Get creative this Christmas and try making your own holiday decor/gifts. These three DIYs are easy and quick to make, plus they will make you look a Pinterest master! Are you ready to impress your friends and family? Let’s get started!

1. Homemade wrapping paper 
With wrapping paper this cute, you could wrap up a lump of coal and people will still love it!
Materials:

1. 1 roll of craft paper (whatever colour you like but we recommend brown for a rustic look)
2. Potatoes (we will explain later)
3. Paint
4. Any stencils or designs you would like to use ( leaves, doilies, etc.)

Directions:

1. Lay out your craft paper on a long table or on the floor
2. Cut potatoes in half and the cut out the design you want on the potato so it acts like a stamp (stick to simple designs like stars and hearts)
3. Choose your paint colours and dip the potato stamp in the paint to decorate the paper
4. Get as creative as you like, you can write messages on the paper or just do simple designs
5. Wrap up your gifts and don’t forget a cute bow!

(Image: https://blog.etsy.com/en/make-your-own-potato-stamp-gift-wrap/)

 

2. Mitten Advent Calendar
How is it that, by the end of winter, you somehow end up with at least 5 mismatched mittens? This idea let you take all these sad, single mittens and put them to good use.
Directions:

1. Collect all your old mittens (with any luck you won’t have to buy a few more pairs!).
2. Once you have your 24 mittens, number them and hang them along a railing or bannister.
3. Put a little gift or chocolate in each mitten for an advent treat each day! 

​(Image: https://www.rhbabyandchild.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=rhbc_prod482007)

 

3. Wine Bottle Holiday Lights 
This cute wine bottle light makes for a beautiful decoration– plus it is a great excuse to drink wine!
Directions:

1. Peel the labels off an old wine bottle and clean the bottle ( we recommend using a mix of green and clear bottles as it looks very festive).
2. Place battery operated fairy lights in bottles
3. Group the lights together and enjoy a beautiful, cheerful glow.

(Image: Image by Tim Mary Vidra)

 

 

Week One:
The countdown is on and this week is all about prep! The more you can do to prep for the holidays the more you can sit back, relax and enjoy time with your family.

 

Send out Cards/gifts: Before everything gets too crazy, send your holidays cards out to tick one thing off your to-do list.  Prioritize which gifts to send off based on how far away they are, send out all international gifts this week to make sure they arrive on time.

 

Food Prep: Save yourself a lot of stress and plan your meals for the next few weeks. Plan meals that can be made ahead of time and can be frozen for a few weeks. Then all you have to do is thaw, reheat and enjoy, giving you more time to binge on Christmas movies!

 

Festive Finishing Touches: The time has come to deck those halls and get your house looking holiday ready. Dig out those dusty decorations from last year and get everything set up just how you want it before the guests pour in!

Week Two

There’s two weeks left until the holidays, it’s time to get your house ready for guests and all the holiday madness.

Cleaning: Although this might not sound like the most glamourous part of the holidays it is integral and your future self will thank you. Prioritize the big projects like the oven and the fridge, these will both get a lot of use over the holidays so give them a deep clean before you start your cooking and cleaning. 

 

Guests: Get all your guest bedrooms organized with extra towels and bedding so you don’t have to rush around finding everything when the extended family arrives. You and your guests will feel much more relaxed!

 

The arrival of kids: Be prepared this Christmas by buying extra batteries for kids toys so there won’t be any disappointed kids who can’t play with their new toys.

Week Three

It’s only crunch time if you haven’t been following our Holiday Chore Countdown. This week all you need to do is set the table, right? Gifts are wrapped, cookies are baked, and halls are decked! Enjoy this wonderful time of year.

 

Set the table: Check to make sure you have enough place settings for everyone at the table. Get the little ones to help with making a centrepiece for the table. Many hands make light work! 

 

Post-Holiday

Clean, nap, repeat! After all the gifts have been opened and before falling into a chocolate infused coma, get everyone to spend 10 minutes cleaning up. Wash all dishes after each meal so they don’t pile up and leave you feeling overwhelmed. When the time comes to pack up decorations, go through any that broke during the season. Take the time to put away the decorations properly and label boxes to make decorating next year a piece of cake!  

 “An estimated 2% to 3% of the general population suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that seems to be related to the amount of sunlight that you are exposed to. An extreme form of the “winter blues,” SAD is worst for most people in the fall and winter.”  – Body and Health Canada

1. Host a backyard bonfire

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean that bonfire season is done! Put on your big sweaters, bring out the blankets and have a cozy fall bonfire. Hot apple cider anyone?

2. Have a movie night

Let’s be real, this is the time to cruise through all the must-see movies and catch up on the summer blockbusters. Plus, it’s November so we wouldn’t judge you if threw in the occasional holiday movie in there.

3. Learn a new skill

Have you always wanted to play guitar but could never find the time? Schedule a few nights a week to practice—even if it’s just for an hour. By next summer, your skills will be much better and you’ll be campfire sing-along ready.

4. Go hiking

With the cooler weather, you can hit the trails that were too hard to hike on those hot summer days. Look at the hikes in your area and get out there before the snow comes!

5.  Make your own candles 

Warm your house and feel like a craft pro by making homemade candles. These also double as great holiday gifts because although it might seem crazy, winter holidays are just around the corner.

Greenwood, BC (October 10, 2018) – CENTURY 21Premier Properties Ltd. has another location in the Okanagan. Their second office is in Greenwood, British Columbia follows an office in Osoyoos earlier this year. Owners, Ken Davreux, Wendy Brisebois and Payam Sanai have already recruited a new team of agents.

Davreux and his team have more than 20 years experience in the real estate industry.  “We have been able to grow quickly thanks to our phenomenal staff and the support that CENTURY 21 provides. The company constantly implements new tools and training resources for sales representatives and brokers that make our jobs easier,” he says.   

This CENTURY 21 office was previously a RE/MAX location and was acquired earlier this year by the Premier Properties team. As fall begins, the company has already surpassed their goal for 2018. They had initially targeted to have five more sales representatives working out of one office. Since January 1^st, they have added five new sales reps but also a brand-new office which also has several agents. Their new goal for the end of the year is that they will have 12 realtors and possibly open another branch office in Grand Forks.

In addition to an established name in the Osoyoos, this management team is committed to their community and they are deeply involved with many local charities. This summer they held a Blues concert to raise funds for Easter Seals and hope to make it an annual event.

“We are very proud to see Premier Properties Ltd. expanding so quickly,” says Brian Rushton, Executive Vice President of CENTURY 21 Canada. “They are a force to be reckoned with and are passionate about their agents. This energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and we can’t wait to watch them continue to grow!”

Drop by the new CENTURY 21 Premier Properties Ltd. office at 101 S. Government Avenue in Greenwood or here to discover the CENTURY 21 difference.  

#  #  #

 

Media contact

Leigh Kjekstad

Director of Brand Engagement

CENTURY 21 Canada

Leigh.kjekstad@century21.ca 

604-606-2139

 

About CENTURY 21 Canada™

Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership (century21.ca) is a real estate master franchisor with complete rights to the CENTURY 21® brand in Canada.

The CENTURY 21 System is one of the world’s largest residential real estate brokerage franchisors, CENTURY 21 has approximately 8,300 franchise offices and more than 119,000 independent sales associates located in 80 countries and territories.

Independently Owned and Operated. ®/™ trademarks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license or authorized sub-license. ©2018 Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership.

The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

Somehow, day in and day out we feel like we are racing against the clock to get everything accomplished. We get home feeling tired and ready to just collapse in front of Netflix and then do it all over again the next day. Finding the perfect work/life balance is doable but it takes a small amount of planning, organizing and prioritizing ahead of time. The reward of extra hours at home to hang out with friends and family will make the effort worth it! Here are some time management tricks to get the clock working for you! 

Track time wasters/ distractions  

Phones: Phones are one of the biggest time wasters and distractors. Time spent scrolling on Instagram and Facebook can quickly turn from minutes to hours in a day if you aren’t careful. Although it might sound counterintuitive, you can use your phone to help decrease phone usage. There are apps such as “Break Free” which will track how much you are on your phone and will lock your phone for you when you are trying to be productive.

TV:  We are all guilty of falling into the habit of crashing in front of the tv as soon as we get home. Instead, decide a certain amount of television to watch per day and stick to it. This will help you from falling into the “I’ll just watch one more episode” trap and end up watching an entire season of The Office (let’s be real, we are all guilty of this).

Sharpen your focus: Close other tabs and browsers on your computer and put your phone on silent so that you won’t be distracted and can focus on the task at hand.  

Be productive during travel time:  If you take transit, see what work you can do– answer emails, listen to voicemails or just schedule your week. If you need more privacy for those tasks, commit to a brief meditation practice or make sure you’re carrying a book with you for even five minutes of downtime.

Delegate:  Delegate other tasks around the house either with your partner or your kids. Even a five-minute task like unloading the dishwasher can save you much more over the course of a week.

Identify top priorities

Work smart, not hard: Look at where you are investing your energy and make sure you are not wasting time on things that don’t deliver results.  

Lists: Making a to-do list will be your best friend when it comes to prioritizing your time.  Seeing your to-do’s makes them more real– plus it is so satisfying crossing them off!

Schedule: Manage your time first by the week then by the day. Look at your most pressing deadlines and then schedule your time accordingly. Follow the adage of “eat a frog for breakfast” — do the most important/ hardest tasks early in the day to get them completed.   

Measure and Calculate:

No one has the same schedule or the same habits, so find out what works best for you. If you are a morning person try waking up 15 minutes earlier and use this time to get two tasks done.  Calculate how much time you have saved each week and decide where you can make cutbacks the next week.

Reward yourself for all your scheduling and list making by planning fun events in the evening: plan a board games night or host a dinner party. Plus having these events will help you prioritize your schedule to ensure that you have the free time to do the things you want to be doing! 

Having pets can make a house become a home, but they can also turn a home into a zoo if they start to rule the roost. After time, the damage pets cause can reduce the value of your home. There are many ways to “pet proof” your home to create a space where you and your pets can live cohesively. Here are some of the biggest issues (and how to solve them) that homeowners run into when having pets. 

1. Shedding 

Whether you have a cat or a dog, shedding will likely be the bane of your existence. It can sometimes feel like you will forever be following your pet around with a vacuum cleaner. There are some preventative measures you can take when it comes to your pet’s shedding. Natural pet shampoos help to release your pet’s undercoat which is where most of the shedding comes from. Brushing your pet helps shedding as the fur is collected on the brush instead of all over your floors!

2. Chewing

 The best way to protect your home and your pet is to baby proof your home. Here are the biggest problems and solutions for chewing:

– Chewing on electrical cords- This can be dangerous for animals (especially cats) so it’s a good idea to have a containment system for all your electrical cords. 

– Getting into cupboards- Put safety locks on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets so cheeky little pets can’t get their paws in there.

– Destroying property (shoes, furniture, etc.)- The “KONG” toy is the most durable toy on the market– your sneakers will thank you! 

3. Scratching

Nothing worse than having your beautiful hardwood floors scratched to shreds by not so angelic fur babies. Try to keep claws as short as possible to avoid deep scratches. But, if your pet bolts across your hardwood at the first sight of a squirrel and leaves pesky scratches behind, try this:

1. Vacuum the floor to remove all dirt and debris.

2. Then spray the area with a cleaner and use a microfiber cleaning pad to scrub the scratches.

3. Apply an oil refresher (depending on the type of floor that you have). If the scratches are still visible, sand the area with very fine sandpaper and then apply oil. 

     

1. Use paint to make a big splash

Paint can be used in many ways and can drastically change the design of a room depending on how it is used. Instead of repainting an entire room think of using paint to create an accent wall. This will cut down on the cost of buying paint and primer to cover all four walls. Choose the smallest wall in the room and use that wall as your focal point.  

Thinking of wallpapering? Consider making your own wallpaper using a stencil and paint. This method is much cheaper and you get more creative freedom than you do with using wallpaper.  

 

2. Re-purpose

Little did you know; your house is full of hidden treasures that just need a little bit of TLC.  Before you replace your old couch or dining room chairs, give them a good look over and see if you can freshen them up. To bring a couch back to life consider upholstering it to give it a fresher look.

For dining room furniture that needs a facelift a good paint job should do the trick. Whether it is wood, plastic or metal, paint will give a second life to anything that needs a lift!   

 

 

3.Recycle/ Up-cycling

Why buy new when there are second-hand stores that are full of great finds in need of a new home. Buying second-hand furniture is more environmentally friendly and cheaper!

For furniture that no longer fits the style of your house there are countless ways you can repurpose it to get the style you desire. Some simple ways are to distress furniture to make it look vintage. Another good method is to repurpose furniture. For example, old, wooden ladders work perfectly as a hanging unit for blankets/ scarves.   

The days of having to run to the grocery mid-cake mixing to pick up an ingredient you inevitably forgot are now behind you! We’ve got the tricks of the trade to make sure your cakes are fluffy, your cookies are chewy and you never have to panic about a missing ingredient ever again!

1.Make your own powdered sugar 

Powdered sugar is one of those ingredients that we always seem to need but never have in the house. To make your own, add a cup of white sugar plus 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to your blender and pulse a few times until the sugar has same consistency as powdered sugar. Look at you go, you baking genius!

2. Soften up your sugar

One of our baking pet peeves is when you go to use the brown sugar and it is rock solid. Thankfully, we have a hack for that! Put the brown sugar in a baking dish and cover it with a wet paper towel and microwave it for 20 seconds. Keep your brown sugar soft from now on by storing it with a slice of bread. It sounds weird, but it works!

3. Turn milk into buttermilk

Ok, we admit it’s not as cool as turning water into wine but it sure is useful! For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Leave for 5 minutes, and you’ll have buttermilk!

4. Zest for zest!

Get the most out of your lemons by microwaving them for 5-10 seconds before zesting them. This will help release more juice and will make your lemon treats that much more delicious!

5. Ripen Bananas

If you are waiting for your bananas to hit the perfect ripeness for baking, but they’re still a bit too yellow, you’ll need to speed up the process. Simply place your bananas in the oven at 300° until they are dark brown (time will vary depending on how ripe they are).  

Sind es die vielen spannenden Games, die extrem hohen Gewinnchancen oder der perfekte Support.

Deshalb müssen wir uns immer im Park treffen.

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