Real Estate Blog - Seasonal Holidays

Back To School Advice

Back to school season is in full swing, with many grade schools starting classes as early as August! With the back to school season comes new schedules, activities, processes, people, and so much more. It can be an overwhelming and over-stimulating couple of weeks getting settled into a new routine; so be gracious with yourself and your loved ones as you navigate this transition. We know it’s exhausting, so take care of each other.

One of the ways you can be gentle on yourself and others during this season is to celebrate the start of the school year the best way possible: by ordering take-out and putting on a family-favorite movie. Jen Hatmaker, author and speaker, encourages her readers to make the first Friday of back to school season a pizza…

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August 2022 Long Weekend Activity Ideas

Ahhh, the long weekend is here! Everyone seems to take a deep breath when a long weekend arrives, knowing they will have one more day to rest.

Did you know that in some countries, such as Belgium, nearly every workplace keeps to a four day work day? They find it makes employees more productive, and has increased levels of happiness. Instead of packing one day of your weekend with errands, you have a day just for that. After all, we were never intended to work a 40 hour work week AND take care of domestic duties. If you’re having trouble balancing it all, go easy on yourself.

This is why long weekends are so lovely. They allow time for you to really rest, and go do something if you’re so inclined! If you’re looking for something fun to do this long…

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Home Security Tips & Tricks

Keeping your home safe and secure while you’re away on summer holidays is extremely important. There would be nothing worse than returning from your glorious summer vacation to a mess back home. Statistics show that homes are most vulnerable to predators during the summer months and at Christmastime, because both are seasons where thieves know people are traveling and distracted. Here are some easy tips to help keep your home safe that don’t require a hefty down payment:

1). Get a Beware of Dog sign. Whether you have a menacing guard dog, an overly friendly companion , or no dog at all, Beware of Dog signs are proven to deter criminals. These signs are incredibly inexpensive and easy to post on your gates and doors.

2). Leave on a light and the…

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Camping Tips and Tricks

It’s camping season! This summer has ushered in incredible weather, with plenty of rain and heat. The grass is green, the water is cool, and the sun is shining. Many Calgarians are taking advantage of this beautiful weather by packing up and heading to their favorite campsite to breathe in the fresh air. Looking for some tips and tricks to make your camping experience better? Here are some of our favorites:

Frozen Water Bottles: Instead of buying a bunch of ice for your cooler that will melt and leave a mess, instead buy a flat of water. Crack the lid and dump out a little bit from each bottle to release the pressure, then pop it in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, you can line your cooler with them to keep things icy! As they melt, they also…

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Bee-Friendly Gardening

Our ecosystem is powerful; but fragile. One missing link can set off a catastrophic domino effect, just as when one area of it is thriving, the rest has the opportunity to thrive. One member of this ecosystem is our precious pollinator: the bee. Bees don't simply gather nutrients from flowers for their own honey and hive; they also help to cross-pollinate plants to ensure greenery thrives and continues to regenerate every season. Without bees, our ecosystem would be in serious danger. 

The biggest threat to bees is, believe it or not, us! With more land being developed, natural habitats are lost. With carefully manicured and planned our gardens and lawns, the plants bees need for their nutrients are cut down and plucked like weeds. With insecticide and…

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How to Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day

Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day! 

The Government of Canada writes, "this is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Although these groups share many similarities, they each have their own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day."

Why June 21st, Summer Solstice? For many Indigenous groups, summer solstice is an important day of celebration and ceremony. Peter Bellegarde, the National Chief of The Assembly of First…

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Creative Survival Shelters

The hope is always that you will never face an emergency situation. However, it is best to have a game plan just incase. This can also ease anxiety about possible future events, by giving you a clear vision of how you'll respond ahead of time. It is important to have the skills and knowledge to survive, and to decide that you will do whatever it takes to survive.

Sometimes people purposefully put themselves in situations where their skills are tested. Just take the television show 'Alone' as an example. In 'Alone,' contestants are dropped off in isolated areas of the wilderness. If they can last 100 days (that's right, one-hundred days), they win the prize money. If they're forced to tap out at any point, due to illness, injury, or overwhelming…

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Gardening in Calgary

Gardening in Calgary is not for the faint of heart!

Calgary experiences all four seasons in full force. Our Springs are wet, our summers scorching, our falls blistery, and our winters freezing. In the regular gardening season that spans from Spring-early Fall, we often experience every single type of weather: heat waves, snowstorms, hail and more. Frankly, we can experience all those types of weather in just one day! These conditions make gardening challenging; but not impossible. 

So, how can you successfully garden in Calgary? Here are the steps:

1. Invest in good soil. Kath Smyth, a horticulturist with the Calgary Horticultural Society, tells Avenue Calgary, "Soil is the foundation of any good garden. Compost to create soil that is…

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Mother's Day in The Mountains

Don't forget: Mother's Day is this weekend on Sunday! Mother's Day is a great opportunity to spend some time showing appreciation for your Mother, or Mother-Figure. Moms do so much for all of us, so it's important to give back every opportunity that we have. You never know how much time you have with your Mom, so make the most of it and treat her to some quality one-on-one time. 

Not sure what to do with Mom this Mother's Day? We recommend getting out the city for a fun day in the mountains! Here are some of our mountain getaway recommendations:

1). Drinks for the Road: Kick off your road trip with Mom by picking up a drink from your favourite local cafe! There are tons of independent coffee shops in Calgary, such as Monogram, Good Trade Co,…

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Remember: This Weekend We Spring Forward!

This weekend is daylight savings and to say we are looking forward to it would be a lie. Falling back one hour we can 100% get on board with, but springing forward one hour and losing that hour of sleep? Not our most favourite yearly event. 

While springing forward means less sleep the night of, it does mean that our mornings get a little brighter. Has anyone else noticed the birds singing before your alarm clock goes off, or the warm forecast for next week? Apparently nature is ready to spring forward, and for that we cannot complain. 

Not everyone recognizes Daylight Savings. Just ask our neighbours to the east; Saskatchewan has chosen to forego all recognition of daylight savings. They're already teasing us about our short night on…

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