Who doesn’t love spending a warm summer night on the patio or front porch? Especially after the last few months. The right lighting can set the mood for a perfect summer night. Here are a few things to consider when deciding on the best lighting for your home.

When mapping out your lighting, think about various types of lights. Incorporate one style or the whole package to set the perfect scene. Ambient lights are lights such as hanging lights, post lights, or decorative wall lights. Task lights are lights that serve a purpose, such as lighting up a pathway or security lights. Accent lights are small touches around your patio and landscape. Solar spotlights and string lights are perfect accents.

LED lights are the way to go when picking your lights. They’re far more efficient and require less maintenance.

Before you set up your lights, look at your space from the inside. This perspective will help you understand where to add accent lights versus ambient lighting. You’ll get a good feel for the size of the lights you might want.

Nobody wants to have their party lit up with blinding lights. So, if you’re planning on doing a lot of entertaining, subtle lighting is a much better way to go to set the mood.

I hope these tips help you pick the right lighting for many long summer nights. Share your perfect summer night with me. Reply to this email with your ideas. If there’s anything that I can do to help your family, please don’t hesitate to call.

Did you know that working in your garden is one of the safest and healthiest ways to socially distance yourself? Next Wednesday is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day; so with that in mind, I wanted to share with you a few eco-friendly landscaping tips as you dig into your spring projects.

Plant Trees and Shrubs Native to Your Area

Find trees and shrubs that are native to your area. They’ll repel pests and require fewer pesticides. Planting your trees strategically can also help provide shade for your home in the summer and let sunlight in throughout the winter. As a bonus, it will help cut heating and air conditioning costs.

Conserve Water

Xeriscaping your yard in dry climates is a great way to conserve water. If you don’t xeriscape completely, group plants together that have similar watering needs. If possible, collect rainwater in a rain barrel to water and schedule sprinklers to water early in the morning and late at night to avoid evaporation.

Use Natural Fertilizers

If you like to use fertilizer, look for a natural fertilizer to help turn your grass green. Using compost is a great organic way to fertilize your grass and plants. In addition to helping the lawn, it helps the soil. Also, pull your weeds rather than use weed killers that contain chemicals and pesticides.

Add Mulch

Use mulch around trees and garden beds to help control weeds and conserve water. Organic mulch also helps with healthy root growth and it promotes good soil.

As you’re looking to get outside, think about a little stress relief in your garden. Use these eco-friendly landscaping tips. They’ll help conserve the earth and your budget. Show me your garden tips and reply to this email with a few pictures. If there’s anything I can do to help you or your family, give me a call.

7 Lucky Moving-In Rituals

Happy St Patricks’ Day!
With the housing market waking up after winter, check out these 7 moving-in rituals from around the world ???? that just might come in handy.

1. Bread & Salt.
In many countries, it is believed that bringing salt and bread into the home first will bring good luck. Russian Jewish people believe that bread means the home will never experience hunger, and life will be full of flavour. In Scotland, the bread and salt are brought as gifts because they are pantry staples that every home needs. In some cultures, salt is scattered throughout the house, as this is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

2. Come & Go.
A common tradition is that when you first enter your new home, you must leave again through the same door. If this ritual is not completed, the Irish say that you will have bad luck.

3.Invite Good Fortune.
Philippine traditions say that you should scatter coins in the living room, or place coins in the corners of every room to bring good financial fortune.

4. Clear the Air.
Many cultures have traditions to “clear out” any remaining or bad energy in the home. Feng Shui says to open all of the doors and windows. Many Indigenous cultures burn sage, or smudge, to purify the home of the previous homeowners’ energy. Burning candles is also said to bring light, and chase out any darkness.

5. Bring the Cat.
In Russia, it’s considered good luck to let a cat walk across the threshold of your new home before you move in.

6. Buy a New Broom.
Another cross-cultural belief is to leave your old broom behind when you move. This symbolizes leaving any troubles or negative energy behind, while a new broom ensures a fresh start.

7. Throw a Party!
A housewarming party, that is. Across the world, it is common to invite new neighbors and old friends into your new house. The love and joy that they bring with them will fill your home for years to come.

When my family moved into our “forever home”, we held a housewarming party. Do you have a moving-in ritual in your culture or in your family?

#MovingDay #Tradition

My Valentines Day Story.

For me, Valentine’s Day is pretty special; it is the day Josh proposed to me at sunrise on the sandy beaches of Cuba in 2012. While a lot of couples talk about how many years they have been married, I tend to talk about how long we have been together. We’d been together for ten years before we were engaged, and have spent nearly 18 years together in total. Without giving our ages away… that is nearly half of our lives!

I met Josh when I worked at a golf course as a server/cart girl. I was stocking the beer cart, and up walks Josh, and introduces himself. Our eyes met, and I am pretty sure we both KNEW that something interesting was about to happen, though we didn’t know what quite yet.

For the rest of the summer, we were work friends, but didn’t see each other until after the season ended. Rather, he popped in to see me at my next job at Pizza Hut, and asked for my number. We went from work-friends to…. Best friends. Another year after THAT is when we finally started to date.

Ten years later, we became engaged.

That day is special, because it is a milestone that we reached in our relationship. It is one of “those moments”, like when we moved to BC, travelled to Europe, bought our first house, got our first dog, Nella, got married and found out we were expecting our daughter, then our son.

These milestones and the little moments in between are, to me, what creates love. I truly believe that love grows even more over time, and it is a journey that you choose to take with someone. Valentine’s Day IS special to us, but so are a lot of other moments.

How about you? I’d love to know how you met your partner, or how you KNEW they were the one.

#HowWeMet

If Langley isn’t considered the new Vancouver… well, it should be. This beautiful place is the perfect mix of country and city living and only within a 40 minute to an hour drive into the actual city. From locally renowned restaurants to gorgeous hiking trails, there are so many reasons to pack up your things and move to Langley if you don’t already live here. 

 If you’ve ever been to Fort Langley you’ll know its views are simply picturesque down by the river and this town boasts a ton of old world charm with its museums, walking trails, and quaint little shops.

The three or so blocks that make up the downtown core of Fort Langley is made up of cute shops and small restaurants in an attractive heritage theme. But better yet it’s full of unique and flavourful cafes that are sure to give you your coffee (or tea) fix.

If home buying is on your to-do list next year, there are some tasks to tackle before you hit the streets. Admittedly, many of these New Year’s Resolutions relate to finances, and rightly so. A home is likely the biggest investment you’ll make in your lifetime, so here are five New Year’s Resolutions that you’ll definitely want to keep this year.