waking up in the dark, losing track of the time in the afternoon and generally feeling the chill when you leave the house Me too.
It must be Winter where has the year gone Unless you re in the snow, Winter always seems a bit dreary but let s be positive there are huge advantages to this time of year and we ve explored some of them in this edition.
DIANNE BAXTER jollies us along and HELEN JONES in Locals at Leisure points out that it s a perfect time to discover what s on offer in our own backyard without the crowds.
And what is on offer is fabulous.
My family particularly love the Hot Springs all year round but they say it s all the more special in the cooler months even in the rain .
And its official Frommers Guide have recognised the Hot Springs as one of the top 5 in the world.
We have so many fabulous natural and man-made assets with one of the world s great cool climate wine regions on our doorstep..
And our vignerons are the real deal see ARTHUR O BRYAN S Characters of Wine P18 .
When you visit a local winery you are just as likely to meet the winemaker, the grower or the family who own the vineyard running the cellar door and at any time of year that is a point of difference that makes cellar- dooring a special pleasure.
Winter is the time of year when we can really appreciate those good things that come with the season - cosy fires, red wine, comfort food, walks along our beautiful seasonally empty beaches, cliff tops and national parks or maybe stay indoors and explore the galleries and antique shops.
McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park turns 40 this year and if you haven t been you are missing a wonderful experience for the whole family.
And as for eating a bonus of this season is the ample opportunity to take advantage of fantastic savings on mid week lunches at some of our best restaurants and wineries.
With the new season it s kind of fun to rug up against the cold and that could mean rediscovering our winter wardrobes and adding to them.
As always ANNETTE SAN FILIPPO has some great ideas for us and LORNA EVANS takes us to New York with styling tips for this season s hair.
Perhaps this is not the best time to get out into the garden but I think many will be inspired by WENDY CLARKE S great story on page 120 and something I have long suspected, gardens are good for you not sure if in my case it is reciprocated .
Health and Beauty is a strong theme we talk about diabetes, alternative therapies and ovarian cancer but it s not all sombre news.
We also introduce you to the Peninsula s first IVF baby and the team behind this heart- warming success.
We look at mothers too a little late for Mother s Day but why should it just be a day KAREN TATMAN makes the list for next year and Dianne B reflects on what our mothers mean to us.
We have lots of other good news too our regular community section spotlights Sunrise Rotary, a great group who do a lot of good whilst having f fun.
Sounds familiar.
Our Goodlife Lunch at the Racecourse in May was loads of fun too and in aid of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation see the pics on page 26 and 27 and just a reminder that our next Lunch is 19 July at The Grand, Mornington for the Bays Hospital p15 Another story from Karen on this page is about supporting our local businesses.
I hope you will give it some thought.
It is so easy to forget that what goes around comes around in the economic sense as well.
Every dollar we spend locally works its way around our community and keeps jobs here and we need to remember that the multiplier effect works both ways.
As Karen points out there is real value in supporting the people you know and in the end it is our community that benefits.
At Goodlife we welcome a new member of the team.
Baby Ella-May arrived arrived in March and with her brother Ryan has helped mum, Lisa Carson our wonderful Senior Design Associate, put together pages of both the Visitors Guide and this edition.
Age is no barrier at the Goodlife .
Unfortunately for us, after more than 3 years Melissa is moving out of the office and returning to study.
We will miss her irrepressible sense of humour and her organisational skills but she will keep in touch through the pages of our Health and Beauty feature see her first instalment p 102 - We wish you all a warm and wonderful Winter Mary and Arthur, Amy, Lisa, Melissa and the puppies.
Shop Locally It Makes Cents It s really tempting isn t it, to take advantage of the strength of the Aussie dollar and cash in on all those internet bargains at the moment But before you hit add to cart , just pause for a moment and think about the real power of your shopping dollar.
There is a growing army of savvy shoppers who have made the decision to spend their hard-earned dollars locally, preferably in their own neighbourhoods, and ideally with independent small businesses.
But I can get it cheaper online Well yes, sometimes you can.
But when you stop and consider the very real advantages of shopping locally, your one click purchase might not seem like such a bargain after all.
Once you factor in the following free gifts with purchase that everyone receives from a local transaction, you ll be pleasantly surprised what excellent value for money local business actually provide.
By shopping locally you 1.
Enhance your sense of community.
Get to know your neighbours not just the people who work at your local shops, but other customers too 2.
Reduce your impact on the environment.
Buying locally can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint compare the impact of a short drive to your local shops to having your discount DVD delivered by plane Better still, walk.
3.
Create local job opportunities.
Local businesses generally employ local people, which again adds to the quality of life in your local community.
Also, in some sectors, local businesses provide better wages and working conditions that some of the bigger chain stores.
4.
Keep your money flowing within your community.
A good percentage of every dollar you spend at your local shops is usually kept within your local economy.
It s a way of investing in the neighbourhood you simultaneously create jobs, fund neighbourhood improvements and promote community development.
5.
Maintain diversity in your neighbourhood.
Shopping locally supporting your business community protects diversity in your neighbourhood.
It s important that local businesses are kept strong viable.
6.
Enjoy better quality products.
Often locally bought produce is of better quality than products that are mass produced and transported around the country for the major shopping chains.
This can be especially true of locally grown fruit and vegetables.
7.
Support local families.
The local business down the road is probably owned by a local family or employs members of local families.
Buying locally means you support these families, which has flow on effects for local schools, sporting clubs, churches social groups.
8.
Encourage competition.
A diverse marketplace with hundreds of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long term.
These local businesses can select products based on the needs of their local consumers rather than national sales plans.
9.
Support local businesses that support local groups.
Locally owned businesses tend to show greater interest in supporting local clubs and causes.
So, it makes sense to support the businesses that support our community.
10.
Experience better service as a customer.
Many people choose to shop locally simply because they receive better customer service.
This is often because smaller local business will go the extra mile to keep customers happy.
Worth thinking about, isn t it - Karen Tatman 6 good life - june, july, august 2011