Finding a new home can be an emotionally-charged process. But as mentally consuming as it can be, it's often accompanied by feelings of optimism, excitement and even relief – especially when you've finalized your purchase.

Then reality sets in. You've got to move... everything.

You have to pack, discard, arrange and re-arrange belongings, abandon a familiar setting and establish yourself in a new community. It can be profoundly stressful and daunting.

Ventless heat-pump dryers dry clothes more efficiently at cooler temperatures

It may seem like the last place in your house you'd look for cutting-edge technology, but the laundry room is a pretty cool spot these days. No, seriously.

An exciting innovation that's reached our shores in recent years is the ventless heat-pump clothes dryer. They've been available since the 1990s in Europe, where the higher cost of electricity is a major incentive toward using less of it, but are just now developing a presence here.

Grow your own herbs and inspire your next culinary creation

Is there a shortage of basil at the store? No problem. Frost in the garden? No worries. Basil and other herbs are always in season and at your fingertips when you grow them right in your own kitchen.

A herb garden in the kitchen is amazing. And if you're the family cook or aspiring chef, you already know that fresh herbs bring meals to life. With a little space and the right kit, herbs practically grow themselves. Or, if you prefer a low-tech approach, even a modest a windowsill can suffice.

Energy panel weighs in on the nuts and bolts of the controversial carbon tax

Alberta's carbon tax is one of the most important policy changes in the province's recent history. How Alberta adapts to the tax will undoubtedly shape its economic landscape for years to come.

In effect since January, the $20-a-tonne tax remains a highly contentious topic from both economic and environmental perspectives. Since its implementation, politicians, businesses, and consumers have worried what the additional tax will do to an already fragile Alberta economy and to Albertans.

Some groups, like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, for example, claim the average household could pay more than $2,500 per year as a result of direct costs, such as household energy use, and indirect costs from increased costs to business operations.

Whether building a patio or deck, new materials are expanding creative possibilities

Summer is coming and Calgarians are once again preparing to soak up as much good weather and outdoor living as possible. There's no better place to enjoy a warm summer day than on your very own deck or patio. So, if you're thinking about building or enhancing, it's a good time to consider your options.

Peter Van Seggelen, owner of The Landscape Artist Inc., says a patio or deck should be viewed as part of an overall landscaping plan, which can include benches, pathways, or features like an outdoor fireplace.

The housing market is set for a favourable spring as detached prices stabilize and city-wide inventory trends downward

Ask economists about the highs and lows of the housing market and they'll say it won't last –there's a natural equilibrium that will eventually push things back into balanced territory.

It's a theory that was certainly tested over recent years, but as time will attest, its best to trust economists in these matters.

As spring gets underway amid a strengthening regional economy, the housing market pendulum is slowly swinging back toward the middle.

Calgary's housing market showing signs of stability, but the road to a full recovery will take time.

If Calgary's housing market was a hospital patient, it would have been in intensive care for the last year. Today, though, the patient is showing signs of serious recovery.

First quarter data for 2017 from the CREB®, released earlier this month, reveals the market could be entering a period of stability in which supply and demand are essentially balancing out in the detached sector of the market.

"When we talk about recovery, we have to differentiate the marketplace conditions because there are two segments facing different prospects," said Ann-Marie Lurie, chief economist with CREB®.