Rich Abbott

Put up your own jam, tomatoes, beans and pickles. These 15 well-reviewed picks cover jars, lids and labels, a water bath canner and a pressure canner, the small tools that make canning day easier, and the books that teach you to do it safely. #ad

Good bread takes flour, water, salt, yeast and a few tools that make the job easier. These 16 well-reviewed picks cover mixing and measuring, shaping and proofing, and baking, slicing and keeping your loaves, whether you bake sandwich bread in a pan or a crusty loaf in a Dutch oven. #ad

Ontario is a lot more than Toronto. Lake Superior cliffs and ancient rock paintings, a giant goose in Wawa, Mennonite markets, pioneer villages, island lighthouses and the falls everyone should see once. These are the stops worth the drive, from Lake of the Woods to the St. Lawrence.

Grooming changes after 60. Skin gets drier, nose and ear hair grows faster, and toenails get harder to trim. These 15 well-reviewed picks cover the shave, winter-dry skin, home haircuts and hands and feet, without a drawer full of gadgets you'll never use. #ad

I heated with nothing but wood for years in Canada: a homemade barrel stove in a round house, then a Pioneer Princess cookstove in a log home, about 10 cords a winter that I felled and split myself. This is the gear that makes that work easier and safer, from splitting and stacking to running the stove, cooking on it and keeping the chimney clean. #ad

Feel like AI passed you by? It didn't. Plain-English books and simple, well-reviewed gear for people over 60 who want to use ChatGPT and other AI tools to write, publish, earn a little extra or keep their minds sharp. It starts with the 10-book AI After 60 series by Edwin Trask, who began at 65 with no technical background, then the desk helpers that make long sessions easier on your eyes, neck and hands. #ad

British Columbia is more than Vancouver and Whistler. Gold rush towns, a lake covered in spots, goats on a market roof, a free ferry across Kootenay Lake and hot springs at the end of the Alaska Highway. These are the stops worth slowing down for, from the island to the Rockies and up north.

Alberta is more than Banff and the Calgary Stampede. Dinosaur country, ancient rock carvings, a buffalo jump used for thousands of years, frozen bubbles in a mountain lake and a giant Easter egg. These are the stops worth slowing down for, from the badlands in the southeast to the boreal north.

Saskatchewan is not just wheat fields on the way to somewhere else. Badlands and sand dunes, a lake you can float in, Prohibition tunnels, a T. rex named Scotty and some of the darkest night skies in Canada. These are the stops worth slowing down for, from the Big Muddy in the south to Prince Albert National Park in the north.

Hard to buy for? Most men over 60 don't want more stuff. They want things that work, keep them warm and make the day a little easier. Practical gifts for dads, grandpas and husbands, all well reviewed. Shopping for her too? Get The Refined Gift Guide free at therefinedfinds.substack.com #ad

Manitoba is more than flat fields on the way to somewhere else. Sand dunes, prairie grain elevators, Icelandic fishing villages, old dams in the bush and the highest hill in the province. These are the stops worth slowing down for, from the Whiteshell in the east to the Duck Mountains in the west.

For the nights your mind won't settle. A simple bedtime routine: a scripture to rest on, a prayer to hand the day over, and a few small comforts that make the room quiet enough to sleep. Start with the free Rest In His Care videos, then add what helps. #ad

Creative, educational, and genuinely fun ways to keep kids busy without another screen. Discover seek-and-find adventures, coloring activities, puzzles, family games, STEM and robot kits, arts and crafts, storytelling games, travel activities, and outdoor exploration gear. Great ideas for quiet time, rainy days, road trips, learning at home, and family time—chosen to encourage curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, and imagination through hands-on play. #CommissionsEarned

A thoughtfully curated collection of books about money, wealth, mindset, habits and the decisions that shape our financial lives. These recommendations explore not only how to earn and manage money, but how we think about opportunity, discipline, ownership, purpose and long-term wealth. Whether you're rebuilding financially, planning your next chapter or simply looking for a wiser approach to money, these are books worth reading, thinking about and putting into practice. #CommissionsEarned

I’ve always enjoyed stories that leave me thinking after I’ve finished the last page. This collection brings together novels built around mysteries, unusual ideas, hidden truths, questions about the world we think we understand, and ordinary people who discover that things may not be quite what they seem. Some are books I’ve enjoyed or found thought-provoking, and I’ve also included one of my own novels written under the name R.G. Abbott. If a story makes me stop and wonder “what if?”, it belongs here. #CommissionsEarned

Life with Sheba, our energetic young German Shepherd, and Skipper, our little Papillon, has taught us that big dogs and small dogs can need very different things—and create very different kinds of chaos. This is where I collect the toys, walking gear, grooming tools, feeding essentials, beds, travel gear and everyday dog products that I think are genuinely useful. Some are better suited to a big, powerful dog like Sheba, others to a little dog like Skipper, and plenty make life easier no matter what size dog shares your home. #CommissionsEarned

I’ve dealt with sciatica while still having to show up for work, drive, spend hours on my feet and take care of everyday life. Simply stopping until everything feels better isn’t always an option. This collection brings together practical products, books and resources I think are worth considering for getting through the workday, driving, sitting, standing on hard floors, using heat and cold, and getting more comfortable at night. I’m not interested in miracle-cure promises—just practical ideas that may make living and working with sciatica a little more manageable. #CommissionsEarned

Staying strong and active matters more to me as I get older, especially when everyday life still involves work and plenty of things that need doing. I'm collecting useful products, books, ideas and resources here for maintaining strength, staying active and making movement part of everyday life. I'm interested in practical options rather than miracle promises or fitness hype. #ad Some recommendations may earn me a commission at no additional cost to you.

I like kitchen things that earn their place—tools that actually get used, pieces that make everyday cooking easier, and beautiful things that make a kitchen feel like home. This collection mixes practical workhorses with the cottage-inspired pieces I naturally gravitate toward, from baking and food preparation to storage, serving and everyday kitchen life. I’m not interested in filling cupboards with gadgets; these are finds I think are genuinely useful, beautiful, or both. #ad

A curated collection of timeless ideas for creating a home and life with warmth, beauty and meaning. Explore English cottage kitchens, afternoon tea, handwritten letters, Victorian reading corners, traditional homemaking, vintage arts and crafts, slow living and old-fashioned Christmas traditions. Inspired by Parlour Secrets, these are simple pleasures, thoughtful rituals and beautiful traditions worth rediscovering in a hurried modern world. #CommissionsEarned