When I was a little girl, my bedtime ritual required very precise timing and cat-like agility. I would stand in my bedroom doorway and when I felt ready I would flick the light switch off and then take a running leap at my bed, narrowly escaping the grasp of the slimy troll that lived underneath it.

The adrenaline rush I got each time usually kept my heart thumping for several minutes while I made sure I was tucked completely under my covers and positioned exactly in the middle of my bed – never near the edge because until I fell asleep, the troll was still there, waiting for me to slip up. Even when my room was furnished with a bedside lamp, I’d still be wary of reaching across the abyss between bed and nightstand to turn off the light.

I can’t recall when or how I got over this fear but for a significant period in my childhood, it altered my behaviour. Unfortunately for some people, fears don’t ever go away; sometimes they even manifest into full-blown phobias as we learn from this month’s feature story by Erin Isings. What a fascinating account of how a fear can take hold and debilitate a person, compromising the quality of their life.

For those of you still recovering from the mad holiday rush and excitement, why not take some much needed downtime to enjoy what we think is one of the nicest simple pleasures of the season? You certainly don’t have to be Julia Child to enjoy cooking up something warm and comforting, and we’re pretty sure you’ll be tempted to try the coq au vin recipe we feature as a compliment to Tonya Lailey’s article this month. Cooking with wine might just be the perfect remedy for a cold winter’s night. The added bonus is that you don’t have to worry about drinking and driving.

Settling in for another long, cold winter doesn’t mean Canadians have to hibernate – as tempting as that may be. In fact, it may be the perfect opportunity to consider installing a home gym; but don’t just plunk down a treadmill in the corner of your basement. Wil Herold offers some great tips in this month’s “Inside style” for how to create the ideal space to get you motivated about getting – and staying – in shape.

We applaud and encourage everyone who has made resolutions for 2008; the start of a new year can be an ideal time to make changes and improvements. That was our thinking when we sat down to re-vamp the design of Real Women and we hope you like the fresh new look. We value feedback from our readers and have included some recent letters from them (below).

Here’s to a new year and new possibilities ... enjoy!

Shelley Vandermolen - Editor

Letter's from our Readers

I just wanted to tell you that I have really enjoyed the magazine. I read it cover to cover and think that it’s wonderful. I’m at a stage in my life that my kids are all grown up and I need to get back into the real world again. The articles in your magazine help; the topics are informative and well written. I look forward to the next issue.

Kathy Micks ~ Stratford

As an entrepreneur and mother of two small children, it’s refreshing to find a publication that captures the true essence of today’s women. For me, it embodies the real role of a woman today by combining home and family with career choices and ambitions. I relate to so many of the articles; at times I feel as though they were written specifically for me. Until now I read different magazines to consume myself with balance in all my daily roles but now I can read just one and feel a sense of familiarity and belonging. It gives me peace of mind to know the organized chaos I call life is familiar to lots of today’s women. Thank you for offering a fresh look at life and all that it offers.

Lisa Stead ~ London