PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE
Welcome to 2020 the year of the rat and all its foretelling’s.
As I look back on the year 2019, it was not without its challenges. A significant year of discovery and acceptance. A time of perception and gratitude, to have been blessed with such an amazing family and supportive loved ones. We are all aware of the importance of living a happy, balanced lifestyle, yet how often do so many of us need a ‘not so gentle’ reminder…
This issue marks the end of a decade and the beginning of a whole new chapter with the predominant title - ‘if you can dream it, you can achieve it.’
Is dreaming the key to succeeding? We show you how to put your creative ideas together and to encourage the child in all of us to resurface. Remember what it was like when we had little concern about embracing our imagination.
Our front cover depicts the coziness and beauty of the winter season, you can read more about the talented professionals involved in creating this stunning work of art on page 6.
The winter season is also a time when we tend to want to just snuggle up and stay indoors, shorter days and colder nights is a given, and so it’s even more important that we pay extra attention to our well-being. To help maintain bone and joint health and to keep our energy levels up, nutrition and exercise play a vital role. Page 19 makes no bones about it!
The Okanagan Valley is such a great place to live, we can sometimes forget that not everyone here is as fortunate as others. Some lack the creature comforts that many of us may take for granted. Thankfully, there are people and wonderful organizations that have made it their purpose to help wherever they can. Read more on page 30.
See our heart-warming, delicious recipes on pages 32 – 36, and to help you get your well-deserved rest through the holiday season, we’ve selected a few of our favourite teas to relax with.
Wishing all of our readers, subscribers, advertisers, contributors and friends, a very happy, healthy and purposeful 2020.
Dare to dream… and love with all your heart,
Cheers,
Suzy
Tell us what you’d like to see in OKW next issue… we’d love to hear from you.


November 13, 2019
In Penticton, BC we have a long-awaited addition, The David Kempe Tower, to our Penticton Regional Hospital open April 29, 2019. The hospital built in 1953, renovated last in 1973 had the tower started...
October 2, 2019
Meet two of Okanagan’s very own female firefighters;
Issy Venables of Penticton and Allyson Reich of Vernon.
These courageous women opened up to Okanagan Woman about their lives and careers as first res...
September 25, 2019
Eiren Crawford is a BC born and raised Canadian Dressage rider with International experience at the highest levels.
Eiren grew up with horses and has dreamed of representing Canada at the Olympics since...
July 24, 2019
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.”
~ John F. Kennedy
Hold on to your helmets! Even the savvy JFK would be astonished by the revolution happening on our roads, trails and in our mo...
July 2, 2019
With so much attention given to the plight of the honeybee it is easy to overlook the local native pollinators who visit our yards and gardens alongside their honeybee cousins.
Just like honeybees, nat...
June 24, 2019
Two Okanagan women set to make waves on the international
paddling scene this summer in Australia.
Life changed for Leanne Stanley when the cute guy next to her in grade 11 chemistry class invited her to...
June 17, 2019
Protect your Property... the Smart Way
Ask any wildland firefighter even a decade ago and he or she will tell you forestry firefighting has not changed much in a hundred years.
Studies on fire behavior ha...
June 8, 2019
Sandy Leier, the homegrown beauty who graces the front cover of the summer issue of Okanagan Woman, is the quintessential example of a woman who has it all… and takes nothing for granted.
Sandy has a son...
May 28, 2019
Barb is not someone you’d take for a scam victim. At 69, she is still employed — holding a top position at a professional association. Unlike the stereotype of an elderly victim, she is well-educated an...
May 24, 2019
I AWOKE WITH A START.
My sleep addled brain struggled to determine the unfamiliar surroundings.
“What was that noise?” A low heavy “harrumph” was emanating from somewhere nearby. Clarity and memory fl...
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Okanagan Woman Magazine
can be found at these local retailers:
Chapters Indigo, Orchard Park, Kelowna
Coles, Cherry Lane Mall, Penticton
Coles, Village Green Mall, Vernon
Mosaic Books, Kelowna