5 Things to do on Valentine's Day!

Lights, Camera, Action... MOVIE NIGHT!

A movie night is always a great thing to do whether you've got a significant other or friends to hang out with! Going to the theatre and treating yourself to full reclining seats or staying in with a cozy blanket in the comfort of your own home, it's the perfect Valentine's Day activity for anyone!

Dinner Date

There are so many of Vancouver's best restaurants located in Yaletown. Perfect ambiance and even better food... some popular picks include Blue Water Cafe, Minami, Robba da Matti, La Pentola and more! Make reservations as soon as you can!

Nothing better than a HOME COOKED MEAL

Want to stay in pajamas, watch Netflix and snuggle up by fire? Staying in and cooking your own Valentine's Day dinner is definitely the plan for you. Get your apron on, light some candles and set up the table with flowers and you've got a romantic dinner for two (or more)!

PALentine's Day

Don't have a special someone to celebrate with? Who said you can't celebrate with your closest friends! Embrace and show appreciation for the wonderful friendships you have with a night out on the town or enjoy some wine, snacks and a face mask for a self-care day at home!

Stay-cation 

On a budget but looking for a small getaway? Stay at the Opus Hotel or Rosedale on Robson to make it a 24-hour stay or extend it for the family day long weekend! There's so much to do in Yaletown that you're bound to have a great Valentine's Day and/or weekend.

Whatever you end up doing and whoever you end up celebrating with, hope you all have an amazing Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s Day Raw Vegan Crunchy Chocolate Fudge Hearts

A sweet treat… but a healthier version! I love having sweets but I always feel guilty afterward but I found an easy and quick recipe for these delicious raw vegan crunchy chocolate fudge hearts. YES… it tastes just as good as it sounds! Time to treat yourself, a special someone or your friends and family with this yummy treat that you can't get enough of.

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup of chocolate or chocolate chips (vegan)
• 1/3 cup of tahini (or another nut butter of your choice)
• 1/3 cup of seeds and/or desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil – optional
• Sweetener of your choice - optional
• Sprinkles for decoration - optional

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate as best as possible and add the tahini and mix well. If desired, add the coconut oil, desiccated coconut oil and or seeds of your choice. Mix until completely combined.
2. Pour the mixture into heart-shaped muffin molds and decorate with all the heart-shaped sprinkles. You can use dried fruit, nuts, seeds, sprinkles or shredded coconut.
3. Put the molds in the fridge for a few hours until the fudge has hardened.

Eco-friendly Homemade Cleaning Products and Tips!

Source: New Hampshire Live Free

Many of us are unaware of the harmful ingredients in our every day cleaning products we use daily and how it can impact our health and our homes. By eliminating cleaning products we are stopping ourselves, children and animals from inhaling a lot of chemicals. Not only are cleaning products not very good for our home but neither are the air freshener or wall plug-ins as they have a huge dose of harmful chemicals.

Don't worry, I've compiled some homemade eco-friendly cleaning products that do just as good of a job!

Lemon-based cleaners as a homemade cleaning product work great for many surfaces around your home. Although, countertops made of stone such as granite and marble are porous which may corrode the surface over time from the acidity.

Carpet spills are almost impossible to avoid. This environmentally friendly method of getting rid of those stains include only 3 household ingredients: white vinegar, salt, and lavender essential oil. By mixing 2 cups of water, 1 cup of vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt, and your desired amount of lavender you have the perfect mix to remove any carpet stain!

A simple recipe of rubbing alcohol, vinegar, corn starch, and warm water will give you a solution to clean your mirror, fixtures, glass and shiny surfaces. Use a microfibre cloth or a newspaper, which is an old trick but seems to work well!

These organic cleaning products are all-natural and cost-efficient! Try them out and make your home smelling fresh and clean!

DINE OUT VANCOUVER IS BACK!

This festival stemmed from Tourism Vancouver back in 2002 with an idea of having a fixed-price menu deal that Vancouverites could go around trying out various restaurants, wineries, craft breweries and much more! Dine Out Vancouver Festival has become Canada’s largest food and drink festival.

DATES: January 17 - February 2, 2020 

This annual event invites you to try new restaurants and new menu items throughout the city by offering set menus at fixed prices of $18, $28 and $38.

Here are a few of the restaurants participating:

Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio

Annalena

Bishops

Bistro Sakana

Black + Blue

The Boathouse Restaurant

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Brewhall

Brix & Mortar

Butcher & Bullock

Chamber Restaurant

Cibo Trattoria

Edible Canada

Forage

The French Table

Hook Seabar

Horizons Restaurant

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House

L’abattoir Restaurant

Miku Restaurant

…and many more of Vancouver’s best restaurants!

For an extensive list of participating restaurants and the dine out menus, head to www.dineoutvancouver.com

ILLUMINATE VANCOUVER 2020

Want a fun date night activity on Valentine’s Day or want to do something fun and exciting with some friends? 

Come down to the heart of Yaletown to enjoy this FREE Light Art Exhibition with industry-leading light artists and designers who play with engaging advanced video and lighting technology.

WHEN: 1200 block of Hamilton Street

TIME: 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm

WHERE: February 14 - February 15

In honour of the 10 year anniversary since the Olympics were held here in Vancouver, Illuminate Vancouver will pay homage for the 11th consecutive year by transforming Yaletown into a stunning light show. 

Some of Vancouver’s best restaurants that are located in Yaletown will be participating in the fun and offer “Olympic-theme cocktail menus” such as Banter Room, Robba da Mati, The Distillery Bar + Kitchen, West Oak and much more! They will also be playing gold medal Olympic games at 7 pm, so mark this on your calendars to relive the moment and have an amazing night!

To check out more upcoming events happening in Yaletown, go to www.yaletowninfo.com

When you think of having a million-dollar home the first thing that comes to mind is a giant mansion with a pool and media room. Unfortunately, these days having a million dollars in hopes of gaining a great home for the value is rare.

Now, this isn’t saying that Vancouver homes within the million-dollar range are all outdated and older. There are quite a few properties that nice and affordable but with ongoing increases in insurance prices, it’d becoming harder and harder to find. Although, having an amazing realtor that will go above and beyond to find the perfect home within your budget is crucial.

Down below are some of the most SHOCKING properties currently on the market being sold for high prices:

Price: $1,250,000

Address: 6791 Main St., Vancouver, BC

This is may not be what you were picturing given the price being offered. This is the perfect example of how crazy Vancouver’s real estate market truly is.

Source: REW / Edward Tong for Sutton Maple Pacific Realty

Price: $1,098,000

Address: 4995 St Catherines St., Vancouver BC

This is a bargain buy! Perfect for a redevelopment opportunity or as an investment property.

Source: Paul Eviston for RE/MAX

Here are a few houses that are within the million dollar range that are affordable in great neighbourhoods”

Price: $1,389,000

Address: 2822 Dundas St.

Located in the Hastings Sunrise area and perfect for a family home.

Source: REW / Sonya Reich and Dan McLennan for Homelife Benchmark Realty (Langley) Corp.

Price: $1,450,000

Address: 2993 Charles St.

This home has been extensively renovated. The photo may look deceiving but this cozy home in the Renfrew area features 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms!

Source: REW / Owen Bigland for Macdonald Realty Westmar

As mentioned previously, with an experienced and knowledgable realtor you can find the right home for you with your style preferences and within your budget.

So, if you or anyone you know is looking to buy and/or sell, contact me and I'd be happy to advise you!

Whether you're buying a home or renovating your home, here are some of the most popular trends we'll see for this upcoming year!

I've always had a passion for home design so it makes me excited to see that through the world of design there are endless possibilities. I'm not only intrigued myself on these trends but I want home-owners to be informed on what's in style now and whether it'll stay that way or will be passé soon.

INTERIOR HOME TRENDS

1) High-End Materials -- The go-to materials that most people dream of for their home are always stone, marble, quartz, etc. but it is also the time for high-end wood accents to make its debut. For example, fluted wood is making its way back into the popular choice for cabinet doors in the bathroom. On the other hand, for the kitchen, fluted glass doors are the way to go. As for metals and accents, brushed/stained gold accents are trending to give it a cozy and "lived-in" look.

2) Shades and Colours -- Neutrals are always in and will never go out of style. It seems to already be an inspiration for the colours of 2020 which is taken by the beauty of Mother Nature. Earth tones such as beige, terracotta, deep dark greens and deep blues are trending! The lighter shades bring a sense of cleanliness and zen, deep tones portray tranquility and comfort.

3) Bold Lighting -- Lighting choices are the focal points of a room and bring out a different energy and uniqueness to each homeowner's style. The forefront of lighting for 2020 are handmade designs such as those with irregular shapes like lighting created by blown glass.

EXTERIOR HOME TRENDS

1) Siding Material -- Popular siding choice is still wood. Although, there are some negative effects on wood as it is hard to upkeep. There is an alternative which is Maibec and CanExcel that offer the same visual appeal with much less maintenance. In terms of the colour for siding in 2020, it seems that most homeowners will stick to the classic white, black and charcoal.

2) Low Maintenance Plants -- It's true... most people love backyard gardens but it takes true dedication and commitment to landscaping and upkeeping the space. Low maintenance plants such as succulents and grass are trendy choice, along with green walls which are perfect for limited outdoor space while also providing privacy from neighbours.

3) Outdoor Kitchen -- The ongoing trend of being a "foodie" and people trying to transition to a healthier lifestyle for the new year has sparked the return of the outdoor kitchen. 

I hope you got some inspiration from this blog for your home and I wish you all a successful 2020!

YALETOWN OPEN HOUSES THIS WEEKEND!

Looking for a new home to start fresh in the new decade?

Check out open houses in Yaletown being held this weekend.

CLICK HERE for more details.

CLICK HERE if you're looking for a specific building or area within Yaletown for active listings.

So many fun things to do this holiday season with your friends and family! Check out some of my favourites:

Another amazing outdoor visual enchantment... but this one even has a light show! I held my annual Holiday event there earlier this month and it was a hit with everyone! Festival of Lights is amazing with small activities set up for the kids, food trucks, hot chocolate, and much more. Definitely a must-see activity during the holiday season!

Aurora Winter Festival

Canada's Largest Winter Festival is in Vancouver! They have a cute village that features a skating rink, tube park, Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens and of course, light displays all throughout the festival! They have special offers and kids ride free from December 14-23, check out their website for more details!

This Yaletown Penthouse Will Make You Feel Like You're Living in New York

Source: REW.ca

This home features 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with over 2800 sqft! It's being listed on the market for the FIRST TIME at $4,650,000. It has floor to ceiling windows, Architectural design details, and exposed concrete making it feel a unique loft space that gives an extra feeling of the infamous show "Gossip Girl" based in New York. Who wouldn't want to live in an amazing Vancouver neighbourhood in this stunning property. 

Source: REW.ca

You'll even have your own PRIVATE rooftop pool on your own rooftop terrace. It would be so perfect to have summer bbq's, watch the sunset or simply have a nice cup of coffee.

Source: REW.ca

THE PENTHOUSE AT THE ILIAD

Address: PH-1245 Homer St.

Price Offered: $4,650,000

FOR MORE DETAILS: https://www.rew.ca/properties/R2391619/ph-1245-homer-street-vancouver-bc