I quit my afternoon coffee. Not because I wanted to — because I found something better.

You know that wall you hit every day around 2–3 PM? I used to just accept it as the cost of doing anything. Another coffee, a quick spike, then the crash — and somehow I'd still feel dehydrated by dinner.

Then I tried X·E Fountain, Pique's brand-new electrolyte energy drink, and I genuinely wasn't ready for how good "no crash" could feel.

No caffeine jitters. No 4 PM slump. Just clean, steady energy that actually hydrates me instead of draining me. It's built with a premium Vitamin B Complex for natural cellular energy, Magnesium Malate + Taurate for real focus, and a full electrolyte blend that makes it feel like a treat, not a chore.

The cucumber-celery-lime flavor is so crisp and refreshing — it's basically stolen my afternoon coffee slot completely.

For launch, get 15% off for life

Fall family photos run on a narrow schedule. The leaves turn, then they drop, and the good outdoor light disappears somewhere around the middle of October. Anyone doing Christmas cards is booking right now.

Here is the part people forget until the night before: the haircut has to come first, and it has to come far enough ahead that it looks like your hair and not like a fresh cut. A week is about right.

So this week we went looking for both halves, in all three towns. Three chairs and three cameras, all confirmed.

A full-service salon run by master stylists and co-owners Candice Grace and Stephaine Helsby, with a team behind them and a stated focus on continuing education and current technique. They carry Davines and Mood in the salon.

The detail worth knowing: they are open until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, which is the only realistic window if you work days and have kids to get through supper first. Book online or by phone.

Locally owned and operated, downtown on 50 Street. Haircuts, beard trims, skin fades, straight razor shaves, military cuts, and kids' cuts, which is the one that matters if the whole family is getting tidied up for the same photo.

Their hours are not published anywhere we could confirm, so call before you go.

Devon's own, tucked into Huron Street. Men's cuts, beard trims, head shaves and hot towel shaves. It is a call-to-book shop rather than an online-booking one, which suits the format.

One caution: the only hours we could find come from a third-party listing that the shop itself is not affiliated with, so treat them as a guide and phone first.

The one to look at first if you want the photos taken here rather than in the city. She shoots at an open hillside surrounded by trees in Beaumont, the North Saskatchewan River in Devon, and Telford Lake in Leduc, plus a natural-light studio in south Edmonton or your own home if the weather turns.

The approach is built for families who dread this: minimal sitting still and smiling, lots of prompting, and a session that runs 45 minutes to an hour so nobody melts down. She takes a limited number of sessions each month, so the fall calendar fills.

Kristy MacKenzie, working out of Leduc and Edmonton. Family, maternity, newborn and engagement sessions start at $475.

Worth knowing if you want something quicker and cheaper: mini sessions are offered in the Leduc studio only, at Loft on Main. If a full session is more than you need, ask about those.

Bonnie-Jean McAllister, based in Beaumont and a familiar face at community events around town. Alongside family lifestyle sessions she does graduation sessions, headshots and business profiles, and event coverage.

The useful angle here is the grad photos. If you have a kid finishing this year, that booking sneaks up faster than the family one does.

Thursday is the last Beaumont Farmers Market of the season. 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ken Nichol Regional Recreation Centre, 5303 50 St. That is it until next year.

Friday, the Chantal Bérubé Youth Centre turns 22. 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., free, with food, music, games and a late-night movie. Open to members and non-members, so it is a decent first visit if your teen has never been.

Saturday is a big one. The last Leduc Farmers Market of the season runs 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Leduc Recreation Centre. The Leduc Protective Services Showcase is 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 4119 50 St. And out at Attracted2Apples in Fort Saskatchewan, the final u-pick of the year is 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. only, half price at $1.15/lb, cash only.

This newsletter is better when it comes from the people who live here. Send us any of the following and we will run it: lost and found pets, community garage sales, fundraisers and charity drives, volunteer callouts, minor sports results and tournament wins, new business openings, and milestone celebrations like anniversaries or retirements. Photos welcome. If you run a local group, club or team, get on our list and we will help you fill seats.

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